Reel Chat with BRYAN THRIFT

– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Welcome to FLW Live Reel Chat. Today we’re joined by FLW Tour pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C. With 18 top-10 finishes in FLW Outdoors events and top-five finishes in three consecutive tournaments, Thrift is as hot as any angler in the sport right now.

– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Since he began fishing the FLW Tour in 2006, Thrift has also amassed an amazing nine FLW Tour top-10 finishes, including his most recent $125,000 win at Lake Norman. Thrift’s career earnings at FLW Outdoors-related events now stand at nearly $600,000. As a result of his first-ever FLW Tour victory, Thrift now owns the top spot in the 2010 FLW Tour Angler of the Year race.

– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Today Thrift is here to take questions from you, the fans. So, without further delay, let’s get started.

Q: What kind of crankbait did you use (at Norman)? Did you catch more fish on the crank or on the jig? What was the breakdown?
— Jess (Decatur, Ala.)
A: The crankbait was a Damiki DC 100 in real-shad color. And each of the four days, I weighed three on the crankbait and two on the jig. So I guess the crankbait accounted for about two-thirds of my fish.

Q: The largemouths are about to start spawning at my home lake. What is your favorite lure for catching bedding bass?
— Tim (Gallatin, Tenn.)
A: Actually, I like a 4- or a 5-inch tube. Damiki has a new bait called a Hydra that I just got in my hands that I really like. I usually stick with three colors when bed-fishing: a pearl/white, a red/black and a green-pumpkin. In my experience, they will bite one of those three colors.

Q: What kind of rod and reel setup do you like to throw jerkbaits on? Is it better to use a moderate rod or a fast one?
— Keegan (Jacksboro, Tenn.)
A: I throw a jerkbait on a Revo STX 6.4:1 gear ratio. And I throw it on a 7-foot or a 6-foot, 6-inch Damiki Dark Angel rod that has medium-heavy action.

Q: I remember back in 2008 you nearly won AOY on Lake Erie. What happened on day two? What a crazy tournament; of course David Dudley somehow wins. Do you use that as motivation for this season?
— Larry G. (Evansville, Ind.)
A: Well, day two — I really don’t know what to say. It was one of those crazy days where nothing went right. I definitely had enough bites (probably seven or eight) to win, but I only caught three of them. On Erie you’re just drifting around the flats, and my co-angler probably had 16 or 17 pounds. It got to the point where it was comical. I would have them stuck and halfway to the boat, and they would just come off. One 4-pounder jumped straight up 3 feet in the air and was eye level with me — just grinning. It was bad. In all seriousness, I try not to dwell on things that happened in the past. So, no, it doesn’t really motivate me.

Q: What brand and size of hooks do you use for worms/lizards?
— Jamie (Dothan, Ala.)
A: It depends on the bait and what I’m fishing for. If I’m throwing a Carolina rig for prespawn spots, I’m going to use 2/0 or a 3/0 lightwire extra wide gap made by Gamakatsu. Pretty much all my hooks are Gamakatsu. Usually I go by line size. I try and use the biggest hook that I can get away with. For anything over 15-pound test, I use a superline hook. For anything under 15 pounds, I use a lightwire.

Q: Hey, Bryan, could you take a minute and share with us the basics in casting and retrieving a jig after you skip it? And could you maybe point out a few advanced tips that may help us out? Thanks.
— Joel Alinen (Everett, Wash.)
A: The way I fish a jig is really fast. I’m going to pull up and make the the first cast under the float, let it fall to the bottom, then I’m going to hop it maybe two or three times. And then I’m going to wind it in and make maybe two or three more casts on the poles. Then I’m going to go to the next dock and do the same thing. The thinking there is the fish under the docks are there to feed. So I feel like you don’t have to spend very much time at each one.

Q: They say KVD (Kevin Van Dam) is the fastest fisherman on the Elite Series. He covers more water better than anyone. Are you the fastest pro on the FLW Tour? If not, who fishes faster?
— Ryan (Akron, Ohio)
A: I’m going to say I’m definitely not the fastest fisherman on the FLW Tour. I’ve got to give that award to my good friend Andy Montgomery. He fishes fast, and when the fish are up on the bank, he’s tough. He’s really good at covering a lot of water in a hurry and making the five biggest fish bite.

Q: I don’t know much about Damiki. What is their signature bait? For example, Yamamoto has the Senko, Reactions Innovations has the Beaver. What is Damiki’s best bait?
— Chris Forseth (Pine Bluff, Ark.)
A: They’ve actually got two that I like the best. One is called the Finesse Miki. It’s a shaky-head worm that has a long tail that has great action. The tail is cupped at the end, which is different than most finesse worms. The second bait would be the Hydra, which is a tube but has a solid body. There are 24 tentacles on each Hydra, and on the end of them, there is a plastic ball that makes them flare open when they are sitting still. It actually stays open under the water.

Q: What creeks were the most productive for you (at Lake Norman)?
— Les Tolley (Harrisburg, N.C.)
A: Ramsey, Davidson, Skipper and Lucky Creek were all really productive.

Q: What part of the lake did you fish? What depth did you concentrate on? What was your primary lure? What color(s)? How did you work your lures? How did you decide to fish the locations and spots that you did? What was the water temperature?
— Murph (Charlotte, N.C.)
A: I fished pretty much from the dam to the bridge in water that went from 10 feet to the bank. As I said before, I was throwing a Damiki DC 100 crankbait (real-shad) and a Shooter Lures jig with a plastic trailer (green-pumpkin). The water temperature went anywhere from 56 to 60 degrees.

Q: First off, congratulations, buddy! Secondly, I’m sorry to hear about your daddy. My question is this: When you are skipping docks are you usually hopping or crawling the jig on the bottom or are you swimming the jig? Actually, why don’t you just take me out for a lesson sometime? Ha ha … You are doing a great job out there. Keep it up.
— Neil Townsend (State Road, N.C.)
A: Hi, Neil. (Editor’s note: Neil is a former high school classmate of Thrift’s). As for the jig, I was just hopping it.

Q: Did you see any fish on bed at the Norman event? Are they on bed now?
— John F. (Salisbury, N.C.)
A: I didn’t see any at all during the tournament. But I know they are lying everywhere now. Andy (Montgomery) fished a big tournament this past Saturday and caught all his off bed.

Q: Do you know Jeff Coble and David (Ranger) Wright? Are you better than them?
— Greg (Lexington, N.C.)
A: I don’t really know them that well. I hear their names mentioned a lot, and I know they’re good around here. But I don’t know who is better, and I don’t know that that matters.

Q: When did you know you were good enough to be a pro fisherman? When did you start fishing competitively?
— Teddy (Sacramento, Calif.)
A: I started fishing competitively in 2001. And I don’t know that I ever really thought I was ready or not. I went to work for a few years after college. I basically saved all that money, and when I had enough to cover my first year fishing, I decided I was ready. I fished three events in 2006 as a co-angler, and my first pro event was Lake Travis in 2007.

Q: Congrats on your recent run, Bryan. Very impressive. What tournament are you most looking forward to on the remaining FLW schedule, and why? Also, I’m heading with a friend down to Kentucky Lake (south of the Paris area) for an annual fishing trip next week. Water temp is 60, they are prespawn, supposedly. What would be your top three areas/structure to hook a giant in that stage?
— Aaron Meyers (Delevan, N.Y.)
A: I’ve got to say Guntersville; it just has so many big fish. You’ve always got a chance to catch a 10-pounder. That’s the one that’s got me the most excited. I really can’t offer you a lot of information because I’ve only been to Kentucky Lake once, and I never went that far south. But I would guess you could go into some pockets and creeks and throw a jig and a spinnerbait around.

Q: How do you feel about your chances at Loudoun-Tellico? Knoxville isn’t too far from home.
— Tim B. (Richmond, Va.)
A: I actually feel pretty good about (my chances). It’s at the time of year where the bass should be shallow. I would guess 80 percent of the bass will be in 10 feet of water or less. That just kind of narrows down the options. I don’t think the ledges will be a factor, so I should just be able to go down the bank and catch them.

Q: Is it true you got lost on the way to the Cabarrus Center for weigh-in? Aren’t you a local?
— Mike (Greensboro, N.C.)
A: Yes, that is true. But I knew where I was the whole time. I just didn’t go the way everyone else went. As far as being a local, I know how to get to all the lakes — that’s about it.

Q: Hey, Bryan, fishing as a co-angler, sometimes it’s pretty hard to narrow down which type of presentation to use from the back of the boat. Can you list five techniques for this scenario?
— Peter (Copperas Cove, Texas)
A: It depends on the time of year. Say it’s a postspawn deal: You definitely want to have a shaky head tied on. You definitely want to have a topwater tied on in case you see one school. You definitely want a Carolina rig tied on just because you cover water quickly with it. You would also want a jig and probabaly some type of weightless wacky worm.

Q: Talk about ChatterBaits, please. Why do you use them? Also, how can you gain confidence throwing a jig?
— Matt (Tyler, Texas)
A: The ChatterBait is a good lure to cover a lot of water with and see what kind of a bite is going on. It’s just a confidence thing. I’ve thrown it so much I know what it’s doing, and I can make it do what I want it to do. As for a jig, you just need to go to the lake with four different sizes tied on and throw them until you have confidence in them. Basically, it takes time on the water.

Q: What colors does you use when thowing a ChatterBait in muddy water, and what trailer?
— Matt (Tyler, Texas)
A: In muddy water, I throw a white-and-chartreuse ChatterBait with like a pearl-white grub or a pearl-white fluke.

Q: What is special about Damiki, specifically the DC crankbait that made it a factor in your Lake Norman stopping?
— Aaron Meyers (Delevan, N.Y.)
A: Probably just the action on it. It has a real hard wobble on it — it thumps really good. It’s heavy enough where you can cast in real accurately around docks and walkways. I was throwing it on 12-pound Trilene fluorocarbon.

– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Unfortunately, fishing fans, that’s all the time we have to chat with Bryan today. Thanks to all who tuned in and participated in today’s Reel Chat. And a special thanks to Bryan Thrift, the recent FLW Tour winner at Lake Norman, for giving us his time and insights into bass fishing. Check back shortly for a complete transcript of today’s FLW Live Reel Chat.