Top lures at St. Johns 2019

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Big Bass. Big Stage. Big Dreams. It all happened at the Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River. The rookies showed out, and so did the veterans in a big bass showcase. <p> <em>All captions: Craig Lamb</em>
Photo: Steve Bowman - Big Bass. Big Stage. Big Dreams. It all happened at the Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River. The rookies showed out, and so did the veterans in a big bass showcase. All captions: Craig Lamb
“Even at 72 years old I never stop dreaming of what is possible to achieve.” Rick Clunn spoke those prophetic words. He then proved it with a second win in three years on the St. Johns. Check out the lures used by Clunn and the top finishers.
Photo: Andy Crawford - “Even at 72 years old I never stop dreaming of what is possible to achieve.” Rick Clunn spoke those prophetic words. He then proved it with a second win in three years on the St. Johns. Check out the lures used by Clunn and the top finishers.
Robbie Latuso (10th; 69-0)<br>“I kept it simple all week.” Robbie Latuso did just that with a Missile Baits Tomahawk 8.5 ribbon tail worm rigged to 4/0 hook and 1/4-ounce Fitzgerald Fishing F.F. Tungsten Weight.
Photo: Chris Mitchell - Robbie Latuso (10th; 69-0)“I kept it simple all week.” Robbie Latuso did just that with a Missile Baits Tomahawk 8.5 ribbon tail worm rigged to 4/0 hook and 1/4-ounce Fitzgerald Fishing F.F. Tungsten Weight.
A 1/2-ounce purple shad Delta Lures Spinnerbait with double willowleaf blades, gold on front and silver on back, was another choice.
Photo: Chris Mitchell - A 1/2-ounce purple shad Delta Lures Spinnerbait with double willowleaf blades, gold on front and silver on back, was another choice.
Scott Canterbury (9th; 80-12) <br> Scott Canterbury rotated through soft plastic stickbaits and topwaters. A top choice was a Bagley Twin Spin.
Photo: Chris Mitchell - Scott Canterbury (9th; 80-12) Scott Canterbury rotated through soft plastic stickbaits and topwaters. A top choice was a Bagley Twin Spin.
So was a Bagley Bang-O-Lure.
Photo: Chris Mitchell - So was a Bagley Bang-O-Lure.
A Texas rigged 5-inch NetBait Salt Lick rigged to 5/0 wide gap hook and 5/16 tungsten weight was another choice.
Photo: Chris Mitchell - A Texas rigged 5-inch NetBait Salt Lick rigged to 5/0 wide gap hook and 5/16 tungsten weight was another choice.
Cory Johnston (8th; 85-6) <br> Cory Johnston flipped and pitched to bedding fish with a 6-inch Yamamoto Senko rigged with 4/0 straight shank worm hook and 3/8-ounce weight.
Photo: Chris Mitchell - Cory Johnston (8th; 85-6) Cory Johnston flipped and pitched to bedding fish with a 6-inch Yamamoto Senko rigged with 4/0 straight shank worm hook and 3/8-ounce weight.
Clifford Pirch (7th; 88-1) <br> Clifford Pirch’s primary bait was an 8- or 6-inch Big Bite Finesse Worm, rigged wacky style on a Hayabusa WRM962 Power Wacky Hook with a nail weight.
Photo: Chris Mitchell - Clifford Pirch (7th; 88-1) Clifford Pirch’s primary bait was an 8- or 6-inch Big Bite Finesse Worm, rigged wacky style on a Hayabusa WRM962 Power Wacky Hook with a nail weight.
On Championship Sunday he added a River2Sea Whopper Plopper to the lineup.
Photo: Chris Mitchell - On Championship Sunday he added a River2Sea Whopper Plopper to the lineup.
Lee Livesay (6th; 88-10) <br> Lee Livesay rotated through stick baits and a bladed jig. That choice was a 3/8-ounce Finch Nasty Bait Co. Glade Bait, a weedless vibrating jig, with a 3.5-inch Reaction Innovations Little Dipper trailer.
Photo: Chris Mitchell - Lee Livesay (6th; 88-10) Lee Livesay rotated through stick baits and a bladed jig. That choice was a 3/8-ounce Finch Nasty Bait Co. Glade Bait, a weedless vibrating jig, with a 3.5-inch Reaction Innovations Little Dipper trailer.
A 5-inch soft plastic stick bait on 4/0 offset worm hook and 1/8- or 1/4-ounce weights also produced.
Photo: Chris Mitchell - A 5-inch soft plastic stick bait on 4/0 offset worm hook and 1/8- or 1/4-ounce weights also produced.
John Crews (5th; 89-11) <br> “Flipping a straight bait seems to be a huge deal during the spawn in Florida.” And with that John Crews went to work with a Missile Baits Fuse 4.4. He rigged the slender June Bug crawfish bait to a 4/0 Gamakatsu Heavy Cover Flippin’ Hook and 1/8-ounce sinker. Making a Neko rig with a No. 1 Gamakatsu Octopus Hook and nail weight using the Fuse 4.4 produced bedding bass. He also chose a 7-inch Missile Baits Destroyer, green pumpkin flash, on 5/0 Gamakatsu Hook and 3/16-ounce tungsten weight.
Photo: Chris Mitchell - John Crews (5th; 89-11) “Flipping a straight bait seems to be a huge deal during the spawn in Florida.” And with that John Crews went to work with a Missile Baits Fuse 4.4. He rigged the slender June Bug crawfish bait to a 4/0 Gamakatsu Heavy Cover Flippin’ Hook and 1/8-ounce sinker. Making a Neko rig with a No. 1 Gamakatsu Octopus Hook and nail weight using the Fuse 4.4 produced bedding bass. He also chose a 7-inch Missile Baits Destroyer, green pumpkin flash, on 5/0 Gamakatsu Hook and 3/16-ounce tungsten weight.
Patrick Walters (4th; 91-14) <br> Patrick Walters rotated through a finesse worm, trick worm, prop bait and spinnerbait. That choice was a 3/8-ounce Zorro Baits Bango Blade. A Rapala X-Rap jerkbait was another choice. For plastics he chose a 5-inch Zoom Magnum Finesse Worm on 4/0 VMC Flippin’ Hook with 3/8-ounce VMC Tungsten Worm Weight. Another choice was a 7-inch Zoom Magnum Trick Worm with 5/0 VMC Wide Gap Hook and 3/16-ounce VMC Tungsten Worm Weight.
Photo: Chris Mitchell - Patrick Walters (4th; 91-14) Patrick Walters rotated through a finesse worm, trick worm, prop bait and spinnerbait. That choice was a 3/8-ounce Zorro Baits Bango Blade. A Rapala X-Rap jerkbait was another choice. For plastics he chose a 5-inch Zoom Magnum Finesse Worm on 4/0 VMC Flippin’ Hook with 3/8-ounce VMC Tungsten Worm Weight. Another choice was a 7-inch Zoom Magnum Trick Worm with 5/0 VMC Wide Gap Hook and 3/16-ounce VMC Tungsten Worm Weight.
Mark Menendez (3rd; 95-1) <br> Mark Menendez fished around docks with soft plastic craw, worm and spinnerbait. “The spinnerbait was a go-to deal because I could cover water while dialing into specific cover.” The choice was a 3/8-ounce Strike King Premier Spinnerbait with a small piece of chartreuse soft plastic on the hook shank for strike appeal.
Photo: Chris Mitchell - Mark Menendez (3rd; 95-1) Mark Menendez fished around docks with soft plastic craw, worm and spinnerbait. “The spinnerbait was a go-to deal because I could cover water while dialing into specific cover.” The choice was a 3/8-ounce Strike King Premier Spinnerbait with a small piece of chartreuse soft plastic on the hook shank for strike appeal.
Chris Johnston (2nd; 95-2) <br> “I pitched a worm, easing it through pencil reeds trying to drag it across a spawning bed.” Chris Johnston used a 5.5-inch Zoom Speed Worm on 3/0 Gamakatsu Heavy Cover Flippin’ Hook and 1/8-ounce tungsten weight. He also used a 5-inch soft plastic stickbait rigged on 5/0 straight shank hook and 3/8-ounce sinker.
Photo: Chris Mitchell - Chris Johnston (2nd; 95-2) “I pitched a worm, easing it through pencil reeds trying to drag it across a spawning bed.” Chris Johnston used a 5.5-inch Zoom Speed Worm on 3/0 Gamakatsu Heavy Cover Flippin’ Hook and 1/8-ounce tungsten weight. He also used a 5-inch soft plastic stickbait rigged on 5/0 straight shank hook and 3/8-ounce sinker.
Rick Clunn (1st; 98-14) <br> Legend Rick Clunn again found patterns that beat the rest of the Bassmaster Elite Series field on the St. Johns.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Rick Clunn (1st; 98-14) Legend Rick Clunn again found patterns that beat the rest of the Bassmaster Elite Series field on the St. Johns.
“I’ve always had confidence in this lure when coming to Florida and especially here.” Rick Clunn used his stash of 7-inch Ditto Gator Tail Worms, wide body curl tail models made 30 years ago in nearby San Mateo. He rigged those to 5/0 hooks and 1/2-ounce weights. Pitching to docks and shallow cover produced the strikes.
Photo: Chris Mitchell - “I’ve always had confidence in this lure when coming to Florida and especially here.” Rick Clunn used his stash of 7-inch Ditto Gator Tail Worms, wide body curl tail models made 30 years ago in nearby San Mateo. He rigged those to 5/0 hooks and 1/2-ounce weights. Pitching to docks and shallow cover produced the strikes.
So did a 3/8-ounce shell cracker Luck E Strike Rick Clunn Trickster Spinnerbait with a Luck E Strike Ring Worm trailer. A 1-ounce Luck E Strike Hail Mary lipless crankbait also produced around the outside edges of docks.
Photo: Chris Mitchell - So did a 3/8-ounce shell cracker Luck E Strike Rick Clunn Trickster Spinnerbait with a Luck E Strike Ring Worm trailer. A 1-ounce Luck E Strike Hail Mary lipless crankbait also produced around the outside edges of docks.