ORANGE, Texas — The first Elite Series tournament of the year is right around the corner, and to say I’m excited to get the year started is an understatement!
It’s been a long, cold winter, and I can’t wait to start fishing in a warmer climate for a change. Looking at the weather in Orange, Texas, I expect there to be fish in all stages of the spawn when we arrive.
Nonetheless, the biggest key on a place like the Sabine River is finding a place where they live. If you look at the Sabine River on Google Earth, which I’ve been doing a lot lately, it looks more like a maze than a river system, with more twists and turns than any place I’ve ever been. I always look forward to going to places like that, though, because I feel like one of my strengths as an angler is breaking down new water fairly quickly. Being able to determine if a place has potential in a timely manner is key in a 2 1/2-day practice period.
If I had to choose one bait that I think will really shine at the Sabine, it would be a square bill crankbait. The fishing world has seen the effectiveness of square bills the last few years and for good reason — because they simply catch fish. Their ability to come through thick cover and the fact that you can cover a ton of water in a day’s fishing are two of the main reasons I think this bait will be a key player in this tournament. The Sabine River is a shallow fishery with about every type of cover you could think of, whether it’s grass, logs, stumps or laydowns. Whatever it may be, the square bill is an effective way to fish it all.
There are tons of different square bills on the market these days, and they will all catch fish at times. Some are plastic and some are wood, and they all have their place. I usually find myself throwing the Strike King 1.5 or 2.5, but I also throw a couple different Lucky Craft square bills. I have a few wooden baits that I throw in certain situations, such as when the fish are really pressured.
As far as colors go, I like to keep it simple. I throw shad colors in clear water, and in stained water, I usually throw a brighter color, like chartreuse and black. A red color of some sort is also good in the spring.
My square bill rod is an MHX-CB845. This rod has a good parabolic action and is 7 feet in length so I can make precise casts up close or long casts if the need arises. It is important to use a rod that has flex in the tip so the fish can get the bait, but also enough backbone to get them away from cover once they are hooked up.
I always change my hooks out often on square bills as they are constantly beating or banging off cover. My choice is Mustad KVD Round Bend trebles because they stay sharper longer than other hooks from my testing.
I go with Vicious 15- to 17-pound fluorocarbon for the line.
I’m counting on a square bill helping me find where they live on the Sabine to start the year off with a good finish. I know at the very least it will be warm in Texas and the food down there will be good, so I couldn’t be more ready!