Tips
& Techniques
Slimy Slugs
from...
Lake Fork Pro Scott Boren
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Slimy
Slugs are soft plastic jerk-baits which are produced by the well known lure maker, Mister
Twister. A slimy slug is one of the most versatile lures bass anglers can add to their
tackle boxes. Fishing with a slimy slug is easy to learn and is a fun way to catch bass.
In a short period of time, a novice can master slimy slug techniques like a pro and catch
a lot of bass. While fishing slimy slugs on Lake Fork this past spring, I caught 7 bass
over 9 lbs. with 4 of these exceeding 10 lbs!
The slimy slug’s streamlined shape with an imbedded hook, allows the angler to fish
with it in heavy cover such as submerged timber, lily pads and hydrilla grass without
hanging up often. When a slimy slug is retrieved with "jerk pause jerk" action
it never moves the same way twice.
Big bass respond better if you fish the slimy slug very slowly, so place more emphasis on
longer pauses between jerks during the retrieve. The slimy slug’s action mimics a
distressed baitfish, fluttering forward then falling slowly towards the lake bottom. To a
big bass the slimy slug's "dying minnow" action means an easy meal and the
bass's instinctive and immediate reaction is to inhale the lure.
When I find bass in clear shallow water and heavy cover is present, my first lure choice
is a slimy slug. When fishing heavy cover, I prefer to use 17-20 lb. monofilament line
such as McCoy's Mean Green, Triple Fish and Stren Super Tough. These lines are abrasion
resistant and nearly invisible underwater and have the strength to tackle really big bass.
If heavy cover is not present, I would use lighter line because it will increase the
natural action of the bait.
I rig the slimy slug "Texas" style which allows the lure to slide over most
obstacles without hanging up. To further increase the slimy slug’s ability to slide
over and around obstacles, lubricate the surface of the lure with one of the oily scent
attractants now available on the market. For better hook-ups, I prefer wide gap hooks such
as a Mister Twister's Smart Hook. During the hook set, a wide gap hook allows space to
develop between the thick plastic of the slimy slug and the point of the hook, thus
exposing more of the point for better penetration. For 7" slimy slugs, I'll use
either a 4/0 or 5/0 size hook and for the 4" varieties a 3/0 size hook.
The slimy slug has a groove that hides the hook point when "Texas" rigged. The
groove keeps the slimy slug from snagging underwater obstructions, but allows the hook to
pull through the plastic easier on the hook set.
Fishing slimy slugs weightless is the best way to catch bass on calm days, but on windy
days it becomes more difficult to stay in contact with the lure. On windy days I'll add
some weight to the slimy slug by pushing small finishing nails into the lure.
Experimenting with where you put the nails into the slimy slug will create different
actions.
Instead of using nails, you can use a hook created by Mister Twister called Swimming Smart
Hook. This hook has lead weight forged to the shank of the hook with a spindle on the eye
of the hook that is pushed into the nose of the slimy slug as it is rigged
"Texas" style.
When I locate bass in water nine feet or deeper, I'll try a 4" slimy slug attached to
a "Carolina" rig. It gives a good representation of a dying shad and draws a lot
of strikes from deeper fish. When rigging your "Carolina" rig use at least a 1/2
oz. weight which will keep good contact with the bottom. Use at least a 2 foot leader with
the small slimy slug. I prefer a 3 foot leader, because a long leader allows the slimy
slug it's full range of motion.
I hope these tips for fishing with Mister Twister’s Slimy Slug will help you catch
more and larger bass on your next angling adventure.
Thanks
and good fishing,
Scott
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