Top lures at Cherokee Lake

Posted on
The 2017 Bassmaster Elite Series season began earlier than years past with Cherokee Lake at the starting line. Below freezing temperatures on Day 1 gave way to highs in the upper 60s by Championship Sunday. As layers of clothing came off, the pros dialed up their electronics and went video game fishing. <p> <em>All captions: Craig Lamb</em>
Photo: Garrick Dixon - The 2017 Bassmaster Elite Series season began earlier than years past with Cherokee Lake at the starting line. Below freezing temperatures on Day 1 gave way to highs in the upper 60s by Championship Sunday. As layers of clothing came off, the pros dialed up their electronics and went video game fishing. All captions: Craig Lamb
“I could see every fish I caught,” was a reoccurring comment. The smallmouth were in wintertime mode. At Cherokee that meant finding fish holding tight to rock. Find a smallmouth, drop a lure in its face and set the hook. Here are the lures used by the Top 12.
Photo: Thomas Allen - “I could see every fish I caught,” was a reoccurring comment. The smallmouth were in wintertime mode. At Cherokee that meant finding fish holding tight to rock. Find a smallmouth, drop a lure in its face and set the hook. Here are the lures used by the Top 12.
<b>Brandon Palaniuk</b><br> The 12th place finisher relied on a trio of baits. Palaniuk began the day fishing a homemade 3/4-ounce tailspin with a No. 4 Colorado blade. “I slow-rolled it off the bottom in 37 feet of water.” Later in the day he cranked channel swings or rock piles in the backs of shallow spawning flats. A Rapala DT Flat 7 (Ike’s Demon) and Storm Wiggle Wart (Phantom Brown Orange Craw) were the choices.
Photo: Darren Jacobson - Brandon Palaniuk The 12th place finisher relied on a trio of baits. Palaniuk began the day fishing a homemade 3/4-ounce tailspin with a No. 4 Colorado blade. “I slow-rolled it off the bottom in 37 feet of water.” Later in the day he cranked channel swings or rock piles in the backs of shallow spawning flats. A Rapala DT Flat 7 (Ike’s Demon) and Storm Wiggle Wart (Phantom Brown Orange Craw) were the choices.
<b>Michael Iaconelli</b><br> The 11th place finisher targeted largemouth early in the week until the bite went cold. Iaconelli then switched to smallmouth using a 3-inch Berkley Gulp! Minnow, Watermelon Pearl. He rigged it to a No. 1 VMC Spinshot Drop Shot Hook and a 3/8-ounce VMC Ike Tungsten Drop Shot Weight. “I wanted to get straight to the fish so I used the heavier weight.” Alternatively, he used a 3-inch PowerBait Minnow with the same hook and weight.
Photo: Darren Jacobson - Michael Iaconelli The 11th place finisher targeted largemouth early in the week until the bite went cold. Iaconelli then switched to smallmouth using a 3-inch Berkley Gulp! Minnow, Watermelon Pearl. He rigged it to a No. 1 VMC Spinshot Drop Shot Hook and a 3/8-ounce VMC Ike Tungsten Drop Shot Weight. “I wanted to get straight to the fish so I used the heavier weight.” Alternatively, he used a 3-inch PowerBait Minnow with the same hook and weight.
<b>Ott DeFoe</b><br> The 10th place finisher caught most of his smallmouth using a 3/8-ounce VMC Neon Moon Eye jig with an unnamed white plastic fluke-style trailer. “I was fishing vertically with the jig and switched to a crankbait for largemouth,” said DeFoe. That choice was a Rapala DT 6 in Old School pattern.
Photo: Darren Jacobson - Ott DeFoe The 10th place finisher caught most of his smallmouth using a 3/8-ounce VMC Neon Moon Eye jig with an unnamed white plastic fluke-style trailer. “I was fishing vertically with the jig and switched to a crankbait for largemouth,” said DeFoe. That choice was a Rapala DT 6 in Old School pattern.
<b>Matt Herren</b><br> The ninth place finisher went video game fishing for smallmouth with this Damiki Rig. Herren was among the majority of the pros using the jig and fluke-style lure typically used here for wintertime smallmouth fishing. His choice was a 3/8-ounce counterbalanced jig head using a homemade soft plastic fluke. “I caught every fish on it by fishing vertically in 35 to 40 feet of water,” said Herren.
Photo: Darren Jacobson - Matt Herren The ninth place finisher went video game fishing for smallmouth with this Damiki Rig. Herren was among the majority of the pros using the jig and fluke-style lure typically used here for wintertime smallmouth fishing. His choice was a 3/8-ounce counterbalanced jig head using a homemade soft plastic fluke. “I caught every fish on it by fishing vertically in 35 to 40 feet of water,” said Herren.
<b>Randall Tharp</b><br> The eighth place finisher targeted largemouth and smallmouth using a duo of reaction and finesse baits. For fishing isolated boulders scattered along points he used this Rapala DT6 Crawfish pattern. For slower presentations he used a 1/4-ounce 4X4 Randall Tharp Signature Series Jig, Golden Craw pattern, with matching Zoom Big Salty Chunk trailer. “I fished the jig at 4 feet or less and the crankbait from 4 to 7 feet,” said Tharp.
Photo: Darren Jacobson - Randall Tharp The eighth place finisher targeted largemouth and smallmouth using a duo of reaction and finesse baits. For fishing isolated boulders scattered along points he used this Rapala DT6 Crawfish pattern. For slower presentations he used a 1/4-ounce 4X4 Randall Tharp Signature Series Jig, Golden Craw pattern, with matching Zoom Big Salty Chunk trailer. “I fished the jig at 4 feet or less and the crankbait from 4 to 7 feet,” said Tharp.
<b>David Mullins</b><br> The seventh place finisher chose baits of his own design to catch smallmouth. Mullins used hand-poured 3/8-ounce screw lock jig heads for each rig. From the bottom up, you see an unnamed fluke-style bait, and then a duo of 3-inch swimbaits made for him by Scottsboro Tackle Co. The middle bait is chartreuse and at top is his favorite, the Mullins Madness pattern. Mullins video game fished for smallmouth using a vertical presentation.
Photo: Darren Jacobson - David Mullins The seventh place finisher chose baits of his own design to catch smallmouth. Mullins used hand-poured 3/8-ounce screw lock jig heads for each rig. From the bottom up, you see an unnamed fluke-style bait, and then a duo of 3-inch swimbaits made for him by Scottsboro Tackle Co. The middle bait is chartreuse and at top is his favorite, the Mullins Madness pattern. Mullins video game fished for smallmouth using a vertical presentation.
<b>Josh Bertrand</b><br> The sixth place finisher used a combo of reaction and finesse baits for smallmouth. At top is a 3-inch Berkley Gulp! Minnow, Smelt, rigged to a 3/8-ounce jig head. To speed it up Bertrand used a 1/2-ounce blade bait. “Color was a big deal all week, with the changing weather,” he said. “For sunny skies I used this chrome pattern, or white with chartreuse back for cloudy conditions.”
Photo: Darren Jacobson - Josh Bertrand The sixth place finisher used a combo of reaction and finesse baits for smallmouth. At top is a 3-inch Berkley Gulp! Minnow, Smelt, rigged to a 3/8-ounce jig head. To speed it up Bertrand used a 1/2-ounce blade bait. “Color was a big deal all week, with the changing weather,” he said. “For sunny skies I used this chrome pattern, or white with chartreuse back for cloudy conditions.”
<b>Paul Mueller</b><br> The fifth place finisher used homemade jig heads from Do-It Molds for his baits. At top is a 5/8-ounce Do-It Herring Head Jig with white willowleaf blade and 3.25-inch Reins Fat Rockvibe Shad, Gizzard Shad. Alternatively, Mueller used a 3/8-ounce Round Head Jig with a 3.25-inch Reins Bubbling Shaker Worm, Bluegill.
Photo: Darren Jacobson - Paul Mueller The fifth place finisher used homemade jig heads from Do-It Molds for his baits. At top is a 5/8-ounce Do-It Herring Head Jig with white willowleaf blade and 3.25-inch Reins Fat Rockvibe Shad, Gizzard Shad. Alternatively, Mueller used a 3/8-ounce Round Head Jig with a 3.25-inch Reins Bubbling Shaker Worm, Bluegill.
<b>Seth Feider</b><br> The fourth place finisher brought his video game smallmouth fishing from Minnesota to east Tennessee using a simple approach. At top is a 3/8-ounce VMC Neon Moon Eye Jig with a 3-inch soft plastic minnow. At bottom is a 2.25-inch Rapala Flat Jig, an obscure but productive choice with its responsive, long-gliding action.
Photo: Darren Jacobson - Seth Feider The fourth place finisher brought his video game smallmouth fishing from Minnesota to east Tennessee using a simple approach. At top is a 3/8-ounce VMC Neon Moon Eye Jig with a 3-inch soft plastic minnow. At bottom is a 2.25-inch Rapala Flat Jig, an obscure but productive choice with its responsive, long-gliding action.
<b>Jesse Wiggins</b><br> Wiggins focused on the same area, a flooded pond, using these fluke-style lures rigged to 3/8-ounce tungsten ball head jigs. At top is a 5.25-inch Zoom Super Fluke, Blue Pearl Silver, and below is a 2-inch Jenko Fishing Big T Fry Baby, Dirty Milk pattern. “It’s a crappie bait and a good choice with the smallmouth being so color picky,” said Wiggins. At bottom is a Damiki Armor Shad.
Photo: Darren Jacobson - Jesse Wiggins Wiggins focused on the same area, a flooded pond, using these fluke-style lures rigged to 3/8-ounce tungsten ball head jigs. At top is a 5.25-inch Zoom Super Fluke, Blue Pearl Silver, and below is a 2-inch Jenko Fishing Big T Fry Baby, Dirty Milk pattern. “It’s a crappie bait and a good choice with the smallmouth being so color picky,” said Wiggins. At bottom is a Damiki Armor Shad.
<b>Jamie Hartman</b><br> Hartman spent considerable time scouting the lake in December. As a result, he returned with custom-made 3/8-ounce jig heads, which circle on the fall and hold the bait horizontally when it's stopped.
Photo: Darren Jacobson - Jamie Hartman Hartman spent considerable time scouting the lake in December. As a result, he returned with custom-made 3/8-ounce jig heads, which circle on the fall and hold the bait horizontally when it's stopped.
Color was a big deal. “I figured out that certain fish, at certain depths, wanted specific colors,” said Hartman. “If a fish swam up to the bait and didn’t eat then I’d wind in, grab another rod, drop the bait and catch it.” A 3-inch Damiki Armor Shad in Pearl White, Pro Purple and Watermelon Black were the color choices.
Photo: Darren Jacobson - Color was a big deal. “I figured out that certain fish, at certain depths, wanted specific colors,” said Hartman. “If a fish swam up to the bait and didn’t eat then I’d wind in, grab another rod, drop the bait and catch it.” A 3-inch Damiki Armor Shad in Pearl White, Pro Purple and Watermelon Black were the color choices.
<b>Jacob Wheeler</b><br> Wheeler was king of the video game fishermen on Cherokee Lake. He used vertical and horizontal presentations with separate lures to cover his chosen strike zone between 20 and 30 feet. For both baits he used a 3/8-ounce VMC Neon Moon Eye Jig. At right is a 3-inch white soft plastic jerkbait. In his other hand is a Storm 360 GT Swimbait, Herring pattern.
Photo: Darren Jacobson - Jacob Wheeler Wheeler was king of the video game fishermen on Cherokee Lake. He used vertical and horizontal presentations with separate lures to cover his chosen strike zone between 20 and 30 feet. For both baits he used a 3/8-ounce VMC Neon Moon Eye Jig. At right is a 3-inch white soft plastic jerkbait. In his other hand is a Storm 360 GT Swimbait, Herring pattern.
“If I couldn’t get them on the vertical bite then I’d back off and cast to them,” said Wheeler. “That way I could cast out and work the swimbait through the school.” The jig head action was another key. “It had way more wobble and side-to-side shimmy than what a lot of other guys used.”
Photo: Thomas Allen - “If I couldn’t get them on the vertical bite then I’d back off and cast to them,” said Wheeler. “That way I could cast out and work the swimbait through the school.” The jig head action was another key. “It had way more wobble and side-to-side shimmy than what a lot of other guys used.”