EMMROD IN THE JUNGLE

by John McKean

Slowly, stealthfully I crept the final few feet out of the woods to lurk behind a bush near shore. My short rod allowed a gentle flip which accurately landed delicately beneath the low hanging branches hovering just above water. My little jig slowly walked back to me without a hitch. Second cast, and I smugly patted myself on the back,taking credit for the pinpoint delivery actually afforded by my well balanced spinning outfit! This time, though, the small jig stopped after a foot of motion in a foam of water and whirlpool!! Only a short stroke backward implanted the hook and I soon discovered even a locked down drag was giving line. However, I had leverage on the big girl,and 23" of thick, green largemouth bass was soon beached.

The chosen lake that day was not a big tournament type bass lake. In fact, it was a trout stocked "picnic" lake, near a major city and quite crowded on that bright Sunday afternoon. And, through the years, it was not thought to contain any bass at all to speak of, let alone trophies. Fortunately no one told the other 2 really nice bass which I caught within the following 15 minutes, nor the many, many over 18"ers which I've pulled from those unassuming waters over the past few years!

My secret? Simply to fish the lake's shoreline in sections surrounded by dense "forests" or through very thick brush. It's genuine work to hike in there,effectively keeping large sections of popular lakes unfished. Most importantly, these areas are not exploited because common fishing rods are near impossible to drag through the "jungles", and overhanging trees/shoreline bushes makes casting a disaster. Enter the EMMROD !! It's short stature allows me to "safari" it in easily and I can accurately cast or even "slingshot" into even tiny openings at lakeside.

My technique is one that the bass pros generically refer to as "flipping" or "pitching". Yet from shore I can short cast into tight cover configurations that no boater or long rod can begin to traverse. Plus I can do in with more stealth and secrecy than boaters ever dream about! Not to mention the absolute accuracy afforded by an Emmrod Kayak King, Mountaineer, or Packer poles! After all, I'm really casting,not trying to "fly fish" with a baitcasting rod!

To implement the jungle fishing system, once you've hiked to where only mosquitos will go, simply use a short flip cast to any and every type of watery cover with a small jig or soft plastic bait. Rig them weedless, but don't worry about the hook setting thru a weedguard, as you'll discover the tremendous leverage of an Emmrod will provide easy hook penetration, where longer rods merely flex & bend and give no power at the hook point! So don't be afraid to toss your bait beside every log, into every nook and cranny of a submerged bush, and right between holes in thick lily pads. Believe me, the biggest bass in your home lake are lying there and they've probably never seen an artificial lure before (or felt an Emmrod tugging back at them!!).

My prefence in reels is a medium sized open face spinner, outfitted with the modern super strong braided lines, such as Power -pro or Tuf line, in 12-15# test. This thin stuff casts like a dream, especially with my preferred Kayak King's lack of guides (superlines tend to foul or "windknot" on the guides of standard long rods). Just a limited motion, underhanded flick(almost a golf "putt"!) and I can have my bait underneath a shoreline bush of into a clump of reeds, yet know I have the power(I've yet to break a superline on a big fish!) to haul a monster out!

Sneak around cautiously, as this is the huge benefit to jungle fishing which actually has you STALKING the trophies. No other method of fishing allows this "ninja" type approach.Waders & float tubers may try,but they are still highly visible and always moving water. Certainly those foolhardy souls with regulation 8' flipping outfits that try to walk into the brush can't have much stealth, either, as they hang cumbersome rods & lures in brush and trees as they go! (I've heard of $300 graphite rods snapping in half when snagged on a backcast or errant flip -can't imagine a steel Emmrod having this problem!!).

Hooksetting is a joy with the short rod. Unlike a standard length rod, a hard upward sweep is not needed.Nor would you have room, anyhow. Just a short,sweet stroke and the fish is nailed. In fact, I pattern my hooksetting after a method I've heard they use on cinder-block mouthed tarpon in the gulf. I just hitch my Emmrod straight backward about 6" and that, coupled with braided line's lack of stretch, ALWAYS gets the job done in a minimum of space!

Regarding lure type, I just love a 1/8 oz or 1/16 oz jig tied in rabbit fur or bucktail, and trailed with a 4" plastic worm. The newer fat bodied, salt laden plastic worms, weightless and skin-hooked for weedlessness are also excellent. Either type will slowly drift down the shallow water column to entice a hidden bass, and allows a very natural slow swim for the return. Contrast this to those who flip or pitch with heavier baitcasting gear and are stuck using 1/2oz jigs or more which plummet like a rock. For my taste(and apparenty the bass,too!), give me something light and natural, which can be easily & comfortably fished with a compact spinning outfit.

Then there's the all important sensitivity of the bass' take. It can be very delicate when a lure is virtually dropped right on his doorstep. The ultra long rods, which often must be angled up & away, often determine a hit only after a bass starts to move . Very few anglers, other than a handful of top specialists, ever respond quickly enough. But with a short rod, pointed directly at the target area, a take is noted instantly for an immediate, solid response!

Do you happen to be smiling to yourself about now, knowing the whereabouts of a local "fished out" lake which you suspect harbors hidden bass? Well grab yourself an Emmrod (probably at less cost than the many expensive guides alone on an awkward flipper!) and trek into your neighborhood jungle!