Jig Was The Key To Tucker's Consistency

(Editor's Note: This is part 2 of a 2-part story on Missouri Bassmaster pro Mark Tucker.)

After Mark Tucker finished 10th at the Clarks Hill Bassmaster, he tackled Lake Norman, where he finished 19th.

"I'd only fished there one other time," he said. "I got in 2 days there, at the Jr. World Championship

before (last year's) Classic. I got wind we'd be coming back, so I kind of eliminated half the lake – from what I'd seen back in July. I knew where to concentrate."

Race to the Spot

Tucker's Norman practice started the right way. "The first day of practice, I pulled up and had a limit in 30 minutes," he said. "And I got probably 25 other bites. I knew going into the tournament, it wouldn't be a tote-fest. With the fish we caught in July (2004), I just knew there wasn't a lot of great big fish in there.

"I figured, if you were fortunate enough to catch a 4-pounder, you'd be in real good shape. As it turned out, the weather got nasty."

And he found himself rubbing shoulders with a familiar boat. "It was kind of funny. Charlie Hartley was fishing the same stuff I was fishing at Clarks Hill. Well, he was using a jerkbait (at Clarks Hill), and I was using a jig. He'd watch me catch them on a jig, and he only caught three or four at Clarks Hill (on the jerkbait).

"When we got to Norman, he did same thing I was doing at Clarks, and he was running the same stuff I was running. He made the Top 12 (at Norman). He's a heck of a nice guy. We joke about it now, and say we need to fish buddy tournaments."

The two fished close at Norman, and Hartley beat Tucker to a spot. "He beat me to a place both mornings," Tucker said. "He wound up with 12 pounds both days. He needed it. But that's a problem with bigger fields. When we go to a 200-boat field for the Tour, you'll see a lot more of that."

All About the Jig

Tucker soaked a jig at Clarks Hill and Norman, and never got off it. "I put a jig on when we left Florida, and I used the same jig the next four tournaments," he said. "It wasn't the same (physical) jig. But I fished the same thing all four tournaments – a 1/4-ounce Team Supreme Rascal Jig, mud-craw color, with a Zoom Critter Craw.

"I caught a 10-02 on it the day before the tournament started at Guntersville, then the second day of the tournament I caught an 8-06 on that same jig."

And he stayed shallow with the jig, even though Guntersville, Clarks Hill and Table Rock all had decent deep bites going. "Other than Norman, everywhere else we went, I didn't fish over 10 feet deep. At Norman, I caught them in 10 feet of water, but (they were suspended) over about 25 feet."

Back to the Classic

Tucker fished the Bassmaster Classic last year. Because he finished 16th in the Bassmaster Tour points this season, he qualified for both the upcoming Classic in Pittsburgh, Pa. and the 2006 Classic.

On the 2005 Classic, he said: "I hope I can go up there and throw my little jig and catch them. I've heard a little about it – that it won't take a big sack (to win). If you can catch 13 to 14, you'll probably be the man. You know how that goes though.

"But I heard typically it's 8- or 9-pound limits, and the good fishing is supposedly where we can't lock into." But he sees that as a positive – less good water to fish makes it tougher for everyone. "That's good – I like it to be like that. Everybody's in the same boat.

"Fishing that style in a river is the way I like to fish. No matter how tough it is, I think you should be able to catch some fish every day."

With two Classics made, he said next year's majors are his next goal. "This year, making both Classics was a big relief off my shoulders. After my first tournament (Toho, 91st), it's a big relief. And Florida has not been very kind to me, so getting a check out of Harris Chain (42nd) was a blessing.

"I don't know why that is – I should do well there all the time. You just have to fish so slow, and it seems with all that grass, there's such little time to fish it all.

"So considering that (the Toho finish), making both Classics was awesome and making the Majors is what I have on my mind next."

And his thoughts on finally breaking into the Top 10 in the State Farm-BassFan World Rankings: "I fish tournaments from week to week, so I know you can catch them for the next month, then the next 3 months not catch them.

"So you do good for 2 years – that's not long-term. If a guy can stay in there for a lifetime, then you're doing something."

Notable

> Tucker has fished 3 Classics: 2004 (30th), 1999 (26th) and 1998 (8th).

> Florida really hasn't been good to him. Here's a short rundown: 2005 (91st at Toho, 42nd at Harris Chain), 2004 (139th at Harris Chain), 2003 (152nd at Harris Chain), 2001 (117th at Toho).

> What state's been the kindest to him? Alabama. Two of his three Bassmaster Tour Top 10s were there: Wheeler (4th, 2001) and Smith Lake (2nd, 2004).

– End of part 2 (of 2) –