Entry 247-5

Austin Banks – Fishing His Way to the Big Show

Editor’s Note: Austin Banks of Madison, Mississippi, a regional Strike King Pro, fishes numbers of state and regional tournaments. Banks’ dream and goal is to make it to the BASS Elite Series and possibly to the Bassmaster Classic. He attended the 2008 Bassmaster Classic and worked the outdoor show in the Strike King booth. Banks has learned the secret to finding and working with a sponsor, and he’s working hard to work his way up through the ranks of tournament fishermen. Banks also is learning to fish new lures and techniques. This week, Banks will tell us how and where he fishes, and what he’ll have to do to be a participant instead of a spectator at the Bassmaster Classic.

Part 5: Jig Fishing, Too

Question: Austin, do you jig fish?

Banks: Yes, I do. I prefer the new Rage Tail Craw on the back of a jig because the movement of the pincers on the craw presents a different action than what the bass are accustomed to seeing on a jig. If you watch the Rage Tail Craw fall through the water, you can see how they really kick and move. If you watch the Rage Tail Craw when you jerk the jig up off the bottom, you can see why the bass get so excited about that pincer action.

Question: What color Rage Tail Craw do you like?

Banks: I like the Okeechobee-colored craw because it gives a more-natural look to the jig. Anything I can do to make my jig look more natural causes the bass to react to the jig better.

Question: What size line do you use?

Banks: I prefer to fish a 1/2-ounce jig on 15-pound-test P-Line Halo Fluorocarbon line.

Question: What other colors do you use in the Rage Tail Craw?

Banks: I like the black-and-blue and especially the peanut-butter-and-jelly colors.

Question: When do you fish the peanut-butter-and-jelly color?

Banks: I actually fish it often. I’ve started fishing the peanut-butter-and-jelly color more than the black-and-blue color. Black-and-blue was probably my favorite color next to Okeechobee.

Question: Why do you like the peanut-butter-and-jelly color so much?

Banks: Peanut-butter-and-jelly elicits more strikes than the black-and-blue color does. Our water is kind of a brownish-tan color, and the peanut-butter-and-jelly-colored Rage Tail Craw gets more bites on ledges and humps than black-and-blue does.

Question: This week you’ve told us a lot about where and how you fish. What’s your goal as a fisherman?

Banks: I want to make the BASS Elite Series and fish with the best of the best.

Question: What will be required for you to make it to the BASS Elite Series?

Banks: It will take a lot of hard work. I’ve got to put more time on the water. Time on the water is priceless. By being on the water, you learn how the fish maneuver and move under all weather and water conditions.

Question: How close have you come to making the Elite Series?

Banks: In 2007, I was 45th in points, which was as close as I’ve come. To make it to the Elite Series, I’ve got to finish in the top 10 in the BASS Open Division Tournament. I plan to keep trying until I make it.

Austin Banks – Fishing His Way to the Big Show

Part 5: Jig Fishing, Too

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