Entry 101-5

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: The 4S crankbait is a fairly-good-sized crankbait, and many fishermen ask me, "When and where are you fishing big crankbaits?" My standard answers are, I fish big crankbaits when:

The water is really stained-up.

I see bass feeding on baitfish that are a little bigger. (for instance, during the fall of the ear).

I'm fishing heavy cover, especially heavy-wood cover, I like to throw the 4S crankbait in places where you generally will fish a spinner bait or a worm.

If I can have only one color of 4S crankbait to fish, I'll fish the watermelon shad color, which is pearl with a green back. Consistently, I use a chartreuse/ black back, or a chartreuse/ blue back, if I'm not fishing the watermelon shad color. In stained water, chartreuse/ black or chartreuse/ blue are easy colors for the bass to see. These colors consistently produce more bass for me than other more-natural-looking colors produce.

Contents:

• Part 1: Fish 'Em High and Fish 'Em Low
• Part 2: Compact Buzzing
• Part 3: I Love Top-Water Lures
• Part 4: Don't Go Fishing Without It
• Part 5: The Series 4S Crankbait - My Go-To Lure