Robbie Dobson's Pattern, Baits & Gear

Robbie Dodson averaged 18 pounds a day by swimming a jig around flooded cover. "In practice, I spent the first 2 days out deep and caught hardly any fish and had no pattern going," he said. "On the last day, I went to the back of a creek down by the dam and got six or seven bites flipping willows." He started the event in the same creek, working his jig around newly-flooded buck brush and logs to catch 19-09 that had him in 8th place. He worked his way up to 2nd on day 2 with an 18-05 sack, but slipped backward on day 3 following a 15-04 effort. Another 19-pound stringer on the final day allowed him to match his career-best finish in a Tour event. "I caught some fish on the front edge (of the cover) and some of the sides," he said. "The last 2 days, they'd come out and get it. The lake fished a little different from the normal Grand because it was so dirty."

Flipping gear: 7'6" medium-heavy Duckett Fishing Micro Magic casting rod, Lew's and Shimano casting reels, 30-pound Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon line, 3/8-ounce Luck-E-Strike jig (black/blue), various creature bait trailers (junebug).

Main factor: "Making the switch to dirtier water on day 2 and getting out of that creek."

Grand Lake 2-5 Patterns Bassfan 6/12/13 (Todd Ceisner)