Elite

Welcher’s current oriented tacklebox

See the baits that Elite Series pro Kyle Welcher counts on when fishing current.

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Photography by
Kyle Jessie
Growing up, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Kyle Welcher spent a lot of time fishing rivers in southern Alabama. The 2023 Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year still spends a lot of his free time fishing the same river systems, which has made him an expert at targeting these complex fisheries.
“The generation schedules of these river systems I grew up fishing were super inconsistent,” Welcher said. “Every single situation the current presents will dictate how the fish set up which will eventually determine the baits that are the most efficient.”
“Heavy current will cause the fish to almost automatically head to the bank and sit tight to some sort of cover that breaks the current, but when the current is lighter, it will often cause the fish to back off the bank to little humps, rockpiles or anything that can slow the current down.”
Different situations may call for different baits, but Welcher tends to stick with a handful of trusty options.
Lets get into Welcher’s favorites when fishing current!
Untamed Tackle Breacher Compact Flipping Jig
“The main key to this jig is the head shape. This jig will fall straight down which is a major key when fishing current,” Welcher said. “Ultimately the jig is a great bait to fish in current because you can literally put that bait anywhere you want. Pitch it to wood, grass, rock or anything else a bass might live on.”
Lost River Spinnerbait
“I tend to go with a spinnerbait when there’s moderate current,” he said. “You can really control any level of the water column with the spinnerbait and even wash it down with the current. It’s always been such a great shad imitator.”
Rapala DT6 Crankbait
“The DT6 is super easy to control because it has a very consistent dive and gets deep really quickly,” he said. “It allows you to make controllable cast to targets. I really love to throw it around rocks more than anything.”
Rapala Crush City Mayor Swimbait paired with a Gamakatsu Round Ball Weedless jighead
“A lot of the rivers that I fish have clear water and spotted bass, so the swimbait is a really good bait under those situations,” said Welcher. “When the current isn’t super heavy, those spotted bass will get on those deeper rocks. Anything that will catch a lot of current will hold those spots. I like to cast the swimbait past the rocks and reel it just above the bottom.”
Untamed Tackle Shakin’ Ace
“I like to use the shakyhead as a clean up bait behind the swimbait,” he said. “I tend to throw it in the same exact places as the swimbait, but the shakyhead really excels when there’s very little current.”
Rapala PXR Mavrik 110 Jerkbait
“The jerkbait is really the best when the current is medium to light,” he said. “When the current is heavier, I like to target the most obvious eddies, but when it’s light, I’ll target the ends of trees and obvious pieces of cover.”

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