Photo: Andy Crawford - Last week, it was a drop shot fished in shallow, heavy cover. This week? Another offseason tactic, with a topwater frog and unique swimbait/frog combo rig that won the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake. Shop for lures on Amazon.com All captions: Craig Lamb Photo: James Overstreet - Just when you think squarebills and big spinnerbaits are best in fall, the pros prove otherwise. Check out the lineup of baits used by champ Lee Livesay and his peers in this edition of top baits. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Andy Crawford - Kyle Welcher (10th; 31-4)Kyle Welcher used a 1/2-ounce Untamed Tackle Ace Jig, designed with a compact design and heavy-duty hook for flipping heavy cover. Alternatively, he used a Missile Baits D Bomb, on a 4/0 Gamakatsu Hook and 1/2-ounce Titan Tungsten Pro Series Tungsten Flipping Weight. Buy it now on Amazon: Missile Baits D BombPhoto: Andy Crawford - A Spro Bronzeye Frog 60 produced bites for topwater action. Buy it now on Amazon: Spro Bronzeye Frog 60Photo: Andy Crawford - Ed Loughran III (9th; 34-6) Ed Loughran made the most of his time by rotating between a punch rig and frog. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Andy Crawford - Loughran used a Missile Baits D Bomb on a 5/0 Gamakatsu Heavy Cover Flippinâ Hook, with a 1.5-ounce weight. Buy it now on Amazon: Missile Baits D Bomb | Gamakatsu Heavy Cover Flippinâ HookPhoto: Andy Crawford - Alternatively, he used a Spro Junior Bronzeye Frog. Buy it now on Amazon: Spro Junior Bronzeye FrogPhoto: Andy Crawford - John Cox (8th; 35-1) John Cox did what he does best: Seine the shallows for largemouth in heavy cover. Rocket launching a frog into heavy mats, and a punch rig did the damage. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Andy Crawford - Cox alternated between an unknown frog, and also a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Creature Hawg, on a 3/0 Berkley Fusion19 Heavy Cover Hook, with a 1-ounce weight. Buy it now on Amazon: Berkley Fusion19 Heavy Cover HookPhoto: Andy Crawford - Chad Pipkens (7th; 35-1)Chad Pipkens used a Damiki Armor Shad Paddle Tail on a 1/8-ounce Trokar Jig Head. Another bait was a trimmed down Lunkerhunt Lunker Stick, on a 1/4-ounce homemade Ned head jig. Buy it now on Amazon: Damiki Armor Shad Paddle Tail | Lunkerhunt Lunker StickPhoto: Steve Bowman - Stetson Blaylock (6th; 43-4) Stetson Blaylock had deep-water and shallower schooling fish patterns in play at Lake Chickamauga. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Andy Crawford - Blaylock used a BOOYAH Pad Crasher, and also a Yum Pulse Swimbait, on a 1/4-ounce jig head. Buy it now on Amazon: BOOYAH Pad CrasherPhoto: Andy Crawford - Austin Felix (5th; 44-9)Austin Felix used a Ned rig and wacky rig. He made it with a 5-inch Yamamoto Senko, on a 2/0 Roboworm ReBarb Hook, with an Arsenal Fishing Stealth Silicone Tube Shield, and a 5/32-ounce nail weight. He also used a 1/4-ounce Swagger Tungsten Flanders Ned Head, with a Z-Man Finesse TRD. Buy it now on Amazon: Yamamoto Senko | Roboworm ReBarb Hook | Arsenal Fishing Stealth Silicone Tube Shield | Z-Man Finesse TRDPhoto: Andy Crawford - For topwater bites he used a Spro Bronzeye Frog 60. Buy it now on Amazon: Spro Bronzeye Frog 60
Photo: Andy Crawford - Todd Auten (4th; 45-2) A bladed jig was the ticket for Todd Auten. Shop for lures on Amazon.com Photo: Andy Crawford - Auten used a 1/2-ounce Z-Man Original ChatterBait, with a Zoom Z Craw Jr. for a trailer. He used the same trailer on a discontinued bladed jig, also weighing 1/2-ounce. Buy it now on Amazon: Z-Man Original ChatterBait | Zoom Z Craw Jr.Photo: Shane Durrance - Jake Whitaker (3rd; 49-0) Jake Whitakerâs affinity for marinas and docks paid off at Lake Chickamauga, where he used a swimbait and obscure rig that youâll be sure to want. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Andy Crawford - Whitaker used a Keitech FAT Swing Impact 2.8 swimbait on a 1/8-ounce jig head. Another choice was a Patrick Sebile designed Hyperlastics 3.5-inch Dartspin Pro, rigged on a 1/8-ounce jig head. Both baits were fished around a marina for schooling fish. Buy it now on Amazon: Keitech FAT Swing Impact 2.8 | Hyperlastics Dartspin ProPhoto: Andy Crawford - Mike Huff (2nd; 56-6) Mike Huff had reason to celebrate after catching a pivotal Championship Monday fish on a jig. Shop for lures on Amazon.com Photo: Andy Crawford - Huff also put a frog to good use that heâs had for years. He couldnât even recall the brand. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Andy Crawford - Alternatively, he used a 3/8-ounce Cumberland Pro Lures Caster Jig, with a Berkley PowerBait Power Hawg trailer. He used the same bait on a 3/0 Berkley Fusion19 Heavy Cover Hook, with a 1.5-ounce weight. Buy it now on Amazon: Berkley Fusion19 Heavy Cover HookPhoto: Dalton Tumblin - Lee Livesay (1st; 58-2) Lee Livesay smoked âem on a frog that he fished over matted cover. Alternatively, he used a hybrid rig capable of being worked like a frog and swimbait. Shop for lures on Amazon.com Photo: Andy Crawford - Livesay used a Scum Frog Launch Frog with two 1/8-ounce weights inserted in the body cavity for added noise. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Andy Crawford - The champ also used a Hog Farmer Bait Co. Weedless Hybrid Head, featuring a Polly head and Gamakatsu hook, with the rig weighing 1/8-ounce. He paired it with a Netbait Big Spanky Swimbait. The lightweight setup enabled Livesay to fish the rig like a frog over thick mats, and then work it like a swimbait bait when it reached open water. Buy it now on Amazon: Netbait Big Spanky Swimbait
