Casey Scanlon – 2014 Underway

The elite season has finally kicked off. It’s been great to get away from some of the cold Midwest weather and do some fishing. This is my first time on Seminole. We will be fishing it during the spawn, so there will be a lot of sight fishing. It will be about finding those big ones and getting them to bite while they sit on their bed. Time management will be key, try not to spend too long on any one fish.

I’m definitely looking forward to this season. I’m putting all of my focus into Seminole right now, but it’s hard to not be excited about what lies ahead. After Seminole we go to St. Johns, which is one of my favorite fisheries. Much like what’s going on at Seminole now, I expect St. Johns to be a sight fishing bite which is one of my favorite ways to fish. I caught my largest tournament fish there, and look to catch a few more like that one next week.

After St. Johns we head to Table Rock. Table Rock is home away from home to me, and it’s a lake I know very well. I plan on using my knowledge of the lake to my advantage. Any elite series angler will tell you it’s hard to win a tournament at this level. While I fish to win every tournament in the elite series, I’m more determined than ever to win that one.

Aside from getting ready for the season, during the offseason I had the opportunity to work with some of the people that ensure I do my best. Mike with Bass Kandi has been a pleasure to work with and we even got to do some fishing together. If you know me, I love to flip and skip a jig. I’ll typically throw a Bass Kandi Texas Craw, or T-Craw on the back of my jig. The great thing about these plastics is they’re not only loaded with salt, but they have a flat bottom which helps my casting performance when I’m skipping under docks. I’ll often swim a jig as well, and I’ve found that a speed bug is an excellent trailer when using that presentation. When fishing, it’s important to match the hatch, and the good folks at Bass Kandi definitely know how to do that with their plastics and color selection. This can make all the difference between getting a bite and not getting a bite.

I’ve also got some good news from the folks at Luck-E-Strike. I love cranking and they have a few new products coming out that I’m excited about. They plan on releasing a new flat-sided crankbait this spring that has a weight transfer system. I like to cover a lot of water when cranking. It’s often hard to achieve a long cast when using a flat-sided crankbait, but the weight transfer system helps cure this problem. This bait allows me to cover a lot of water, but still has the tight wobbling action when the fish want a different look.

Overall, I’m really looking forward to this year and I’m thrilled to be doing what I love. Be sure to stay tuned, the season has only begun!

Be sure to like my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/Casey-Scanlon-Professional-Angler

Casey Scanlon