Photo: Andy Crawford - Taking in the desolate scenery of the nation’s third largest inland reservoir, smack dab in the middle of the Great Plains. That was a postcard memory from the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Oahe presented by Abu Garcia. Photo: Andy Crawford - Mark Daniels Jr., will never forget his trip to South Dakota. MDJ went home to Alabama with the coveted blue trophy and lasting memories of a victory well earned. See what baits he and the top finishers used in the drop shot-dominated tournament.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Edwin Evers To finish 12th, Edwin Evers used swimbaits and drop shots. Photo: Andy Crawford - To make it he used a 3-inch Megabass Hazedong Shad, new No. 2 Mustad Teflon Drop Shot Hook and 1/4- or 1/2-ounce weights, depending on wind speed and bass location in the water column. Photo: Andy Crawford - For the swimbait he chose a 3-inch Megabass Spark Shad on Mustad Elite Series Swimbait Darter Heads, ranging in size from 1/4- to 1/2-ounces.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Jordan Lee To finish 11th, Jordan Lee used a 4-inch Strike King KVD Dream Shot, Gamakatsu Aaron Martens TGW Drop Shot Hook 1, and 1/4-ounce weight. Using the same weight and 2/0 Robo ReBarb hook he also chose a 5-inch Strike King 3X ElazTech Z Too. Photo: Andy Crawford - Brent Ehrler To finish 10th, Brent Ehrler used a drop shot, swimbait and crankbaits. Those choices were a Lucky Craft 1.5 and RTO 1.5DD. Photo: Andy Crawford - A 4-inch Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm, No. 1 Gamakatsu Split Shot/Drop Shot Hook, and 1/4-ounce weight comprised the drop shot. Ehrler also used a 3.8 Keitech Swing Impact FAT swimbait on 3/8-ounce ball head jig.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Justin Lucas To finish ninth, Justin Lucas made a drop shot with the new 4-inch Berkley Flat Worm, No. 2 Berkley Fusion19 Hook, and 5/16- and 3/8-ounce tungsten sinkers. Photo: Andy Crawford - Josh Bertrand To finish eighth, Josh Bertrand used PowerBait MaxScent soft plastics in these styles. The new 4-inch Flat Worm and 4-inch Flatnose Minnow were the choices. He rigged those on No. 1 Berkley Fusion19 Drop Shot Hooks and 1/4-ounce weights. Photo: Andy Crawford - Jacob Wheeler To finish seventh, Jacob Wheeler used baits covering the entire water column. For pinpoint bottom presentations the choice was a 6-inch Gene Larew Tattletail Worm.
Photo: Andy Crawford - For schooling bass he used a 3-inch 360 GT Coastal Swimbait on 3/8-ounce swimbait jig head. Photo: Andy Crawford - He fished the worm on a No. 2 VMC Ike Approved Neko Hook with 3/8- and 1/2-ounce VMC Cylinder Drop Shot Weights. Photo: Andy Crawford - Bradley Roy To finish sixth, Bradley Roy used an unnamed 4-inch straight worm, No. 1 Gamakatsu Aaron Martens TGW Drop Shot Hook 1, and 3/8 weight.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Dean Rojas To finish fifth, Dean Rojas used a 4-inch Big Bite Baits Rojas Cane Stick, Gamakatsu Aaron Martens TGW Drop Shot Hook 2/0, and 1/2-ounce Epic Tungsten Weight, from a new company located in Odessa, Texas. Photo: Andy Crawford - Boyd Duckett To finish fourth, Boyd Duckett primarily relied on 4-inch Yamamoto Senko, 2/0 hook and 1/2-ounce weight. That was fished on a Carolina rig with a 6-foot leader at depths ranging from 35 to 40 feet. Photo: Andy Crawford - Cliff Pirch Cliff Pirch used this lineup of soft plastics to finish third. He chose a 3-inch Roboworm NED Worm, Yamamoto Senko, and Roboworm Straight Tail Worm.
Photo: Andy Crawford - For those he used 1/0 and No. 2 Roboworm Rebarb Hooks, Haybusa WRM201 Wacky Hooks, and 1/4- or 1/2-ounce weights. Photo: Andy Crawford - Casey Ashley To finish second, Casey Ashley used a drop shot and Carolina rig. Photo: Andy Crawford - To make it used a 4.25-inch Zoom Z Craw, 3/0 hook, and 3/4-ounce weight.
Photo: Andy Crawford - A 4-inch Zoom Z Drop Worm, Owner Cover Shot Worm Hook 1, and 1/4- to 1/2-ounce weights comprised the drop shot. Photo: Andy Crawford - Mark Daniels Jr. To score the win, Mark Daniels Jr. used a drop shot and Ned Rig. Photo: Andy Crawford - To make it he used a 4-inch Z-Man Finesse T.R.D. stickbait on matching 1/15-ounce Z-Man Finesse ShroomZ jighead.
Photo: Andy Crawford - For the drop shot he used a 4-inch Z-Man Finesse WormZ, No. 1 Owner Cover Drop Shot Worm Hook, and 3/8-ounce tungsten weight.
