“Catching Everything on Mepps and Mister Twister Lures with Kraig Albright”

Part 3: The Old Tactic That Always Works

Editor’s Note: Kraig Albright of Dayton, Oregon, a competitive bass fisherman, also fishes for rainbow trout, salmon and steelheads.

Question: Kraig, what lure do you use to catch smallmouth bass?

Albright: I’m almost ashamed to tell you. I’m still using the old Mister Twister Curly Tail Grub on a jighead. This bait always has caught smallmouth bass, it still catches smallmouth bass, and it will continue to catch smallmouth bass into the future, especially when you fish it along current streams, off the edges of wing dams and on main river points.

Question: What color seems to be the most productive for you?

Albright: I like all the new natural colors, but pumpkin pepper is my favorite color.

Question: On what size jighead do you put the Curly Tail Grub?

Albright: The water depth and the water conditions dictate the size of jighead I use. Most of the time I’ll be fishing a 1/8- or a 1/4-ounce jighead. I prefer to use a light jighead and a light line when I’m fishing for smallmouth.

Question: What pound-test line do you use for smallmouth?

Albright: I use 6- to 8-pound-test line. Where I fish usually has really-good water clarity, and I’m generally fishing it in moving water. I prefer to swim the lure very slowly, either right next to the bottom or just over the top of the cover. I want the jig to just touch the top of the cover or the bottom every now and then. When a smallmouth takes the bait, I give it a split second to tighten-up the line and then set the hook fairly hard, but not hard enough to break the line. Using this tactic, I’ve caught smallmouth that weigh up to 5 pounds, which is a really-nice-sized smallmouth in our area of the country.

Question: What size Curly Tail Grub do you like?

Albright: I’m a fan of the 3- and the 4-inch grub. Too, besides pumpkin pepper, I like the bone color and the black with a chartreuse tail, depending on water color. You just can’t go wrong fishing the Mister Twister Curly Tail Grub for smallmouth at any time of year in any part of the country.