James Smiley Fishing
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James Smiley - Professional Bass Fisherman
Whats New?
7/20/10 - James and Ryo filmed a TV Show for Reins Tackle of Japan at Lake Piru and Castaic.  24lbs caught on camera.
7/19/10 - Prepping to film a TV show with Reins Tackle (Japan) and Japan's star angler Ryo ("Rio").
7/12/10 - Off to I Cast for a few days....
7/9/10 - James is getting ready to go to I CAST in Las Vegas next week.  He'll be at the Dobyns Rod both.
 

 

Hello & thank you for visiting.  I'm a young aspiring Elite Series angler currently competing in the Bassmaster Opens & some local pro/am events out West.  I have been blessed to learn first hand from some of the West's best anglers and I couldn't be where I am today w/o them. 

 

With 2010 starting, I look forward to working hard for my sponsors again, expanding my knowledge & experience in this sport, and succeeding as a father, husband, and friend to my buddies.

 

Thanks again for visiting.  Send me a msg anytime.

 

James Smiley 

 

Keep Up With James

 

 

 

Twitter ID:  Smileybass

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 email:  marketingwithjames@gmail.com

 

 

  

What Baits Was James Using?

 

June 05

2010 Bassmaster Western Divisional
Whats up.  If you didn't hear, I won the CA State Title at the B.A.S.S. Western Divisional last month (May).  What does that mean?  Well a lot, but most importantly I qualified for the Bassmaster National Championship now (Oct 2010 at the Red River) where I'll have a one-in-eleven shot at qualifying for the 2011 Bassmasters Classic.  Thats excited to think about!  Also, the National Championship is an ESPN2 Televised event with Mark Zona and crew so I can't wait for that!
 
So here's how the event broke down for me back in May.
 
Pre-Fishing for 6 days before the event:
The first 2 days of pre-fish I was on them big time...bagging over 40 fish a day and did it pretty easily to be honest.  Most fish came on a Lucky Craft Real California swimbait (wakebait) and a Lucky Craft BDS3 or RC1.5 crankbait.  Both were fished around heavy shallow cover; in the same areas other guys were throwing frogs, flipping, and spinnerbaiting...I knew the fish hadn't seen lures like these presented this tight to cover and I think that was a big different.  The baits were custom painted by a company in AL called Southern Brothers (contact #:  205-316-0588).  The wakebait was a baby bass color and they crankbaits where a desert bluegill color (pale bluegill color).  These color patterns really shine in the post-spawn when bluegill are spawning and baby bass are roaming the shallows.  I knew this and that was my game plan coming into this event.
 
That reaction bite faded however each day I was there until it was almost non-existant during the tournament for most guys.  I knew in the pre-fish I'd have to find a few back up patterns.  I discovered flipping the main river current in the afternoon was productive for some decent sized fish too.  I used a 1/4oz Picasso Pro Metal weight, 3/0 Youvella 'Little Flip' hook, and an Outlaw Baits 3.5" Mocha (cinnamon color) tube or a watermelon candy Bass Pro Shops Beaver.
 
I also discovered a great drop shot bite in 6 to 15 feet of water in the deeper lakes that had isolated wood or grass in them.  I could drop shot around these pieces of cover and (honestly) catch fish at will.  No one was doing this offshore stuff and it was solid as a rock each day I tried it.  I used a 6" Roboworm in Oxblood or Red Crawler on a 1/0 Rebarb hook.
 
In The Event:
I threw the swimbait most of the mornings on day 1 and day 2.  Missed a few big fish, but never landed a fish on the swimbait.  The crankbait bite was tough too b/c I kept lossing crankbait fish...meaning they weren't eating it real well anymore.  Both days I was forced to drop shotted a limit late (around noon time) and then culled in the afternoon on the main river flipping.
 
The final day, I only fished a around 2 hours b/c of boat issues (long story) which prevented me for getting on the water until 1130am (with weigh in at 130p).  I used the drop shot to boat 3 fish quickly and then landed my 4th fish by flipping in the current in the afternoon...this last fish came with only 3 mins to go and ironically it was the winning fish for me!
 
Gear: 
Swimbait - Dobyns 795 SB Mag Topwater/Swimbait Rod, Johnny Morris Wide Spool Reel, Bass Pro Shops Excel 25lb Mono
Crankbait - Lucky Craft Fat Mini Magic Crankbait Rod, Ardent 1000xs Reel, XPS 15lb Fluoro
Flippin - Dobyns 765FLIP Rod, Ardent F700 Denny Brauer Special Reel, XPS 20lb Fluoro
Drop Shot - Dobyns 742 Extreme Series Casting Rod, Ardent 1000xs Reel, XPS 12lb Fluoro & Dobyns 703sf spinning rod, Diawa TD Pro Spinning Reel, and 8lb XPS Fluoro
 
 


4:10 AM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

 

 

What James Fishes This Time Of Year

 

In the post-spawn I can usually get on a good reaction bite just about anyday.  This is a great time to catch crankbait and topwater fish for instance.  If thats not working, and you're seeing a lot of shad spawning, try to focus on shad type of baits such as flukes, under spins, reapers, etc.  Also, don't rule out a jig or carolina rig either if the fish are stubborn.  Remember, shad and bluegill spawn right after the bass spawn.  The baby bass, baby birds, etc. will be roaming the shallows this time of year.

 

Reaction Bait Favorites

  • Lucky Craft SKT DR and RC1.5DD in MS Crack and Citrus Shad (crankbaits)
  • Lucky Craft KellyJ Prop Bait (around bluegill beds)
  • Lucky Craft Gunfish 75, American Shad (around the small spawning shad)
  • Zoom Fluke or Fluke Jr.
  • Density-Tackle Panic Minnow (swim tail version)

 

 

Spinnerbait Favorites

  • Pepper Custom Baits Spinnerbait, 1/2oz to 3/4oz in a bluegill pattern

 

Finesse baits

  • Pepper Custom Baits 3/8-1/2oz jig in a bluegill pattern or carolina rigs (with a 5" fluke) fished just outside spawning bays on the first or second hard peice of cover or drop off.