One of the best shallow water anglers in the game, Florida’s John Cox, is gearing up for an event that should be right in his wheelhouse: the Bassmaster Classic in Texas on Ray Roberts. The fish should be around all spawn phases, which should suit him well as one of the best sight fishermen in the game. He’s excited about this event and should be one to watch when it begins. Here are his thoughts on the fishery and what he expects to happen in this year’s Bassmaster Classic.
Examining the Fishery
Ray Roberts is rarely on the tournament schedule, but Cox has fished it twice. One was the 2021 Bassmaster Classic, and the other was the Toyota Texas Bass Classic nearly a decade ago. While he didn’t do as he well as hoped in either of those events, he likes how it is set up and is looking for another shot.
“When they announced the location, I was excited because I know how big fish live there,” he said. “It’s full of big ones, and we should hit it at the right time. The other times I was there was when it was hot out, and now, we should be able to catch fish that are spawning or getting ready to.”
Cox is also expecting huge bags of fish. “We may see some bags around 30 pounds because it’s Texas, and you know there’s big ones there,” he said. “We are going at the perfect time, and for me personally, I’m hoping I can catch a bag between 25 and 30 pounds because I know that’s what it will take to compete. We’ll see some big weights, and this event should be epic.”
Aside from just big bags, Cox also expects some true lunkers. “I remember when we were there back in the day, and it was in the summer, and someone still had an 11-pounder,” he said. “With the time we are going, the chance for one of those is even better. This was one place that I’ve been to, and I thought I wish I could come back another time of year to see how it plays out.”
Two Plans
If the water is still slightly cold and the fish haven’t spawned, Cox believes classic pre-spawn baits like a lipless crankbait should be great.
“I’ll be looking for the mouth of those creeks and points and even back into some drains,” he said. “Those are perfect places to throw a lipless like the Berkley Jack. It was originally designed for walleye. It is thin but has great vibration. It’s also available in great crawfish colors that should be perfect for Texas in the spring.”
Cox also anticipates plenty of flipping and pitching shallow wood, which suits him well. A creature bait is one of his top weapons, and soft plastics are always great anytime the bass are around the spawn.
“If it warms up or we have a warming trend, we could see some spawning,” he said. “It might be a little too dirty to see them very well, but flipping in the bushes should be a good way to catch spawning fish or even some guarding fry. I like a craw-style bait, and Berkley just came out with two great ones in the MaxScent lineup, like the Crud Craw and Stank Bug.”
Most bass anglers know Berkley PowerBait and MaxScent for smallmouth, but Cox has been pushing for more largemouth-specific baits for flipping and pitching.
“I’ve been like, man, we have such good plastic and scent, and we need to get something with more action,” he said. “The Crud Craw is what I wanted, with flapping arms, and it’s perfect for flipping and being on the back of swim jigs, which should both be a factor in the Classic. The Stank Bug is another good one; it’s small, compact, and has consistent and fast swimming action.”
The Forward-Facing Bite
Cox is notorious for not using any forward-facing sonar and not even putting on his boat when many events are dominated by technology. While he won’t be utilizing it, he knows it will play.
“You know the sonar stuff will be happening, and the lake sets up well for it because of all the standing timber out there,” he said. “The Berkley Drip Minnow was designed for it, and I know guys will be using it, but that’s not me. I like to get as shallow as possible, pitching up in front of me and hooking a big one. It’s complete chaos catching one in heavy cover, which I love.”
Fan favorite John Cox has a chance to add a Bassmaster Classic trophy this spring in Texas, and things are lined up well for him. He’s deadly when the bass are shallow and spawning, which should happen when the tournament begins.
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