Elkhead Reservoir (Pt 3 of 3): Finally, Big Largemouth Bass

New July 30, 2026 2 views
Share

Part three of the Elkhead visit wraps up the series with what Chad LaChance came here to catch in the first place: largemouth bass. Focusing on the shallow, up-river end of the lake, Chad targets flooded wood cover with a swim jig and a jerkbait and finds some of the thickest largemouth he’s caught on this reservoir in years.One largemouth in particular, caught off a single submerged tree loaded with crappie, turned out to be one of the thickest bass of the whole trip. Two days at Elkhead told the same story throughout: CPW’s management strategy is rewarding anglers with trophies.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Targeting largemouth on the shallow end
01:13 – Working a swim jig through flooded wood cover
01:52 – First largemouth on the swim jig
03:30 – Swim jig and leader setup breakdown
05:41 – A thick largemouth full of trouble hooks
07:17 – The deep tree largemouth loaded with crappie
08:39 – Wrapping up the Elkhead revisit

Gear shown:
1/2 oz black/blue swim jig with Berkley MaxScent Critter Hog trailer
20 lb Berkley Trilene 100% Pro Spec Fluorocarbon leader (swim jig)
Berkley Cutter 110+ jerkbait, pearl/white
30 lb Berkley Trilene 100% Pro Spec Fluorocarbon leader (jerkbait)
15 lb Berkley X9 braid
Abu Garcia Veracity 7’3″ H rod
Abu Garcia Revo Rocket reel

Location: Elkhead Reservoir, Colorado
Species: Largemouth bass
Techniques: Swim jig fishing flooded wood cover, jerkbait fishing
From the Fishful Thinker archive: Show 2402, filmed September 2020

Thanks for following along on this three-part Elkhead revisit. If you caught all three, subscribe so you don’t miss the next series with never-before-seen footage!

#LargemouthBass #ColoradoFishing #SwimJig #ElkheadReservoir #BassFishing