John Crews Cranks and Flips to Win Elite Series Duel in the Delta
Bassmaster Elite Series John Crews from Salem, VA rode two areas of the South Delta to victory over what could be called one of the most stacked Elite 12 in Elite Series competition. The victory in the Duel in the Delta; Crews’ first in Elite Series competition, earned him $101,000, pushing his career earnings to nearly $550,000 in 93 career BASS entries.
Following a lackluster practice, Crews decided to stay in the only areas he had found he could generate bites. One of those areas on the south end of the California Delta, proved to be the winning area. While the field struggled to produce giant stringers overall due to less than seasonable weather, Crews managed to bag 18 Delta bass that tipped the scales at 72 pounds, 6 ounces; good enough to best California’s Skeet Reese by one ounce.
Crews used three baits throughout the Duel in the Delta, a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver, a Gambler BB Cricket as flip baits, and a SPRO Little John crankbait in Blood Craw. He used the Sweet Beaver early in the competition, but switched to the BB Cricket as the event wore on due to fishing pressure in the narrow, confined area. The Little John was used to cover water between matted grass mats, and was responsible for several key bites as well.
He paired his flip baits with Gamakatsu built Punch Hooks and tungsten punch sinkers with 65-pound test braided line by Vicious Fishing, while his Little John was thrown on 15-pound-test Vicious Fishing Ultimate co-polymer.
Bass Tackle Depot is a licensed dealer for all of these products, and wishes to congratulate Crews on a great victory in our backyard. All of the products mentioned here are available at www.basstackledepot.com; where the pros shop.
Crews Winning Bait Choices
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Thinking Outside The Box
Each and every year a new lure is brought to the forefront as a touring pro uses it on his way to victory in a major event. Whether it was the Sebile Magic Swimmer, BassTrix Paddle Tail Tube or even the Yamamoto Senko that went ignored for years. These lures all have one thing in common; they were relatively obscure prior to making headlines.
Success on these unknown baits can go hidden for years at local and regional levels until the cat is finally let out of the bag. The trick to real success is to be open minded, think outside the box and identify these lures on your own. Fish can get conditioned to seeing the same offering over and over. If you can present something they haven’t seen you may just find that edge, then others will have to wait until the cat is out of the bag. Here are just a few ideas for you to consider.
 The 10 inch P-Stix or as we like to call it “The Big Stick” has DRAWING POWER like no bait you have ever thrown. In clear water you will see fish rushing from depths of 20ft “Big Fish” to inhale this bait and they don’t let go.
Most stick baits have a quiver on the fall but the 10 inch P-Stix “Wiggles and Wobbles” like no other. Although we haven’t used this bait on big bedding females yet we can’t wait to try.
We are excited about this bait and believe it will be winning events as soon as it hits tackle boxes. This bait is loaded with salt and anise and as we said fish hang on and do not let go. Rig this bait with 7/0 hook or larger if you are Texas rigging. For wacky rig applications use and O-ring with a 2/0 or larger hook. Pencil weights can be used to increase the fall rate and we recommend using them. You can make this bait do crazy things with pencil weights and with a body diameter of 1/2 of an inch they insert and work great.
This isn’t a small fish bait it weighs 1.4 ounces and is 10 inches in length. Be sure to watch the video
 CBT Big Hair Jig; This isn’t your daddies’ hair jig. The Hair Jig has been around for years but CBT has created a new modern twist on the hair jig. This large profile hair jig works great for suspended fish and fish relating to offshore structure.
This premium hair jig sports a 4/0 Mustad black nickel hook in the 3/8oz and a 5/0 in the 5/8oz that has a good bite for both freshwater and saltwater fish. The head has been custom painted to match the colors in the jig which include deer hair, mylar, and feathers. After tying is complete, the tying threads are sealed and cleared for extreme durability.
The rate of fall for this jig is about 1 foot per second for the 3/8oz and 2 feet per second for the 5/8oz. Be sure to watch the video.
 The V&M Hula Shad is the most versatile soft plastic bait on the market! The Hula Shad has combined the head and body of a soft plastic jerkbait with the skirt of a tube. Fish have never seen anything like it. The V&M Hula Shad can be used as a jerkbait, flipping bait, drop shot bait, Carolina or Texas rig. It darts like a soft plastic jerkbait, but EXPLODES when the bait stops!
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