Mike Jackson on the outdoors

I don't have a sheet of statistics, nor do I have any hard evidence to back up my suppositions about live bait fishing. All I can offer are my personal experiences and discussions with hundreds of anglers in the Midwest about their lure or live bait preferences.

Turn the clock back to 1964 and '65. That's when the late Bill Binkelman introduced me to Buck Perry and Spoonplugging. In fact, Binkelman suggested I empty my monster tackle box of all my lures, the stuff he called “junk baits,” and concentrate on learning how to drag a Spoonplug around a lake. He also said I should have a back-up plan in the form of live nightcrawler fishing as well.

It took a couple years for me to fine-tune Spoonplugging. When I guided lakes in Minnesota I started customers off with a stout rod, no-stretch line, and a Spoonplug. I cranked the motor up so that the boat sped along at just over 5 mph. The first big bass almost jerked the rod out from the grip of an unsuspecting customer.

The fact is that today very few fishermen have heard of Spoonplugging. And probably an equal number don't know about Nightcrawler Secrets and Binkelman's tricks of the trade.

Live bait is forbidden in professional bass tournaments, but the walleye pros are allowed to drift, troll, or vertically jig nightcrawlers, minnows and leeches.

I have a theory about the professional bass crowd and the rule-makers who dictate to the contestants who are trying to make a buck.

I suspect the bosses perhaps think the use of live bait brings the process of finding and catching bass down to a level that no respectful southern bass man could tolerate.

And yet it's alright for the walleye crowd to use the live stuff.

Anyway, here's my annual mini-primer on nightcrawlers and how to use them to catch all kinds of fish.

Buy a couple dozen 'crawlers and take out the very small ones.

Place moist newspaper pieces on top of the 'crawlers. Keep them moist for a couple days and leave them alone in the refrigerator. When you're ready to go fishing, open the container and inspect them. You should see a marked difference in their appearance. The 'crawlers will have absorbed the water and become fatter and more firm.

For spinning gear, use light line, maybe 6-pound test, and a 7-foot rod. You can go with either a Lindy Rig (a slip-sinker setup), or just use a No. 8 hook and run the hook through the nose of the 'crawler (the nose is on the end where you'll see a band going around the crawler).

I personally would sharpen my Spoonplugging skills by attending a seminar on that topic. That is, of course, if you have a boat.

For simple nightcrawler fishing, Binkelman suggested a No. 8 or 10 hook with a split shot about a foot above the hook. When you feel a tap, either with the Lindy Rig or plain hook and crawler, open the bail of your spinning reel and let the fish run with the bait. Wait a few seconds and then set the hook.

The closest thing to a live nightcrawler is a fat plastic worm. My choice has been the Little Action Mac pre-rigged worm.

I fish it just like live bait, with either a split shot or slip sinker above a swivel.

It also appears to me that every couple years or so new lures appear on the market, and because they are new, some high-visibility professional spokesperson goes on the tube and declares the lure is the most remarkable thing since people discovered how to toast a bagel.

Lure usage runs in cycles. One particular model is hot for a year or two, and then we don't hear much about it, except for the mighty Rapala. Here's a minnow bait that has withstood the test of time and continues to help anglers catch big fish.

Let me know how you're doing this Spring.

Ÿ Contact Mike Jackson at angler88@comcast.net, and catch his radio show 6-7 a.m. Sundays on WSBC 1240-AM.