Lucky Craft SKT crankbait at Lake El Salto Mexico

I consistently apply my “80/20 rule” on bass fishing trips to Mexico – devoting at least 80 percent of my time to using proven lures and colors and the other 20 percent to experimentation. If you don’t follow that process, it’s easy to get sucked down a rabbit hole of “stuff I want to try” and lose whole days of fishing.

One true winner during this last trip was the flutter spoon, a lure that I had vowed to experiment with prior to heading south of the border. Going forward, I think it’ll fill an important offshore gap between the slower-moving baits like Carolina Rigs, Texas Rigs and football jigs, and the more aggressive crankbaits. I’m excited to head back and try it again.

The spoon wasn’t the only lure that got some game-time action in November, but it was the one that showed the most promise. Nevertheless, there are at least three more that have me excited – all were either left in my stored tackle down there, or will get a coveted spot in my luggage on American Airlines.

Osprey Tournament Talon

The Storm Wildeye Swim Shad is a proven and economical top-hook swimbait option in Mexico, but as I delve further into Swimbait World I’m always looking for more and better options. One that I brought on this trip was the 6-inch Osprey Tournament Talon in Chartreuse Shad. It weighs 2 ounces, which means that it’s easier to keep on the bottom than the 4-, 5- or even the 6-inch Storm (which weighs 7/8 of an ounce). It’s also $18.99, so if you’re not prepared to lose it to El Salto’s rocks and trees, it might not be the best option for you.

What I liked about it was its seductive wiggle at just about any speed. It’s super-soft, creating lifelike undulation, but at the same time it feels remarkably durable. I could see bouncing it through the heavy offshore cover, but I suspect it will garner bigger-than-average fish even shallow, in places where you might otherwise throw a spinnerbait or Chatterbait. On this trip, the swimbait bite was inconsistent – we only had one session where I’d characterize it as very good, and the bite window at that time seemed limited, so I didn’t want to change what was working. The Osprey deserves a second chance.

Daiwa Dead or Alive

Before the trip I blogged about my intention to try the discontinued JDM Daiwa Dead or Alive, a Frankenstein of a wakebait that I’d heard about from Ish Monroe. Indeed, I got onto a wakebait bite during this trip, but it was on the SPRO Rat. I threw the Dead or Alive a handful of times, and I was intrigued by it’s action. While it’s gaudy and unnatural-looking out of the water, it’s surprisingly fluid and lifelike. It also fits a sweet spot between “tournament-sized” and “oversized” – I can see it being attractive to both giants and 2-pounders – and you don’t need special tackle to throw it. I thought about leaving it in Mexico, but it seemed like something that might be of use in the waters around home, so I brought it back with me for another go.

Lucky Craft SKT Squarebill

SKT Mag squarebill for big bass in Mexico

I interviewed Rick Clunn after his solid season-ending performance at Lake Fork about the Ichikawa King Kong Shad crankbait he’d used there to amass a 29 pound catch on the first day of competition. It’s a 1 3/16 ounce squarebill that dives 10 feet, and he was using it to deflect off cover in front of deeper docks. The key with all large squarebills, he told me, is to maximize speed. That’s a lesson he learned from Fred Young, creator of the Big O.

That reminded me that my tackle collection includes a Lucky Craft SKT Magnum 110 Mag MR, a larger bait that weighs a full 2 ounces. I believe that I got it from my friend Steve Yatomi, who got it from Skeet himself before they were originally released to the market. We’ve caught plenty of fish on squarebills over the years in Mexico, usually the Lucky Craft RC or the Strike King KVD versions, but never on any of the really large models. Several of the anglers on my trip to Brazil last year got on a wolf fish bite with giant cranks in the rapids, but it was too late for me. I threw the SKT a little bit on this trip. I’d guesstimate that it gets even deeper than 10 feet, making it a great mid-range option, and it’s loud as hell – when it’s coming up toward the aluminum boat you know it. I’m confident that at some point when the fish are in that range and aggressive down there this is one tool that’ll pay off.