Fresh off of his 2024 Bass Pro Shops REDCREST win, Wired2fish gives viewers an in-depth look into Dustin Connell’s spotted bass-catching mind. The prespawn spotted bass bite is Connell’s favorite of the year. Stationed on the Coosa River, his approach targets current-influenced main lake shoals, where spots feed heavily before spawning. He discusses spotted bass location and his top bait rotation to keep the bite going for some of the biggest spotted bass in the country.
TACKLE USED (retail links)
SWIMBAIT SETUP
• SWIMBAIT - CrushCity The Mayor: Buy at Bass Pro Shops [ Ссылка ] | Buy at Tackle Warehouse [ Ссылка ]
• JIG - VMC Hybrid Swimbait Jig - Buy at Bass Pro Shops [ Ссылка ] | Buy at Tackle Warehouse [ Ссылка ]
• ROD - Favorite Hex Spinning Rod, 6'10'' Medium: Buy at Favorite [ Ссылка ] | Buy at Tackle Warehouse [ Ссылка ]
• REEL - Shimano Vanford Spinning Reel, 3000 size: Buy at Bass Pro Shops [ Ссылка ] | Buy at Tackle Warehouse [ Ссылка ]
• LINE (braided mainline) - Seaguar Smackdown Braided Line Flash Green, 15-pound: Buy at Bass Pro Shops [ Ссылка ] | Buy at Tackle Warehouse [ Ссылка ]
• LINE (fluoro leader) - Seaguar Gold Label Fluorocarbon Leader, 12-pound: Buy at Bass Pro Shops [ Ссылка ] | Buy at Tackle Warehouse [ Ссылка ]
SCROUNGER SETUP
• BAIT - Rapala CrushCity Freeloader, color - Gizzard Shad: Buy at Bass Pro Shops [ Ссылка ] | Buy at Tackle Warehouse [ Ссылка ]
• JIG - Luck-E-Strike Scrounger Jig Head, Long Bill - 1/4 oz 3/0: Buy at Tackle Warehouse [ Ссылка ]
• ROD - Favorite Pro Series Casting Rod, 7'3'' Heavy: Buy at Tackle Warehouse [ Ссылка ]
• REEL - Shimano Chronarch MGL Casting Reel, 7.1:1 Buy at Bass Pro Shops [ Ссылка ] | Buy at Tackle Warehouse [ Ссылка ]
• LINE - Seaguar INVIZX Fluorocarbon Fishing Line, 17-pound: Buy at Bass Pro Shops [ Ссылка ] | Buy at Tackle Warehouse [ Ссылка ]
JERKBAIT SETUP
• JERKBAIT - Rapala PXR Mavrik 110 Jerkbait, color - Pearl Sexy Shad: Buy at Bass Pro Shops [ Ссылка ] | Buy at Tackle Warehouse [ Ссылка ]
• ROD - Favorite Pro Series Casting Rod, 6'8'' Medium: Buy at Tackle Warehouse [ Ссылка ]
• REEL - Shimano Chronarch MGL Casting Reel, 7.1:1 Buy at Bass Pro Shops [ Ссылка ] | Buy at Tackle Warehouse [ Ссылка ]
• LINE - Seaguar INVIZX Fluorocarbon Fishing Line, 12-pound: Buy at Bass Pro Shops [ Ссылка ] | Buy at Tackle Warehouse [ Ссылка ]
• TREBLE HOOKS - VMC RedLine Series Finesse Treble Hooks, size - 5: Buy at Bass Pro Shops bassproshops.vzck.net/6bBYr3 | Buy at Tackle Warehouse [ Ссылка ]
Locating the right spots plays a crucial role in Connell's strategy. He looks for structural changes like main lake shoals adjacent to the river channel (current). While forward-facing sonar can be an indispensable tool, it factors less around shallow current areas. Connell uses nature's visual cues, such as bird activity, to zero in on feeding zones. His dynamic approach involves constantly reading the conditions and adjusting tactics to stay on top of the fish.
Connell prefers starting with a more aggressive presentation. His scrounger jig approach imparts a deadly rocking action onto his straight tail minnow, similar to the more manual shake and bake. A scrounger also excels in the current, slowing the bait in the strike zone. If he's fishing with a co-angler, he'll have finesse paddle tail swimbait in the rotation. Connell always makes a few casts with the tried and true jerk bait to trigger a few extra bites. As he notes, some fish are trained on feeding up, which is where the jerkbait excels.
BOAT SETUP & OTHER
• TROLLING MOTOR - Minn Kota Ultrex QUEST: Buy at Bass Pro Shops [ Ссылка ]
• FISH FINDER - Lowrance HDS PRO 12 Fish Finder/Chartplotter: Buy at Bass Pro Shops [ Ссылка ]
• FORWARD-FACING SONAR - Lowrance ActiveTarget 2 Live Sonar: Buy at Bass Pro Shops [ Ссылка ]
• BOAT - Triton 21 TRX: Check out at Triton Boats [ Ссылка ]
• MOTOR - Mercury Pro XS 250 hp: Check out at Mercury [ Ссылка ]
• SCALE - Rapala 15-lb. Touch Screen Scale Angler Model: Buy at Bass Pro Shops [ Ссылка ] | Buy at Tackle Warehouse [ Ссылка ]
#rapala24 #favorite24 #shimano24 #seaguar24 #basspro24 #minnKota24 #mercury24
► SUBSCRIBE for more AWESOME FISHING TIPS: [ Ссылка ]
FOLLOW US HERE:
► [ Ссылка ]
► [ Ссылка ]
► [ Ссылка ]
► [ Ссылка ]
