TW_Staff
01-19-2009, 11:44 AM
When talented anglers are placed on a legendary fishery like Falcon Lake, the results can be unforgettable. Despite starting the day in seventh place, 15 pounds behind the leader, Joe Setina completed an incredible comeback courtesy of a 38-pound, 14-ounce stringer.
Winning Pattern:
Setina worked the intersection of a creek channel and a road bed on the extreme south end of the lake near the dam. More specifically, it was the creek located on the Mexican side of the lake near the dam. At the intersection, the fish were holding tight to the bottom between 17 and 26 feet.
“Basically, I just looked for anything besides bushes when I got here. I wanted to fish the roads the bass would use as migratory routes to spawn.”
To catch his fish, Setina employed a 3/4-ounce Santone flipping jig and watermelon Sweet Beaver (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=RISB) trailer. Occasionally he would mix in a 10-inch Berkley Power Worm (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BPW10), but 80 percent of his fish came on the Beaver. He threw both baits on 25-pound Seaguar (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SIF) fluorocarbon.
“This is the best lake in the world, but I honestly did not think I had a chance at winning this morning. I just relaxed and went fishing, and I was lucky to get a few bigger bites. Not having any pressure made a world of difference.”
Winning Gear:
Jig gear: 7'5" heavy-action G. Loomis GLX (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GLJWF) or 7'11" extra-heavy Setyr rod, Shimano Calais (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SHCA) casting reel (6:1 ratio), 25-pound Seaguar (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SIF) fluorocarbon line, 3/4-ounce Santone jig (bullfrog or grasshopper), Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=RISB) trailer (watermelon).
Worm gear: Same rod, reel and line, 1/2-ounce Tru-Tungsten weight (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=TTCBW) (black), 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GOSWG) hook, 10" Berkley Power Worm (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BPW10) (blue fleck) or 11-inch NetBait T-Mac worm (Bama bug).
The Field:
Rick Cathey: "The whole tournament was all about the spinnerbait for me. These fish were holding tight to the bottom in approximately 20 feet. They were not moving and they were not eating. I worked the spinnerbait like I would a worm. When I felt a log, I would just pop it over, and then they would just absolutely clobber it.”
Charles Haralson: His primary area was located southeast of the Zapata County Boat Ramp on the American side of the lake. His key baits were a Big Bite Trick Stick and Swim Shad. He also mixed in a 1 1/8-ounce Joe Baby spinnerbait and a 5/8-ounce Oldham’s jig with Rage Craw (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKRCR) trailer.
Jerry Green: Green fished a prespawn area on the American side of the lake in Goose Bay. He slow-rolled a 1/2-ounce white spinnerbait on 50-pound braid in approximately 9 feet of water.
“If I went any shallower, I would get only small bucks. But at 9 feet the females were staging.”
Dan Schoonveld: He was able to locate a gravel-bottom creek channel that was being used by both prespawn and postspawn bass as a transition area. The area was approximately 20-by-20 yards, and the water was 26 feet deep. Each morning Schoonveld worked the area with Carolina-rigged Zoom Brush Hogs (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=ZBBH) and Hag’s Tornados, each in green-pumpkin color. Most of his bites came in 18 to 24 feet.
TW Staff
Winning Pattern:
Setina worked the intersection of a creek channel and a road bed on the extreme south end of the lake near the dam. More specifically, it was the creek located on the Mexican side of the lake near the dam. At the intersection, the fish were holding tight to the bottom between 17 and 26 feet.
“Basically, I just looked for anything besides bushes when I got here. I wanted to fish the roads the bass would use as migratory routes to spawn.”
To catch his fish, Setina employed a 3/4-ounce Santone flipping jig and watermelon Sweet Beaver (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=RISB) trailer. Occasionally he would mix in a 10-inch Berkley Power Worm (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BPW10), but 80 percent of his fish came on the Beaver. He threw both baits on 25-pound Seaguar (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SIF) fluorocarbon.
“This is the best lake in the world, but I honestly did not think I had a chance at winning this morning. I just relaxed and went fishing, and I was lucky to get a few bigger bites. Not having any pressure made a world of difference.”
Winning Gear:
Jig gear: 7'5" heavy-action G. Loomis GLX (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GLJWF) or 7'11" extra-heavy Setyr rod, Shimano Calais (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SHCA) casting reel (6:1 ratio), 25-pound Seaguar (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SIF) fluorocarbon line, 3/4-ounce Santone jig (bullfrog or grasshopper), Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=RISB) trailer (watermelon).
Worm gear: Same rod, reel and line, 1/2-ounce Tru-Tungsten weight (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=TTCBW) (black), 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GOSWG) hook, 10" Berkley Power Worm (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BPW10) (blue fleck) or 11-inch NetBait T-Mac worm (Bama bug).
The Field:
Rick Cathey: "The whole tournament was all about the spinnerbait for me. These fish were holding tight to the bottom in approximately 20 feet. They were not moving and they were not eating. I worked the spinnerbait like I would a worm. When I felt a log, I would just pop it over, and then they would just absolutely clobber it.”
Charles Haralson: His primary area was located southeast of the Zapata County Boat Ramp on the American side of the lake. His key baits were a Big Bite Trick Stick and Swim Shad. He also mixed in a 1 1/8-ounce Joe Baby spinnerbait and a 5/8-ounce Oldham’s jig with Rage Craw (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKRCR) trailer.
Jerry Green: Green fished a prespawn area on the American side of the lake in Goose Bay. He slow-rolled a 1/2-ounce white spinnerbait on 50-pound braid in approximately 9 feet of water.
“If I went any shallower, I would get only small bucks. But at 9 feet the females were staging.”
Dan Schoonveld: He was able to locate a gravel-bottom creek channel that was being used by both prespawn and postspawn bass as a transition area. The area was approximately 20-by-20 yards, and the water was 26 feet deep. Each morning Schoonveld worked the area with Carolina-rigged Zoom Brush Hogs (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=ZBBH) and Hag’s Tornados, each in green-pumpkin color. Most of his bites came in 18 to 24 feet.
TW Staff