A Pro Angler Finesse and Big Bait Combo at Lake Pardee

Introduction:  How fast time flies, less than 24 hours ago it was once again media day at Lake Pardee, and this year Pro Angler Kent Brown put together another all-star roster including some of the top pros that specialize in both finesse and power fishing techniques. We head to Lake Pardee once again to target both Largemouth and Smallmouth in what is quickly becoming a top destination for bass anglers looking to target both brown and green fish in ultra-clear water.

Good morning Pardee, it looked like we were going to get some better weather this year

Later is better: In previous years Media Day has always been in the middle of Winter and the Pros and Press would descend on Pardee before it was open to the public. The benefit of this was less overall pressure on the lake but on the downside it also meant the possibility of some very nasty weather.

FLW Pro Angler Cody Meyer checks out fish hanging off rockpiles on the fishfinder...

Two years ago we were rained on and last year though the skies were clear it was below freezing for much of the day which created adverse conditions for both the fish and the attendees. The Pros were always up to the challenge but the cold conditions often made it impossible to employ the full range of techniques in their arsenal.

...and delivers the first fish of the day

This year rather than host the event in January Pro Angler and Ultimate Bass Radio host, Kent Brown, decided to hold the event on April 2^nd. This would give both the Pros and Press a unique look at what the lake had to offer in warmer pre-spawn conditions as well as the public an opportunity to check out the event.

Cody lands a healthy looking smallmouth

A little Finesse goes a long way: This year Zander and JIP attended the event and head to Jackson Rancheria the evening before to get a few hours sleep before Media Day. In the morning the minute we stepped outside the hotel we turned to each other and frowned. The day before we had near record temps in the high 80’s and there was a major temperature swing caused by a front which caused the temperature to top out in the 60’s. It was yet another chilly morning at Pardee but nowhere near what we experienced in prior years.

Cody fishes with Powell rods and light line in open water, targeting fish over deeply submerged structure

Kent knowing our “WTF” (What the Finesse) theme for this year partnered us up with Pro Anglers in the morning session that were well adept in these light line techniques. Zander would spend the morning fishing with FLW Pro Cody Meyer and JIP would head out with drop shot expert John Maes.

Drop shot pays off again

Cody is a FLW Cup qualifier and Stren Series Angler of the Year and last year he had a fantastic finish with 2nd place at the FLW cup, to say he loves finesse fishing on tour would be an understatement. Armed with a full complement of rigs spooled up with fluorocarbon Cody and Zander first targeted fish on banks and rocky points. It didn’t take long for Cody to start nailing fish on his drop shot rig. Unfortunately for him his tournament boat and the majority of his tackle was out East, so he was fishing off a loaner boat with limited tackle. On the plus side he was fishing with a few bags of Jackall pink colored crosstail shad baits that were specially made for him to use on tour. He was also using an assortment of Powell rods just like the ones he is uses to fish at all his FLW tournament events.

What is that pink lure?

Cody is known for combining his strength of finesse fishing with making use of electronics and even though this was not his boat he quickly familiarized himself with the structure below the boat on the graph. He explained that he often relies on his Lowrance fish finders for fishing in deep water lakes. There have even been times during filming, where he has seen fish on his Lowrance HD units, called the strikes in advance, lowered either a drop shot rig or a tube and picked the fish right off the screen. That’s what I call lethal use of electronics!

A Jackall Crosstail with a special pink color similar to Morning Dawn created just for Cody, this pattern may hit the market soon