or more presentations to one tree before a fish would bite it. Though he caught better top-end size in the lake, Strader says the creek he fished was loaded with shad, and that every fish he caught was“ plump as all get out.” Because of the abundance of shad, it took some extra work to trigger them to bite an artificial lure.
In the shallows, Strader threw a PH Custom Lures Pooh shallow-running crankbait and a 3 / 8-ounce chartreuse / white Stan Sloan’ s Zorro Bait Co. Wesley Strader Signature Series Bango Blade with a silver No. 4 1 / 2 Indiana blade and gold No. 3 1 / 2 Colorado blade.
StRaDeR’ S DecISIoN-makING waS jUSt oFF
Though Strader still chalked up a good finish, he might have been able to make a run at the top five or better with different decision-making. Though he was the only top-10 finisher to really tap the shallow bite, his timing never seemed right.
“ I had to call a lot of audibles,” says Strader.“ The first day I started out on the cane piles, and I don’ t know if I got in a bad rotation or what, but I just didn’ t get bit. So, at about 9 o’ clock I went back to doing what I like to do [ fishing shallow ].”
The shallow bite saved him, but for whatever reason the roles reversed on day two, and the offshore bite was strongest.
Strader ended up following the day one plan on the final day after missing a lot of bites, but came back to the lake with only two in the livewell.
Other pros in the top 10 were able to take advantage of afternoon rain and clouds to fire up the schooling fish on the lower end, but Strader got there too late and wasn’ t able to capitalize.
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