Entry 248-4

Fishing Strike King’s New Lures with Luke Estel

Part 4: Sexy Crankbaits

Question: Luke, do you fish any crankbaits?

Estel: Yes, I do. My favorite Strike King crankbait is the Series 5 in the Sexy Shad color. Kevin VanDam really put that color on the market, and the Series 5 crankbait is one of the best crankbaits Strike King makes. I prefer to fish the Series 5 when I’m fishing around points in 8 to 12 feet of water. I also like to fish it around rip-rap, on rocky bottoms and on structure. I believe in the power of crankbait, and I fish the crankbait year-round.

Question: What pound-test line do you use when you’re fishing the Series 5 crankbait?

Estel: I like to fish it on 10-pound-test monofilament line, but I’ve been experimenting with fluorocarbon line. I’ve found that I can feel the bait working across the bottom a little bit better with fluorocarbon line than I can with monofilament line.

Question: How deep do you fish the crankbait?

Estel: I like to fish it in the 8- to 12-foot range, off, over or at the ends of treetops. The main key to fishing a crankbait is to make sure you can have contact with the bottom. I want the crankbait to scoot along the bottom, crash into structure and then deflect off the structure.

Question: What kind of retrieve do you use?

Estel: I use a 5.3:1 Pflueger Trion Reel and a steady retrieve. Once I hit a piece of cover, I let the crankbait float up a little bit and then give it two or three cranks fast on my reel. Until I hit cover, I use a steady retrieve. After the lure deflects off the cover, I return to a steady retrieve.

Question: Why do you like the Sexy Shad color?

Estel: Most of the lakes I fish home gizzard shad, and the Sexy Shad color duplicates the color of those gizzard shad. The Sexy Shad can be fished in almost any lake. In every lake I’ve fished, I’ve caught bass on the Sexy Shad color. You still have to match your lure color to the water and the sky conditions. I don’t usually start fishing with the Sexy Shad unless I’m in extremely-dirty water and/or extremely-clear water. Although the Series 5 is my favorite crankbait, I also spend a lot of time with the Series 3 crankbait, which is the size I prefer when I’m fishing water more shallow than 10 feet.

Most of the time when I’m fishing extremely-shallow water, I’ll be fishing the Sexy Shad color, unless the bass tell me they prefer another color. You can’t be an all-around bass fisherman without fishing crankbaits, and Strike King has the sizes and the colors to match almost any fishing situation.

Next: Drop the Zero and Be a Hero

Contents:

• Part 1: The Football Jig
• Part 2: The Rage Toad
• Part 3: The Iguana
• Part 4: Sexy Crankbaits
• Part 5: Drop the Zero and Be a Hero