Entry 104-5

Road To The Classic - Mark Davis

Worming A Check Out Of The Tournament

Editor's Note: On May 22, 2004, in Columbus, Mississippi, on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, Mark Davis of Mt. Ida, Arkansas, once again proved why he deserves to go to the 2004 BASS Masters Classic. From the first day of the tournament until the last day, Davis lead the field of Elite 50 and won the tournament. "I started looking for these bass using a Strike King Series 1 crankbait. But on the last day, I had to change to the Strike King 3X ribbontail worm to win the tournament."

This week we're looking at the five defining times throughout Mark Davis' year of professional bass fishing that have secured him a place in this year's Classic.

Davis: When we went to the Harris Chain of Lakes in Florida, I couldn't seem to really get an effective pattern working to catch the size and the number of bass I needed to take to win the tournament or place well in the tournament. I was struggling. This tournament could have killed me and could have knocked me out of the Classic. Knowing I was in trouble I reached into my tackle box and pulled out a Strike King 3X Ribbon Tail Worm and started fishing for bedding bass around cover using that worm.

I knew that I didn't have a chance to win the tournament. I didn't even make the cut. But, I knew, that to build points and stay in the race for a Classic berth, I had to at least bring in limits of bass - any size bass - every day of this tournament. So, I Texas-rigged the ribbon tail worm and started fishing it around spawning areas. Oftentimes I could see the bass that I was trying to catch in that shallow water, but many times I couldn't. So, I had to just rely on that worm's fish-catching ability to keep me from totally losing.

Sometimes in a tournament, if you're trying to get to the Classic and you know you're not going to win, you have to catch enough bass to keep from losing terribly. When I get into those kinds of situations, I rely on that 3X Ribbon Tail Worm.

To wrap up this week, I was asked, "If you could only pick five lures to tournament fish with this whole year, and you had to depend on those five lures to win you a spot in the Classic, what five lures would you use?" Here's my answer. I'd pick the:

1/2-ounce Diamond Shad in the chrome-blue pattern. This lure is so versatile that regardless of where and when you fish it, you can always catch a few bass on it.

Series 3 Strike King crankbait in the watermelon shad color which will catch bass in a wide range of water colors. Just like the Diamond Shad, I know I can always tie this lure on and catch a few bass anywhere at any time of the year when the bass are holding at 5- to 6-feet deep. This lure is my go-to crankbait.

3/8-ounce black-and-blue Strike King Premiere Elite Jig with a Denny Brauer black-and-blue chunk as a trailer. Regardless of where I'm fishing or the time of year, I'll have one of those lures tied on my rod at all times. I can always catch fish by either flipping that bait, casting it or hopping it along the bottom. This lure will always produce quality fish for me.

3/8-ounce chartreuse-and-white Strike King spinner bait, with either two Colorado blades or two willow-leaf blades, my go-to spinner bait. Any time you get into my boat to go fishing with me, you'll see one of those spinner baits tied on one of my rods.

3X Z2, a shad-bodied, soft bait with which I can fish with a lot of techniques. I can fish it on a Carolina rig, a
lead-headed jig, weightless just under the surface, and this is another lure you will always see tied on a rod in my boat.

The next silly question I was asked was, "If you could only fish two lures in the Classic, which two would you pick?" The reason I say this is a silly question is because I don't know any competitor who will go to a tournament as big as the Classic with only two lures in his tackle box. However, to be courteous, I picked the two lures I have to depend on if I'm restricted to having only two baits.

For this year's Classic, I'll have to select the Series 6 Strike King crank bait and the Strike King Premier Elite jig with a Denny Brauer Chunk. The reason I'll choose these two lures is because a deep-diving crank bait will produce bass on a lake like Lake Wylie where this year's Classic will be held. The reason I'll choose a jig is because you can fish it deep or shallow. I believe that bass will be caught both deep and shallow at the next Classic.




 

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