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