Q and A with 2009 Bassmaster Classic Champion Skeet Reese Question: I live in east Tennessee, in the summer I fish offshore humps and long points on the main river channel, a lot of time the bite is pretty early with a jigging spoon or a deep diving crankbait (Mann's 30 plus or a Hot Lips) but later in the day they will suspend in about 30 to 35 feet deep about 5 to 10 feet off the bottom do you know any tricks to catch them. Thanks Buster Answer: Thanks for the question Buster, you're encountering a tough situation, but if you can figure it out, it can be a great one as well. When competing on the Elite Series, we see this situation a lot, especially when we are in summer months or river lakes, like the TVA Lakes . Here's how I go about trying to make those fish bite. One way, the fastest if it works is to keep throwing the crankbait, try using smaller line to get it deeper, I use a Lucky Craft Flat CBD20 and try to make long casts with my Lamiglas SR765R cranking rod and Abu Garcia Revo SKT reel. If the fast route doesn't work, there are a couple of other ways I would try. I will often swim a Berkley Hollow Belly swimbait on a jig head at the depth the fish are holding at. If the fish are suspended near the bottom, you might be able to get them to react to a jig that is stroked off the bottom. You could also swim a 1/4-ounce darter head and curl tail grub through the school. If none of those works, I turn to a dropshot rig fished vertically. I watch my Lowrance 113 closely to see the drop shot rig reach the depth and gently shake the rig to try and entice a strike. I use a Lamiglas SR 743S spinning rod with an Abu Garcia Cardinal Spinning reel and Berkley 's 100% Fluorocarbon, usually 8-pound-test. I have started using Berkley 's Hand Poured finesse worm, especially the new seven-inch version. Question: Skeet congratulations on your win at the classic. What baits did you use to win the classic? Butch Texarkana , TX Answer: Thanks Butch, winning the Classic is certainly a dream come true, and while the baits have been covered a lot it certainly doesn't hurt to go into them again. I threw a Redemption Lures spinnerbait that I worked on with Lucky Craft. We introduced them at ICAST in 2008, and only having a few of the early production models when the Classic started, I was hoping they would hold out, boy, did they ever. I fished the same 3/8-ounce tandem bladed bait the whole tournament, which I modified slightly. I took an American Shad head and changed the skirt to a pearl white and I changed the willowleaf blade from gold to silver. We've decided to come out with a new color, called Classic Shad that will be an exact copy of the color I used at the Classic. (See it at http://www.luckycraft.com/luckycrafthome/PastArticles/Productnews/redemption-new.htm ) I threw that spinnerbait on a Lamiglas Skeet Reese SR 705R rod and an Abu Garcia Revo Winch reel spooled with 50-pound-test Spiderwire Ultracast braided line. I used the slower retrieve speed of the Winch, because it would help me keep the blade in the strike zone longer, and the braid helped me snap the blade off the pad stems easier and to horse fish out them when they bit. In the afternoon I turned to flipping a Berkley Crazy Legs Chigger Craw in Black with Blue Flake ( https://www.outdoorproshop.com/product-p/berkley-crazylegchigger4in.htm ) around stumps and laydown logs. I put a Revo SKT on my Lamiglas SRFT 7108 flipping stick and used 20-pound-test Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon. I used a ¼-ounce tungsten weight to allow the lure to fall slowly next to the cover slowly; again I was trying to keep the lure in the strike zone as long as possible. Try them, they produced the biggest win of my career, I know they will help you catch more fish. Question: Hey Skeet, just wondering if you could tell us what fluorocarbon line you're using with your jig rod and spinning rod setup. Would love the whole 9 yards (elaborate) please. Really would like to nail down this fluorocarbon battle that I am having. Trying to experiment and decide which one that I can have the utmost confidence in. I guess I'm looking for that perfect combination of sensitivity, strength, and abrasion resistance, or as close as I can get to perfection. Any input is appreciated. Thanks. Patrick aka D.B.COOPER Answer: Hi Patrick, fluorocarbon line is a great tool, and while fishing line is always a personal choice, I have two that I use, depending on the situation in which I am fishing. For up close fishing, like flipping or fishing around docks I use Trilene 10% Fluorocarbon. Berkley has always made great lines, and with this one, they really allowed us to have some input on the line, and I truly believe it is the best overall fluorocarbon. It handles really well on the spool, and handles the shock of short line hook sets better than other fluorocarbons I've used in the past. The reason is that it has a little more stretch than other lines of this type which makes it a great multipurpose fluorocarbon. The other one I use is for deep water applications. I've found that the smaller diameter of Spiderwire Ultracast Fluorocarbon allows my bait to sink faster and it really allows me to feel the bait with less feedback from the line. This new product is a great addition to Pure Fishing's lineup, and has really made a difference in my finesse applications as well as deep jigging or Carolina rigging