“I really get excited about throwing topwater baits, especially first thing in the morning. My favorite surface bait is the Strike King Sexy Dawg walking bait. It has a larger profile to attract big bites and great action that gets attention. I throw it on a Quantum EXO Tour 726 rod with a EXO Tour MG reel in the Burner 7.0:1 retrieve. I spool it with 50-pound-test Seaguar Smackdown braid because it makes the Sexy Dawg walk instantly and really sets the hook when they strike. I throw the Sexy Dawg on flats, points, pockets and even on top of ledges in the early morning.”
“One of the things you have to be able to do in summer is fish offshore, and my new favorite tool for doing that is the 3/4-ounce Strike King Denny Brauer Structure Jig with the Rage Bug as a trailer. I fish the jig on a Quantum EXO Tour 766 rod with a 6.6:1 EXO reel and 17- to 20-pound-test Seaguar Tatsu Fluorocarbon. I start out by making casts to the top edge of the ledge, and if I stop getting bites, I will often move my Triton on top of the ledge, cast out and work it backwards, fishing it uphill into the fish. This jig is excellent for not getting hung up, has a great hook and the new Rage Bug gives it great action. My favorite color is Green Pumpkin Orange.”
“A great companion to the jig on structure is a crankbait, and the Strike King 6XD is the perfect crankbait for fishing offshore ledges, humps and drops. When there is current on the lake, and the fish are aggressively feeding, I like to use the Quantum EXO Tour 726 with the 6.6:1 EXO reel and throw this lure on 12-pound-test Seaguar Tatsu Fluorocarbon. The 6XD is great for digging the bottom in 17 to 21 feet on a long cast and kicking up dust, drawing attention which triggers strikes. One thing I do is always change the hooks out to size 1 or 2 Eagle Claw TroKar TK310 wide gap treble hooks to make sure they hook quickly and hold tight to struggling largemouth.”
“We all love to get on a numbers bite on ledges with a crankbait, but some really big fish stay shallow for most of the year. Those fish really get into the shade, and I like to go after those fish with my four-wheel drive topwater â the Strike King Sexy Frog. I use the Quantum EXO Tour 726 rod with the 7.0:1 EXO Tour MG reel and 65-pound-test Seaguar Smackdown braid to throw the Sexy Frog into and over cover. This bait will go anywhere I need it to go and come out without getting hung up; unless it’s in the face of a big ol’ bass.”
“You can’t always catch them on power fishing baits, so I always have a 3/16-ounce Strike King Tour Grade Shaky Head with a Magnum Dream Shot or KVD Finesse Worm ready to go. I use a 6’10” Quantum Shaw Grigsby Tour Tactical rod and EXO Tour spinning reel filled with 10-pound-test Seaguar Invizx Fluorocarbon for these baits. This setup allows me to go after fish that have received a lot of pressure and are wary of bigger presentations. I like to throw the worms in green pumpkin, or green pumpkin, purple gold and dip the tip of the tail in chartreuse or orange Spike It Dye for a little flash of color. This setup is a fish catching machine when things get tough.”
