By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor
Time is ticking down. The pattern that worked yesterday isn’t working today. It’s crunch time. There’s an hour left until the weigh-in starts. Your nerves are starting to fray. What do you reach for when you absolutely need to generate bites?
We’ve been asking pro anglers from the various leagues that same question as a way to find out what their ultimate confidence baits are regardless of the situation, along with the reasoning behind their choices. As one might expect, the answers have run the gamut, from big-line, big-weight flipping to light-line finesse and from topwater to slow-dragging baits.
Justin Lucas grew up out west, then moved to Alabama so he’s developed proficiencies in just about every technique. When it comes to generating bites, however, his top option lately has been a half-ounce Molix Kento Jig paired with a craw chunk trailer. It gives him the versatility he needs and allows him to be efficient when trying to string bites together.
After checking out the latest installment in the series, head over to our Feedback page and let us know what your go-to bait is and how you rig it.
> Angler: Justin Lucas
> Confidence bait: 1/2-oz. Molix Kento Jig (blue craw) tipped with 3.25-inch Berkley PowerBait Power Chunk trailer (green-pumpkin).
> Gear used: 7’3” heavy-action Abu Garcia Fantasista Premier casting rod, Abu Garcia Revo MGX casting reel (8:1 ratio), 15- or 17-pound Berkley Trilene 100% fluorocarbon line.
> Origin: “A jig just works everywhere, no matter the season – pre-spawn, spawn and post-spawn.”
> Why he trusts it: “It allows me to fish faster and if I were to guess a jig has won more tournaments than just about anything else.””
> One more thing: “The hand-tied skirts give the jig a lot of action. The color combos are great and the recessed line tie keeps the line close to the head of the jig.”