Entry 293-5
Five of My Favorite Strike King Baits with Mark Davis
Editor’s Note: Strike King was really proud to have Kevin VanDam, Greg Hackney, Shaw Grigsby and Mark Davis in the 2009 Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport, Louisiana, last week. Every day that week, we posted reports on how these fishermen did in this year’s tournament. Mark Davis has been a part of Strike King’s professional fishing team for many years, and he’s had input on many of the lures Strike King has produced. This week we’ve asked Mark to tell us about some of the lures that he’s helped Strike King design and build.
Part 5: Strike King’s Football Shaky Head Jig with Mark Davis
Question: Mark, you had a lot of impact on the jighead that Strike King created for fishing the Shaky Head Jig, didn’t you?
Davis: Yes, I did.
Question: What makes the Strike King Shaky Head Jig any different from other shaky-head jigs on the market?
Davis: We worked to get the right hook, the right keeper, the right sizes and even the right colors. We decided there was no shaky-head jighead that was right for every situation. So instead of making one shaky-head jig, we built a wide assortment of these jig heads. We built shaky-head jigs as small as 1/16-ounce all the way up to 1/2-ounce.
Question: What makes the hook different in the Strike King Shaky Head Jig?
Davis: We started off with a Gamakatsu hook, and we set the eye of the hook very close to the head of the hook. This way, the hook eye is less likely to hang on grass, limbs or any other type of structure, and the fisherman can tie the knot on the line as close as possible to the head of the jig. The keeper bar that helps hold the soft plastic on the hook is the right size and length, and it’s not too sharp or too dull. Finally, the head is painted with a powder-coated paint that’s chip-resistant.
Also, the shaky-head design has a lot to do with the way the lure falls, the type of action you can give it, and the way you can make the worm wiggle on the bottom to attract bass. The difference between a good shaky-head jig and an average shaky head jig is the attention that Strike King pays to the component parts that make up the jig. When you match that jig with the shaky-head finesse worm, you’ve got a lure you can tantalize bass into biting.
Most of the time, the bass will take the shaky-head worm on the fall. But if the bass doesn’t take the lure on the fall, the lure will stand-up and by shaking the line, you can make that worm dance a jig on the bottom. That’s what causes the bass to bite. I’m really proud of Strike King’s Shaky Head Jig and how effective it’s been when used with Strike King’s soft plastics and the finesse worm to catch more bass for me.
