North Carolina's Bryan Thrift has done a lot in professional bass fishing with many wins, including a Forrest Wood Cup title. He'd badly like to add REDCREST champion to his resume and has a chance on Grand Lake. It's a lake that he's fished before with great success and he has what it takes to close out a big event. Thrift is excited about this tournament and thinks it should be good.
Thrift on Grand Lake
During his time on the FLW Tour, Thrift visited Grand Lake twice and both times, he did very well. That includes a second and seventh place finish, and he's looking to improve on that this time around.
"I've only been there twice, once in early March and once in June, and it seems like it's been completely different in terms of how it fishes," he said. "I don't know what to expect, but it's definitely going to be a pre-spawn deal. The weather in Oklahoma this time of year is also pretty crazy and it could be 20-degrees and snowing or 70-degrees and sunny; you just never know there."
Another unknown is how the lake will fish with MLF's format, where every fish over two pounds counts towards an angler's total.
"It's all going to depend on which Grand Lake it is this time," Thrift said. "One of those FLW tournaments, I never caught more than seven bass in a day. The other time there was a three pounder every fifteen feet and those didn't do you any good because the weights were so high, but they'd add up in this format."
Technique Talk
According to Thrift, many different techniques should be in play. He's leaning heavily on moving baits and says there's an outside shot that topwater could be a factor if the water warms up enough during the event.
"It's going to be a little of everything, but I think jigs, jerkbaits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and ChatterBaits will be key," he said. "The lake has a lot to offer with stained water and clear water; it's a diverse lake. Grand Lake has everything a bass angler could want, except for grass."
For jig fishing, Thrift thinks both casting a jig and swimming one could be a way to catch Grand Lake bass during REDCREST. He says both could be factors and will base his line choice based on the water clarity and how he's fishing the jig.
"If I'm swimming a jig and making long casts, I like P-Line 100% fluorocarbon because it has a little bit of stretch and because it's also a little stiffer," he said. "For short casts and pitching and flipping, I like 20-pound P-Line Tactical fluorocarbon."
Another lure style that Thrift sees as potential winning lures are crankbaits. He plans to use his signature series Damiki BTC Squarebill and the DC-200 and DC-300.
"I'll be focusing on hard cover with those and looking for places with hard bottoms," he said. "It may be clay points, rocky points, and places that hold more heat which pre-spawn bass are looking for. I like to fish my crankbaits on 12-pound P-Line Tactical fluorocarbon most of the time but will go up to 15-pound when I want them to run a little shallower."
Jerkbaits and spinnerbaits could also put some bass in the boat for the REDCREST anglers and Thrift will be ready with both lure styles.
"I think a jerkbait will be a popular bait in this event, especially in the cleaner water and a spinnerbait will catch some fish in the dirty water up the lake," he predicted. "I like to fish my jerkbaits on 12-pound Tactical because it has the right diameter and you can get the bait down to the depths you want. I use 20-pound P-Line 100% fluorocarbon for spinnerbaits because it's a little stiffer and has great sensitivity, so you can feel those blades thump when you reel it in."
The final two lures Thrift sees as potential winners are a ChatterBait like the Big Bladed ChatterBait and a topwater bait.
"I think the Big Bladed ChatterBait could be a big factor in the dirty water, and I'll use the same line I use for a ChatterBait and for the same reasons," said Thrift. "If we get water in the upper 50s, a buzzbait can be deadly. I like to fish it on 20-pound P-Line Topwater line because it has low stretch and lays perfectly on the reel, so it's easier to get long casts and make skips under cover."
Bryan Thrift is no stranger to championship events, having fished every Forrest Wood Cup from 2007 to 2019 and he's now fishing his second straight REDCREST since he switched to the Bass Pro Tour. He's not afraid of the big stage, knows how to win, and is one to watch when REDCREST begins.
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