Entry 101-4

Mark Davis On The Keys To Catching More Bass On New Baits

Don't Go Fishing Without It

Editor's Note: Mark Davis, former Bassmasters Classic winner and Angler of the Year on the Bassmasters' circuit, won the BASS 2004 Table Rock Lake tournament and enjoys fishing new Strike King lures.

Davis: I don't understand how any fisherman can go to the lakes without a Diamond Shad in his tackle box. The Diamond Shad, Strike King's lipless crankbait, can be fished through every segment of the water - from just under the surface to crawled-along the bottom of the lake. When selecting lures, try not to fall in the trap of having a favorite lure or a favorite color. Remember, the more often you fish the same lure, the same way, in the same lake, the less likely you are to catch bass there. This reason is why lure manufacturers are always coming out with new lures, new colors and new techniques for fishing old baits.

The Diamond Shad is one of the most-fish-catching lures that Strike King produces. However, everyone at Strike King realized that some additions needed to be made to keep bass biting the shad. So, this year Strike King increased the number of colors available for the Diamond Shad, and they also added the Bleeding Bait Hooks and the red coloring on the side of the Diamond Shad lures. I've caught a ton of bass this year using the Bleeding Bait Diamond Shad in many of the new colors. But, color is not the only reason the Diamond Shad will produce a lot of bass. This lure casts extremely well, and with it you can cover a lot of water, quicker. And because the lure has a large number of rattles, even if the bass can't see it, they can hear it and hone in on the sound to find the lure and attack it. I like to fish the Diamond Shad on 12-pound-test line over submerged grass, over stumps, or even on mud flats. Any place where you believe bass are chasing shad is where you need to fish the Diamond Shad.

Windy shorelines where the waves are crashing against the bank are excellent places to fish the Diamond Shad. Without question, the Diamond Shad is one of the most-versatile lures that a fisherman can carry in his tackle box. My favorite time to fish the Diamond Shad is in the spring and also the fall, but there isn't any time of year in which this lure won't produce. A secret I rarely share with anyone is that I fish the Diamond Shad during the pre-spawn when the water temperature is in the 40-degree range. Most fishermen never will consider fishing a lipless crankbait really fast in cold water. But, I've learned that I can fish a red Diamond Shad with red hooks really fast - I'm talking, 'burning it' - in 40-degree water, and catch numbers of bass.

In the summer months, I cast the Diamond Shad and let it sink before I start retrieving it. I'll let the shad fall almost to the bottom, then pump it up and allow it to fall back like a dying shad. This tactic also works really well during the fall of the year when many lakes have shad die-offs.
 

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