Entry 292-2

My Five Best Techniques for Catching Bass with Luke Estel of Illinois

Part 2: You’ve Gotta Love a Spit-n-King

Question: Luke, what’s your second-favorite lure to fish?

Estel: I like the Spit-n-King because I love fishing top water. I fish a lot of rivers around my home and catch a number of bass in eddy pools. I use the Spit-n-King as a draw bait. Once I start popping that lure and moving it around on the surface, it will draw bass. I prefer to fish it in open water and over the top of cover to pull those bass up to the surface. The bass will really key-on that lure and blast it out of the water.

Question: Do most of your strikes come when you’re twitching the Spit-n-King or when it’s still?

Estel: Most of my strikes come after I’ve twitched the bait in that first second or two after the lure stops moving.

Question: How do you start fishing the lure?

Estel: I prefer to start with a relatively-fast retrieve, popping the bait and moving it pretty quickly. If the bass don’t take the bait using this rhythm, I’ll slow down the bait, pop it, let it sit still, pop it again and then let it sit. Once I determine how long the bass want the bait to sit still before they’ll strike it, I’ll know what retrieve to use for much of the day.

Question: What rod, reel and line do you use when fishing a Spit-n-King?

Estel: I’ll use a 6-foot, 6-inch medium-action rod that’s a little stiffer than a crankbait rod, but not as stiff as a flipping stick. When a bass takes the Spit-n-King, I want to be able to effectively set the hook, without ripping the lure out of the fish’s mouth. I really enjoy fishing top-water lures and the Spit-n-King’s one of the best top-water baits on the market today. I often depend on it when I’m fishing tournaments.

Next: Strike King’s Series 5 or Series 6 – It’s All Cranking

Contents:

• Part 1: Bet on the Jig
• Part 2: You’ve Gotta Love a Spit-n-King
• Part 3: Strike King’s Series 5 or Series 6 - It's All Cranking
• Part 4: The Anaconda for Action
• Part 5: The Rage Toad for Me