Keith Combs is something of a ‘local’ on Falcon Lake. He guides there and has intimate knowledge of the lake, its bass and their habits. This week he used every bit of that local knowledge to win the Bassmaster Elite Series Falcon Slam.

“It is a big deal,” said Combs of his experience on Falcon Lake. “My practice meant nothing. I’ve been fishing on memories. It’s guesswork. You just never really know how it’s going to go.”

What he did know was the deep bite would be the key.

While others struggled to get the pulse of the lake during an unproductive practice period, Combs combined past experience with a Strike King 6XD which he said is “the only bait you need” on Falcon to amass 111 pounds, 5 ounces over 4 competition days.

What makes the 6XD so valuable? “It goes down fast,” notes Combs. “A lot of these fish are on those little ledges that drop 2 or 3 feet – vertical. They’ll sit right on that ledge and a 6XD will hug the drop. That’s what I like about it.”

The rumors Falcon Lake’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. Combs admits that the past couple of months have been disappointing but also pointed out that last year was “a banner year” for the big lake. With low water levels, authorities don’t pull water as often and that affects the bite.

“Falcon is still full of big ones but in the past 6 months they haven’t been pulling water and fish are not positioning in the way that an angler wants them to. That’s the big deal.”

Rick Clunn found out that Falcon is still full of giant bass. He joined the Century Club en route to his runner-up finish. Of all the accolades Clunn had received, he had never put 100 pounds on the scale in a single tournament. This week he weighed 105 pounds, 6 ounces, much of it from a single area near the launch ramp.

Clunn found his fish at about 2 o’clock the first day of competition. He caught 3 that weighed a little over 12 pounds and left him in 79^th place.

That’s where Combs’s local knowledge gave him the advantage. He got out of the gates with 34-13 and never lost the lead. Clunn had to feel around until he caught a 7-pounder and a pair of 3’s that put him on the right pattern and the right place.

Despite his excellent find Clunn noted “You never should leave 2 fish in the lake.” Indeed, the lack of a limit followed the legendary angler and, in the end, cost him.

Clunn caught his fish on a Luck “E” Strike Freak (square-lipped deep diving crankbait) from “a little point outside the wood.”

The next day Clunn hit the ground running and sacked 32 pounds. “They were right where I expected them to be and I got them pretty good.” From then on, it was “lights out.”

Clunn said of day 3, “At 9:30 I had 35 pounds and put the squarebill down.” He spent the rest of the day using a jig mostly to locate bass and shake them off without hooking them.

Day 4’s postponement gave fish an extra 24 hours to regroup. Combs took his 1 pound lead and caught 28 pounds, 2 ounces. Clunn caught 23-3.

John Crews also busted the century mark with 103-13, anchored by the final round’s heaviest haul at 29-7. The Missile Baits Company founder placed 3^rd.