Mark Menendez gives us the ins and outs of power fishing with big squarebills, big spinnerbaits, jigs, and tubes.
Fishing conditions are unique on this day in western Kentucky – the first major storm front of the late fall has just occurred and brought through strong winds and heavy rains with it. What does that mean for the day on the water? “It has put these fish on the feed bag,” says Menendez. Because of the recent change in conditions, Menendez opted for power fishing and big baits to make those fish move.
Strike King’s ½ oz Hack Attack Heavy Cover Spinnerbait is the perfect heavy-bodied bait. Menendez recommends two ways to fish with spinnerbaits – burn it back up on the surface, high in the water column or just below the surface of the water where the blades are no longer visible. “That’s where I always catch great big ones, and that’s why I’ve chosen the Hack Attack today,” says Menendez. Menendez holds one rule higher than the others when fishing with a spinnerbait – he calls it “fish insurance.” The “fish insurance” he’s referring to is a trailer hook that he finds necessary because of the chaos it creates in cover, with 60% of his bites coming specifically from the trailer hook when using a spinnerbait.
“Your job as an angler is to read the road map,” says Menendez. With every cast and every catch, there is knowledge to be captured about the area you’re fishing in. “That’s our job, to read that timber and figure out where and what and how and get that road mapping. They’ll tell us – they’ll tell us before the day is over,” Menendez shares.
A moving bait, spinnerbait in this case, is perfect on windy days with overcast skies. When there are major weather events, the barometric pressure is lower, causing bass to be a lot more active. Because of their inability to protect their eyes from the sun, fish love overcast days and take that as an opportunity to roam and hunt. For anglers, this presents an even greater opportunity to catch larger and better fish. Fish are determined to find food on days like this because they know that the weather following the front will not be favorable – super sunny with high pressure, resulting in less bites.
“If I only had one lure that I could throw the rest of my life, it would have to be a spinnerbait,” says Menendez. The versatility of a spinnerbait is what Menendez loves the most. He can fish it from the surface to depths of up to 30-feet with ease. Menendez usually chooses a spinnerbait when relatively dingy water and heavy, shallow cover.
When Menendez is fishing in cover, he attempts to cover it from every angle. “When I find a piece of cover that is horizontal and not vertical, in this world where everything is straight up and down, I really take my time and pick it apart – different angles, different baits – ‘cause those will hold multiple fish,” he explains.
Another general rule that Menendez follows – make the same cast again after getting a bite. Bass are social creatures, and they like to hang out in groups. “Make another cast and you will be rewarded more times than not with another fish,” Menendez advises. There have been many times on the tournament trail in which Menendez has gotten multiple bites by repeating his cast.
When looking to switch up the presentation, Menendez will add a Rage Grub trailer to his spinnerbait. The Rage flange on the Rage Grub catches the water and causes it to pulsate, giving it a shad-like appearance. Menendez chooses to rig the Rage Grub on his spinnerbait and uses the Rage flange as a rudder, helping the spinnerbait to run true in the water. Menendez then adds a keeper on the main hook to enable the trailer hook to be free swinging, allowing more opportunity for landing a fish.
“The spinnerbait heritage of Strike King is second to none. The amount of events that have been won on a Strike King spinnerbait over the years shows the dedication and the craft of the lure,” emphasizes Menendez.
Menendez chose the baits used today because of the weather conditions present. “Sometimes when you’re using a spinnerbait, they’ll swirl at it but not get it,” Menendez says. After that initial attempt, they will continue searching in the area. To capture those lingering bites, Menendez grabs a 4.5” Denny Brauer Flip-n-Tube and flips in behind the area of his original cast. “A tube is a great bait in the fall just because of its profile,” shares Menendez. With water temperatures dropping, sometimes fish just want a smaller bite – not the “full meal deal” like a jig.
“You know, when the weatherman tells you that the weather’s going to be ugly – I’m going fishing. Because we get those conditions that the fish are going to be moving and active,” explains Menendez. “Don’t be afraid of those conditions,” he emphasizes. Although rough weather conditions can enhance your fishing experience, be smart about it. It’s important to let someone know where you’re at and pick one section of the lake or body of water and stay there.
The 4.5” Denny Brauer Flip-n-Tube is a fall staple for Menendez. But there is one modification that he makes to bring him even more success – a rattle. The rattle draws in even more attention from curious, hungry bass.
