T.J. Stallings is an avid angler who mixes his fishing passion with his job as P.R. Director/lure designer at TTI Blakemore, which, more than coincidentally, makes the Road Runner lures that Stallings loves for creek trips.
“My first pick would be the Reality Shad Road Runner in solid white,” said Stallings. “Creeks often get a little deeper as you enter past the sandbar. The willow blade is perfect for this. Solid white is my go-to color since it is opaque and simulates the belly of bait fish.”
Stallings chases largemouth, smallmouth, shoal bass, and spotted bass in small creeks, streams, and rivers across the country, so he’s learned a thing or two about where to catch them, how to catch them and what they bite.
When it comes to catching larger bass on small waters many people don’t have a clue. Stallings uses a pattern that often gets overlooked by many anglers.
“A long cast down the center of the creek may well be your best shot at a larger spotted bass,” Stallings said. “Both the cover on the sides and the depth of the center of the creek will be important if the sun is really bright.”
While short casts are the rule rather than the exception on shallow creeks, there are a few places that rarely if ever get exposed, and bass will position themselves in these areas and use them as rest stops and ambush spots.
“Long casts matter in shallow water since sound is amplified by the bottom,” said Stallings. “Use a line conditioner to increase casting distance and use your trolling motor as little as possible to reduce sound.”
“As the creek shallows up, switch to the original Curly-Tail Road Runner,” Stallings said. “The Indiana blade is slower and a better choice for skinny water. The curly tail slows the presentation a little more too.”
According to Stallings combining the white tail with a chartreuse or red head Road Runner has proven to be one of the better spotted bass colors.
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