Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Rapala DT10, DT14 and DT16 crankbaits were all crucial in Terry Bolton’s first FLW Tour win. To target prespawn bass on the big Texas reservoir, Bolton opted for the demon and Caribbean shad colors and threw his crankbaits with Lew’s BB1 Pro Speed Spool reels with the 5.1:1 gear ratio. The man nicknamed “Blade” for his spinnerbait prowess also caught some quality fish on a white 3/4-ounce Accent spinnerbait and mixed in a few on a Carolina rig with a 5-inch green pumpkin Zoom Lizard. Bolton targeted bare spots on inside grass lines in the mornings. Then, after 11 o’clock, he fished 15 to 18 feet deep on outside grass line drains.

Other top bass catching baits during stops at Lake Taho, Grand Lake, Lake Seminole, Cherokee Lake, Chickamauga, and Lake Champlain include:

- Scottsboro Tackle Co. Swimbait (natural shad) on an 8/0 Owner Beast Flashy -Swimmer 3/8-ounce belly-weighted hook with a blade

- A white 1/2-ounce swim jig with a 4-inch Scottsboro (natural shad) trailer

- Bill Lewis MR-6. Z-Man Palmetto BugZ on a 1/2-ounce weight.

- Bill Lewis MR-6 and a Z-Man Palmetto BugZ on a 1/2-ounce weight.

- Spinnerbaits with Hildebrandt blades

- Strike King KVD Perfect Plastics Ocho

- Strike King Rage Swimmer

- Six inch Berkley Power Bait MaxScent The General

- Dirty Jigs Swim Bait with Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Meaty Chunk trailer

- Z-Man Chatter Bait with a white soft jerkbait trailer

- Luck-E-Strike Series 3 square-bill crankbait- Texas rigged Luck-E-Strike Pow Stik, 3/16 oz ¼ oz. Bass Pro Shops tungsten weight

Thanks to FLW for sharing the great information and picture. Good information that may require a trip to your favorite tackle shop or online retailer.