Strike King pro Keith Combs loves to fish deep water for largemouth bass. This is especially true during the summer months. The three-time Toyota Texas Bass Classic champ and Bassmaster Elite Series pro decided to take a few minutes to share his Top 3 tactics for dredging largies from the depths.
Deep cranking.
"Generally my first instinct is to fish crankbaits on the deeper structure," said Combs. "The easiest way to locate the fish is to find points or channel bends. These are classic structures where bass usually live.
"I like to fish crankbaits fast this time of the year to mimic the activity of the baitfish. I'm generally looking for a reaction bite and to get that school of bass fired up. Of course, you need to let the bass let you know the correct speed of the
retrieve for that day."
Combs uses Strike King 5XD, 6XD and 7XD crankbaits in a variety of colors fished on 15-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon.
Heavy jigging.
"My second choice is a 1-ounce Strike King Structure Jig," said Combs. That jig is perfect for deep water. You can fish it at various speeds, but since it's the summer, the water is usually hot. I like to stroke the jig faster. Let the jig go to the bottom and retrieve it lifting it 3-to 5-feet off bottom. It's a great technique that can produce really big bass."
Combs suggests 15-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon if the water is very clear, but prefers to use 20-pound fluorocarbon for deep jigging.
Big wiggler.
"It's not all about fishing fast for me during the summer," said Combs. "When I find isolated cover in the deep water, brushpiles, rocks, etc., I like to use a plastic worm. I like the Strike King Recon. The 10-to 12-inch size is ideal for bass during the summer. Just work that through the cover. Big bass like a big worm."
Stick with 20-pound fluorocarbon when fishing with the big worms down deep.
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