Jacob Powroznik Wins BASS Lake MIchigan Bay de Noc
Jacob Powroznik's Winning Pattern, Baits & Gear
Swimbait gear: 7' medium-heavy unnamed casting rod, unnamed casting reel (7:1 gear ratio), 12-pound unnamed fluorocarbon line, 1/2-oz. unnamed swimbait jig head, 3.8" Keitech Swing Impact (shad color), 5" Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper (sungill).
Tube gear: Same rod, same reel, same line, 3.5" unnamed tube (green-pumpkin and hot mustard).
Drop shot gear: 7' medium-action spinning rod, unnamed spinning reel, 6-pound unnamed fluorocarbon line, #1 unnamed drop shot hook, various worms (green-pumpkin), 1/2-oz. Elite Tungsten drop shot weight.
Main factor: "Not going very far. Everybody had Big Bay on their mind. I stayed in Little Bay. I didn't have to catch one so it didn't matter, but I still like to win. It was one of those deals where it worked out, but you wish it would've been for 100 grand."
Performance edge: "The first day it was pretty slick, but I had those Power-Pole Drift Paddles put on and those things worked great for slowing you down. That was a big key on Monday. Also, my hat's off to Ranger and Mercury. One of my switches got wet over the weekend and the trim shorted out and they were there at 6 a.m. Monday and got it fixed for me. My Lowrance electronics are the baddest electronics ever made. When you see a smallmouth on a Lowrance you know it's a smallmouth. They've got something figured out in that deal for smallmouth stuff. You can watch your drop shot all the way to the bottom and as soon as I broke off that edge and saw them there I knew it was game on."
Lake Michigan 1-5 Patterns Bassfan 9/25/14 (Todd Ceisner)
Skeet Reese's Pattern, Baits & Gear
Spinnerbait gear: 7'2" medium-action Wright & McGill Skeet Victory Pro Carbon casting rod, Wright & McGill Skeet Victory Pro Carbon casting reel (7.9:1 gear ratio), 50-pound SpiderWire Ultracast braided line, 3/4-oz. Lucky Craft SKT spinnerbait (chartreuse shad).
ChatterBait gear: Same rod, same reel (6.4:1 gear ratio), 30-pound SpiderWire Ultracast braided line, 1/2-oz. Z-Man ChatterBait (green-pumpkin), 4.5" Berkley PowerBait Rib Shad (green-pumpkin watermelon).
Main factor: "The decision to just fish Little Bay. That was the place to be definitely."
Performance edge: "Where I caught them the first day and where I caught that 5-pounder on day 2, I had gone through and pinpointed little isolated rock piles that were the size of the front deck. I could see them with my Lowrance electronics. I was on a giant flat so if I hadn't spent time out there and found those rock piles with my Lowrance I wouldn't have been able to go back to those waypoints. You'd just be out there aimlessly casting trying to find them. That just made me that much more efficient."
Lake Michigan 1-5 Patterns Bassfan 9/25/14 (Todd Ceisner)
Mark Davis' Pattern, Baits & Gear
Tube gear: 7' medium-heavy Lew's Custom Speed Stick casting rod, Team Lew's Lite Speed Spool LFS casting reel (6.8:1 gear ratio), 17-pound Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon line, 1/4-oz. Strike King Tour Grade tungsten worm weight, 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG offset worm hook, Strike King Coffee Tube (green-pumpkin).
Main factor: "Locating those fish and having the confidence to stay on them. The area I caught the majority of these fish on day 2 I never caught one there on Thursday. I saw them in practice and knew the potential was there."
Performance edge: "I really like the new Lew's custom rods. I just got those rods and used them the last practice day. They were perfect for what I was doing this week."
Lake Michigan 1-5 Patterns Bassfan 9/25/14 (Todd Ceisner)
Brian Snowden's Pattern, Baits & Gear
Swimbait gear: 7'1" medium-heavy St. Croix Legend Tournament casting rod, Johnny Morris Signature Series casting reel (6.4:1 gear ratio), 14-pound XPS fluorocarbon line, 1/4- or 5/16-oz. homemade round ball swimbait jig (4/0 hook), 3.8" Speed Shad (green-pumpkin shiner).
Main factor: "On the last day of practice when the wind changed out of the southwest and I started catching them on the swimbait. I've done it several other places with the exact same setup. Once you figure out the right depth you can start catching quality fish on it."
Performance edge: "The biggest thing was my Lowrance electronics. Being able to find that bait and the key subtle points, that seemed to be the key for me."
Lake Michigan 1-5 Patterns Bassfan 9/25/14 (Todd Ceisner)
Andy Montgomery's Pattern, Baits & Gear
Spinnerbait gear: 7'6" heavy-action Daiwa Tatula casting rod, Daiwa Tatula casting reel (7.3:1 gear ratio), 15-pound Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon line, 1/2-oz. Strike King Tour Grade Painted Blade spinnerbait (chartreuse sexy shad).
Tube gear: 7'1" medium-heavy Daiwa Tatula casting rod, same reel, same line, 5/16-oz. Strike King tube jig head, 3.5" Strike King Coffee Tube (magic goby). He also had a 7'1" medium-action Daiwa Steez spinning rod paired with a Daiwa Ballistic spinning reel spooled with 8-pound InvizX for throwing tubes.
Dropshot gear: 7'1" medium-action Daiwa Steez spinning rod, Daiwa Ballistic spinning reel, 8-pound Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon line, 1/0 Gamakatsu split shot/dropshot hook, 3" Strike King KVD Perfect Plastic Baby Rodent (green-pumpkin and double header).
Main factor: "It was probably the area I was fishing and having it to myself on day 2."
Performance edge: "With my Ranger Z520 and Mercury 250, I had no worries out there. Your boat and motor are so key at this place. Also, I had those Power-Pole Drift Paddles put on this weekend and they came in handy with all the wind. It slowed the boat down nearly 1 mile an hour while drifting and that was pretty impressive."
Lake Michigan 1-5 Patterns Bassfan 9/25/14 (Todd Ceisner)