Kennedy’s Big Bait Stash
Alabama pro Steve Kennedy was one of the first eastern pro anglers to adopt the swimbaiting technique – although not the flat brim and tattoos – and he did it in grand style, by winning the 2007 Clear Lake Elite Series event. Over four days he tallied what was then a B.A.S.S. four-day record catch of 122 pounds 14 ounces. With 40 pounds on Day Three, he passed the Century Mark. His main tools were Huddlestons and Basstrix Paddle Tails.
He spent over $3,000 on that trip to California. After Clear Lake he told BassFan: "I've got bags of that you almost can't pick up. To me, they're the hot bait. Maybe they won't work back home, but they sure look a lot like a threadfin shad."
Since then he’s spent several times that on big bass baits and continues to obsess about them, having learned that they do work back home, and many other places where you might not expect them to be effective.
Some of those lures cost hundreds of dollars and others are comparative bargains. He’s not beholden to trends or fashion and he’s not afraid to throw any of them when money’s on the line. I asked him to pick out four baits that are most likely to be on his line on tournament day. Here they are, in no particular order:
“Cost is an important consideration. These 8- and 10-inch baits are often the first I’ll use in practice as search baits. The Poppa glides a little bit wider and a little bit easier, but they’re both a little bit choppy. It’s more of a cover glide.
“It’s a real choppy bait and a great shad imitation -- something about it gets bit. The neat thing that makes it different than every other bait is that when you slow it down it tends to rise and when you chop it, it gets down 2-3 feet. You can get it down to cover and then let it rise over limbs.
“It’s just a really big, perfect gizzard shad imitation, something you’ve got to have any time you’re fishing for big fish when they’re eating big gizzard shad. The high dollar lures tend to be more specific about mimicking something. I can’t think of a tournament where I’d start with it, but it’s what I’ll pull out when I’m looking for a big bite.
“He’s got smaller ones, but I use the biggest one the most, including for shoal bass on the river here. It’s got a great thump, almost like a Chatterbait. Just slow reel it around bream beds or docks and they’ll destroy it.”
Kennedy’s Swimbait Tackle
Rod: “I probably use the Dobyns 867 the most, but I like the 806, too.”
Reel: “Old green Curados.”
Line: “I use 25 pound test P-Line mono that I got back in 2006. I keep it an ice chest down in the basement.”
Replacement Trebles: “Gamakatsu 2X round bends. Every time I go back to 1X a big fish jumps and they straighten one out.”
Kennedy’s Moneymaking Soft Swimbait
Kennedy was also one of the cadre of anglers who made bank on the discontinued Bass Pro Shops XPS soft bait. If you don’t have those, can’t find any or don’t want to pay ebay prices, here are some substitutes:
Check out the Bassmaster “Cast from the Past” below to see some of SK’s early swimbaiting success:
