Chris Zaldain's Pattern, Baits & Gear
Chris Zaldain now has three finishes among the top 3 on the season. He spent this event focused on deep water (25 to 35 feet) and adjusted accordingly when his best area transitioned from a place where he could catch quality largemouths early in the day to one where big smallmouth bit after the sun got high in the sky. A swimbait attached to an underspin head was his most effective weapon, supplemented by a Neko-rigged stickbait. "I said from the get-go that I was going to have to put each day together as it unfolded," he said. "I didn't have one school that was really good; I had to visit several spots and those spots changed with the weather, but sticking with the offshore bite was a big key for me."
"Every time the alewives showed up, it was game on. White perch and yellow perch were feeding on the alewives and the bass, whether they were green or brown, were eating the perch. There'd be a whole food chain taking place and it was something I had to keep a close eye out for." He came within 2 pounds of claiming his first full-field Elite Series triumph. "I haven't given it away at any of the tournaments I've had a chance to win this year. It's just the someone's always caught them a little bit better."
Winning Gear:
Underspin gear: 7'4" Megabass Destroyer Brigand rod, unnamed 3000-size spinning reel, 15-pound Seaguar Smackdown braided line, 12-pound Seaguar Tatsu fluorocarbon leader, 1/2-ounce Santone Z-Spin head, 4.2" Megabass Hazedong Shad (moroko).
"The think I like about that head is it's got a longer arm than normal and it keeps the blade away from the belly of the swimbait," he said. "The largemouth and the smallmouth both ate it."
On day 4, when he brought only smallmouths to the weigh-in stage, he used a Megabass Spark Shad swimbait (lemon shad) on a 3/8-ounce ball-head jig. He threw that on a Megabass Destroyer Addermine rod with the same reel and line.
BassMaster Elite Tour Series Cayuga Lake 2-5 Pattern BassFan 8/30/19 (John Johnson)
