The ripping technique

The technique of “ripping” a spoon requires energy and stamina and has been used by several legendary fishermen to generate reaction bites from bass.

The late Tom Mann, creator of the Jelly Worm, applied the ripping technique to his Little George tailspinner.

Mann let ’er rip in the following manner.

After making what he called “a healthy cast,” he let the lure sink to the bottom. When his line went limp, he lowered his rod tip, took up slack with his reel and vigorously jerked his rod tip upwards all the while, reeling as fast as possible. He continued to jerk upward and crank at the same time.

This motion gave “lift off” to the lure and sent it ripping along the bottom. If no strike occurred, he let the lure fall back to the bottom and repeated the process. As the lure fluttered down, Mann kept a tight line to feel the bait and detect the strike that often occurred with the lure on the fall.

Mann used the ripping technique for fishing deep points in the summer. He would cast into the point, let the lure go to the bottom, then work the lure down the slope.

Mann preferred an oversized spinning reel for ripping about 25 to 30 inches of line with each crank of the reel handle, something most baitcasting reels in his day couldn’t do. Today’s high-speed baitcasting reels have resolved that problem and can retrieve from 23 to 37 inches with each turn of the reel handle.

Another ripping expert is Doug Stange of In Fisherman, who has adapted the technique for catching numerous species. He said most beginners don’t rip the lure violently enough.

Stange uses an aggressive ripping retrieve in which after the lure hits the bottom, it never hits bottom again.

He positions his rod tip parallel to the water. With his left hand palming the reel and his right hand gripping the rod butt, he snaps his rod tip to an almost vertical position, then quickly drops it back to parallel to the surface. allowing the lure to flutter down. As it does, he quickly reels up most of the slack; then he keeps repeating the tactic.

For big bass, he allows the lure to hit bottom for a split second during the rip-drop motion.