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inned down in the off season at the end of 2012 Mott shared with us his ‘one box’. His single bass box to end all bass boxes for life on the tournament trail. It wasn’t an easy task for him to cull down a boat load of tackle into one tray, but with clear standouts and tournament favourites always at his finger tips, Mott refined his selection to a detailed list of musthaves. If you’re a BASS angler it’s time to start taking notes. This is what he had to say about his selection:
1. LITTLE MAX BLADE 1/4OZ Great all round bait, I use it in shallow and deep waters. Perfect for casting to the banks and vertical jigging, the Little Max is a compact bait that works well straight out of the packet. The only thing I’d change, and it’s a personal thing, is I’d put a treble on the rear of the lure. You get a better hook rate when you do this. Little Maxs have a lot of vibration and are a great searching bait. I can cover a lot of water really quickly when using one of these. The 1/4oz is the perfect size with fish everywhere willing to eat the bite-sized blade. As far as the colour goes my favourites are a natural, a light and a dark.
2. LITTLE MAX 3/8OZ
The big brother of the 1/4oz, the 3/8oz
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is the way to go when the bass are a lot more active. I generally catch bigger fish when using the 3/8oz and my colour choices are the same as the 1/4oz – a natural, a light and a dark. I like to use them when the water is a little deeper (6ft+), fishing it with either hops or vertical jigs, and it was this lure that I used to win the Grand Final at Boondooma in 2011.
3. TT SWITCHBLADE 1/4 and 3/8oz With less vibration than the Evergreen Little Max, the Switchblade is more suited for fish that are more shut down than super active. I’ll use the same technique with these as I do with a Little Max. They’re great on Somerset late in the season and also work well in dirty water.
4. SMAK 12G ICE JIG Naturally I am going to use the Smak 12g Ice Jig – I designed it! As people know I have used ice jigs for many years, but none of the others were really designed for Australian fish. They had flaws and it showed when it came to catching fish. The Smak in contrast was made solely with Australian bass in mind and took over 12 months to design and get just right. A lot of people think ice jigging is easy, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
I use the 12g model when I’m chasing bigger fish in deep water. I also find the extra weight helps on those windy days.
5. SMAK 7G ICE JIG This bait works well on really pressured fish and also on very calm days. I have had a lot of success with this lure down south on Glenbawn and St Clair, as the bait tend to be smaller.
6. MASK VIB 19g These are one of my favourite baits, I have caught a lot of big fish on them. It is my go-to bait for catching big bass. They have been extremely successful in dams such as Somerset and Boondooma. I use them on spin rods, and with the right set up you can cast them a mile. I use them aggressively with really sharp hops in the mid water at the start of the season, and hopping along the bottom later in the year.
7. JACKALL TN50, tn60 and tn70 Everyone knows how great Jackall TNs are for catching bass. Their choice of colours is endless and the bass absolutely love them, especially on the dead roll. The TN60 I use a lot in spring, while the smaller TN50 is a go-to when I need something a little smaller and less aggressive. They’re a must-have for your tackle box and are perhaps best thrown with spin gear.
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TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE 13
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