3rd Place - Jesse Wiggins' Pattern, Baits & Gear
Jesse Wiggins' weights trended in a positive direction for three consecutive days. That wouldn't have been the case if he'd landed his two biggest bites on day 2. "Those were the only two fish I lost all week," he said. "I still wouldn't have had enough to win, but that cost me 4 pounds. He started out throwing a Jackall Bling 55 square-bill in practice. He hooked a broken line that had custom-pained flat-sided plug attached to it and, figuring the angler who lost it probably knew what he was doing on the venue, he began fishing it.
He eventually surrendered that bait to the lake, just as the previous owner had, but was able to find two just like it at a local tackle shop and managed to keep those throughout the event. He also employed a Strike King KVD 1.5 for its propensity to come through laydowns. He focused on laydowns on flatter banks and little rough spots on points. The vast majority of his fish came from the 5- to 7-foot depth range. "I had two whole creeks that weren't getting much pressure Ð I only saw one or two other boats the whole time. I'd go through the both twice every day. I hit some other places too, but those two were where I caught them all."
Gear:
Cranking gear: 6'10" medium-heavy St. Croix Legend glass composite rod, unnamed casting reel (6.4:1 ratio), 12-pound Seaguar AbrazX fluorocarbon line, custom-painted square-bill crankbait (reddish with some green mixed in) or Strike King KVD 1.5 (red craw).
