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Winter 2024
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field is full of up-and-comers, local hammers and anglers from other circuits trying to make it to the Classic or the Elites, but also because of the size of the fields. With two hundred or so anglers in each event, plus a slate of co-anglers, even the larger venues fish small.
“Opens guys are on top of each other 24-7,” he said. “Every cove I idled into at Lake of the Ozarks there’d be a guy right where I wanted to be. I had to divide my water into Tier A – that’s the juice – as well as Tier B and Tier C spots. In most of my top 25 finishes I’ve had two areas, one from Tier A and one from Tier B.
That’s what makes someone like Kenta (Kimura) so dangerous – he’s good at catching fish in places where other guys don’t think to go. Everyone catch cast and reel in a fish, the key is learning to work a bait so you get more bites than anyone else.”
BACK TO THE FUTURE
Patrick uses forward-facing sonar because
he believes that his adeptness with technology
helps him to remain competitive at the highest
levels of the sport. He also recognizes that
there is some controversy around the use and
While the jig isn’t typically considered a novel or cutting
ubiquitousness of the gear – ultimately, he does what he
edge product, he also noted that “it shows up extremely
needs to do, within the rules, to have a shot at winning
well” on his electronics. The combination of a tungsten
or grabbing a check. Oddly enough, however, the biggest
head, a big skirt, and a Missile Baits Chunky D trailer make
takeaway is not that he needs some space-aged lures to be it a valuable tool for dialing in the beam of your electronics.
at his best, but rather that the age-old rubber-skirted jig is a It doesn’t hurt that it’s also a big fish magnet. In fact, one
critical tool.
of his first realizations of how much drawing power it
“I’ve learned that the jig will be a top tier bait for every
has came on a Virginia lake where he caught an atypical
tournament for the rest of time,” he said. “Well, maybe not
8-pounder in 35-feet of water. The fish was only 3-feet
some smallmouth tournaments, but other than that, it’s so
under the surface but followed it all the way to the bottom
versatile because it can imitate so many different things.
before engulfing the jig. He watched the whole thing unfold.
If they’re eating it on the bottom, my assumption is that it
“I throw a jig almost like a Damiki Rig,” he explained.
represents a crawfish, If they’re eating it on the fall, it might “I’ll fish it like Kyoya Fujita does – tap, tap, tap, tap. It’s all
seem like a bluegill.”
about experimenting, that’s what fishing is. In the first hour
of every tournament, even if I’m on a
dynamite spot, I’m still figuring things
out.”
At Lake of the Ozarks, he had four
3/4-ounce jigs on the deck – two black
and blue with a green pumpkin trailer,
and two green pumpkin with a black and
blue trailer. The Chunky D produced most
of his fish, but he also used an oversized
craw trailer at times to slow down the
fall. He could’ve just moved down to a
1/2-ounce jig, but he felt that the heavier
model with a bulky trailer allowed him to
feel the bottom and cover better.
Ultimately, no matter how much an
angler looks forward, there’s no escaping
the past and 26 year old Kyle Patrick
recognizes that his best chances for
Photo: B.A.S.S.
success in the future involve one eye looking in each direction. •