FLW stalwart Shinichi Fukae may be known for his prowess with a spinning rod and light line, but you don’t amass 3 wins, 20 top-10 finishes, and over $1.3 million in earnings on the FLW tour by being a one trick pony.
Fukae proved his versatility at the FLW Tour’s opening event held on Florida’s Lake Okeechobee February 4th-7th – parlaying his skills with a flipping stick into a stout 5th place finish.
At the Tour event, anglers eagerly anticipating a bedding bass whack-fest were confronted by record water levels, high winds, and a major cold front – all of which are known bite-killers to Florida bass.
Fukae was one of the few anglers able to persevere and find a consistent bite in the tough conditions, one that revolved around flipping a Flappin Hog with a heavy weight to matted vegetation to tempt locked up bass waiting out the front.
“I’ve learned over the years that Florida bass get really tough to catch when the conditions are changing,” Fukae said. “One of the things I know they do is head to the thickest and densest cover available with decent water clarity and bury themselves.”
While other anglers were struggling with high winds, muddy waters, and scattered fish – Fukae was able to use this knowledge to hone in on the areas that contained the right fish and patiently make hundreds of flips until he bumped one in the nose.
Read more about Fukae's flippin' rig and mechanics here in the Inside Line.
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