Zack Birge's Pattern, Baits & Gear
La Crosse is Zack Birge's "favorite place in the whole country" for a reason - he seems to always do well. No surprise he did again thanks in large part to a "nothing special" spot in Pool 8 near the Pettibone Boat Club. "It's just a little hole," says Birge about his spot. "Nothing special. There's one tire on bottom and a couple sticks. The rest just feels like sandy bottom. I think it's just deepest water in there, and the bait and fish just congregate in there."
In the first three days, Birge figures he caught more than 80 bass from that lone spot before it died the final day. His weapons of choice were a Yo-Zuri 3DB Series 1.5 squarebill (gizzard shad) and a shaky head with a 4-inch Yamamoto Senko. The crankbait he threw on a 7-foot Favorite Rush Series rod, while the shaky head was launched on a 7-foot, 3-inch Favorite Pro Series rod spooled with 15-pound-test Yo-Zuri SuperBraid and a 10-pound-test Yo-Zuri TopKnot Fluorocarbon leader.
The first couple days, he also mixed in a secondary pattern flipping and frogging cut banks with grass and trees touching the water. He threw a small creature bait on a 7-foot, 6-inch Favorite Pro Series rod and the Jackall Kaera Frog (red frog) on a 7-foot, 3-inch Favorite Rush Series rod. Both were thrown on 30-pound-test Yo-Zuri SuperBraid.
FLW Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Mississippi River 2-5 Patterns - FLW 8/4/20 (Sean Ostruszka)
