We recently interviewed Zoom pro staffer Mike McClelland about organizing soft plastics and how he prepares for upcoming season. McClelland is currently preparing for the 41st edition of the Bassmaster Classic to be held on the Louisiana Delta, February 18-20.
photo: wired2fish.com
Zoom: So how do you start the process of organizing your soft plastics.
Well, essentially, you know how we are, we go through the course of the year and we shove all of our plastics together. Soft plastics especially, seem like they are the biggest thing that get away from us. But, through the year, I end up with probably 4 to 5 Hefty One-Zip bags of some size either a quart, a gallon, or 2 ½ gallons full of various Zoom plastics, whether it be brush hogs, baby brush hogs, or Finesse worms. I just try to go back and re-sort through every one of those bags and reorganize everything so when the tournament year gets started this year, I have got everything, in order and know where it is all at times.
Zoom: When you say reorder, tell us what that actually means, a bag of 50 brush hogs in it or what does that really mean as far as you and your boat?
You know, that is what is kind of funny. A lot of guys, I guess the average consumer out there, probably thinks we have these big bulk bags of product, different than anyone else. But essentially we work out of the very same Zoom product bags that anybody goes and buys off of the shelf. I organize those bags into larger Hefty one gallon and 2 ½ gallon bags. There are so many good products that Zoom has like the Finesse worms to the baby brush hogs to the Super Chunk Jr’s. Through the course of the year, you know there is going to be some of those products used somewhere across the country at these events, so being organized and being able to go through my truck and get to what I want without having to dig through things is important to me.
Zoom: Do you look at the schedule and figure out what you think you are going to need or is it that you already have an idea of what your strengths are and you just stick with that stuff?
photo: bassmaster.com
There is no doubt that you stick with your strengths. There are certain baits and I have mentioned some of those that are always a mainstay. You know, the Zoom Lizard, a Speed Worm, a Finesse Worm, and a Trick Worm are things that you are going to use, without a doubt, throughout the course of a year. Now, we have events every year that kind of fall into that specialty category. This year was the Classic taking place in New Orleans in the Delta. We are going to be looking at probably a lot of flippin baits. I really went through the Zoom website this last couple of weeks and really tried to decipher which flipping baits are going to be the most effective for me in New Orleans. I’ll be throwing everything like the Ultra Vibe Speed Craws to Super Speed Craws to Super Hogs. The typical flippin bait, you know the punching type baits is really what I have had to stock up on.
Zoom: How many colors do you generally carry with you, like at the beginning of the year?
That is a chore in itself. The thing about the Zoom is that there are no bad colors, but essentially you as an angler have to kind of determine what your confidence colors are and what your strengths are, and kind of go with that. I am going to say that I probably carry a variation of about 4 or 5 colors. I always have some Junebugs or Red Bugs and Black Neon, and things of that nature, so I essentially try to kind of categorize it in darker water lures, which would be those Junebugs and Black Neon’s and Black Emeralds, and then I like to vary the shades a little bit, but then you know you have your midrange water, which would be your Green Pumpkin’s, and you know variations of Green Pumpkin, and then you typically need a few of the watermelons. I do not try to order every Zoom color available, but variations of colors that I feel confident working into my own arsenal.
Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw
Zoom: What type of water clarity or color do you think to expect to see down in New Orleans.
Well you know, the thing about New Orleans is it could vary everything from a black tanic looking water to some relatively clear filtered out water through the grass areas, and you know, we could be faced with some really dingy water depending on what the diversionary is on the Atchafalaya basin and the Mississippi River. A person has got to go down there with every water color in mind.
Zoom: Any other thing that you can think of as far as spring housecleaning, getting your baits ready or tips you can think of as far as getting soft plastics ready?
Yeah, the biggest thing in my opinion, I try to organize my stuff usually on a Gator Board or Pegboard type system here in my shop. The biggest thing to me, is organization probably in the boat is as key as anything. Rather than trying to carry 3 or 4 bags of your favorite color in the boat, you know, I typically try to narrow it down to 1 or 2 bags of 4 or 5 different colors of different baits that I am going to use rather than trying to carry a bag that’s got Green Pumpkin Brush Hogs, Finesse worms, you know, everything in it. I would sort it out, I guess, more individually by specific bait in color.
photo: wired2fish.com
Zoom: So you would say, for example, I want to carry these 4 or 5 baits and then I am going to have 2 or 3 colors of each of those baits?
Exactly, and that is how I organize it. I basically take a Hefty One-Zip, one gallon bag and I will put, you know, 6 or 8 colors of Brush Hogs in one of those bags, and then I will put 6 or 8 colors of Baby Brush Hogs in one of those bags. Essentially, when you get to a tournament, you may start off with, you know, a variety of those things in your boat, but as the practice wears on and as you get into competition, you know, you just simply take those bags out of your boat and keep the ones that you know you are going to be using in.
Zoom: Do you do anything special to your soft plastics as far as dipping them or scents?
I do not treat any of the products prior to use, but if I know I am catching them on a Green Pumpkin Brush Hog and, you know, I feel like scent is important, you know, I may take a drop or two of scent and squirt it in a bag of Green Pumpkin Brush Hogs so as I utilize those through the course of the day they are already seasoned up a little bit.
Zoom: Thanks Mike – Good luck at the Classic!
