Proper Lure Selection and Presentation by Scott Patton

When to use a certain lure and how to fish it properly, this is a question that goes through every angler’s mind. With such a large selection of tackle and colors to choose from this can be mind boggling. I will give you some of my thoughts on making this decision a little easier.

What I’ll do is pick a lure and explain my lure and color choice, and why I’ll fish it at certain times and places. I will keep this mainly related to the spring season. This will be a two-part article.

The first thing an angler should do is look at lures the same way a mechanic views his tools. A mechanic knows that every tool will get a specific job done and he uses that tool accordingly. So an angler needs to see the same with a lure, because that’s exactly what a lure will do for you.

JERKBAITS: this is a lure that is very good when fish are suspended. I like to fish it early in the spring when the water temperature is say 48 to around 58 degrees. In winter fish will relate to vertical areas like steep banks or bluff walls and they will still be in these areas in early spring. Fish like these type areas because they are able to take advantage of warming trends that we have in the spring by suspending just a few feet below the surface absorbing the suns heat, and they can also move back down to deeper depths as cold fronts move in. theses vertical areas make it easy to move up and down without traveling long distances. My color choices are pretty simple. Jerkbaits are what I call a visual bait so a fish will need to be in clearer water and that’s where this bait works best. So I will fish gold on cloudy days and in water that has a little color to it. A shad pattern and chrome and blue are my other two choices. I do prefer a jerkbait that suspends.

JIGS: a jig is one lure that I really fish year round, but I find it to be extremely effective in the spring. I fish a jig that I designed the Kentucky Lake Pro Lures Flipping Pro! Early in the year I will fish this bait on bluff walls and also at the end of the bluffs as the water warms, right where the bluff starts to change into a flat and if there is some type of cover there then the chances of a big fish is definitely good. When the water is about sixty degrees I will do nothing but drive around the lake looking for these areas to fish. And then as the fish move up on the flats to spawn I’ll fish docks and shoreline cover with the jig. I will either flip or pitch a jig ninety-nine percent of the time. Color choice will be green pumpkin with a zoom pumpkin chartreuse trailer or a pumpkin with chartreuse jig with the same zoom trailer. A Black and blue jig with a zoom matching trailer in stained water and a watermelon jig with a zoom watermelon trailer (note that sometimes I will use a chartreuse dye pen to dye the tips of the trailer to give it a little extra color and fish really respond to this) I’ll fish this color in clear water.

I am a Full Time Guide for Bass and Crappie on Kentucky and Barkley Lake. I fish the Bass Masters Opens and my sponsors are Nitro Boats, Bass Pro Shops, ZOOM, Rat-L-Trap, SeaGuar Fishing lines, Owner Hooks, Kentucky Battery outlet, Superlex Batteries and Louisville Mechanical

Scottpattonfishing.com

Guide info Home-731-247-5949 Cell- 731-227-9499