Chris Lane cut his bass fishing in the big-fish mecca that is central Florida. Lakes Kissimmee, Toho, Okeechobee, Istokpoga and others conjure up thoughts of hefty stringers. Since he moved to Guntersville, Ala., full time to guide and further hone his skills, Lane has become a more well-rounded angler, evidenced by his Bassmaster Classic win in 2012. We asked Lane to detail his five favorite big bass techniques.
5. Deep cranking.
Lane isn’t alone when he says that deep-diving crankbaits seem to get the bigger fish in a school to bite first. “The new Luck “E” Strike Freak is my go-to because it’ll get down in the 18- to 20-foot range and get those heavy bass to eat, especially when they’re piled up along ledges.”
4. Big soft plastics
“Big worms are big fish baits because they appeal to the biggest bass in an area. I’m talking 10 inches and larger. I like to use these in summertime when the bass are deep and looking for one big meal.”
3. Topwater
Lane has been tweaking a prototype topwater walking bait from Luck “E” Strike that will be labeled under his Fast Lane name along with the Tube and others. “It’s a big walking bait, and when the shad are spawning, there’s a tendency for those bigger bass to go after a walking bait because it looks like the biggest shad. They’re best around bluff walls.”
2. Topwater frog
“In the fall, you get those big giant mats and the bass under them are under there to feed up before the winter, and a frog shimmying along on the top is an easy-looking meal for those big fish,” he says. “Snag Proof’s frogs are all great for this because they have some of the strongest hooks there are and they won’t bend, no matter how big the fish is and how thick the mat may be. Plus, the bodies are soft and you get a hook in the fish almost every time."
1. Flipping matted grass
Flipping matted grass is Lane’s go-to for plus-size bass. “When you get that bite in a mat, it is the most crazy, exciting and intense feeling that you get. You never know what’s on the other end. They hit it so hard that you almost don’t know what to do,” he says. “Those big bass live under there because there’s shad, bream and other fish under there, so they have everything that they want.” Once again, Lane has been fine-tuning a prototype Luck “E” Strike Fast Lane flipping creature bait which he hand-designed to slip into the thickest mats.
_0.jpg)
