(Editor's note: The following is the latest installment in a series of fishing tips presented by The Bass University. Check back each Friday for a new tip.)
John Cox is self-deprecating about his academic credentials: “I graduated high school with a 1.8 and now I’m going to teach you guys,” he joked at the beginning of his shallow-cranking seminar. The grades might not have been there, but the proof is in his tournament results. He fishes the Bassmaster Elite Series, the MLF Bass Pro Tour and the MLF Pro Circuit and excels on all of them, usually by staying ultra-shallow.
While he’s typically considered a sight-fisherman and a soft-plastics guru, last year he won on Rayburn using a crankbait. He’s not likely to head out into the 25-foot range with them, but he’s added a new weapon to his arsenal and to his reputation. His two favorites in the early season, when the water is still warming up, are the Berkley Frittside and Warpig.
The Frittside, developed, of course, by legendary cranker David Fritts, was Cox’s meal ticket at Rayburn. It initially came out in a No. 5 size. “It was such a great bait that they came out with two more sizes,” Cox said. He likes black chartreuse, special red craw and spring craw in dirty water, with spring craw serving double-duty in water that is slightly less stained. In clear water, his key choices are ghost morning dawn, Kentucky blue and candy apple red craw.
“It’s a bait that you can go in there behind people and catch fish,” Cox said, noting that it has no rattles and excels in high-pressure situations with relatively sparse cover. His favorite rod with the Frittside is a 7’6” medium-heavy Abu-Garcia Veritas Winch. When the water temperature is dropping, he’ll pair it with a Revo EXD (5.4:1) that brings in 23 inches of line per turn of the handle. When the temperature is rising, he’ll use a Revo Premier (6.6:1), which brings in 27 inches per revolution.
He likewise uses two different lines. When he’s around vegetation, he likes 12- to 15-pound Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon. “It’s the best fluorocarbon I’ve found that has no stretch,” which means he can snap a lure free when it gets temporarily hung in the grass. Around wood and rock he prefers a little bit more stretch, so he’ll employ 100% Fluorocarbon XL. “It almost feels like a mono,” he explained.
If the Frittside is digging in too much, especially in the zero to 3-foot range, he’ll go to the lipless Warpig. It comes in three sizes – 1/4-, 1/2- and 3/4-ounce – and he says the littlest one excels because it runs true at any speed.
“I’m just straight burning it,” he said.
In clearer water, he likes spring craw, chameleon pearl and black silver. In dirtier water he turns to black gold, firetiger and candy apple red. His tackle is fairly simple. Is starts with an 8.0:1 Revo EXD spooled up with 15-pound 100% Fluorocarbon. In recent years he’s moved up to a 7’6” rod for all sizes of this lure, primarily because it allows him to cast farther. He prefers the medium-heavy Abu-Garcia Fantasista Premier. It’s a full-contact bait that excels in isolated pads and running through stickups and laydowns.
“You work it a lot more violently than the Frittside 5.”
If you want more information about how multi-tour road warrior Cox cranks in cold, shallow water, including his tips for avoiding lost fish, check out his full video, available only by subscribing to The Bass University TV.
