Matt Reed has a new favorite lure for punching mats of dense vegetation. Reed, who runs the YUM boat on the BASS Elite Series tour, finished third in the Capital Clash on the Potomac River, and he attributed a big part of his success to the YUM Big Show Craw.
The Big Show Craw, brand new from YUM Bait Company and available soon from Lurenet.com, was designed by Terry "Big Show" Scroggins for flipping in very thick cover, and that’s exactly how Reed was using the 3 ½-inch 
crawfish imitation. "I was looking for the thickest stuff I could find. That was what the bait had to get through," Reed said.
The Big Show Craw has legs and pinchers that tuck into the bait, giving it a very sleek profile for punching through mats of grass. Reversed body ribs, meanwhile, push a lot of water in the dark waters under the thick vegetation, helping fish hone in the bait, and every Big Show Craw is power-packed with YUM Live Prey Technology, which draws aggressive strikes.
Reed also praised the consistency of the Big Show Craw. "It’s tough enough to stay on a hook really well, and when you’re making flip after flip into thick stuff, that is really important," said Reed, who used chose a Cooter Brown colored Big Show Craw for the Potomac.
Reed’s secondary pattern was slow rolling a Gold Shiner colored, ½-ounce BOOYAH Blade spinnerbait over eel grass.
Day 1 was actually difficult for Reed. Bass that bit well during practice did not cooperate on the first competition day, and he brought only 7 pounds to the scales, putting him in the bottom half of the field. Day 2 was a different story. Fishing the exact same waters, Reed caught fish all day and weighed in 18 pounds, 4 ounces. Solid limits on days three and four move Reed up to his final position of third place.
A third-place finish for Reed helped his position in the BASS Angler of the Year standings and improved his chances of qualifying for his third 
Bassmaster Classic. He is on the bubble, with one event remaining in the season.
The final event of the BASS Elite Series season is at Lake Toho, and the YUM Big Show Craw may just play an important part in the outcome of that tournament. Big Show Terry Scroggins himself has scored two of his five BASS wins on Lake Toho, and YUM pro Timmy Horton has also won there. And you can bet that Matt Reed will have some Big Show Craws handy!
Tournament photos courtesy of ESPN Outdoors.