“The 5XD is truly my best all-around crankbait for this time of the year. The 5XD runs to about 15 feet, which is the perfect depth for throwing on top of ledges on most lakes in the south, and also is perfect for lakes up north when the fish are holding outside deep weedlines. My favorite all around color for this bait is sexy blueback herring, and the only modification I make to it is to change out the hooks to an Eagle Claw TroKar TK310 wide gap version in size 2.”
“You have to have a lure that complements the crankbait in summer, and a 3/4-ounce Denny Brauer Structure Jig from Strike King is that lure for me. It has a head shape that is kind of a mix between a football head and a Flippin’ head that comes over structure very well, gets hung up rarely, and has an oversized, strong hook that really does the job. My favorite colors are blue craw and peanut butter and jelly, and I love the action of the lure with a Rage Craw on it; this jig is money.”
“I think fish see their fair share of crankbaits and jigs and often get conditioned to them. When that happens, I like to rig a 4 1/2- to 5 1/2-inch Shadalicious swimbait on a 1/2-ounce Strike King Squadron Head and give them a different look. I can swim it slowly along the ledge, burn it and kill it trying to make a reaction strike, or I can fish it along the bottom similar to a jig. I especially like this lure when bass are grouped up on specific spots, or when they are suspended off the ledge, it’s really effective then. I use the smaller size when bait or the fish are smaller, and the 5 1/2-inch size if I come across larger shad or am fishing a lake known for bigger fish. My favorite colors are blue or green gizzard shad.”
“There are times when bass get a little deeper. When they are in that mode, but still grouped up, I like to throw the Strike King 6XD. This crankbait has a little bit bigger profile and will run as deep as 25 feet in the right conditions and smaller line size. I like to throw the sexy blue back herring most of the time, but will use the bluegill color at home in Michigan because it just works. I also change out the hooks to the Eagle Claw TroKar TK310 trebles, but I choose size 1 to 1/0 depending on the size of the fish.â
“I love to fish for smallmouth at home and the KVD Perfect Plastics dream Shot is my favorite bait to use on a dropshot when the fish are offshore or the bite gets tough. I rig the Dream Shot on a dropshot rig with as light of a Strike King Tour Grade Tungsten Drop Shot weight as possible, and an Eagle Claw TroKar TK180 Finesse Worm hook. This is great for offshore smallmouth or for anywhere in the country that schools of fish won’t fire on a crankbait.”
