April 2017 FLW Tour
Lake Cumberland — Scott Martin Makes History with 8th Tour Win
Watch the tournament coverage—despite nasty weather on day one, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits dominated as pros targeted pre-spawn bass in flooded bushes and creek drains.
The Tournament in One Sentence
Scott Martin became the first angler in FLW history to win eight Tour-level events by targeting creek arms in the lower end with jerkbaits and wake baits, catching all three species of bass staging in flooded bushes before the spawn.
Tournament Snapshot
Event Details
- Event: FLW Tour presented by T-H Marine
- Dates: April 6–9, 2017
- Winner: Scott Martin (60 lbs, 1 oz)
- Prize: $125,400
Conditions
- Season: Spring (Pre-Spawn)
- Water Temp: Mid 50s to low 60s
- Water Level: 715.40 feet (rising)
- Weather: Day 1 nasty (rain, 45 mph gusts), improved later
Key Tournament Factors:
Scott Martin's Winning Pattern
"My fish had to be in a creek. Not a main pocket off of the river, but a creek with small arms. The creeks I liked had lots of little arms. At the intersections there were points, then a straight stretch that led back to pockets with bushes."
Largemouth used the bushes in the back of the drain. Spotted bass keyed in on bushes along the stretches. Smallmouth liked the secondary points with rock and bushes near the intersection openings.
"I caught two that I weighed in today on the wake bait. It just felt right to throw it. The water temperature was rising a little bit, I saw some baitfish activity and it was dead-slick calm. Those are the best conditions to use it in."
Key Location:
Lower end of the lake, near the dam. Martin ran to new water each day, preferring locations with good populations of all three species.
Winning Tackle
The bulk of his fish came on a jerkbait. Used early in the week and throughout when targeting mixed species in creek arms. 10-pound fluorocarbon line.
Crucial on the final day when conditions turned calm and warm. Caught two key fish including his final cast 3-pounder that sealed the win.
Used in the flooded bushes early in the tournament before switching primarily to the jerkbait pattern.
Top 10 Patterns: What Else Worked
Targeted largemouth in White Oak Creek near Burnside. Keyed on channel swing cutting into spawning flat with active shad. Booyah squarebill (craw) for shallow bushes, 1/2-oz Z-Man ChatterBait with YUM Pulse swimbait (white) worked up the ledge.
"Old school" spinnerbait fishing in Caney Creek. Slow-rolled 3/4-oz Accent River Special and War Eagle with willow leaf blades through submerged sycamore trees in 4-8 feet. Zoom Split Tail Trailer. 20-lb mono.
"Just went fishing" in Beaver Creek with a SPRO McStick (blue bandit) on 10-lb fluoro. Picked a different section each day, fished the banks until check-in. Better fish came off standing bushes in the middle of drains.
Started with jerkbait (chartreuse in clouds, shad in sun), switched to flipping jig as conditions calmed. 1/2-oz Dirty Jigs Canterbury Flippin' Jig in Canterbury craw with NetBait Paca Chunk trailer.
Got a tip that pink spinnerbaits work on Cumberland. Custom Santone pink spinner for largemouth in bushes, Lucky Craft Slender Pointer 112 and Megabass Vision 110 (blue chartreuse) for smallmouth on points in Indian Creek.
One bait all week: 3.75" Strike King Rage Swimmer (ghost shad) on 3/8 or 1/2-oz head. Targeted anything vertical—points, trees, docks, bridge pilings. Fished 7-10 feet deep on 15-lb Seaguar Tatsu for suspended spotted bass.
"Right at home"—fished Indian Creek like Ozark lakes back home. Luck-E-Strike RC STX jerkbait on points (added weight to belly for 5-6 ft depth), 1/2-oz white/chartreuse spinnerbait for largemouth in back pocket bushes.
Led days 2 and 3 but zeroed on day 4. Danced with dicey smallmouth game—two jerkbaits (deep lip for steep points, shallow for bushes). Switched to 10-ft crankbait on day 3 but couldn't connect on final day. "Those reservoir smallmouth are pretty fickle."
Weightless Tightlines UV 6" straight-tail worm (merthiolate/orange) around bushes in Conley Bottom and Beaver Creek. Targeted sparse bushes with run-ins in back— "those were the best ones for largemouth."
The Big Picture: What Worked at This Tournament
Jerkbait Approach (6 of Top 10):
- •Suspending jerkbaits for smallmouth on points
- •Blue chartreuse or shad colors most popular
- •Chartreuse in cloudy, shad in sunny conditions
- •10-12 lb fluorocarbon standard
Spinnerbait Approach (4 of Top 10):
- •"Old school" 1/2-3/4 oz spinnerbaits in flooded bushes
- •Slow-rolled through submerged trees 4-8 feet
- •Chartreuse/white and even pink worked
- •Best for largemouth in back of drains
Key Takeaways for Your Next Spring Trip
1. Target Creek Arms with Multiple Drains
Martin's winning spots had "lots of little arms" with intersections, points, stretches, and pockets. This variety held all three species in predictable positions.
2. Match the Bait to the Species and Location
Jerkbaits for smallmouth on rocky points, spinnerbaits for largemouth in flooded bushes. The pattern held throughout the Top 10.
3. Adjust to Conditions
Martin switched to a wake bait on the final calm day. Canterbury went from jerkbait to jig when the sun came out. Be ready to pivot.
4. Don't Overlook Old-School Tactics
Bolton finished 3rd slow-rolling spinnerbaits "old school." Sometimes the classics work best, especially in flooded timber.
Quick Summary:
- •Jerkbaits and spinnerbaits dominated
- •Lower end creek arms with flooded bushes
- •Pre-spawn fish staging on channel swings and flats
- •Water temps mid-50s to low-60s
- •Wake bait deadly in calm, warming conditions
Learn More About Spring Patterns
This tournament happened during the pre-spawn. Check out our full spring patterns guide for more on how to fish Cumberland when bass are staging before the spawn.
More Information
For the full coverage from Major League Fishing, check out these resources: