Fishing With Kenny | Ten Questions for Kenny

article by Kenny Covington

Bass anglers are a curious bunch.  We like to ask questions and even if we are given truthful answers, we tend to overanalyze what we are told.  In this month’s “Fishing with Kenny” article, I want to share some popular questions I have been asked and the answers I have given.  Hopefully somewhere along the way, we can share with some information that will make you a better bass fisherman!

What is your favorite lure and why?
Anyone who knows or has competed against me over the years will tell you my favorite bait is a spinnerbait.  It catches fish year-round, in all types of lakes and water conditions.  It is a specialized lure that you only gain confidence in by throwing it a lot.  The more you study the spinnerbait and the different ways to use it, the better spinnerbait fisherman you will become.  The most popular combination is a 3/8-ounce Colorado/willow combination, usually a chart/white, but it’s one I seldom use.

What is your favorite time of the year and scenario to fish? Example:  Early morning summertime, late fall in the evening, a cool winter morning..  What makes it stand out from the others?
My favorite time of year to fish is in the fall.  I prefer a cool, crisp fall morning with a slight chop on the water, and this scenario sets up to throw a topwater plug or a spinnerbait.  Also, the fish tend to bunch up this time of year and it’s a great time to catch a big one!

Do you think i,t is important to spend the time mastering a certain technique opposed to bouncing around trying to learn too many things at once?
I believe each angler needs to develop their own style.  I can fish deep or shallow water, but I prefer to fish shallow.  I have won fishing deep with a Carolina Rig or a crankbait, but I have won most of my tournaments, even in the wintertime, fishing water less than five feet deep.  To me you are better off being a jack of all trades, instead of being a master of one.  Being versatile, even in the technology age of bass fishing, is crucial to success.

Do you feel the modern beginning anglers make a mistake by trying too many things with the plethora of lure options that are available today?
Again, this comes back to an angler’s style.  If I go to a new body of water, with the exception of the wintertime, I will have a shallow crankbait, a spinnerbait or two, a moving topwater, a slow topwater and a jig tied on when I leave the boat ramp.  I know with these five basic lures I can catch fish on any body of water most of the year.  The idea is to cover enough water until you find fish; once you find them, you can figure out the better ways to catch them.

If you could recommend one lure for a newer angler to spend the most time on, what would it be?
A shakey head or a drop shot rig.  Both of these techniques will catch fish year-round, no matter where you go or what the weather conditions are.  Cold water, hot water, gin clear, muddy water, no matter the season or the lake you fish, both techniques will catch fish for you.  

What is something you have tied on year-round that you would consider your comfort lure?
A small compact ¼ or ½ once jig.  Most of the crawfish eaten by bass are usually less than three inches in length.  Most of the bream a bass will eat are small.  I believe there is no better lure to mimic either forage than a small jig.  Buy using two colors, a base green pumpkin or black and blue, I keep things simple.

Is there a bait or style of baits that you just do not care for and have never had much luck with?
Suspending jerkbaits.  I can count on one hand how many fish I have ever caught on one.  I know they work, and I know anglers who catch lots of fish on them; I am just not one of them.  My issue is I can’t get a true feel for what the lure is doing during the cast and for me, that effects my confidence when using one.

How do you use the electronics on your boat? Do you side scan or down scan to look for structure?
Most of the time, I always have my front graph on; I am only concerned about the depth of the water and the temperature of it. However, no matter what, I always use my side scan as much as I can because it is instrumental in finding cover and structure out away from the boat.  Side-scan is especially effective for locating offshore grass flats.

What are the most important factors you determine when getting a gameplan together for an upcoming tournament?
The first thing I do is I consider the time of year and what I think the bass will be doing.  Spawning?  Post-spawn?  Wintertime cold front?  North wind, south wind?  Is the water high and what is the water’s color?  The variables go on and on.

Then I look at the history of the lake and what winning weights has it produced in the past.  I have tournament records that are over forty years old and using them as a reference point is invaluable.  Once I have this established, I make a list of twelve lures that I believe will be effective and in practice, begin the process of elimination.  A key point to remember:  most tournaments are won on an overlooked lure or technique or an overlooked area, which hasn’t been pressured.

Would it be hard for a newer angler to compete today without the use of Forward-Facing Sonar?
I think FFS is the way the sport is going and if you want to remain competitive, to some degree, you will have to use technology to your advantage.  Not all events are dominated with technology but on lakes such as Caney and Claiborne, you just about can’t compete without having up-to-date technology on your boat.

Well, it looks like we have run out of time and space for another month.  I hope we were able to share some information with you that will make your next trip to the water more enjoyable.  Take care and the next time you go wet a hook, catch one for me!  See you next month!