pHoto by andy Hagedon
Justin Atkins: Forget Finesse
Tournament proving grounds – Although 2017 Forrest Wood Cup champion Justin Atkins won the tournament on an ima Little Stick 135( pencil popper), he also had a strong practice pattern going with a buzzbait. Whenever conditions seem favorable, he looks for opportunities to throw the noisy topwaters.
“ I’ m always trying to incorporate additional patterns as I fish a tournament,” Atkins explains,“ and a buzzbait is a great tool for summertime bass, especially when bluegills are shallow and spawning in early summer. When you have hot weather and clear water, the bluegills will bring the bass shallow, and you’ re going to have a buzzbait bite.”
Gearing up – Atkins’ buzzbait of choice is typically the 3 / 8- ounce Guerilla Buzz by Prototype Lures in white with a silver blade or black on black. Early in the season, he’ ll use a skirted
bait, but in the summer he replaces the skirt with a small swimbait such as the 3 1 / 2-inch Berkley Havoc Grass Pig in green pumpkin watermelon. The soft plastic better emulates the 3- and 4-inch bluegills that bass are usually targeting.
He throws it on a 7-foot, medium-heavy Abu Garcia Villain 2.0 casting rod with a Revo STX Gen 4 reel( 8.0:1) and 30- to 50- pound-test Spiderwire Ultracast braid. It’ s a beefy combo.
Dialing in – Atkins emphasizes that this is no finesse pattern. His gear and the baits he prefers are not going to catch timid, spooky fish. In summer, he likes buzzbaits that make a lot of noise and will adjust them until they do.
“ I want the blade to be banging against the head,” he says.“ I want as much noise as I can get. I’ m not trying to catch drop-shot fish here. I want to catch the aggressive bass that are looking to eat, and I want them to know my bait’ s there and come to it.”
Prototype Lures Guerilla Buzz
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FLWFISHING. COM I APRIL 2018