Rooster Tails are versatile and can catch pretty much every species of fish in the water. With so many readily available colors for you to choose from, you can never go wrong with the Rooster Tail. The spinning blade with a tail attached makes it look like a potential food to many species. But are Rooster Tails suitable for Bass fishing?
Rooster Tails are suitable for any Bass fish, including Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass, and others. The classic lure attracts every type of bass fish, and it catches virtually every fish that notices and bites it. It is an excellent lure with many color options.
Whether you are looking to improve your bass fishing technique, or you want a new fishing lure in your tackle box, then you should try Rooster Tails. This article will answer the ten most asked questions about Rooster Tail lure and bass fishing. Continue reading to learn more about how you can improve your Rooster Tails and bass fishing technique.
What Can You Catch On a Rooster Tail?
Someone would want to ask what the Rooster Tail can hook or what it can’t. Another person would ask can the Rooster Tail catch a Trout, a bass, or even a salmon? Here is the answer to some of the burning questions about what the Rooster Tail can do.
According to Yakima Bait, the manufacturer of the Rooster Tail lure, the Rooster Tail has been one of the few most productive spinners for fishing. The classic lure is capable of attracting and hooking just about any game fish, including largemouth and smallmouth bass, trout, green sunfish, bluegill, crappie, stripers, perch, salmon, steelhead, pike, and a variety of panfish.
We can honestly testify that we have caught many of this fish species many times with the Rooster Tail than any lure. Maybe this is because we had preferred the lure to any other right from our childhood, or perhaps the lure is genuinely effective for every type of fish. We’ll agree with the latter.
The Rooster Tails are highly efficient because of the way they attract the fish. Besides, their hook is strong enough to hold onto the catch without twisting or breaking the line.
Also, the Rooster Tail’s pulsating tail and attractive spinning action make the fish attack many times when nothing would work. Even the flash and the blade’s motion would trigger a responsive strike even from fishes that don’t hunt for prey actively.
One benefit it has over others is that its spinner is a bit longer than other popular spinners. Furthermore, depending on what species of fish you are trying to lure, you should consider getting different colors and sizes.
The Rooster Tails are produced in many different colors and sizes, and this can be helpful in various fishing conditions.
Best Rooster Tail Color For Bass
As we previously mentioned, Rooster Tail can attract and hook practically every bass fish, including smallmouth and largemouth bass. However, it also depends on your fishing technique.
No one can do the same things over and over and expect to get different results. We mean, if you use the same color of lure and size in other conditions, you may not get the best result. The color of the Rooster Tail you use is significant if you want to have an exciting bass catch.
Firstly, you need to know that different areas have different food sources that bass sees as their food. However, an excellent new angler may ask if the bass even cares about the color of the lure.
The answer is yes in most cases and no in some cases. The reason we said yes is that the lure color sometimes is used to impersonate what bass feeds on.
According to a post on Berkley fishing, the bass does see color, and their vision is more robust in the areas of medium-red to green. It fails rapidly with blues and purples. If this statement is something true, then it is evident that color matters to the bass.
They show a fondness for fluorescent colors such as green, blue, white, chartreuse, and orange. Further, it offers a consistent response to fluorescent colors than under varying light intensity and water clarity. So if you are starting to get yourself familiar with the rooster tail, we recommend you try chartreuse and white.
For dirty water or cloudy weather, bass will notice chartreuse well. The reason is that it is a bright color with very high contrast. It will stand out even when bass fish don’t have the best eyesight in water. Be rest assured that any bright color would do the job too.
For clear water and sunny weather, white Rooster Tail will do the magic. The reason is that, during this condition, the bass can see every moving prey in the water. Using a natural-looking lure is all you need to attract the fish.
Furthermore, it would even sound good if you use a color that looks like what the bass eats. For instance, we use a silver Rooster Tail most of the time, which mimics shad, crawfish, or bluegill because bass feeds on them.
The reason why we recommend both chartreuse and white is that you’ll be able to use both interchangeably depending on the weather and nature of the water, not because they work 100% all the time. However, if you have understood why you need a brighter color or a more natural color, any color you choose will get the jobs done. Also, try different colors of the Rooster tails in varying habitats and have fun with them.
Best Size Rooster Tail For Bass
Just like the color, the size of the Rooster Tail you use is significant if you want to have an exciting bass catch. However, no one can conclude that a particular size is the best for bass because many Rooster Tail sizes will do just fine. However, a specific size may work best at a specific time for many reasons. So what is the best Rooster tail size for bass fishing?
Contrary to what people believe, big bait gets big fish and vice versa; this may not be true for bass fish. The smallest size ⅛ ounce spinner is capable of catching large-size smallmouth and largemouth bass. The lure may look small in hand, but its profile in water is more important.
The best Rooster Tail size depends on the depth and structure of the water plus whatever recovery plan you have in mind. A ⅛ to ¼ is good enough for bass fishing. We always go for ⅙, which offers a balanced weight and easy casting and fish recovery.
Furthermore, the heavier ¼ ounce spinner can be handy when fishing deeper. It is capable of reaching deep pockets when we are aiming to capture mid-day smallmouth bass.
How Do You Rig A Rooster Tail For Bass?
The way you set up a Rooster Tail is pretty much the same as every other type of bass, whether largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, or spotted bass. Depending on the type of gear, you might need to make a couple of tweaks to get your preferred result. So how do you rig a Rooster Tail for Bass?
Setting up the Rooster Tail on all gear is not supposed to be daunting if you have an idea about how to set up your fly fishing gear. Suppose you don’t, check online how to set up fly fishing gear. However, some fishing gear has an alignment dot that helps anglers to get it done quickly.
After attaching the fly reel to the fly rod and down to the leader or the tippet, you will want to ensure that the Rooster Tail is the last thing to be attached to the setup. Then with your preferred knot, attach the classic lure to the leader or tippet. However, if you use a swivel with your Rooster Tail, tie the swivel first to the leader or tippet before you snap it onto your Rooster Tail. At this point, you are good to fish the bass.
How Do You Fish A Rooster Tail For Bass?
Fishing a Rooster Tail for Bass is not hard, don’t overthink it. Just like every other lure, it is simple to use. All you need is to know the position to fish and some essential tips you’ll need to follow. Anyone can catch bass in a pond, lake, moving river, or stream. Here are some of the essential tips that will help you make the best fishing decision when you fish a Rooster Tail for Bass
1. Stick close to cover
To catch some of the biggest bass fish, you need to position your cast to their location. The largemouth bass is known to take an overhanging cover brush, downed trees, dock pilings, rocks, grass, and other places they can hide. 80 – 90% of the time, the bass is hiding in one of the places mentioned earlier. Nonetheless, it is crucial that you are careful not to damage your fly fishing gear when fishing along the thick edges of the water.
2. Retrieve it slow
When you are fishing for bass, keep everything simple. Start slowly and gradually increase the speed of your Rooster Tail for an effective lure. There are times when the bass isn’t going to respond to the lure – in this situation, all you need is to keep trying. Continuous retrieval won’t give you the most effective catch. Sometimes, all you need is to catch one bass then you’ll know the exact location to cast next.
3. Cast beyond your target
When you are fishing in ponds and lakes, it is vital to cast beyond your target. The reason is that when you launched towards your target, you spook the fish as the lure landed.
But If you cast beyond your target, you avoid the intrusive landing of the Rooster Tail. You can cast inches away from the fish location, and give it a spin towards the position where the bass is waiting to take a bite.
4. Spice it up with erratic action
Don’t be discouraged when you have difficulty catching bass. Remember we said steady retrieve is not going to solve any of these issues. Keeping the classic lure in the water may do the magic. Spice it up with some erratic movement like twitching or jerking motion with the rod tip.
5. Tweak the blade for better performance
We have seen some anglers tweak the blade of their Rooster Tail for a better lure. Yes, this works pretty fine. In still water, the blade may not spin correctly. However, adding a bend or tweak to the edge will improve movement in this situation.
Do You Put Bait On A Rooster Tail
The Rooster Tail on its own is an effective spinner lure that can catch any fish. With or without a lure, the Rooster Tail is a killer lure. Do you want to use extra bait, fine then go ahead. Many anglers use additional bait that makes the bass and other species wish to take a bite.
Fish can perceive the smell of their prey even from afar; that’s something that a Rooster Tail cannot duplicate. So Adding live bait to it can make a significant difference when you go out to fish. Bass will bite a live bait first before biting an artificial bait like the classic Rooster Tail.
Some of the effective live bait you can use to lure a bass include crayfish, nightcrawlers, minnows, small sunfish, shad, madtoms, frogs, salamanders, and other relevant baits.
Do You Use A Weight With A Rooster Tail?
Do we need to use additional weight on Rooster Tail is a common question that many anglers would ask. Some would add weight to the Rooster Tail with the hope of capturing more fish by so doing. But does this improve the effectiveness of the classic bait or not?
One thing you’ll need to know is that the Rooster Tail is effective enough to cover water and catch just about any fish. If you are using the right gear with your Rooster Tail, there is no reason to use a weight. However, we sometimes use an additional weight on a Rooster Tail in some situations. If adding extra weight will make you feel better when you are fishing, then go ahead and add it.
However, the primary reason why professional anglers add weight to a Rooster Tail is when they are trolling or jigging deeper. Since the spinner is always very light, Additional weight will help the lure sink deeply into the bottom of the water. Another question arises, what kind of weight can you use alongside the Rooster Tail in this situation?
We have seen anglers attach a small split shot weight about 18 inches to their Rooster Tail. The setup will not affect the spinner, and it won’t spook the fish either. The only issue is that you will consistently have twisting and tangling lines. Instead, you should add a larger splitter a few feet away from your Rooster Tail.
Should You Use A Swivel with A Rooster Tail?
Fly fishing setup varies from individual angler to the other. Some anglers prefer to tie the Rooster Tail directly to the leader line, while some prefer to use a swivel with the Rooster Tail. But which of the above is correct? Should you use a swivel with the Rooster Tail?
The primary function of a fly swivel is to prevent you from twisting and tangling the fly fishing line. However, if you have used a Rooster Tail before, you will have noticed that the classic lure has an in-built swivel. It has a wire shaft that stays in place, allowing the blade to rotate freely. So you don’t need a swivel.
Nonetheless, some anglers prefer to use a swivel with a Rooster Tail mainly for some reasons. The first reason is that it makes it easier to change from one lure to another. For instance, maybe you want to change the color of the Rooster Tail to a brighter color; the swivel will make it easier.
Some anglers also use the swivel to prevent twisting and tangling, especially when fishing in the weedy water—the location at which largemouth bass mostly takes cover. While fishing in this area, there is a possibility of twisting your line; using a swivel can prevent this from happening.
We wouldn’t recommend using a swivel with Rooster Tail for one reason. The swivel reduces the Rooster Tail’s performance and ability in the water. But if you continually witness a twist in line, then you can grab one of the best small-sized swivels.
Best Rooster Tails For Bass Fishing
The Rooster Tail has existed for over 70 years. It is an effective lure for bass fishing because of its design. The Rooster Tail is designed to mimic the erratic movement of a shad or minnow in water. There are different types of Rooster tails with varying colors and sizes. Here are the best styles for bass fishing.
1. Worden’s Rooster Tail White Red Color
When fishing in clear water, you want to avoid using a bright color lure like chartreuse. The white-red Worden’s Rooster Tail is the most popular bass fishing lure in this kind of condition. The white appeal has a simple design with a bit of red color on it. The red color makes it appear like an injured baitfish.
2. Worden’s Original Rooster Tail June Bug
The June bug Rooster Tail is the best for fishing in dirty and murky water, simply because of its color. It has a golden color spinner that reflects the light, with a bright chartreuse color tail that makes it stand out. Also, it has a natural bluegill body design.
3. Worden’s Original Grey Minnow Rooster Tail
The original Worden grey minnow Rooster Tail is also an effective lure for bass fishing too. The reason is that bass feeds on shads. And this lure is designed to mimic the shad’s color, and the silver spinner mimics the shad’s scales. It works magically during a low cloudy day.
4. Yakima Bait Worden Frog Rooster Tail
The Yakima Rooster Tail is one of the best for fishing around weedy and aquatic plant areas. The Yakima Rooster Tail Frog Pattern mimics a frog’s commotion with realistic bullfrog colors. The lure’s hook increases the likelihood of a strike; that’s one reason why it is suitable for bass fishing.
Best Time For Bass Fishing
Catching bass can be very challenging and rewarding, depending on the season. Generally, fishing bass can be frustrating during extreme heat and cold weather, so we tried to avoid extreme temperatures.
The winter period is the most challenging period for bass fishing because of the temperature of the water. During this period, the bass moves into shallow water but towards the end of winter, the bass moves towards a point where they are catchable. If you fish slowly, you’ll catch big bass during this period.
However, spring is the best period for bass fishing. The water temperature rises at this period, and most bass would have left the shallow water. Many anglers can catch big bass fishes, including largemouth bass, at this particular period of the year.
Best Time Of The Day For Bass Fishing
1. EARLY MORNING
Early morning is one of the best times to fish for bass. The reason is that the baitfish activity is more in the morning, and that is the time when bass feed.
2. LATE AFTERNOON
The activity of bass fish reduces during sunrise and increases during sunset. It is easier to catch bass in the evening.
3. NIGHT
Undoubtedly, if you want to catch big bass fish, you should fish at night. The night is the best time to fish for bass because this is the time when bass feeds the most.