Entry 273-5
Randy Dearman Tells How to Fish Strike King’s Lures
Editor’s Note: Randy Dearman of Onalaska, Texas, a Strike King Pro since 1978, fishes the Professional Anglers Association (PAA) and several BASS tour events. When asked about his performance in the 2008 tournament circuit, Dearman replies, “It hasn’t been my best year or my worst, but as long as I’m fishing, I’m having fun.”
Part 5: Fish the Jig for Bass Every Part
Question: Randy, what’s your go-to bait?
Dearman: Every day I’m fishing, my go-to bait will be the jig. At some time during nearly every day I’m fishing, I’ll be fishing with the jig. I like the Denny Brauer Pro Model jig in the black-and-blue or watermelon colors. I’ll often use the Rage Chunk on the back of the jig. Usually, you’ll match the Rage Chunk to the skirt of the jig. But I’ve found that a black-and-blue jig with a watermelon-colored Rage Craw is an especially-deadly jig combination on Kentucky Lake. I don’t know why a black-and-blue jig with a watermelon trailer gets so many bites, but it does.
Question: How did you learn that a watermelon-colored trailer would work on a black-and-blue jig?
Dearman: I was fishing in a tournament and asked my partner to pitch me a Rage Craw to attach to the back of my jig. He asked what color I wanted, and I said it didn’t matter. He threw me a watermelon-colored Rage Chunk. 
I put it on the back of the jig and began getting more bites with the watermelon-colored Chunk than with the black or blue trailer.So, now it’s one of my favorite baits to use.
Question: When you’re fishing deep water, what type of retrieve do you use with your jig?
Dearman: You must let the bass tell you what type of retrieve they want. Sometimes the bass want the bait dragged on the bottom, but other times they’ll prefer the hopped-up-and-gone retrieve.
Question: What pound-test line do you fish with your jig?
Dearman: Line size depends on the water depth I’m fishing. Usually, I’ll fish with 14- to 17-pound-test line.
Question: Randy, if you could take only two Strike King lures to tournaments with you, which two lures would you choose?
Dearman: I’d choose a spinner bait and a jig. I’d bring the spinner bait because I can fish it in many-different water depths and the jig because I can swim it, pitch it in cover and drag it on the bottom.
