Entry 20-5
When Strike King Saved the Day - Secret Tactics That Have Proved Successful for the Pros
Overlooked Bait That Wins Tournaments
Editor's Note: Chad Brauer of Osage Beach, Missouri, son of famed fishing pro Denny Brauer, has grown up in a fishing family. Brauer can't remember a time when he hasn't fished for bass and hardly recalls a time when he hasn't fished competitively. Brauer, a Strike King pro for the past six years, has made a name for himself on the professional bass-fishing circuit.
Question: What's an overlooked bait that helps to win tournaments?
Answer: I learned about an overlooked bait that has helped me win tournaments through the eyes of a child. I took my son, Coby, fishing with me on a practice day before a tournament. He was only six years old and because fishing hadn't been very good, I tried to discourage him from going with me. I think one of the worst things you can do to a young person is take them fishing when you know bass aren't biting and the chances of their catching any fish at all are slim. However, Coby really wanted to go with me on this last practice day before the tournament. I decided to go ahead and take him.
Coby had been accustomed to casting a 1/4-ounce Strike King Premier Elite spinner bait, and I'd learned that the small Strike King spinner bait would get a lot of bites. But on this day, Coby wasn't getting any bites. He begged to change baits. I decided to let him try the plain white Strike King Series 1 crankbait. I picked the white crankbait because we were fishing in the fall, and bass were feeding on small white baitfish. This color lure would catch white bass as well as largemouth.
When I take Coby fishing, I want him to catch a lot of fish and have fun. I knew this little white Strike King Series 1 crankbait would catch almost anything because it was small, compact and easy for the fish to eat. Coby took a few white bass but then started catching keeper-size largemouth. He caught 20 bass in about four hours, and the bass weighed up to 3 pounds to make this day one of Coby's best bass-fishing experiences.
When I saw the fish-catching potential of the small white Strike King Series 1 crankbait, I filed that knowledge away for a later date. Now in three different tournaments I've used that little kid's crankbait to catch some pretty nice smallmouth. The Series 1 crankbait was especially deadly on Lake St. Clair when I reeled it just above the grass on the lake. For some reason, smallmouth liked the solid-white bait. When I fish lakes with smallmouth, I have learned to use the little white Strike King Series 1 crankbait first. Anytime I struggle in a tournament and need to catch a limit, this little crankbait is my "go-to" bait that most fishermen completely overlook.
Question: Why do fishermen overlook it?
Answer: Probably because it is small and will catch a wide variety of fish. However, if you're having a hard day of bass fishing and need to catch some bass, try this little lure. It really works for me. I would have never thought about using this small crankbait to fish tournaments if my son Coby hadn't been so successful with it.
Contents:
- Part 1: When Strike King Saved the Day
- Part 2: When Color Counts
- Part 3: When Nothing Else Will Work, Try the Flip-N-Spin
- Part 4: Tube the Tough Weeds
- Part 5: Overlooked Bait That Wins Tournaments
