Major League Fishing pro Zack Birge has become a serious threat on the Bass Pro Tour and it seems like he is always in the mix in tournaments, no matter what part of the country the tournaments are held. He’s had some great finishes at the top level of professional bass fishing and chooses to fish his style at most events.
Birge can usually be found fishing shallow water and moving fast. That’s what he does and he does it well. His approach is to keep it simple with proven baits and cover water to locate active fish.
There are Always Shallow Fish
Birge makes no secret of the fact that he is a shallow water guy. That’s how he likes to fish and will always try to make it work. That’s because he thinks there will be shallow fish everywhere he goes.
“No matter where you live, there will always be fish that live in shallow water,” said Birge. “It may not be the way to win a tournament all year long, but you can always catch fish shallow. Even places that are ledge tournaments like the Tennessee River lakes in the summer, you can still get shallow and catch fish.”
He takes this approach with him everywhere and fishes his style and he always tries to make it work.
“The fishing might not be as good as out deep, but it helps if you don’t have experience on a body of water,” said Birge. “If you aren’t familiar with a lake, you can’t expect to go offshore and know how to line up on spots and expect to catch fish, much less the big ones you need to compete. Fishing shallow gives you a better chance to get on fish quicker and let you cover more water until you run into them.”
Squarebills and Jerkbaits
For most of his spring to summer fishing with hardbaits, Birge sticks with the staples. He’ll most often be throwing a Yo-Zuri 3DB squarebill crankbait but will also mix in topwaters like the 3DB Pencil and Popper.
“The 3DB squarebill is my number one bait this time of year,” he said. “Earlier in the winter, as it turns to spring, I’ll be fishing the Yo-Zuri 3DB Suspending 110 jerkbait when the fish are a little deeper and less active.”
Once the bass get more aggressive and push up to the shallows, it’s squarebill time.
“That bait is perfect for how I like to fish: shallow and moving fast,” said Birge. “It runs great and comes in some colors and you can throw it anywhere. I’ll fish it around laydowns, stumps, riprap and anything else I can find.”
This bait will be part of his arsenal from pre-spawn and well into the fall.
“I throw it before they spawn and intermittently throughout the spawn,” added Birge. “Then after the spawn and into the summer, the 3DB squarebill play a big role for me, more than any other hard bait I own.”
Pencils
During the transition from spring to summer (and beyond), Birge relies heavily on shallow cranking and keeps a topwater bait ready.
“The second bait I use during this time of the year is the Yo-Zuri 3DB Pencil,” he said. “I use it quite a bit during the pre-spawn and a bunch during the summer and fall months. Generally, I use it during the first few hours in the morning, but it can also be really good in the afternoon or all day long in the fall. I’ll also keep it close by in case I see any schooling fish busting on the surface. It casts great and can easily reach fish that are a long ways away.”
While the 3DB Pencil walking bait is his first choice of topwater lures to cover water as the fish transition from spring to summer, he doesn’t neglect a popper.
“I do throw a popper and always have the 3DB Popper tied on and ready to pick it up,” said Birge. “I use it more for hitting targets and throwing it around things. It is great when I want to slow down a little bit and cover a small creek or backwater. It is also good if I want to dissect individual targets.”
Every bass angler has things that they like to do and things they are good at. Oklahoma’s Zack Birge can do it all but would greatly prefer to be shallow and move fast. His approach works for him and he’s making a living as a professional bass angler by fishing style and sticking to what works for him.
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