The first pro event of the 2018 Bassmaster schedule was the Bassmaster Eastern Open in Kissimmee. I love Florida in winter, and love it even more now. I finished the event in second place, my highest professional finish to date. To notch that result, I had to adapt. Here’s how I did it.
In practice and early on day one I was catching fish on a prop bait. The fish were eating it, but I started catching smaller fish as time wore on.
I knew big fish were in the area but weren’t willing to hit a topwater. They were buried in the cover, and I needed to go in after them. That meant punching the heavy mats.
My arsenal for approaching the thickest Florida cover is simple but vital. I like to use a MHX FP936 flipping stick with a 1 ½-ounce tungsten weight. I like a 4/0 Mustad 3X Grip Pin Max flipping hook, which helps keep a compact creature bait on the hook shank while penetrating abrasive cover. I pair it with 65-pound Vicious No Fade Braid to a high-speed reel to ensure I can muscle trophy fish from matted cover.
A big key to punching heavy cover is the bait. It must have a compact shape to slip through the mats behind that big weight. I worked with X Zone Lures to create a new punching bait that does just that and is a new look for the fish. The Muscle Back Finesse Craw is the result. You can find them on the X Zone website. I relied on the Okeechobee Craw and Black/Blue Flake colors, which are both Florida staples.