As both air and water temperatures start to drop, so too does the water level on many of our lakes. On the TVA chain, FLW Tour pro Terry Bolton is getting ready for the winter drawdown and in order to do so he’s putting one of his favorite springtime lures – the vibrating jig – back into the boat for Fall.
“As that happens, the fish move away from the bushes and the laydowns,” he said. “They’ll get out on the flats and the points that the shad are migrating to.” He also looks to boat docks and any other forms of cover that provide shade and remain in the lake. Fish have no choice but to use them.
While the vibrating jigs may be making a return to Bolton’s boat after a temporary absence, one lure that never leaves is the Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw. It’s one of his favorite sight fishing baits, deadly for flipping through the mats, and also his absolute favorite vibrating jig trailer. He says it’s the total package.
“It provides a lot of lift, a lot of action, and more disturbance on the back of that lure,” he explained. Moreover, it comes in dozens of colors, so whether you’re using a white lure, a black and blue one, green pumpkin or any other shade you can conjure up, there’s likely a perfect match in the Zoom lineup.
UV Speed Craw – Watermelon Seed
Once affixed to the back of your vibrating jig, it’s a simple straightforward retrieve, “a lot like a lipless crankbait,” and then the little paddle tails on the back of the craw will do all of the work for you.
Bolton fishes it on a 6’10” Lew’s Speed Stick Lite Spinnerbait rod (medium heavy), paired with a 6.4:1 Lew’s Team Lite Speed Spool casting reel. It’s spooled up with 14 or 17 pound test Sufix fluorocarbon. He uses it to cover water and replicate the shad, as bass look to fatten up for winter.
ZOOM Ultra Vibe Speed Craw’s available colors.
