Takahiro Omori's Pattern, Baits & Gear
Takahiro Omori said he fished Jordan and Falls in a very similar manner, mostly flipping and pitching a Zoom Brush Hog or Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver or throwing a half-ounce spinnerbait. "I fished the buck brush, willow trees or any wood cover," he said. "Jordan had a lot more of it than falls because the water level was higher, but I stuck to woody stuff the whole time at both lakes. He caught all his fish in the Championship Round on a Z-Man ChatterBait with a Z-Man RaZor ShadZ trailer. "I had enough bites to win," he said. "I jumped off two good fish and missed like four or five more. I only caught two keepers in the first period, so I wasted a lot of that time. Losing or missing fish happens to everybody, but I didn't adjust fast enough." He started the day throwing a spinnerbait at pad stems in the back of a creek and pitching the Sweet Beaver to anything that protruded from the bottom. Neither tactic was productive.
He eventually determined that a lot of fish were spawning at the base of sawgrass clumps. Some of those were in wind-protected pockets, but the overcast conditions made it all but impossible to sight-fish, so he started paralleling the bank with the ChatterBait. He was in and out of 10 or more pockets and worked his way toward the top of the leaderboard in the second period, then remained within striking distance of the top position for the remainder of the day. "I never caught a giant - they were all 2- to 4-pounders," he said. "I never even had a 5-pounder hooked up." He said he's been wearing Glacier Gloves for a couple of years and they were a big benefit in this event, when he handled a large number of fish. He recommended that BassFans try them (or a similar product from one of various other manufacturers). "Even after catching so many fish in a week, my hands aren't beaten up by their teeth," he said. "Now I can't go without that glove."
Gear:
Vibrating jig gear: 7' medium-heavy Daiwa Tatula Elite Takahiro Omori Signature Series rod, Daiwa Zillion casting reel (9:1 ratio, sold only in Japan), 20-pound Sunline Shooter fluorocarbon line, 3/8-ounce Z-Man ChatterBait (white/chartreuse), Z-Man RaZor ShadZ trailer (pearl).
Flipping gear: Same rod (7'3" heavy-action) and reel, 56-pound Sunline FX2 braided line, 1/4- or 3/8-ounce tungsten weight, 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG Superline hook, Zoom Brush Hog or Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver (various colors).
