Ray Jones loves to catch bream in many ways, but his basic, go-to rig is simple.
“I like a 12-foot (B’n’M) Uncle Buck’s pole, and I fish 8- to 12-pound-test line,” Jones said. “I use a classic, oblong Styrofoam cork. I like orange best because it is easiest to see in all conditions.
“At the end of the line, I use No. 6 hooks and a small BB-size sinker. I use several types of hooks, but the main thing is you want one that will bend and come loose when you get it hung in the cover.”
Jones also has a secret weapon he uses when fishing around a lot of brush or wood.
“Never go to the lake without at least one pack of weedless bream hooks,” he said. “You can work it in places and get your bait to fish — and get it back out — where regular hooks won’t go.”
If you look closely at his photos, you’ll see something else that he considers an essential basic to summer fishing.
“I wear a wide brim hat, and I wear long-sleeve shirts and gloves with the ends of the fingers cut out,” Jones said. “Getting too much sun isn’t good for anybody, but as you get older it is even more important to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays.
“It may make you a little warmer when you are fishing, but here’s the deal: If you aren’t sweating you aren’t bream fishing, anyway.”
