Entry 227-3

Winning with New Lures and Mark Rose

Mark Rose

Editor’s Note: One of the reasons Strike King has been so successful, and its pro-fishermen have won so much money is that all the new lures Strike King introduces are field-tested by the pros before they’re released to the market. A classic example is Strike King’s Football Jig with the Rage Tail Rage Craw trailer. Mark Rose of Marion, Arkansas, used this new lure to win $125,000 before the lure ever reached the market. We asked Rose to pick five of Strike King’s newest lures and tell us what he likes about them.

Part 3: The King Shad is King of Strike King

Strike King King ShadQuestion: Mark, I know the King Shad is another of your favorite lures. Why does it rank in your top three in your Strike King lures this year?

Rose: It seems that swim baits are taking over the world. Everyone in the bass-fishing industry seems to have some type of new swim bait. The Strike King’s King Shad is just the right size swim bait at 4 inches. It dives down to about 3- or 4-feet deep. You can use a large-diameter line, and keep your rod tip up and the bait really shallow to swim that lure right on the surface. But I’m also really excited about the new colors Strike King has come out with this year for the King Shad. We have quite a few transparent, clear-water colors new this year. I’ve learned that the King Shad is really a big-fish bait.

As a tournament fisherman, I don’t need to just catch a five-fish limit. To win a tournament, I have to catch five really-big bass. This lure has been designed to catch those big fish I need to catch to win the tournament.Fishing with Mark Rose This bait has big hooks on it and big split rings, and it will hold the biggest bass that swims in the water. Those big bass won’t tear up the King Shad like they will some other swim baits, when they eat it.

Question: What type retrieve are you using when you’re fishing the King Shad?

Rose: I vary the retrieve to match the conditions. For instance, early in the spring, when the sun comes out, and the bass are starting to move up to the top of the water column to warm up, I’m using a slow, steady retrieve. But as the water warms up, and the bass become a little more active, I speed up my retrieve. Fishing with Mark RoseWhen the shad are spawning around boat docks, the King Shad is a great bait to fish because it’s about the size of a spawning shad. In the past, we’ve always used spinner baits under these types of conditions. But now with the King Shad, we can give the bass something different to take.

Also, the King Shad seems to be better in clear-water situations than the spinner bait. I’ve really enjoyed fishing the King Shad. Any time you’re looking for a kicker to add weight to your stringer, the King Shad is the go-to bait. Anglers on the West Coast have been using swim baits for many years, especially in those deep, clear California Lakes. I’ve learned they can be just as effective throughout the country, if fishermen will start using them.

 

Next: The Raging Craw – Don’t Leave Home Without It




 

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