What's Old is New

The best in the world are just that.

I’m always intrigued by the gameplan of winning pros in big bass tournaments. Often times we see reliable strategy by those finishing second, or fifth, but the winners zig when others zag, capitalizing on an obscure bite that puts them over the edge.

Our initial events of 2026 were a case in point. Drew Gill pushed the boundaries on modern perfection while Hank Cherry turned back the clock. Each were rewarded.

Let’s start with Cherry. Since winning back-to-back Classics in 2020 and ’21, Cherry has been quietly flying under the radar, cashing checks but not threatening to win. Last week at Guntersville, Cherry staged an impressive comeback utilizing the oldest trick in the book.

I can’t remember the last time a big bass tournament was won on a curly-tailed grub. I bet it’s been a while. And remember, this was an event without live sonar, making the technique even more obscure.

Cherry noted that he had been waiting his whole life for the grub bite to line up in a major event. Patience, it seems, is key to the technique in more ways than one.

Water temperatures were in the low 40s, equating to few lure options. Most of the field chose crankbaits - lipped and not - as well as Chatterbaits and jerkbaits. Some probably used jigs. Few, if any, remembered to try a grub.

Cherry relied on a subtle swimming retrieve to catch bass suspended below dying shad. The method requires tremendous feel but can be extremely effective in cold water as was the case at Guntersville.

Fine-tuning things even more, Cherry relied on a casting rod, quite unconventional for this style of fishing. It gave him better control over big fish than a spinning set-up, and equated the technique to finesse swimbaiting, for the most part.

I would wager that Cherry was the only competitor at Guntersville fishing suspended bass with a curly-tail grub on a casting rod. He was also the only one to go home with a blue trophy.

Gill won the Bass Pro Tour season opener at Guntersville three weeks prior, then followed it up with a win in the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit season opener at the Harris Chain. Each event featured Gill doing what he does best: maximizing the efficiency of his live sonar game to outdistance the competition.

Guntersville was a game of numbers, where Gill relied on a massive school of bass to dominate FFS periods, then later held on to squeak out a win.

At Harris, Gill displayed his true ability and it’s here that we should take note. Again utilizing skills with his electronics, Gill committed to fishing for the largest fish in the lake with a “second place is for losers” mentality.

“This was a big risk, but it was big risk because it wasn’t likely a positive outcome” Gill said of his approach.

He stuck to a game plan revolving around the use of an umbrella rig targeting suspended giants. Gill noted that his angle and approach needed to match the scrutiny of his intelligent targets. There were considerations for angle to avoid presenting the lure unnaturally. There were considerations for placement in the water column, as Gill noted that the largest fish avoided the bottom. Gill even worked to cover up the gaudy wires of the lure itself and only allow the bass to see the realistic swimbaits. It was truly a lesson in perfection.

Just as impressive, though, was Gill’s reluctance to fish for bites. He went in with an attitude of hero or zero and that is what it takes to win at today’s level.

This has become standard protocol on the top tours. Winners are gambling right out of the gate. When that gamble fails to produce, we don’t hear about it. But when it works, we frequently have a champion on our hands.

With the FFS off, Gill wrapped up his victory using a familiar technique (jig and minnow) and a can’t fail power-fishing bait (Chatterbait). Each allowed him to hold on, once the umbrella rig had been laid down.

This brings up another interesting component. With the advent of FFS, we’re seeing anglers using techniques that may have flown under the radar for their effectiveness. Sure, we all know how compelling an A-Rig can be in certain situations – most notably when bass have never seen one – but anglers like Gill are showing the world the potential of putting obscure set-ups into new scenarios. This, of course, is due to the instant confirmation offered by FFS.

We’ll see more of that in the upcoming year. Pros will break out old lures and design new ones, all in an attempt to exploit a niche that others miss. It’s an Alabama Rig today, maybe a discontinued crankbait tomorrow.

It will be exciting to watch, now that we’re back under way.

Joe Balog is the Executive Director of Mighty River Recovery, a nonprofit organization working to restore Florida’s St. Johns River. A former national tournament angler, product designer, seminar speaker and guide, Balog has worn just about every hat available to a professional angler. Today, he enjoys rehashing his experiences and adding veteran insight through his weekly Bass Wars column.

---