Arkansas pro Fred Roumbanis is not fishing this year’s REDCREST on Grand Lake and wishes he was. He finished the 2022 season in 46th place in the points standings, just out of the top 41 that qualified for the event, and because he’s intimately familiar with the lake from his years living in Oklahoma. He knows the lake well. Even though he won’t be fishing the event this year, Roumbanis shared how he would approach it, where he thinks it will be won, and who we should watch for as the tournament unfolds.
Grand Lake Thoughts
Roumbanis spent many days on Grand Lake and he says it’s the lake that he used to break in his boat every year while he was living there. He’s also fishing various tournaments there with great success, including a Bassmaster Elite Series event where he finished 8th.
He believes there are many potential winning areas for REDCREST and wishes he was in the field this year.
“I’ve missed all three major Championships I could have qualified for there, including two Classics and now REDCREST, but I’ll be at this one working the expo and cheering on the guys,” he shared. “I live in Arkansas now and the fish are ready to get on beds here, and I think it will be very close to that for the guys fishing on Grand Lake. I think it will be a ‘pick your poison’ kind of event because so many techniques should be working.”
How He’d Fish It
Roumbanis said many popular creeks on the lake could produce the winning fish in this event, including the tournament take-off in Wolf Creek.
“Wolf Creek is good because it’s a shallower flat creek and warms up fastest and guys will definitely find fish there,” he said. “There are also some key spots in the Elk River, Honey Creek could be a key player, and Duck Creek is another one that will get plenty of attention. Down the lake could be really good around the docks if they are pulling water because they suspend under them this time of year.”
With all of those areas in play, Roumbanis says he’d have a hard time picking which one to start in, but he believes jerkbaits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs, and swimbaits could be a factor in this event.
“I’d have to check all of those areas because each one has the potential to win this tournament,” he said. “If the water was clear, I’d definitely throw the ima Fllit 120 quite a bit and go with the Sexy Minnow color. It’s a great way to catch those bass suspended around the docks on Grand .”
He’d opt for a squarebill crankbait like the ima Square Bill in brighter colors for shallow fish.
“I like the bright chartreuse colors like Barred Black Back Chart because I’d be fishing it in shallow, dirty water,” he said. “Grand Lake bass like to get in the dirt in shallow water around cover and on the backsides of docks. That bait will dive around 2-feet and it’s usually a time when you can cast right on the bank, make a few cranks, and they got it.”
Roumbanis is a huge fan of swimbaits and would also try to get a bite going with his Optimum ‘Boom Boom’ swimbait if the situation presented itself. He’d opt for the Sexy Minnow color, one of his favorites just about everywhere he launches his boat.
“Grand Lake is an excellent Alabama Rig lake during the colder months, but that’s not allowed in this event,” he said. “A single swimbait is an underdeveloped bite and could be good down the lake where the water is cleaner.”
Heavy on the Locals
When asked who he thinks will do well in the event, Roumbanis went heavy on the local flare and selected all three Oklahoma anglers in the field as potential winners.
“Edwin Evers is an obvious choice since he won the Classic there on his home waters,” said Roumbanis. “My money would also be on Zack Birge because he’s done good there and knows the lake well. I also think James Elam will be hard to beat because he’s another one that knows the lake and how it fishes.”
Fred Roumbanis knows Grand Lake very well and he’d sure like a chance at the lake with $300,000 at stake during this year’s REDCREST. If he were fishing, he’d have plenty of areas to check out and believes there will be multiple patterns across the lake. He’ll be watching like the rest of us and thinks it will be a great event that will showcase one of the premier bass lakes in the entire country.
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