T
hose of us that follow the tournament
scene are aware of tournament recaps
featuring SoCal pro Brent Ehrler crediting
a specific favorite topwater for many years now.
You may recall this walking bait as part of a
winning pattern from his FLW Tour win on Lake
Ouachita in 2010 or his reference to not having
this specific topwater lure on the boat as part
of his “rookie mistake” blog last year, during
his freshman season on the Bassmaster Elite
Series.
Most recently, Ehrler could be heard
reporting on this same surface bait as an
update to his finish at the 2016 Toyota Texas
Bass Classic (TTBC), where he competed as the
defending champion.
His many years of experience with the lure and his
notable angling success sparked the discussion –
Anyone can fish a Gunfish, but not like Ehrler; so
what does he do, that others don’t?
Here, Ehrler shared what he knows about his
favorite summertime topwater option – the Lucky
Craft Gunfish 115.
THE LURE:
LGUUCNKFYISCHR1A15FT
This lure has a different sound and a different action on the surface, because of the cupped- nose. When it’s walking, the nose catches and spits water, making a lot of commotion on the surface.
It can draw fish from quite a distance, depending on water clarity. In the U.S. Open on Lake Mead, I’ve watched them run 40- to 50-ft from the side to come and get it; so I am assuming that I can throw this bait over 20- ft of water and have
( S P U h M ot M o: E T R om 20 L 16 eogrande)
no problem attracting one off of the bottom to come up and eat it.
COLORS:
I like Ghost Minnow if the water is really clear. If
the water is stained, I will go
with a Chartreuse Minnow or
something that has a lot of
reflection (a flashier side to it) like
Aurora Black.
MODS:
I always change the hooks to a Gamakatsu Round Bend treble.
CONDIITONS:
A summer
topwater bite always seems
best in the morning and the
evening. For tournament fishing,
there is usually an early morning window where the fish will eat a topwater, Once in a while, you will get them to bite it all day.
This is a warm water bait, so
I am looking to fish it when
there is warmer weather.
I fish it from late
spring, through
summer to early
fall. There isn’t
47