Entry 221-4
Looking Back Over the 2007 Bass-Fishing Tournament Season with Mike Wurm
Editor’s Note: In 2007, Mike Wurm of Hot Springs, Arkansas, qualified for his 10th Bassmasters Classic, a major milestone for him in his professional bass-fishing career. His big dream when he first started competitive fishing was to qualify for 10 Bassmaster Classics, which he believed would establish him as a true bass-fishing pro. In 2008, Wurm will realize his dream. One of the most-difficult feats to accomplish in sports is being able to compete at the highest level possible for an extended number of years. The names in sports you’re most familiar with aren’t the men who’ve won big tournaments, but the men who’ve endured over the years, like Babe Ruth, Johnny Unitas, Jim Kelly, John Elway, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicholas, Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. Mike Wurm has proven that he’s an endurance fisherman. Only the best in bass fishing compete in the Bassmasters Classic. To have 10 appearances in a lifetime is a major accomplishment for anyone. This week, we’ll talk to Wurm and learn what he’s doing and what his hopes are for the future.
Part 4: 2008 Classic Lures
Question:
Mike, in the past, you’ve relied on the Strike
King Bitsy Bug jig and the shaky-head worm. What will you do
differently this year?
Wurm: I’ll still use the shaky head, but I plan to fish the Zero more this year than I have in the past. The King Shad will spend more time tied onto my rod this year too. Strike King has a new bait, the Rage Tail, and it will be a really-important lure for me next year. When I put a Rage Tail on the back of the new Football shaky-head jig, I’ll really be able to catch some of those big bass. The tail on the Rage Tail flops from side to side, creating a lot of motion in the water to attract the bass.
Question: Mike, where will the 2008 Classic be held, and how will you fish it?
Wurm:
The 2008 Classic will be on Lake Hartwell between
South Carolina and Georgia. The only time I’ve ever been
on Lake Hartwell was for a B.A.S.S. tournament years ago. The
lake has blue-back herring in it, which means we’ll have
large bass feeding on big baits. Since the tournament will be
in late February, we’ll be fishing late winter and very-early
spring patterns, depending on the weather. Since water will
still be cold, I plan to fish for bass that are moving-up on
points and into pockets.
There are plenty of sand points where the herring gather in this lake, so this can be a crankbait or a Carolina-rig type of lake. The jig and the spoon bite also may still be on at this time of year. Too, the King Shad in a blue-black herring color can be a really-productive bait. Of course, there’s always the possibility of a big jerkbait bite, which will dictate that the Wild Shiner may be the lure of choice. You can’t rule out the Football shaky-head jig and the finesse worm. This lake will fish much like Clarks Hill reservoir. If I can find two or three points with big schools of bass on them, I should be in pretty-good shape.
Question:
With the Football shaky-head jig and the other lures
you plan to use, what colors and sizes will you need?
Wurm: I’ll probably cast the 1/2-ounce shaky-head jig in a crawfish color with a green-pumpkin trailer, a black-and-blue trailer or a bright-blue trailer. Hopefully, one of those colors will elicit a bite. The jerkbait and the green shad will need a blue tint to be effective. I may even fish the Z Too on a Carolina rig. Once I determine how deep the bass are holding, I can fine tune the lure of choice to make them bite.
Contents:
- Part 1: Season Highlights
- Part 2: Finding Lures that Win Classics
- Part 3: Learning to Change
- Part 4: 2008 Classic Lures
- Part 5: Finding the Right Lures, Line and Reel
