The start of this year's Bassmaster Elite Series season has been an interesting one with events being postponed for various reasons, but that hasn't stopped Clent Davis from fishing around his Alabama home.
He's been hitting the water as much as he can and squeezed in a Top 20 finish at Lake Guntersville for the Bassmaster Classic in mid-March. Throughout the early part of the season, several lures have shined and helped him put plenty of fish in the boat.
#1 Cranking
It's no surprise that crankbaits have been working for Davis this spring because they are always a staple this time of year. Davis says he has been fishing both shallow and deep crankbaits on the tournament trail and around his home.
"The Yo-Zuri 3DS cranks in both the shallow and mid versions have been big for me this year," Davis said. "The 3DS crankbaits are pretty tiny and the body of the bait is only two inches long. That has been a big key when fishing pressured waters."
Referencing the recent Classic where he had a big first day, he wishes he had thrown it more the rest of the tournament. He finished up the first day tied for second place and part of that success was due to this crankbait.
"The fish were pressured and the water was still pretty cold. Those are times when a smaller crankbait shines," he said. "At the Classic, I was fishing it with more of a drag and just pulling the rod. That crankbait has a tight wiggle and it is something that a lot of pros were fishing there."
Besides the shallow runner that dives to three-feet, he's also been fishing the mid-runner that will reach depths of six-feet.
"Around the house, that bait has been awesome around seawalls, rock, and wood this spring. It will get down to around seven-feet of water on 10-pound Yo-Zuri TopKnot fluorocarbon," Davis said.
He's been fishing both of these crankbaits on a Phenix X-10 rod paired with a 5.1:1 Abu Garcia Revo Winch.
#2 Lipless Crankin'
Another springtime go-to that Davis has been relying on is a lipless crankbait, specifically the Yo-Zuri Rattl'n Vibe in both the 5/8 and 3/4-ounce sizes.
"That is such a great search bait when you are pre-fishing and also a great lure for tournament situations. I normally use the 5/8-ounce version but have been throwing the new ¾ ounce a good bit," Davis said.
On Guntersville for the Bassmaster Classic, Davis said the heavier size was ideal.
"It was great for ripping out of the eelgrass, but I've also been using it a bunch around here on deep seawalls and the ends of long points," Davis said. "They also came out with a few new colors that the pro staff has been requesting and they are finally available."
One of those new colors is Royal Purple Shad that is just like it sounds, a shad pattern hue with a purple back.
"That's a color that worked really well on Guntersville and the spotted bass on the lakes around me love it," he shared.
Besides that new color, he's been fishing the tried-and-true red colors like Matte Craw and Rayburn Red.
When fishing the Rattl'n Vibe, he alternates between a few different rods based on where he is fishing: the Phenix X-12 for open water situations and the beefier X-13 when ripping it through the grass. Like the diving crankbaits, he likes the Revo Winch for the cranking power and he spools it up with 16-pound Yo-Zuri TopKnot fluorocarbon.
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#3 Rippin'
Yet another given for spring is the jerkbait and it is something that Davis always relies on this time of year. This year is no different, but he has been playing with a new Yo-Zuri jerkbait that is similar to the Hardcore Minnow Flat SP, which is part of the Duel lineup.
"The bait will be released very soon and the body and profile is similar to the Duel jerkbait, but it has a few differences. The bill is a little bit longer and it has a different action," Davis shared. "The Duel bait was wild and erratic and this is toned down a little. Our whole pro staff has been working on getting it just right and it is going to be a good one."
So how is it working? Davis said he's been fishing it with great success on the ends of points and over laydowns and catching plenty of early-season bass.
Clent Davis has been making the most of his time between tournaments and fishing as much as he can. In between several trips for crappie, he's been loading the boat with bass with three proven springtime techniques: shallow crankbaits, jerkbaits, and a lipless crankbait.
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