Utilizing the V&M Chopstick

One of my all time favorite soft plastic baits is the V&M Chopstick. This stick bait is so versatile that I can catch fish with it all year long and I can rig the bait several different ways. What is so special about this bait is the action that is has when it falls through the water column. The bait will shimmy as it slowly falls to the bottom. You have to rig it properly to get this great action. I like to texas rig the bait with just the hook, or rig it wacky style. The key to get the shimmy is to not have any weights when it is rigged. This is by far my favorite way to use this bait when I am fishing for bass around shallow cover. Another way I use the Chopstick is in deep water. For this applications I like to rig it up regular texas style along with the bullet weight. Using the weight I can fish the bait much deeper then I can when it is rigged weightless. If I'm fishing a ledge or grass edge and the water is very clear and the fish aren't wanting to chase after reaction baits I like to use the texas rig with a bullet weight. The Chopstick comes in a variety of colors as well as several different sizes, 4", 5" and 7". The 4" size I use a lot when I'm around smallmouth and spotted bass. The 5" size I like to use on any lake that I've never been to and don't know the size of the fish in the lake. I will always start out with the 5" and then adjust according. The 5" is the size I use most. The 7" size I use when I'm fishing a lake that has a lot of big largemouth. If I'm in a tournament and I catch a good limit with the 4" or 5" I might switch to the 7" to try and get a bigger fish to eat it. I'm not saying a big fish wont eat the smaller sizes, they will! Some of the biggest bass I've ever caught have come on the smaller Chopsticks! Make sure you have several different sizes and several different colors to play around with and always be sure to mix them up throughout a day of fishing. Some days the fish want the 4", the next day they might want the 5". And it can change hour to hour too! Be open minded and listen to what the fish are telling you. When used under the right conditions and rigged up properly, the V&M Chopstick is one of the most deadliest soft plastics I have in my boat! "Do Whatever It Takes" Nik Autrey