Pro Tips to Finding Big Spawning Bass Faster!

Welcome back to another episode on the Serious Angler Podcast Network! Today, we are joined by the 2026 Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite Series Champion, Jacob Foutz, fresh off his incredible victory on the Arkansas River. Jacob weighed in 72 lbs, 4 oz to take home his first blue trophy, and he is here to break down exactly how he secured the win.

In this interview, Jacob reveals his secrets for locating bigger-than-average pre-spawn and spawning bass when the rest of the field is stuck picking through post-spawn fish. We dive deep into his winning pattern up the Illinois River, the crucial role of finding cooler water temperatures, and how he utilized Garmin Perspective Mode in shallow water to target isolated gravel and rock.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:20

All right, welcome everyone to Sears Sangler Podcast, where as always, we'll be talking and hopefully teaching you more about bass fishing and of course some random rabbit holes here and there, especially on this one specifically turkey hunting. But nonetheless, whether you're here to learn or to hear some bass in conversation, you guys are in the right spot. As always, I'm your host, Bailey Igbrett, and today we have an awesome show with a great friend of ours who's a recent Bassmaster Elite Series champion, Mr. Jacob Fouts. We'll be talking about his obviously his win on the Arkansas River, but also diving into some of the strategy and the knowledge that he has in finding fish in this time of year where it's pre-spawn, spawn, and post-spawn, trying to get an understanding of the lake and what phases they're in, whether fish are moving up, fish are moving out, how to approach them when they're on bed, things like that. There's a lot of knowledge that he drops on there. So it's not just pertaining to the Arkansas River, but finding some big bass in the spawn, in the pre-spawn, and understanding those movements and locations on the lake to go look for those fish. But uh we'll get into that here in a second. But before we get on to the show, really fast for you guys, as of right now, and this is I'm talking directly to you guys. If you are a fishing guide or you know a family member or a close friend that is a fishing guide and fishing guide guiding is their business, we have an awesome update for you guys. Version two of the Blood Knot app is now live. And this is a one-stop shop for people that are looking to make guiding their business the best application that you can be on in order to keep your all your business in one central location, utilizing AI for your communications. That way you can be acquiring new clients, booking trips, getting payments, all that stuff, all the while you're out on the water, whether you're you're just fishing or you're guiding. Um, it allows you to also follow up with clients, past clients, in ways that when you have a busy schedule as a guide, I know many of my guide friends, they are extremely busy. It allows you to do schedule follow-ups and the communications, uh, you know, even send out happy birthdays to clients with stuff that you don't have to remember. It does all of it for you. There are so many different integrations that you can do. It takes less than eight minutes from start to finish to create account, get set up, and start booking clients and getting paid. The best part is for you as the guide, as intuitive of a service as is, it is completely free to you. So if you're a fishing guide, check out the link below, head over to the Blood Knot app and get booked up. But also, there's a couple different things going on at Omnia Fishing. As you guys know, we always have our discount code here for you guys, series 10, if you're looking to make some tackle orders, save 10% off, as well as become an Omnia Pro member. But right now, we are doing obviously there's still the Fish with Seth Fighter trip for Lake Millac, so you can guys can enter to go and get sent up there to go fish with Fighter for some big smallmouth out on Millax. But also there is 50% off Strike King Homing Minnows and Pinger Minnows until the 28th, as well as 30% off Bassman spinnerbaits. Bassman makes an awesome spinnerbait. Go check those out, as well as make sure you guys are checking out the new arrivals to Omnia Fishing as well. We got some new HMKL, another JDM brand. Um added some stuff to the new arrivals, some cool creature baits, spinnerbaits, some of the new Sims ring gear is on there, as well as some new Mega Bass and G crack stuff as well. Um, so some awesome options added to the Omni list. Make sure you guys go and check that out. Obviously, we are Deacon list for this show, and so we have no update on the business from the bass boat side of things, but make sure as everyone's getting their boats out or you're looking to go buy a boat uh for the upcoming season as fishing is in full swing everywhere here in the country. Make sure you guys are checking out rec lending and their team. If you're looking to refinance your current boat or look to get into a new boat, they will help you get in the best situation possible and make it as easy as possible. And lastly, one thing I'll say to you guys too, if you're looking to look cool on the water, have some cool lifestyle apparel. We do have our website, Sears Angler Network, up and live. If you guys are looking to get some podcast apparel, lifestyle apparel, like the bass boat hat that I'm wearing right now. You guys can get those, represent, we'll send those out to you guys. But uh, we have an awesome episode here, Mr. Jacob Fouts. So without further ado, let's get into it. All right, we're with our boy, the champ, Mr. Jacob Fouts. Help me. I'd say how's it going, but it's probably going pretty damn good.

SPEAKER_01 4:48

Dude, it's I I can't even believe it, dude. I'm still trying to comprehend everything that happened. Like it, dude, it hasn't even sunk in even a little bit. I actually I got the trophy sitting here in the passenger seat. Like every time I look at it, I'm like just waiting for someone to smack me and wake me up out of a coma or something.

SPEAKER_03 5:07

Yeah. Dude, it was, I gotta say, it was awesome. I was uh I didn't get to fully watch the final day or even uh Saturday because I was fishing a derb down Louisiana, but I got off just in enough time to get service and pull up the awards because uh I knew you're gonna have a good day, obviously, and pulling up social and seeing the clips of you catching that five and everything like that. I was racing to go watch awards for see how it, especially when you look up Bash Track, I was like, damn, they didn't even have a chance.

SPEAKER_01 5:51

The amount of support I've gotten from from everybody, it's it's truly unbelievable. The amount of text messages I still have to go to return. It's just like I said, I'm I'm incredibly appreciative of everyone that's reached out and said nice things to me. And it uh you know, it certainly means the world to me. Something I you know you you never you always have belief that you can do it, but you never know if it's gonna happen because you know you see all these guys that have never got one. You know, they don't they're hard to it's hard to come around and get one, and you know, you always just it's a dream come true, dude.

SPEAKER_03 6:30

Yeah. Well, dude, uh I have so many questions, but the first one I want to kick it off with is you know, high class Bassmaster made the posts, and it was actually pretty awesome, kind of like kind of like came full circle. But there was a few years back where, dude, I think emotionally you were kind of like in a complete 180 to where obviously where you're at now, you're kind of in the dumps, and you know, this it was a hard time, you know, chasing the dream. Where now I feel like you're at the total opposite end of it. How does that feel looking back a few years and just seeing from there where you've climbed to now?

SPEAKER_01 7:06

Yeah, dude, it's you know, like several years ago, I was kind of I I I was kind of starting to see the writing on the wall. I'm like, um, I was frustrated. I'm like, this isn't this isn't going the way I thought it was gonna go. And you know, I mean, there's been been a handful of times I've been bound to my last dollar and didn't, you know, if I didn't catch them, I was gonna have to have to give it up because I just, you know, couldn't financially do it. And you know, but you never want to, never want to give up. And I I think what's happened is a testament to all that. And you know, like it's a cliche, cliche thing to say, but you know don't ever don't ever give up on your dreams. Keep keep pushing, keep finding a way to to make it happen. And you know, it's it seems like if you can stick stick with it and keep going, keep going. You see you've seen it time and time again, guys will persevere and things, good things start to happen. And you know, I think uh I think it's uh you know, you saw saw it with me, and you know, I I'm in a I don't think I can get get a whole lot higher than what I am right now. It seems like it's uh it's hard to hard to hard to believe where I've been and and where I've come to now over the last two years since I since I made that video. And you know, like I said, it's just a testament to when things get hard, don't don't give up. That's when you gotta dig in and and keep going and and find a way. If you want it bad enough, you'll you'll find a way.

SPEAKER_03 8:41

Yeah. Uh and uh to quote what the uh is it the the lone sniper or was it the lone survivor? I'm trying to remember the name of the movie with Wahlberg and all that, but they're like you're never out of the fight. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're never out of the fight until you're dead. And you can you can be down in the dumps as far as possible. And now obviously that's two different worlds we're talking about, bass fishing and and war, but uh, you know, it still applies when it comes to to chasing the dream, dude. And it's to see. I mean, have you had time to reflect on any of it? Like looking back in the college days, winning the bracket, going your first classic, to then you know, kind of hitting that slump to now hold hoisting a blue trophy and you're having a great year.

SPEAKER_01 9:27

You know, I've I've yeah, I've I've I've thought about it a lot, and I it like I said, it still really hasn't hasn't sunk in, and I it it may it it'll probably take a while for it to sink in. There's not a lot of time to sit here and reflect, really. We got a pretty short break in between events, and you know, it's it I I don't wanna I don't want to think about it too much a little bit. I'm worried I'll get a little bit complacent on much or or put myself in in too good a place to not to not lock in and and and try to worry about the next events. You know, we still gotta we're not even halfway through the season. So we we knocked out we knocked out one dream, but there's still some goals we'd like to accomplish this year. Obviously, you want to get into the classic, and you know, it we've put ourselves in a decent spot in the angler of the year. So, you know, we have a a good good run here towards the end of the season. We can put ourselves in another good spot to try to make another run at AOY. So uh I mean I'm definitely gonna try to try to let it all set in and and everything, but I also would like to try to I don't put it behind us almost and and get ready for the next events because it's still still a lot of season and try to take this big boost in confidence and try to ride it the rest of the year.

SPEAKER_03 11:01

Yeah, keep the foot on the gas.

SPEAKER_01 11:04

Yep, for sure.

SPEAKER_03 11:05

I like it, dude. Well, obviously we got you in the truck right now. Are we are we driving to go fishing? I don't know if I could see a boat in tow. Are we chasing some turkeys around?

SPEAKER_01 11:14

Yeah, I got the I got the vessel in tow. I I chased a few turkeys this morning, but I figured I hadn't heard I haven't heard a gobble in three days, and I've walked about 25 miles the last three days trying to turkey to shoot at, but seems like it's pretty low season pretty quick here. We just ain't really singing our season doesn't start until a couple weeks later, probably what it should, but I figured it's probably time to go go lock in a little bit here and try to get better and go catch some bass.

SPEAKER_03 11:47

Heck yeah. Well, dude, uh looking at the Arkansas River, I I I in some of the content I've seen already, you know, you're talking about how you you didn't think you were on much in practice, like you'd found a little something here and there, but didn't know the full extent of what you had. Do you do you think that it was just because you had briefly found what you think you'd found, or did it you expand on it through the tournament, or do you think those fish were already there?

SPEAKER_01 12:19

No, I I definitely, you know, like you're saying, I didn't really know what I was around. Like I had, I don't, it wasn't a good practice by any means, but it I got enough bites to feel like okay, I can probably I can probably do okay in this one. I can, you know, I can at least survive this one at the very least. Um you know, I I got enough bites to where I'd taken my my hooks off or covered my hooks up, all my stuff. And you know, the area I ended up winning in, I I found it late the second day of practice and I'd fished through there and got six or seven bites uh on that swim bait. I got them on and I had the had the hook taken off. I never saw any of them when they bit it, but I got enough bites in there to feel like, okay, if you know, if I'll see anyone pull in there, I'll you know, I'll start in there and try to get try to get some bites and get the day going. Uh try to get the event going in the right direction to to start start today. And you know, I I went into the area, I ended up winning in first thing. Like I said, no one, I didn't see anyone take that left off the main Arkansas there and head up that way. So I'm like, well, I might as well, might as well go try it. It's always it's always scary against those guys when you when you're by yourself because it seems like it's either one of two things that's happened. You either found something pretty special or you're not you're about to catch absolutely nothing. And uh, you know, it just it just it ended up being being a special deal. And yeah, but like you're saying, I kind of I had to expand on it during during the tournament and find find new water to to get me through. I knew because I I only had one creek up there when I when the tournament started.

SPEAKER_03 14:00

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SPEAKER_01 14:22

I didn't even I didn't realize what was going on until later the first day. That's kind of what pushed me to to expand on the area because I I'd fished through there the first morning. I caught like 13 pounds, which I I felt was a was a decent start. And I left and went and fished some of the other areas. I I caught some in. And I did catch a big one in one of the other areas down on down on Kerr. And that got me to like 15 pounds. So I figured, you know, that's a it's a really good start, puts us in a good spot. Uh so I I can't I had like probably an hour to kill before I had to lock back up. And I went back in that creek and I I noticed that there was four or five pairs of fish that had moved up and started spawning from the time I had been in there to the to the time I came back, which was only about three hours. Uh, and I caught like two, three pounders and another four and a half pounder and got to 18 pounds. And I'm like, okay, I I think I see what's happening now because what what made it special was I I think it was the cooler water that was flowing through that river coming out of the bottom of 10 killer. It was like five to ten degrees cooler, depending on where you where you were. Um and I think a lot of those fish were pre-spawn spawn rather than spawn post-spawn. And I think a lot of them were coming in to spawn on the I think we had a new moon while we were there. And it seems like when you get a new moon or a full moon, you always get a get a push of push of fish coming up to spawn. And uh I figured out uh after the first day, I'm like, okay, it seems like they're coming to me. If I can find some new water, you know, maybe you can you can get a fish to live in any tournament. But it's especially hard. We have limited time to fish on that plus. I don't know. I was only getting four or five hours to fish, so it's it's hard to to have any time to expand or feel like you covered enough water to to find productive water, but just kind of just kind of worked out. It was you hear guys say it all the time when it's meant to be, there ain't nothing you can do to stop it. And you know, it just it was meant to be, and I found found another area there the second day, and really, really the rest is history. I and I got a crazy, crazy story with that coming back to the meant to be stuff. Uh so this so the second day I caught another 14 pounds real quick that first morning in like 30 minutes, and I'm like, okay, we're in the weekend now. I said let's go, let's go use the rest of the time and try to find new water. And I I had been looking on Google Earth, and I'm like, it looks like there's some some backwaters up here, and it looks like there's some ponds that have have a little bit of water in them. I didn't know if I was gonna be able to get into them or not. I went up there and got up in there and I caught I saw a couple big ones just hanging out under some some overhanging limbs or overhanging trees in the shade, and I had one of them come up and swipe at my swim bait, and I'm like, oh, that's a good sign. And like literally right after that happened, I looked out on the point of this little island and I saw saw a pear sitting there, one little like 13-inch male and one freaking big one. Uh there and they kind of shot off. And I'm like, oh, that kind of sucks. Typically, when that happens, those fish are hard to catch.

SPEAKER_02 17:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:53

And uh, I I just happened to, I'm trolling down the bank away from it, and I happened to look out in the middle of the pocket, and I could see that big one just swimming. She was swimming right towards me. By the time I ribbed my swim bait in, and I kind of just pitched it at her, she was only like 10 feet from the boat. And I start winding it, and she like took off towards it, and I'm like, oh my gosh. And she got right up on it and just nipped it. And I'm like, Oh, she, I think I can catch that fish. So I circled back around and I got set up to on the bed, kind of hid myself in the shade. And Male was sitting up there and he was acting weird. And I happened to catch her swimming across the front of the bed, and I let her go past and she turned around and come was coming back. And I'm like, she never would lock on the bed or anything, but I'm like, I'm just gonna hop it up in front of her and see if I can get her to to react to it. And I and I did that, and I saw her gills flare. My line started going with her and cracked her, it was six, two. I was like, oh my gosh, that never happens. I'm like, and I that that took me to what I had, and I'm like, that's I'm like, that's a good deal. But this is where this is the crazy story. So on my way in, I had noticed this little pond on the just through a little side shooting. There was a big tree across, and there was a big, big floating log, kind of covering where you could get where it looked like you could get in. And I'm like, I don't know if I'll be able to get over it. I figured with it being floating, I could probably get on top of it and push it down with the weight of the boat and slide over it. And I could see, I could see where someone had cut the tree on the very right side. And I'm like, I think I can slide through there if I can get over that log. And so I I was able to, I went in there and I saw a couple fish on perspective. I didn't catch any. I didn't, I didn't only saw two on perspective, so I but I turned around and left because I'm like, okay, it seems like there's some fish in here. And um anyway, long story short, I I the last day I caught them in there the third day, and then the last day I went in there, and I as soon as I went through, there was a little tin boat sitting on the right side as soon as you go in. And uh they asked me if I was still leading and all that, and you know, they wish me good luck. And so after the tournament, I got I get a message from one of the guys that was in that tin boat, and they told me, dude, we found that on Thursday, and we cut our way in there on Thursday. So that pond was inaccessible until Thursday when they cut their way in. And I and I found it Friday afternoon.

SPEAKER_03 20:30

Dang.

SPEAKER_01 20:31

Like when it's your time, buddy, there ain't nothing you can do to stop it. Like going back to that, I mean, like I mean, come on, dude. Like that's that's crazy stuff right there. Crazy stuff.

SPEAKER_03 20:47

Yeah, that is uh timing. Timing is everything.

SPEAKER_01 20:54

Yeah, like you know, like I I'll say it a thousand times when it's your time to win, and it's you know, it's meant to be it, it just has a way of working out the way it's supposed to. And you know, that third third day I caught I caught a five-four, a four and a half, and a four-pounder that were sitting on the same bed in the span of about 15 minutes, caught all three of them. That like that never happens. I I've seen big ones like that on the bed before, and it's almost impossible to catch any of them when they're there's three of them and they're that big. And yeah, yeah, you can't make it up, dude. Can't make it up.

SPEAKER_03 21:30

Now, couple questions on that. What when you see multiple big ones up on the same bed, do you think that is multiple pairs trying to share the same bed, or do you think it's multiple males competing for the same female?

SPEAKER_01 21:46

See, I I don't know. I mean, they could they could very well be all three females and or it's it's it's honestly hard to to pinpoint what it is. I try not to get into what's a male and what's a female. They were just all big ones as far as I'm concerned. Um you know, I just just just they were all ready to bite right then there, and you know, caught 13 pounds of bass in 15 minutes.

SPEAKER_03 22:13

So that doesn't suck. Yeah, I'll have to uh pitch that over to our uh fisheries biological. I'll just correspond it and is how I call them. But Steven Barden on our real biology series, I'll have to ask him about that, those multiple big ones on a bed and kind of how all that works and see if there's a a cooler answer to that beyond just well, I don't care if they're there. I'm just gonna catch them. Yeah, absolutely. Well, dude, and you mentioned too of the area you had. And in the two days that I got to watch the live coverage and obviously the clips that I got to see of you on Saturday and Sunday, dude, your watercolor was different from most everybody else I got to watch. And you mentioned you saw everyone going one way, so you went the other way. Was that just something in practice you decided just to do something different, or was that something you found pre-event map study type of deal? Like, how did you figure that area out?

SPEAKER_01 23:09

Yeah, no, so I mean, I I saw it, you know, doing my my research before the event. I'm like, it's you could see it was really clean water, and but you always figure against those guys. It's being as obvious as it was that you know, surely somebody would would figure it out. And I I I knew during practice a lot of the other clean water areas down there on Ker, some of the backwater ponds you could get in, like there was a bunch of boats in those during practice, and I I could just tell that it was gonna the event was gonna fish small. I mean, all the events generally fish small. These guys are so those guys are so good. They I mean they find everything. And when I was in there, like I said, it was the evening of the second night of practice, and I think I saw one other boat up in there, and the one creek I went in, it I could tell no one had had been in there, just with all you couldn't see any you know boat trails or anyone at idle in there or anything. There was a bunch of stuff, a little bit of grass floating out in the middle, and it you know, typically when boats are coming and going, all that stuff will get pushed up on the bank just from from the wake and stuff of people coming and going, and the water was clean and it was really shallow going in there, and like I said, when guys are going in and out, they're stirring up the bottom the whole way, and typically you can tell, but I got so many bites so quick, I'm like, it doesn't seem like anyone's been in here and like I guess they haven't hooked them or you know, typically once one bites and you shake it off, typically it it takes them a second to to bite again. But a lot of those fish would bite and they'd let it go and they'd come back and get it again, and I'm like that generally when that happens, they're not not overly pressured. And it's just it just just trying to find some somewhere that that was relatively unpressured comparative to the to the rest of the areas in the in the lake, and it it just it worked out the way it was supposed to. How those how those guys didn't find it, I'll never know.

SPEAKER_03 25:10

But yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:12

It's just it's just crazy to me.

SPEAKER_03 25:15

Yeah, and dude, that that brings me back to an interesting point of like there there's been a lot of times, my own experience, where when you see something obvious, I've avoided it because of the same track mind of like, oh, everyone's gonna find that they're gonna be on it, it's gonna be a waste of time to go look at it. And then next thing you know, I look at the you know how the people won the dang thing and they win it out of that area. Uh, is it just have you found like obviously in your professional career thus far that if it's that obvious, just go check it out because it might be worth your time, like you're just talking about right now?

SPEAKER_01 25:50

Yeah, yeah, dude. I mean, always always check the obvious stuff. And I've I've this has happened to me in several events I've done real well in Pickwick coming to mind back my rookie year. Uh so I think what happens sometimes is is the really, really obvious places get overlooked because you know, in your mind you think, well, there's gonna be guys all over this. There's no point in me even trying to trying to get on it or anything. And you know, sometimes it goes the complete opposite way, guys will completely pass it by and and not even look at look at it. And you know, it's you know generally it gets found, but every once in a while you just everything gets some of the most obvious stuff gets overlooked, and you know, it just I saw I I mean like I always try to check the obvious stuff and then and then from there you go try to find the sneaky stuff, but that obvious stuff has played out has has worked out well for me in in several events over the years.

SPEAKER_03 26:45

Yeah. I love that dude. Um now throughout the event, you know, finding that area, were there any bigger adjustments you had to make, or was it just cycling through those main areas to see new fish pull up?

SPEAKER_01 27:01

Yeah, it did. It was just cycling through the through the areas. I never had to make a bait change or anything. I caught them on the same two baits the whole event. And uh there was just it there was new fish coming to me during the course of the day. Like I started in the same creek every morning, and every afternoon I'd go back and see new fish set up, set up in there that were either out in the middle of the creek just swimming around in the morning or they were just coming in. I don't know what it was, but you know, like I said, every every afternoon I saw new fish that that I didn't see in the morning, and you know, it seemed to me like they were just coming up to to do their deal. And you know, that's uh it's a it's a rare thing to find, but when you find it, you know, that's uh one of those deals where the stars stars can align. I mean, there's been a lot of times where I felt like they were coming to me and it kind of will fizzle out over the the course of the event, but it uh it didn't last week. And you know, when it happens that way, you set yourself up to have a have a really good event.

SPEAKER_03 28:05

Yeah. Now, in your mind, for somebody that's going out and they know that you know the spawn can be a factor, in your mind, what is the perfect recipe for the spawn and for people to kind of take as a sign of like it's a new moon, the temperatures, all that jazz, to then use that as a clue of okay, I need to go get up shallow, put the shades on, and go looking for them.

SPEAKER_01 28:31

Yeah, I mean, you know, anytime that water temp gets in the in the high 50s, and anytime you get around a full moon or a new moon, it it seems like there's some fish that want to at the very least get up shallow, and you know, they're at least cruising around thinking about thinking about spawning. And it's it's just it's really just a matter of covering water because you know you'll find areas that that have them, and then there'll be a bunch of dead water, and um it seems like they they have very specific areas they like to spawn in, and it seems like year after year after year they come to the come to the same places to to spawn. And you know, if you if you're local to an area, you you know, you'll kind of find those areas, but you know, if if you're just going somewhere you never been, it's just a matter of covering water, and then you'll, you know, like it's like what happened in this event, you'll find an area that seems to be seems to be where they're wanting to come to. And when they're coming to you, it's just a place that keeps on reloading. And you know, it's just it's it's crazy. Obviously, they gotta be once you once you start getting post-spawn, they start to leave pretty quick. So when you do find an area like what I did that was mostly pre-spawn spawn, you know, like I said, they're just they're funneling and they're coming to you, and you know, they're generally there for a week or two weeks or whatever, doing their thing. And it's uh, you know, it can the the the spawn can be a can be a hard time to fish, especially when they're actively spawning, and because you know, you gotta be you gotta hit such a small area to to even get their attention, they're not gonna come a long way for a bait. And it it helps obviously when the water's clean and you can see them, but you know, a lot of that a lot of that place uh has dirty water, so you're just you're pretty much just kind of guessing, looking, throwing up places where you think there may be one spawning, but you know, for for a lot of places in the country you can you can see, you know, you can at the very least you can at least see them cruising around or and obviously the innovation of technology we've had the last five or six years has certainly made the fish that you can't see much easier to find. And uh, you know, once you once you get into some areas that have that that hard bottom, it it seems like that's that's where you want to really, really try to spend a little time and make sure that there's not not a few spawn anyway.

SPEAKER_03 30:49

Yeah. Now, not just talking about Arkansas River in specific, but just kind of in general, you know, for people that are looking at a map and at spawn time, you know, when when you see you're looking at Google Earth, you're looking at a topo map, and you're gonna go look for spawners. Are are what are the bigger things that jump out to you as locations to go look at first? Like, is it smaller creeks, bigger creek arms, bigger flats? Like what things jump out at you?

SPEAKER_01 31:17

Yeah, I mean, it it can really be anything, but I mean you're really looking for any shallow pocket. It seems like a lot of short, shallow pockets always seem to have a few, and then you know, in the in the big creeks and stuff, you're kind of looking for those big flats and stuff because they'll we've learned over the last several years that they'll get get out off the bank and spawn out out on those shallow flats and and places like that, you know, or on Google Earth, if you can see an area that's you know, like here on the Tennessee River, we've got such a big water level fluctuation from winter to spring. And in the winter, you can see areas that have stumps, or you know, you can see areas that have a you know a gravel bottom or a really rocky or anything that's got a hard bottom like that. So, you know, anywhere, any of the any places that they kind of set up like that are areas I'll I'll start to look in. Typically, you're not gonna find a whole lot on on muddy, nasty banks and and stuff like that. So it's just a matter of trying to generally some kind of hardcover, be it trees, stumps, rock, gravel, whatever it is.

SPEAKER_03 32:19

Yeah. Okay. Now I want you to walk through you mentioned your swim bait setup and then a setup that you use for when those fish were actually on bed. Like you're talking about pitching to that one big female. Um, talk a little bit about the setup for your swim, your swim bait, because if I remember correctly, I think you're using a mag draft, and that is one that is like I mean, it's one of my favorite baits of all time to throw, but especially in the spawn, it's it's a great search bait, but also a bait that can get you some dang key fish in the boat. But um, yeah, talk through your your setup for that and your setup for when they were actually locked in on bed.

SPEAKER_01 32:57

Yeah, so I actually I use the exact same setup for both. Uh I I like a seven foot three heavy rod uh for for the swim bait. It's it's not too long to where you get in those tight confined spaces. You can't, you know, you can't cast or anything. It's it's short enough to where you can you can skip it around and you know be fairly accurate in tight close, but at the same time, it's it's heavy enough to where you can, you know, like like you were saying, a mag draft is my favorite way to catch a bass far nine. When they bite that thing, they try to take it from you. There's no no guessing whether you had a bite or not. They they let you know. So it's you know, you try to crack them and get them coming your way. Because I mean, with that, I mean it's a big hunk of plastic. They they have a little bit of leverage on you, and just with that heavy rod, you have a little bit more control over the fish and are able to, you know, kind of can let you control the fish rather than the fish controlling you. It's just a matter of, yeah. I I I pretty much just horse them in, wind on them and and swing them in the boat because they yeah, they use that plastic. If that plastic gets outside their mouth and starts swinging around, they can wet they can get off really easy. Uh it's always 20-pound fluorocarbon because you know, generally you're you're throwing it around some kind of cover, logs, stumps, grass, whatever it is, overhanging trees, what I mean, anything in the water. And, you know, like you were saying, it's such a such a powerful bait around, especially around the spawn. It's powerful year-round, but yeah, especially around the spawn, just because it, you know, even if they don't uh they don't bite your bait, a lot of times they'll come up and they'll get right behind it and just kind of nip at it or you know, make a run at it and show themselves, and then you can turn around and you kind of have that fish pinpointed, and that's when you can turn around and flip in, uh flip something in there and and generally catch that fish. And you know, when I'm pitching around, it's the same setup, it's just a seven, three heavy, whatever your favorite creature bait is, a flipping hook, and uh I like a three-eighth ounce tungsten. Some guys like a lighter one, some guys maybe like a heavier one, but it seems like seems like to me, especially spawning a fish, a three-eighth ounce is kind of that perfect weight size because you generally don't want to move your bait a whole lot, but with that three eighths ounce weight, you can kind of shake it in place and you're not at Sirius Angler.

SPEAKER_00 35:12

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SPEAKER_01 35:39

Inching the bait forward a whole lot like you do with a with a little bit lighter weight, a quarter or three sixteenths or whatever it is.

SPEAKER_03 35:47

Yeah. Yeah, you're not you're keeping it where you want it on the bed and not even when you're doing the whole rod butt shake, you know, it's not sliding across the bed too much because you want to keep it there as long as possible.

SPEAKER_01 35:58

Yep, trying to trying to keep it in the strike zone as as long as possible. Really just trying to irritate the fish in the bite is all you're doing.

SPEAKER_03 36:06

Yeah. Now, last thing on that is mag draft modifications. That has been a rabbit hole that I have gone down the past few years, and it's been pretty cool to just see you you don't think from the outside perspective when you get into it it makes that much of a difference, but you can really like if you get a bunch of people going down a bank throwing the same stock mag draft or freestyle swim bait for any matter, um, that it makes a difference, but it really does on some small key things, whether it's adding a little bit of weight to it, some color on the nose or swapping out the hook. Um, what what kind of things do you make that you're willing to that you're willing to cough out of the way?

SPEAKER_01 36:43

You know, so I yeah, so I don't I don't really do a whole whole super lot to it. Um because that you know that bait swims so good out of the package with the the way it's way it rigged. Um and if you start tinkering with it too much, you'll kind of you'll change the way it wants to swim in the water. You'll see that it wants to you start adding weight or anything like that, you'll you'll find that it's and if the weight's not in the correct spot, you'll find that it wants to swim on its side or kind of roll a little bit as you're winding it, depending on how fast you want. The only thing I do is I'll I'll swap the stock treble hook. I I think it probably comes with a number two. I'll I'll upsize to a number one, what that does. It adds it adds a very minimal amount of weight, but it adds a little bit of weight. And it also it the way it sits, sits in the body, your hooks are kind of even with the side of your bait rather than being tucked inside the plastic a little bit. Um so with that bigger hook, you're able to run it just a few inches deeper. But also fish that just come up and swipe at the bait or anything like that. I feel like you have a little bit better chance of getting those fish just because your the gap in your treble hooks is just spread out a little bit further.

unknown 37:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:57

And you're able to get a hook in those fish a little bit. And it it doesn't really doesn't seem to affect the action of the bait any. It seems like you can reel it just a hair faster and it and not want to roll up on its side or anything. But that's that's really all I do. I think the as long as it's is that as it swims right, that's the most important thing. Because it seems like like going back to it, you start doing many modification, it wants to roll up on its side. And if you get one that rolls on its side just a little bit, the fish don't bite it. Yeah, like it's it's like a switch almost. Like you'll go from catching the fire out of them to if that thing wants to roll just a hair, they they really don't want to bite it for some reason. It's got to be perfectly run run true.

SPEAKER_03 38:39

Yeah, it starts rolling, they're like Spongebob, dude. They're like, Yeah, I don't really feel like it.

SPEAKER_01 38:45

Yeah, they don't want any part of it.

SPEAKER_03 38:48

Yeah, I love that, especially the bigger hook. Uh, there's one thing when people ask me about modifications for that bait specifically, is a bigger hook. Um, because it's similar to the way I look at it, is like when you take a frog and you bend out the hooks a little bit more just for a little bit better hookup ratio, it's like the same, same methodology from that standpoint.

SPEAKER_01 39:08

And it's such a fine line, you don't want to go too big because then you're just gonna you get it around any kind of cover or anything, you find yourself hung up way more because that that bait's so good it when you roll it up over something, it'll roll up on its side so it doesn't get hooked, so it doesn't get hooked. But if you have a big bite there on your treble hook, you'll catch, you'll catch everything as it as it comes by. And yeah, it just gets super frustrating, but it seems like just going one size up and hook, it doesn't really you don't get up, you don't get hung up a whole lot more. It's kind of the it's a perfect deal, in my opinion. That's I mean, but that like I said, that's all I do to it.

SPEAKER_03 39:44

Absolutely. Well, dude, uh as we wrap this thing up, uh obviously I see you're in the parking lot, you're ready to go bassing right now, so I don't want to hold you up.

SPEAKER_01 39:53

That's all good, dude.

SPEAKER_03 39:55

But uh at what point throughout the the course of the event did you think because I knowing you, I know you go into every tournament of I want to win this dang thing because I know the confidence that you have in yourself, but was there ever a a sign or a voice in your head that clicked throughout the four days where you're like, I have a shot to win this dang thing?

SPEAKER_01 40:16

Yeah, I I started to feel it uh late in the second day, and definitely definitely the the definitely the third day when I caught those three big ones off the bat, I'm like, okay, this you know, that doesn't happen. This kind of feels like it's something's happening here. And you know, you you don't ever try to get ahead of yourself and feel like, yeah, I'm gonna, yeah, I'm gonna win this sucker. And because I mean you've you you fish a lot, you know what it is, you know how fast stuff changes and how quick fish will fish will even area or whatever, especially with with weather or whatever it is. And you know, but it it seemed like late that second day when I caught the six-pounder that wasn't really locked on the bed, but you know, got her to bite, and then the the three big ones I caught off the same bed the the third day, it seemed like okay, this is I once I got to 20, I'm like that third day, I'm like, okay, it I I'm probably gonna have a chance in this one. And I so I you know you don't ever know where you're gonna be. And after I waited in a third day and had a six and a half pound lead, I'm like, okay, yeah, this is as good a chance as I've ever had. You know, six and a half pound lead, you better go catch them because it's I mean, you go do your job tomorrow, it'll be really, really, really hard for anybody to to catch you. And you know, it's uh you try not to ever get ahead of yourself just trying to try to take every day as it comes to you, but yeah, you you you you'll start to get a generally you get generally you'll you'll kind of have this feeling in your stomach, like, okay, yeah, something something's going on here. This one could be a good one.

SPEAKER_03 41:53

Yeah. It's not even like it's not a cockiness thing. It's it's when you've won before and you put yourself in that position. It's not even I the way I kind of relate it to is it's kind of like butterflies a little bit, where it's like it's not it doesn't to not to that extent, but like you just have this weird feeling like we're in the flow state right now, things are kind of happening the way they're supposed to.

SPEAKER_01 42:17

It's a very, very certain, unique feeling that you get like okay, this could be I could have a chance on this one. You know, you like I said, you never know how it's gonna go, but you you kind of you'll start to get a feeling like okay, I could I could have a chance here.

SPEAKER_03 42:31

Yeah, that's awesome, dude. Well, buddy, uh blue trophy, 100 grand, 100 grand, not too shabby. Uh what uh what's the mindset going into Santae? And uh I guess what's the uh any fun plans? Like obviously when you put a hundred grand in your pocket, that allows you to have a little bit of fun afterwards, but uh any plans going forward after the dub?

SPEAKER_01 42:55

Yeah, so I got I think after these next couple events, we're gonna go chase some turkeys pretty hard in between Santee and the Pasco tank. We've got I think three three weeks in between them. So I love turkey hunting almost as much as I love bass fishing, and uh I've never been out west to to turkey hunt or anything. I'd like to go out west if if we can can make the schedule work, and that's that's really about it. That's how I'm gonna celebrate. Obviously, I'm gonna hopefully go out here and catch a few ledge bass. We're already got some ledge bass, so just be chasing some more bass and hopefully killing a few more turkeys. That's that's it, buddy. That's the that's the dream scenario, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_03 43:35

Yeah, that ledge stuff, man. I I go to Santeet at the end of the next month, and you might be making me make a pit stop along along the ledge.

SPEAKER_01 43:43

Come on, buddy. Uh I ain't never seen them out this early, and it fires me up. That's my favorite way to catch basses out deep on the ledges.

SPEAKER_03 43:52

So heck yeah. Well, dude, we're gonna have to get you back and talk about a ledge show here in here in a couple weeks, but uh pal, I I cannot express how happy I am for you. Uh, I can tell you my brother and I were texting back and forth constantly throughout the event. I've never seen my brother ever, ever walked into a bass tournament before as much as this one. Like he's never even texted me congrats after I win a tournament. He was hyped up for you, buddy. So it was uh it was a cool. freaking thing to watch and uh I yeah man I'm just I'm just pumped for you and go go freaking catch him and obviously we'll be talking to you a bunch you're soon buddy yeah no dude I I really appreciate like I said the support I've got's been but on Rio it's certainly certainly crazy to think about and I'm incredibly appreciative of all the support so yeah hey Kim man well go catch some bass go catch them up at Santee obviously we'll be talking to you throughout the way and looking forward to see what states are on the docket could go shoot some turkeys man yeah dude we're gonna see what we can get into I think uh I think I guess I'll have your brother tag along with me and we'll go try to double up on some turkeys so yeah feel bad for you yeah it's tough it's tough well dude awesome and uh we'll talk to you soon bro yeah dude appreciate it all right folks that is going to do it for today's episode appreciative of Jacob for taking the time out obviously going bass and getting right back after you can tell that dude is just ate up with being outdoors from the turkey hunting side to the bass fishing side dude lives and breathes it and is the epitome of an outdoorsman uh hopefully you guys took some knowledge from that especially in a lot of areas that are coming up on the spawn or currently in the spawn right now hopefully that can help you break down your water a little bit easier and catch some more big bass. But uh as always guys appreciate you guys tuning in to this one I had a rough event down in Louisiana. We ended up in 50th place out of 211 for our Bassmaster kayak series event on Cattle Lake was thought I had it was going into a better event but unfortunately spiral out on day two but we're getting ready to you know Jacob's going to Santee Cooper in a couple weeks I'll be in Santee Cooper here in a month seeing a bunch of you guys down that way that are either fishing the event or just simply live near Santee. I've been using the Humminbird One Boat Network app to get ready for that one because it might be kind of an offshore game which hopefully all goes well and to my plan which it usually never does that it turns into a little offshore deal so I've been studying the the Lake Master VX map on the uh one boat network app as well as in tandem with the OmniApro app. So I'll be looking forward to getting down there but uh we have a fun week coming up we have uh Louie who is from the kayak fishing weekly show our host over at KFW as well as Mr. Alex Rudd coming up here in the north for a week for five six days of bassing up here. So you'll be seeing a bunch of content um out on our page but also on my personal page as well if you guys are looking to keep up with that. But uh great episode appreciate y'all for keeping up with all the crazy travels and everything but we have some cool shows coming up there is a topic or a guest that you guys are looking to hear from please let us know. Send us a DM on Instagram send us an email and we'll do our best to align those shows and make things happen. Even if you have topics when it comes to the real biology segment or even seriously western we'll uh we'll add those to the docket but as always appreciate all you guys for tuning into the show and we'll see y'all on the next one