Photo: Andy Crawford - Hunting big largemouth on the shoreline or going offshore chasing spotted bass gorging on blueback herring. At Lake Chatgue those strategies were in play at the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship. All captions: Craig LambPhoto: James Overstreet - No matter the choice topwater lures of all types were the lures used by the 50 anglers. That included Oklahoman James Elam, who won his first blue trophy while sealing his fate for the 2019 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICKâS Sporting Goods.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Chris Zaldain To finish 14th, Chris Zaldain used an 8-inch Megabass Magdraft Swimbait and weighted wacky rig. Photo: Andy Crawford - Zaldain made the wacky rig by inserting a nail weight through the head of a Yamamoto Senko. He then threaded the worm through an O-ring and attached that to the new Eagle Claw Trokar Finesse Hook. âThe Pro-V Bend shape holds the O-ring in place so the worm doesnât slide up and down the shank,â he explained. âThe nylon antennae act as weed guards so you can fish it through laydowns and even dock cables without getting hung.â Photo: Andy Crawford - Keith Combs To finish 13th, Keith Combs alternated between a Strike King Wake Shad and Strike King KVD Sexy Dawg.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Gerald Spohrer To finish 11th, Gerald Spohrer used this 4-inch 6th Sense Crush Dogma featuring a cupped mouth to spit water as it walks. It comes with 3D eyes, gill plates, scales and realistic paint, which was key for enticing fish in the ultra-clear water. Photo: Andy Crawford - Bradley Roy A 3.5-inch Heddon Super Spook Junior was the bait of choice for 10th place finisher Bradley Roy. Photo: Andy Crawford - Brandon Palaniuk To finish ninth, Brandon Palaniuk used a Storm Arashi Top Walker 13, Pro Blue pattern, which at 5 1/8 inches matched the size of the blueback herring being fed upon by the bass.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Justin Lucas To finish seventh, Justin Lucas used this newly released Berkley Cane Walker that was ideal for the clear water fishing. The aerodynamic shape is heavily tail weighted for long casts. When it settles the lure imparts a unique action through an internal rattle chamber and spitting cupped mouth, which draws bass to the surface from long distances. Berkley Fusion19 treble hooks complete the rig. Photo: Andy Crawford - Micah Frazier A Heddon Chugân Spook was the bait of choice for sixth-place finisher Micah Frazier. Photo: Andy Crawford - Jason Christie To finish fifth, Jason Christie used a 4.5-inch Heddon One Knocker Spook with a single tungsten rattle contained inside a sound-intensifying chamber that produces a loud thump. The noise and walking action attracts schooling bass from long distances.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Brent Ehrler To finish fourth, Brent Ehrler rotated through a topwater and drop shot. For that he used a 4-inch Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm on No. 1 Gamakatsu Drop/Split Shot Hook and 1/4-ounce Eagle Claw Tungsten Weight. For topwater action he chose a 4-inch Lucky Craft Sammy 100. Photo: Andy Crawford - Jacob Wheeler To finish third, Jacob Wheeler alternated between a jerkbait and topwater walking bait. A Storm Rattlinâ Saltwater Chug Bug was that choice. He also used a Rapala Shadow Rap Deep Jerkbait with a running depth of 4-6 feet. Photo: Andy Crawford - Chris Lane To finish second, Chris Lane used a River2Sea Whopper Plopper. The soft, pliable tail rotates on the harness and creates bass (and originally muskie) alluring rumbles at variety retrieve speeds and depths. Lane also used his River2Sea Chris Lane Top Notch, a noisy topwater with a curled lip that emits a giant bubble trail and spitting action. A plastic prop adds sputtering action, and the lure can be worked at variable speeds.
Photo: Andy Crawford - James Elam James Elam rotated through a soft plastic fluke, topwater walker, classic minnow bait, spoon and jerkbait. The choices were a Molix Jugalo Jerk, Molix Michael Iaconelli Lover Spoon, vintage Cotton Cordell Red Fin, and IMA Little Stik 135 Walking Bait.
