Three weeks after winning the Basspro.com Bassmaster Southern Open on Douglas Lake, Japanese sensation Daisuke Aoki again finds himself fishing on Championship Saturday. With a stout field of top-10 finalists largely focusing on reaction-style presentations and full-size flipping packages, the pro from Minamitsuru-gun Yamanashi, Japan has relied on a finesse bait.
Generally known as the flick shake technique, Aoki’s rig comprises a 4-inch green pumpkin blue flake Yamamoto Senko on a 1/16-ounce wacky jig. Unlike a Neko rig, which uses a nail weight to pull one end of a center-hooked worm downward, the wacky jig keeps both ends of the bait wiggling independently, while bumping along the bottom with an upward posture.
Aoki said he’s making multiple casts in rapid succession and using sharp rod twitches for maximum bait motion. Covering a lot of water and fishing efficiently, he’s hoping to run into five quality fish.
With the final round’s high bright skies and light wind, Aoki’s technique will likely shine later in the day. Don’t be surprised to see him make a late-day surge.