ish transitions
iSH tRaNsItIoNs
by JoDy oNly
Story & Photos
baits that take you from fall to winter
B
assmaster elite Series pro ish Monroe travels the nation each fishing season in both the B.a.S.S. and FlW circuits. While Monroe calls the Calif. delta home, his angling career takes him from coast to coast ev- ery year where his fishing prowess has earned him championship titles on his home tidal water as well as on the other side of the country on lake okeechobee in Fla. and oneida lake in n.Y. With much of the pro’s season on hiatus during the winter months, Monroe finds an abundance of time to hit his two favorite bodies of water - the delta and Clear lake - as well as some of our northern Calif. lakes during the fall transition into the winter months. He shared with WesternBass readers what he likes to tie on to keep the bites coming during this time of year.
SPINNERS AND CRANKS
“out here, i like a spinnerbait and a crankbait as it starts to cool down,” said Monroe. “if there is a lot of grass, i will use a spinnerbait and if there is less grass then i will start with a crankbait.” Monroe likes these two baits so much, he designed his own - just the way he wanted them. The spinnerbait is his river2Sea Bling and the crankbait is his Biggie series also from river2Sea. “if there is a lure that is good and you like it,
but it can be made better, why not do it,” said Monroe. “That is what i did when i made mine.” His targets for crankbaits are areas that allow bumping off rocks, wood, pumps, poles and other structure. Color choices are a deep, dark red as it is a natural color for the crawdads as they transition from their red hue to their darker black color this time of year and also a shad pattern. The Biggie shade he prefers in red is known as Cold Blooded or delta Craw and in the shad shade it is i Know it. tools he uses for crankin’ are 10- to 12-lb Maxima fluorocarbon with a 7’2” daiwa Ballistic rod and a 6.3:1 daiwa Steez reel or a Zillion in the same gear ratio. He chooses the 6.3:1 as it allows him to speed up or slow down his retrieve with ease. “as it gets colder, you want to fish the crankbait a lot slower,” explained Monroe. “i’m going to use a fiberglass or composite rod for a better hook set. When i’m looking at close targets, i’ve got on mono and if i am deep crankin’, i’ve got on fluorocarbon.”
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