Entry 247-4
Austin Banks – Fishing His Way to the Big Show
Editor’s Note: Austin Banks of Madison, Mississippi, a regional Strike King Pro, fishes numbers of state and regional tournaments. Banks’ dream and goal is to make it to the BASS Elite Series and possibly to the Bassmaster Classic. He attended the 2008 Bassmaster Classic and worked the outdoor show in the Strike King booth. Banks has learned the secret to finding and working with a sponsor, and he’s working hard to work his way up through the ranks of tournament fishermen. Banks also is learning to fish new lures and techniques. This week, Banks will tell us how and where he fishes, and what he’ll have to do to be a participant instead of a spectator at the Bassmaster Classic.
Part 4: Crankbaits for Any Situation
Question: Austin, do you fish any crankbaits?
Banks: Yes, I really like the Series 1, the Series 3 and the Series 6 crankbaits. There’s hardly any fishing situation when I can’t use a Strike King crankbait because they have the right size crankbaits to fish any water depth I want to fish. I rely heavily on crankbaits because they allow me to fish fast and cover a lot of water. I prefer to fish the Series 3 when I’m fishing rocks and the Series 6 when I’m trying to get down in that 10- to 12-foot water. I like to hit the grass with the Series 6 and then rip it out of the grass. The bass really will turn on and take the bait when you rip it free from the grass.
Question: What color crankbait do you like to fish?
Banks: I like black and chartreuse. Because our water is muddy in Mississippi where I live, I need a crankbait that shows up well in that stained water. Too, I like the Strike King crankbaits because they’re noisy. In dark water, bass can find the crankbait easier and quicker if the lure makes a little noise. Strike King definitely makes noisy crankbaits. That’s one of the reasons I like them.
Question: What kind of fish do you expect to catch on your home lake when you fish the Series 3 crankbait?
Banks: I expect to catch at least a total of 13 to 15 pounds for a five-fish limit.
Question: What’s the biggest bass you’ve caught?
Banks: I caught an 8-pound bass on a Diamond Shad, which still qualifies as a crankbait.
Question: What’s the biggest bass you’ve caught on a Series 3 crankbait?
Banks: A 5-pounder.
Question: So, you’re using crankbaits a lot, depending on the water depth and the type of cover you fish? And, the Series 1, the Series 3 and the Series 6 are your favorite Strike King crankbaits, right?
Banks: I’ve found that with a Series 1, a Series 3 and a Series 6 crankbait there’s hardly any water depth I can’t fish. 
Except in flipping and pitching situations, there’s hardly any type of structure I can’t fish with one of these crankbaits.
Because the water I’m fishing is almost always stained, I always choose the darker-colored crankbaits. Of course, if I were fishing clearer water, I’d select the lighter shad-colored crankbaits. You can’t be a tournament fisherman without having a good selection of crankbaits that will fish all the depths you need to fish.
Next: Jig Fishing, Too
Contents:
- Part 1: Starting Out
- Part 2: The Rage Tail Shad
- Part 3: The Red Eye Shad
- Part 4: Crankbaits for Any Situation
- Part 5: Jig Fishing, Too
