2022 is Jeremy Lawyer's first year on the Bass Pro Tour and although he's thrilled to be there now, he probably wishes he was fishing the tour a year earlier. That's because REDCREST is being held on Grand Lake, the site of his FLW Tour win in 2019, at roughly the same time on the calendar in late March.
Although Lawyer didn't have a chance to qualify for the 2022 tournament, he's very familiar with the lake and shares how he would attack Grand Lake if he were going to be lining up with the qualifiers this year.
Strategy and the Weather
Any springtime bass tournament, or any tournament, is significantly impacted by the weather and lake conditions, and this event is no different. Lawyer says it's the biggest wildcard, especially on a lake that is prone to spring flooding.
"The biggest player, hands down, is the weather, more important than any lure or fishing spot," he said. "If the weather is stable leading up to the event and the sun is shining, the lake will show out. A cold front will make it a grinder type tournament."
With Major League Fishing's no limit format, Lawyer says numbers could outweigh quality fish, but it's all weather dependent in his opinion.
"If the weather's good, guys can play the numbers game and absolutely win it," he said. "If it's a cold front, the key will be keying on the biggest bass."
Lawyer says a big squarebill or Freedom Tackle double willow spinnerbait would be in his arsenal to target the biggest bass. That spinnerbait helped him claim his FLW Tour win three years ago.
"You'll be able to power fish with those baits and catch big ones but still have a chance at getting numbers of fish," he said. "If it's cold, a Freedom FT Structure jig will be a big player. It's an excellent quality jig with an awesome trailer keeper."
Other potential baits are jerkbaits and small swimbaits, especially if the water is clear.
"If it stays clear, a bone jerkbait will catch some fish," he said. "I would also fish a small swimbait on a Freedom Swimbait head because the fish will be feeding up on baitfish before they spawn. That jighead has the same great keeper as the jig and keeps your swimbaits secure."
State of Grand Lake and Who to Watch For
Like any body of water, Grand Lake goes through ups and downs. Lawyer says it's on an upward trend right now and healthy as it's been in several years.
"It's fishing as good now as it has for four or five years," said Lawyer. "It's been a warm winter and has the fish right where they are supposed to be this time of year. I follow the local tournament results and it's taking 18 or 20-pounds for five fish to get in the paycheck line. A lot of that has been the A-Rig (not allowed in this event), but the fish, in general, are fat and healthy and the numbers are good."
Besides just the impressive fishing quality and health of the bass, Lawyer says what makes Grand Lake so good is that the whole thing is productive.
"You can throw a dart a the map and start fishing and have the potential to win the tournament there," he said. "When Edwin won the Classic up the Elk River, it brought a lot of attention and local pressure, but it's still good as long as the water isn't too dirty. If the water turns brown, I think you'll see most guys fishing the Sailboat Bridge area and focusing from mid-lake down to the dam."
When asked who to watch for, Lawyer went with those with the most local knowledge and those with plenty of experience on lakes in the Ozarks.
"Edwin Evers is no doubt one to watch because of his history on the lake and because he won the Bassmaster Classic there around the same time of year," he said. "Brent Chapman would be another because of his knowledge of lakes in the region. These guys know the first places the fish pull up, which creeks are best this time of year. If it's a tough event, the local knowledge will help, but if it's on a warming trend, everyone will have a shot because the bite will be wide open."
Jeremy Lawyer expects Grand Lake to produce some great fish for the anglers at REDCREST and although the weather is the wildcard, he believes the lake will impress. He's not going to be fishing this one, but if he were, he'd definitely be one of the favorites to take home the trophy and $300,000 prize that comes with it.
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