Entry 9-2

Fishing with Randy Dearman

Dearman's Strike King Secrets

Editor's Note: Fifty-three-year-old Randy Dearman of Onalaska, Texas, has fished professionally since 1983. He has fished in the BASS Master's Classic seven times, as well as achieving numerous top-10 wins across the country. In 1993, Dearman won the Texas Invitational at Sam Rayburn Lake and today works as part of Strike King's Pro Fishing Team.

Question: What is your favorite Strike King crankbait?

Answer: My favorite Strike King crankbait is the Series 4. I throw both the chartreuse and blue models of it. If you want those baits to go deeper, use the big-billed models. If you want those baits to go shallow, use the models with the square bills.

Question: Where would you fish these lures?

Answer: The good thing about those baits is that you can fish them anywhere from 2 to 8 feet of water. You can throw the square model in the shallow water and the long-lipped model in the deeper water.

Question: What are some secrets to fishing with those lures?

Answer: I think you'll want to use a crankbait that can make contact with the bottom. If the water is deeper than that, you'll want to make contact with the bottom or whatever structure is there, whether it's trees or stumps. You want that bait to go down and bump those structures.

Question:Tell us more about the bait and why you like it.

Answer: The great thing about the Series 4 bait is that you can pull it through rocks and stumps, get it down, reel it slow and feel the lures slip through structure and cover. The bait really doesn't get hung-up on structures. If the lure gets lodged on something, by ceasing to wind it and giving it some slack, you can avoid getting the lure hung up. The Series 4 is a bait you can fish through real heavy limbs and rocks. I like this bait so much because it's so snag-free.

Question: How long have you been actually using this particular bait?

Answer: I started fishing with this bait before Strike King put it on the market. I'm very lucky. When Strike King has a new product, the company usually lets its Professional Fishing Team test it a little bit. The Series 4 is one that all the pros said was a winner.

Next: Dearman's Favorite Lures

Contents:

• Part 1: Fishing, Northern-Style
• Part 2: Dearman's Strike King Secrets
• Part 3: Dearman's Favorite Lures
• Part 4: More on Spinner Baits
• Part 5: Wacky Fishing Tips