Day-1 leader Bernie Schultz is off to a strong start and after catching his third plump keeper — as estimated 4 3/4-pound smallmouth — the veteran Elite from Gainesville, Fla. shared a glimpse into his rigging strategy.
Summarily, he’s fishing a 3-inch green pumpkin/watermelon laminate Yamamoto Senko on a VMC Ned style jig — but it’s not the actual 3-inch Senko.
“I’m using a 4-inch Senko and I’m cutting an inch off,” Schultz explained. “The 4-inch Senko is fatter and those big fish seem to like that.”
Small details can yield big results, as Schultz is quickly demonstrating today.