KEN COOK ON BASS FISHING

Ken Cook's Spinner Bait Tactic

EDITOR'S NOTE: Ken Cook of Meers, Oklahoma, a professional bass fisherman since 1983, and before that a fisheries biologist, won the BASS Masters Classic in 1991, as well as other B.A.S.S. events.

Question: What's the next rod you like to use?
Answer: Because I often cast spinner baits, I've designed a rod particularly for spinner baits. My techniques for spinner baiting usually involve my fishing a long 7-foot graphite rod. It has a medium-heavy butt with a fast tip, which allows you to cast little or big spinner baits and gives you the power to set your hook and handle fish. It has a two-handed handle to make long casts or use as a flipping handle to make short casts. This rod works really well for a number of techniques, and I think it's a pretty cool rod.

Question: What line are you fishing on that rod?
Answer: Most of the time my standard line for fishing spinner baits will be 20-pound-test Low-Vis Green Berkley Trilene SensiThin. Usually I'm fishing heavy cover, which means I don't need to fish light line, and I'll use heavy line.

Question: What kind of action are you giving your spinner bait? How are you fishing it?
Answer: I'm fishing spinner baits anywhere from the top to the bottom. That's what so good about a spinner bait -- you can fish it in any way. Most of the techniques I use with a spinner bait involve some kind of stop-and-go action. I'll reel a little and stop, or twitch the bait to get an erratic motion. I fish anything but a medium, steady retrieve. I may fish a slow roll on the bottom or bump the stumps or grass to make the bait dart and doodle around the cover, or I may fish with a really fast retrieve at times.

Question: What color and blade combination do you like best?
Answer: I use the Hart Throb Classic more than anything else. It's the most versatile spinner bait I've ever seen. This lure pays off with bass when you fish it slowly and/or fast around cover. It's a 1/2-ounce spinner bait with a No. 5 willow-leaf gold blade. I like a skirt with faded shad-type colors like blue, chartreuse and silver.

TOMORROW: KEN COOK'S JERKBAIT METHOD