By : Mark Hicks
Strike King makes a wide variety of proven baits that catch bass in any depth of water you happen to be fishing. Veteran Arkansas pro Mark Davis carries an arsenal of these lures in his boat, but he has a handful of favorites for fishing shallow or deep.
Three sizes of Strike King’s KVD Perfect Plastic Ocho keep Davis’ livewell splashing with bass anytime he fishes shallow.
“The 5-inch Ocho is my go-to,” Davis said. “I fish it Texas rigged and wacky style. I have one rigged up on just about any body of water I’m fishing. It’s not just a springtime bait. It also works good in the summer and sometimes in early spring when the water’s cold.”
When dealing with smallmouth bass, spotted bass and reluctant largemouth bass in clear water, Davis wacky rigs the 4-inch Ocho with a 2/0 straight shank hook.
“I fish this super-finesse setup with spinning tackle,” Davis said. “You can skip it under docks, cast it to grass edges or wherever finicky bass are holding.”
When Davis wants to fish a soft plastic lure that sinks fast without a weight, he steps up to the 6-inch Ocho. He Texas rigs it with a 5/0 round bend offset hook and slings it with baitcasting tackle and 15-to 20-pound fluorocarbon line.
“Because the bulky 6-inch Ocho sinks fast, it doesn’t need a sinker,” Davis said. “A sinker would make it fall nose down. Without a sinker it falls vertically with an irresistible shimmy. That shimmy is the key.”
During the spawn on a grass lake, Davis casts the 6-inch Ocho to the inside edges of grass lines and to holes in grass beds. Also, anytime the wind prevents a smaller Ocho from sinking properly, switching to the 6-inch Ocho can often get down where Davis needs it to go.