KEITH POCHE: Showing you how to add a little spin to my favorite Florida bait - Major League Fishing
KEITH POCHE: Showing you how to add a little spin to my favorite Florida bait
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KEITH POCHE: Showing you how to add a little spin to my favorite Florida bait

Image for KEITH POCHE: Showing you how to add a little spin to my favorite Florida bait
Keith Poche shows you a step-by-step process on how he rigs one of his favorite baits to fish in Florida. Photo by Phoenix Moore
February 19, 2023 • Keith Poche • Angler Columns

Like most anglers who fish in Florida, I love fishing with soft plastics. Sometimes, though, you need a little something to help your bait stand out in the murky Florida water. One of my go-to plastics in Florida is a 5-inch Berkley PowerBait MaxScent The General in green pumpkin.

To make my bait a little different, I screw in my Humdinger Poche Power Spinner on the back of the bait. It’s a unique little tool that gives your soft plastics a little flash and motion. I came up with this idea back in 2012 and I use it every time I’m in Florida in water that’s about 4 feet deep or less. I just slow roll it and the fish come out of the grass to eat it.

It takes a little bit of finagling to get it on, but it’s easy enough for me to show you how real quick.

1. Bite the tail

Photo by Phoenix Moore

The first thing I do is take The General out of the package and locate the tail of the bait, which is the pointed end. It’s really hard to screw in this spinner on that narrow of a point, so I bite off about 1/4 inch off the bait to make it flat.

2. Screw in the spinner blade

Photo by Phoenix Moore

Then, I screw the spinner into the back and make sure it goes all the way in there. A lot of times I fish this particular setup weightless and it works just fine for me. This spinner comes in a lot of different colors and sizes. Copper and gold are two of the most popular, but there’s also 10 other colors to fit whatever soft plastic you’re using.

Photo by Phoenix Moore

As for sizes of the spinner, there’s three – No. 1, 2 and 3. I focus on the smaller sizes like No. 1 because I don’t like too much drag when I’m pulling it through the water. The smaller size also helps the bait get down in the water column. If the water is a little more dingy, that’s when I’ll move up in size to get a little more thump and vibration out of it.

3. Rig the bait weedless on the hook

Photo by Phoenix Moore

Finally, I put it on a 4/0 hook and make sure it’s weedless. I like to cast this out, let it sink a little bit and then slowly reel it back in. That spinner on the back offers some flash and can easily trigger a reaction bite from a fish that’s nearby.

As you can see, it’s a pretty simple and easy process to help take your soft plastic to the next level. I hope this has helped you figure out a new way to get some bites.