Entry 50-3

Two Bass Master Classic Winners - Mark Davis & Kevin VanDam

Mark Davis on the 3X Lizard

Editor's Note:Mark Davis, of Mount Ida, Arkansas, is ranked third by www.bassfan.com. He won the Angler-of-the-Year title in 1995, 1998 and 2001 and the 1995 BASS Masters Classic.

Davis: The 3X Lizard fills that gap when you need to fish a lizard instead of a worm. The 3X Lizard has a little more bulk to it, with four legs and a tail. Because the 3X material is so sensitive, the legs on the lizard move more freely and the tail of the lizard has more action. The least little twitch of your rod will cause both the legs and the tail to move much more than normal soft plastics will move, which will cause the lure to get more attention from more bass quicker. Remember to allow the hook to penetrate both sides of the lure, and then skin hook the point of the hook back in the lure.

I usually fish the 3X Lizard either Carolina-rigged or Texas-rigged, but most of the time I will be fishing the 3X Lizard on the Carolina rig. One of the reasons I like to Carolina rig the 3X Lizard is because the 3X material is so buoyant. This factor allows me to use heavier hooks and bigger hooks than I can use in most soft plastics. The weight and the size of the hook does not seem to inhibit the bait like it will a lizard made of soft plastic. Because the 3X material is so buoyant after you drag the Carolina rig along the bottom, the 3X Lizard will actually float up and suspend off the bottom, which I believe makes it more attractive.

The 3X Lizard Saves The Day:

I was fishing the Strike King 3X Lizard in the B.A.S.S. Tournament held on Lake Eufaula, in Eufaula, Alabama, during March of 2003. I had the 3X Lizard Texas-rigged and was pitching it into shallow weeds and willow trees. I caught enough bass to do really well in the tournament. During the tournament, the 3X Lizard proved to be the bait the bass wanted in shallow cover.

The 3X material has cut down on the amount of space I need to carry, not only lizards, but all of my soft plastics. One of the my greatest fears is being in a tournament and running out of the right size and/or color of a soft-plastic lure to catch the bass. In years past to make sure I had enough, I would carry a minimum of 100 pounds of soft plastics in my boat with at least 100-different-colored lizards. However, now we have the 3X series. I can take three or four small packs of every color I think I may need, getting rid of all the extra bulk and weight. If I fish the 3X Lizard all day long and catch a large number of bass, I will still come back to the dock with unused lizards in my pack. Plus, because I have less lures, I can find the color and size without digging through bags of soft plastics crammed down in the storage locker. I only carry 10 pounds of soft plastics.

I really like the Strike King 3X Lizards because they have simplified my life and helped me fish more efficiently. I also don't have to constantly re-rig. The 3X series solicit more strikes because they move more in the water and take up less space in my boat. Life doesn't get much better than this for fishermen.




 

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