Features







 

Books

 

Fun & Games

Trivia Games

 

Contact Us


 

 

 

John's Journal... Entry 37 - Day 3

click to enlargeKen Cook's Top Five Lure Picks

EDITOR'S NOTE: Ken Cook of Meers, Oklahoma, a fisheries biologist and one of the most consistent pros on the bass-fishing circuits, has studied bass intensively. In any bass-fishing contest or tournament, you can bet on Cook to finish in the money. Today Ken Cook chooses his favorite lures.

1/2-Ounce Hart Throb Spinnerbait

"When I consider picking a lure for my top-five bass baits, I'll select one that gives me the most options for fishing anywhere in the country, at any time of the year and under any water and weather conditions," Cook said. "The 1/2-ounce Hart Throb spinnerbait gives me those options. "I like the single, gold, willow-leaf blade with some kind of shaky skirt. I prefer to fish the spinnerbait because I can fish it in a wide variety of weather conditions and water colors on virtually any type of structure. The spinnerbait resembles a baitfish, the natural food of the bass. The gold blade gives off plenty of flash that attracts the bass. This 1/2-ounce spinnerbait is a medium-size lure -- not too big and not too small for any bass that may want to take it."

Crawfish-Colored Wiggler Wart

click to enlarge"The second lure I'll put in your brown paper bag, if I only can pick five lures, is the crawfish-colored Wiggle Wart. This crankbait is extremely effective in depths from 1 or 10 feet. I believe if I only have five lures to fish that one of those lures must be a crankbait. I've found that most bass are caught in the 1- to 10-foot depth range or at least that's the depth I fish most often. I've selected this crankbait over all other crankbaits because this lure has a wide wobble, and you can fish it slowly. A slow-moving, wide-wobble crankbait will catch bass at any time of the year; however, it is particularly good for fishing in cold water."

Berkley Flat Head Tube Jig

"The Berkley Fat Head Tube jig is my third bait selection. I like this tube bait because it's different-looking and doesn't resemble any other tube bait on the market. The tube bait is also a very versatile bass lure with a wide variety of applications. I usually rig the tube Texas style with a heavy sinker and fish it through thick cover. With a heavy sinker, the tube can punch through heavy grass on the surface or other dense type cover and then fall vertically into the bass's strike zone. But I also use this same tube bait with a very light sinker when I fish around bedding areas. If I'm fishing in extremely clear water with little cover for deep bass, I'll fish the tube bait with an open hook on spinning tackle."

Storm Suspending Thunder Stick

"I can't go to a lake at any time of the year without a jerkbait, which is one of the best year-round lures I know and is extremely deadly in clear water when you fish for suspended fish in the spring of the year. I like a Storm Suspending Thunder Stick to fish when the bass aren't biting actively. If I can find the bass suspended on some type of cover, I can work the Thunder Stick down to where the bass are holding, twitch it and jerk it until it is within the fish's strike zone and then allow it to sit dead in the water right in front of the bass's face. Even if a bass isn't hungry, it can't pass up a meal that it won't have to move to get or expend much energy to chase. A suspend bait like the Thunder Stick gets a reaction strike or a feeding response, even when the bass aren't really hungry."

3/8-Ounce Hart Jig with Berkley Power Craw Trailer

"Now making my last choice will be difficult, since I'm torn between a jig and a plastic worm. I guess I'll have to pick the jig over the worm, but I'll double up on the bait. I like the 3/8-ounce Hart jig with a Berkley Power Craw as a trailer. I'll choose either black, blue or chartreuse as my jig colors and a crawfish-colored trailer. I'll flip this jig in very heavy cover when I'm trying to catch a really big bass to finish out a limit."

10-Inch Plastic Worms

click to enlarge"If I only can have five lures in your brown paper sack, I'll have to put a handful of 10-inch plastic worms in my pocket. I can't leave the dock without this big-fish bait that is especially effective in the summertime. Although I don't consider the 10-inch worm as productive as the jig for fishing all year, I certainly don't want to go bass fishing in the summertime without that big worm."

To learn more about bass fishing in central Alabama, the site of several BASS Masters Classics, go to Night Hawk's home page, and click on fishing books. You'll find John E. Phillips' Bass Fishing Central Alabama book full of information on how to fish each of the lakes in every season, including the most-productive lures to fish and where to fish.

Tomorrow: Gary Klein and Stanley Mitchell make their top picks

 

 

Check back each day this week for more about Six Top $ Pros Choose Their Favorite Five Lures ...

Day 1 -Larry Nixon's First Lure Picks
Day 2 -More of Larry Nixon's Favorite Lure Selections
Day 3 -Ken Cook's Top Five Lure Picks
Day 4 -Gary Klein and Stanley Mitchell Make Their Top Picks
Day 5 -Denny Brauer and Davy Hite Select Their Favorite Lures

 

John's Journal