PHOTO BY D. W. REED II
Run and Gun
When first targeting a school, Lambert’ s strategy is to create chaos.
“ When I pull up on a school of fish, my objective is to throw the biggest, loudest, nastiest thing in there that I can on the first cast,” says Lambert.“ If you do that, you’ re going to get the most aggressive fish in there to eat it. Usually, that’ s a big one, because that big guy got big by eating.”
What does he cast? Take your pick: Lambert’ s boat is stacked with 3 / 4- and 1-ounce swimbaits, giant worms, deep-diving crankbaits and magnum spoons. They comprise the arsenal that’ s earned him a reputation as one of the FLW Tour’ s most consistent power anglers on the ledges. But – just in case – he’ s also squirreled away a drop-shot rig, a trick picked up from longtime friend and finesse maestro Cody Meyer.
In tournaments, Lambert might move on if he doesn’ t quickly get a big bite. And that’ s fine. With three days’ worth of waypoints chalked up from practice, there’ s always another ledge to fish.
“ I’ ve gotten beat several times by running and gunning,” he notes.“ But typically, multi-day tournaments on the river aren’ t won in a single spot.”
Lambert’ s ledge strategy is born of adaptation. It’ s a response to the way Tennessee River angling has evolved, and the way fishermen have evolved with it since side-scan and contour maps have lifted the veil from its offshore secrets. But in the end, the strategy boils down to a universal truth in tournament fishing: He who finds the most fish often wins.
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