Entry 181-1

Mark Davis’ Five December Patterns

Part 1: Bet on the Bitsy

Editor’s Note: A big and often quiet man, Mark Davis of Mt. Ida, Arkansas, is one of the most-fierce competitors in tournament bass-fishing today. Davis has won in years past the title of B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year and the Bassmaster Classics and more than $1 million over the years in tournament bass-fishing. This week, Davis will give us his best five December patterns for catching bass.

Question: Mark, I know that in December, weather and water conditions, the temperature, the wind and the type of lake you’re fishing all play a major role in where you’ll find and catch bass. What’s your No. 1 lure of choice?

Davis: My No. 1 pattern and technique for fishing in December is fishing Strike King’s jig. The size, color and type of trailer you use depends on all the conditions you’ve mentioned. My favorite jig, especially in stained to clear water, is the Strike King Bitsy Bug. In muddy water, you may want to use a full-size jig. The Bitsy Bug comes in different sizes, but my favorite size for December fishing is the 1/4-ounce. I’ll put a Strike King Junior Chunk on the back of the Bitsy Bug as a trailer.

I also like the 1/4-ounce Bitsy Flip, depending on the type of cover I’m fishing. If I’m fishing light line on rocky banks and bottoms, I prefer the Bitsy Bug. If I’m fishing heavier line and cover, I’ll use the Bitsy Flip. But I’ll still be using the 1/4-ounce jig. My favorite color is No. 22, the camo color, because it produces bass in a wide variety of situations. You can fish it in muddy or clear water, with about the same results. Another reason I like the camo color is it’s a color many fishermen don’t use. I like to put a green-pumpkin trailer on the back of the Bitsy Jig or the Bitsy Flip. If I’m fishing the Bitsy Bug, I’ll be using 8- or 10-pound-test line. If I’m fishing the Bitsy Flip, I’ll use 17-pound-test line.

Question: Where do you fish the Bitsy Bug?

Davis: I like to fish the Bitsy Bug on creek-channel drops, depending on the type of lake. These drops may have rocks, gravel or a mud bottom with stumps on them. If I’m not fishing a creek or a river channel drop, I’ll be fishing the Bitsy Bug on points that are adjacent to creek or river channel drops.

Question: What kind of action will you give the Bitsy Bug?

Davis: I’ll be dragging the jig. I don’t hop the jig much during December. I’ll fish the jig as though it’s a worm, using a drag-stop-drag-stop type motion. I want to make that jig appear to be a crawfish, crawling along the bottom. I know there are many fishermen who like to hop their jigs on the bottom, and I do too. But during December, the bass’ and the crawfish’s metabolism have slowed down, and the crawfish will be crawling on the bottom and not jumping.

Question: On an average day of fishing the Bitsy Bug, on most lakes you fish, how many and what size bass do you expect to catch?

Davis: If I’m fishing a good lake with plenty of bass, and the bass are biting, I expect to catch 10 to 20 bass a day using this technique. Little jigs like the Bitsy Bug will usually produce more bites this month than bigger jigs. But these little jigs also produce big bass. You’ll be surprised at how many big fish you can catch on that little jig. In recent years, my fishing has relied more on the Bitsy Bug and the Bitsy Flip. I’ll be fishing the Bitsy Bug on spinning tackle with 8- to 10-pound-test line. The Bitsy Bug is a great skipping bait. You can skip it under boat docks and trees, and get that little jig in a lot of places you can’t reach with big jigs. Because the Bitsy Bug is a small bait, you’ll get plenty of bites and good hook-ups that will allow you to get the fish out of cover.

Question: When are you using the Bitsy Flip?

Davis: Anytime I’m fishing heavy cover, I’ll use the Bitsy Flip instead of the Bitsy Bug because the Bitsy Flip has a heavier hook and a weed-guard. I’ll be fishing it on baitcasting tackle, even though it looks the same as the Bitsy Bug in the water. The difference in the Bitsy Flip is the heavier hook and weed guard that allows you to penetrate thick cover. If I only had two lures to fish during the month of December, they would be the Bitsy Bug and the Bitsy Flip.

Mark Davis’ Five December Patterns

Part 1: Bet on the Bitsy

Next: Crank ‘Em, Don’t Jump ‘Em

Contents: