Entry 328-1
Strike King’s Mark Rose’s $50,000 Bet That Paid Off
Editor’s Note: Mark Rose of Marion, Arkansas, fishes the FLW Tour, the FLW Stren Series (Central Division) and the PAA (Professional Anglers Association) tournament trail – a total of 20 tournaments each year. Rose has made the championship tournament for each of these trails. Entry fees and expenses for these 20 tournaments totaled about $50,000, and Rose was betting he not only could get his $50,000 back but also make enough money to take care of his family. Would you dig into your pocket and bet $50,000 that you could beat some of the best bass fishermen in the world in 20-different tournaments? Rose did. This week, we’ll learn what lures he bet-on this season and used to win.
Part 1: Shakin’ Out Dollars
Question: Mark, if you had only one lure to take with you to fish all over the nation in all the different tournaments you fished, what lure would that be?
Rose: I fish with Strike King lures because they catch fish and make money for me and my family. If I only could pick one lure, I’d choose the Strike King Shaky Head jig with a Strike King 4-inch Finesse Worm. There are a lot of lures that will catch bass. But the reason I picked the Shaky Head Finesse Worm is because this lure will catch bass in tough tournaments. In most of the tournaments I fish, we have 4 days of practice before a tournament. During those 4 days, all of the local fishermen are fishing, too.
So, by the time the tournament day rolls around, the bass on the tournament lakes have PhDs in lures and fishermen. 
They’ve seen all the crankbaits, spinner baits, jigs and other lures that any manufacturer ever has made. The Shaky Head Finesse Worm is like a little piece of candy. It’s not big enough to cause you to gain weight or get in trouble, so there’s no reason not to nibble on it. So, if I have to depend on one lure, I’ll select a lure that will catch bass when bass are really difficult to catch.
Many lures will catch bass when the bass are aggressive and biting – when everybody’s catching bass. But the tournaments I do best in are the tough tournaments when a few people are catching only a few, if any, bass. That’s when the Strike King Shaky Head jig with the 4-inch Finesse Worm has really paid dividends for me. I like the Strike King 1/8-ounce green-pumpkin Shaky Head with a green-pumpkin Finesse Worm.
I believe that little bait is just like a banana split to a bass. The fish has just got to eat it. I always can fish the Shaky Head and catch bass. I can fish it around rocks, in open water, on deep-river drops or ledge drops and around wood because it’s weedless. It’s a great bait for pre-spawn bass, bedding bass, and post-spawn bass. Bass just like to eat this bait at any time of year when they’re holding on any type of cover, when they’re hungry, and when they’re not hungry. So, there’s no time of year, no weather or water condition and no type of cover where I can’t fish the Shaky Head. When you fish for a living, and you’ve got a have a bait that you can bet on, the Shaky Head is my No. 1 pick.
