Photo: Andy Crawford - Bass fishing was beyond tough at the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open. The 146 pros managed to catch 44 limits on Day 1 and just 22 limits on the next day. All captions: Craig Lamb Photo: James Overstreet - Winner Patrick Walters made the wisest move of them all by choosing to stay near the launch, keep lures in the water, not run around wasting time. Check out his lure lineup and those of the top finishers who survived a hot, tough week of fishing.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Keith Poche To finish 12th Keith Poche fished a backwater lake using a variety of lures, including a key crankbait. That choice was a Luck E Strike Rick Clunn Squarebill Series 4. Photo: Andy Crawford - Larry Puckett Larry Puckett finished 11th fishing rocky shorelines with a drop shot rig. He made it with a 6.5-inch Zoom Trick Worm with 3/0 Owner Hook and 3/16-ounce weight. Photo: Andy Crawford - Gary Clouse To finish 10th Gary Clouse rotated through this bait lineup.
Photo: Andy Crawford - A 3/8-ounce homemade spinnerbait made in Arkansas was a top choice. So were the 4-inch Strike King Rage Tail Denny Brauer Structure Bug and 3.5-inch Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw. He rigged those to 3/0 or 4/0 hooks and 1/4- or 3/16-ounce weights. Photo: Andy Crawford - A Heddon Zara Spook produced topwater strikes. Clouse also used a 6-inch Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed worm, rigged to 3/0 or 4/0 hooks and 1/4- or 3/16-ounce weights. Photo: Andy Crawford - Brad Whatley To finish ninth Brad Whatley used a jig and crankbaits.
Photo: Andy Crawford - The Lucky Craft BDS 3 and Zoom W.E.C. crankbaits were the choices. Photo: Andy Crawford - Whatley also used a 5/16-ounce V&M Pacemaker Skipping Jig with 3.6-inch V&M Wild Thang Craw. Photo: Andy Crawford - Sam George An early morning topwater bite and cranking pattern later on paid off with an eighth-place finish for Sam George. His topwater choice was a Salmo Fury Pop, featuring a white tail feather for enticing strikes.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Another choice was a Salmo square bill crankbait designed by George and to be soon available. He also used the lure on Championship Saturday at the Eastern Open on Lake Norman. Photo: Andy Crawford - George also used a 3.5-inch Zoom Z Hog Jr., 3/0 Lazer Trokar Big Nasty Flippin Hook and 1/4-ounce weight. Photo: Andy Crawford - Zack Birge To finish seventh Zack Birge relied primarily on a Norman Deep Baby N Crankbait
Photo: Andy Crawford - Chad Wiley To finish sixth Chad Wiley rotated through a trio of baits. Photo: Andy Crawford - A 1/4-ounce V&M Spinnerbait with rubber skirts was a top choice. Photo: Andy Crawford - So was a 7/16-ounce V&M Pacemaker Skipping Jig with 2-inch Zoom Super Chunk.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Wiley also used unnamed creature baits, 4/0 straight shank hooks and 1/4- or 3/16-ounce weights. Photo: Andy Crawford - Toby Hartsell To finish fifth Toby Hartsell primarily relied on two baits. This crankbait was a top choice. So was a 6.5-inch Zoom Trick Worm, 3/0 wide gap worm hook and 1/8-ounce tungsten weight. Photo: Andy Crawford - Kenta Kimura Kenta Kimura used a trick worm and square bill to finish fourth.
Photo: Andy Crawford - A Deps Evoke 2.0 Crankbait was a top choice. So was a 6.5-inch Zoom Trick Worm with 3/0 hook and 1/8-ounce weight. Photo: Andy Crawford - The Ryugi Japan Black Bean weight was key. The plastic coated line insert is offset below the head of the weight. That allowed the worm to suspend above the weight on the bottom. Strikes came on tops of stumps, where Kimura shook the lure to give it an enticing action, free of a pegged weight. Photo: Andy Crawford - Marvin Ettredge To finish third Marvin Ettredge used a buzzbait, creature bait, bladed jig and crankbait.
Photo: Andy Crawford - That choice was a Bandit Series 200. Another top bait was a 1/2-ounce buzzbait. Photo: Andy Crawford - Ettredge also used a 1/2-ounce Chatterbait. Completing the lineup was a 4-inch Zoom Baby Brush Hog, 5/0 hook and 5/16-ounce tungsten weight. Photo: Andy Crawford - Drew Cook To finish second Drew Cook fished through lily pads with a swim jig, and flipped matted vegetation with a soft plastic rig.
Photo: Andy Crawford - That choice was a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver 4.20 with 5/0 Strike King Hack Attack Heavy Cover Flipping Hook. He alternated between 1- and 1.25-ounce weights. Photo: Andy Crawford - Cook also used a 3/8-ounce Nichols Saber Swim Jig. For a trailer he added a Big Bite Baits Dean Rojas Fighting Frog. On Championship Saturday he made a key color adjustment, switching to a shad pattern to mimic baitfish activity. Photo: Andy Crawford - Patrick Walters Winner Patrick Walters used soft plastics and crankbaits.
Photo: Andy Crawford - A Rapala DT 6 Series and unnamed square bill crankbait were the choices. Walters also used a 5-inch Yamamoto Thin Senko with 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG Hook. He rigged it weightless or with a 1/8-ounce weight.
