Sontus Mitchell has a big 20-foot Triton fiberglass bass rig with plenty of storage compartments. Good thing: He’s armed like a big-bass SWAT team member, with bags of fishing tricks stowed here and there in every corner of the rig.
A little something for every situation and every North Louisiana lake.
But Mitchell does have his favorites, which he gladly shared.
That list starts with an assortment of Boyd Duckett fishing rods. He uses a couple of different kinds of reels, but the Abu Garcia Revo SX is on the top of the list.
“I fish hard and I fish a lot, so I need a tough rod and the Duckett rods fit that bill,” Mitchell said. “It’s also sensitive and has a great feel. Revo reels are dependable, smooth-casting reels and, like the rods, take a lot of heavy use.”
Fishing in heavy structure for big bass requires Mitchell to use heavy line. His favorite is 17-pound green P-Line CXX X-tra Strong for most applications, especially in dingy or off-color water.
If he finds himself in clear water, he’ll switch to Seaguar Inviz 12-pound line.
He keeps bulk size spools of both in his boat.
“Line is so important, especially for big bass,” Mitchell said. “You fish in a lot of brush piles or structure, and you get it dinged up.
“If you don’t keep fresh line and fresh knots, you’ll set the hook on a big one and come up empty.”
He respools often and never fishes a tournament without new line on every reel.
A Zoom Ol’ Monster 10-inch plastic worm is a go-to big bass lure in the spring. Mitchell fishes lots of colors, from natural brown to all kinds of purples, but his top pick is the junebug. He fishes it all year long.
He also fishes a variety of square bill crankbaits and jigs, and isn’t as brand conscious there.
There are times when a topwater lure works and, even though they cost $15 to $20 each, he always throws a Yellow Magic Popper.
“It’s just good,” Mitchell said. “It’s expensive, but it’s good.”
He even has a favorite clothing line — Huk. Since he discovered it, that is all he wears on the water.
“You want to be comfortable when you are fishing, and when you are after big bass you don’t want to worry about what you are wearing,” Mitchell said. “It’s light, breathable and Huk fits that bill.”