Entry 309-2
Bass Tactics You Can Use Now in the Summer with Mark Rose
Editor’s Note: Last week we caught up with Mark Rose, while he was practicing on Kentucky Lake for an FLW tour event. He’d just come off the lake where he’d found plenty of bass. We asked Rose to tell us the tactics he’s using right now to locate and catch bass on Kentucky Lake, and if these same patterns will work throughout the summer on lakes all across the country that are similar to Kentucky Lake.
Part 2: Crank 'Em Up
Question: Mark, you mentioned yesterday that the Strike King Sexy Spoon was your first lure of choice when you’re fishing deep ledges for bass holding in the current during the summer months. But you said your second choice was a Strike King Series 6 crankbait. How are you fishing that Series 6 to fire-up the bass?
Rose: The Series 6 crankbait runs down to about 15-foot deep. Therefore, anytime I’m fishing 10-15 feet deep, I’ll be using the Series 6 crankbait. The Series 6 is a bait that pulls really well. Some lure manufacturers make deep-diving crankbaits that have very-wide wobbles, and at the end of the day, your wrists are killing you from fighting that big crankbait all day long. 
But the Series 6 doesn’t offer that much resistance to the water and doesn’t put as much strain on your wrists as other deep-diving crankbaits that dive at the same depth do.
Too, the Series 6 casts really well. When you’re fishing deep, you really want to make long casts. Therefore, having a bait you can cast a long way, like the Series 6, is really important. So when I can find structure and/or fish in that 10- to 15-foot-depth range, I’ll more than likely throw the Series 6 crankbait first. If the water’s deeper than 10-15 feet, I’ll probably throw the Sexy Spoon first.
Question: What type of retrieves are you using when you fish the Series 6? Are you ripping it using a stop-and-go retrieve or a steady retrieve?
Rose: I like a medium-steady retrieve. I’m not putting any special action on the crankbait. I don’t feel like I have to do a lot of tricks with this crankbait to make it perform properly. 
The lure has the action it needs built in to it. So, all you have to do is cast it out and reel it in to be successful with the Series 6.
When I hit a stump, I slow-down my retrieve, so that the bait can creep over the top of the stump. But the rest of the time, I’m just using a steady retrieve. I want the crankbait to be easy for the bass to see and to be able to time its strike. And, by giving the bait a steady retrieve, the fish knows when and where it will take the lure. I like a 5:1 gear ratio reel. However, if I’m using a high-speed reel, then I’ll slow my retrieve down, so I’m not moving the crankbait too fast. I like a 5:1 gear ratio because then I can retrieve my crankbaits at the same speed I retrieve my spinner baits.
Question: What pound-test line are you using and what rod and reel?
Rose: Most of the time, I’ll be fishing with 12-pound-test line, and I like to fish a G. Loomis 845 crankbait rod with 12-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon line. If I want to keep my bait up in that 8- to 10-foot range, I’ll fish it on 15- to 20-pound-test line, because that line’s more buoyant. However, most of the time, I’ll be fishing 12-pound-test line.
Next: My Money Bait
Contents:
- Part 1: Where to Find Bass This Summer
- Part 2: Crank 'Em Up
- Part 3: My Money Bait
- Part 4: What's a Rage Thumper Worm?
- Part 5: Use Them Anywhere Anytime This Summer
