He uses the ½-oz version exclusively, primarily in Sexy Shad with an albino Super Fluke on the back. “It has a perfect death spiral, when it falls and whether it’s deep or shallow, I catch a lot of fish on the drop. It skips better than most others, too, so I can get it under docks and laydowns, and the landing percentage is better than most,” he added.
RANDALL THARP: HOMEMADE VIBRATING JIG
Like Reehm, Randall Tharp has been dissatisfied with many of the vibrating jigs on the market, so he relies on one that a friend makes to combine quality components and versatility.
“The biggest thing is just the hook,” he said. “I try to match the size of the hook to the size of the trailer. Also, the one I use has two wires near the head bent at about a 100-degree angle back toward the shank
he noted that he’s “gotten away from even using a skirt at all, especially in clear water.”
CHAD MORGENTHALER: ZOOM MAG FINESSE WORM
Morgenthaler believes that the 4 ¾-inch stubby piece of plastic is so valuable because it has a variety of situations where it excels. At Smith Lake earlier this year, he caught an 18-pound limit of spots on it, fishing it on a shakey head, but it’s also become one of his go-to baits for “finesse flipping,” when bass won’t eat his favorite Missile Baits D-Bomb.
“I like it over a lot of other similar baits because it’s a little denser, a little tougher,” he said. “Some others are so soft that the hook pops out or they fall
As tournament bass fishing’s exposure has increased, and the payouts have gotten correspondingly bigger, the “pro” in “pro angler” has come to signify promotional more often than professional.
to hold the trailer on. I feel like super glue uses too much time. With this keeper, to pull the bait off tears it to pieces.”
He carries two different blade sizes as well, utilizing a smaller one in clearer water, where subtlety is critical. His favorite colors are white and green pumpkin, with black/blue occasionally thrown in, but
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apart when you flip them in heavy cover. This has an element of finesse, but you can get a large hook in it and it generates bigger bites.”
He relies primarily on two colors, with green pumpkin being a favorite from coast to coast under a wide variety of water conditions, but he noted that watermelon candy is a clear number two choice.
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