Photo: Andy Crawford - Lake Fork and the Bassmaster Century Club. Both are becoming synonymous with trophy bass fishing. Two Bassmaster Elite Series events in five months. Two winners joining the Bassmaster Century Club. Lake Fork, the trophy bass fishery, showed out for the pros and the fans. Take a bow, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. All captions: Craig LambPhoto: Dalton Tumblin - The trend continued at the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork. Patrick Walters earned another Century Club belt, his second since last November from the lake known as âLand of the Giants.â
Photo: Shane Durrance - Lake Fork part-time guide and now two-time Elite Series champion Lee Livesay joined the Club with a winning weight of 112 pounds, 5 ounces. His Championship Sunday limit included largemouth weighing 8-14 and 8-15. Photo: James Overstreet - Fittingly, Livesay hoisted the coveted blue trophy on the shore of his home lake. See his winning lures, and those of the top finishers that included some obscure baits worth adding to your tacklebox. Photo: Kyle Jessie - Austin Felix (10th; 80-3) Minnesota pro and 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year Austin Felix landed another Top 10 finish in Quitman, Texas, throwing soft plastics.
Photo: Andy Crawford - A 5-inch Yamamoto Senko, wacky rigged on a 1/0 Ryugi Infini Hook was a top choice for Felix. Photo: Andy Crawford - So was a Zoom Speed Craw, rigged with a 4/0 Ryugi Infini Hook, with a 1/4-ounce weight. Photo: Andy Crawford - Chris Johnston (9th; 80-14) Chris Johnston rigged up a 4-inch Roboworm, on a 1/0 Gamakatsu Aaron Martens TGW Drop Shot Hook, with a 1/4-ounce weight.
Photo: Andy Crawford - He also used a Strike King Rage Bug, rigged on a 4/0 Gamakatsu Aaron Martens G-Finesse Heavy Cover Hook, with a 3/8-ounce weight. Photo: Shane Durrance - Chad Morgenthaler (8th; 83-10) Chad Morgenthaler did what he does best, which is go to battle with heavy tackle in shallow water. Photo: Andy Crawford - Morgenthaler used a Missile Baits D Bomb, rigged on a 5/0 Gamakatsu G-Finesse Hybrid Worm Hook, with a 1/4-ounce Strike King Tour Grade Tungsten Weight.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Another top bait was an unnamed soft plastic tube, also rigged on a 5/0 Gamakatsu G-Finesse Hybrid Worm Hook, with a 1/4-ounce Strike King Tour Grade Tungsten Weight. Photo: Shane Durrance - Taku Ito (7th; 83-14) Taku Ito rotated through a jig, crankbait and wacky rig. Photo: Andy Crawford - He made the wacky rig with a 5-inch Boreas Ano Straight Worm, rigged on a 3/16-ounce weedless jighead.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Another top choice was a 3/16-ounce Nories Kameraba Jig, a compact finesse bait designed for heavy cover. He added a DSTYLE Virola Shad for a trailer, designed by Daisuki Aoki, who recently won the Basspro.com Bassmaster Open on Douglas Lake in Tennessee. Photo: Andy Crawford - Ito also used a Nories Shot Over 2 crankbait, featuring a tungsten, steel and brass weight system, with a mild wobble and high pitch flickering roll action. The Shot Over has a casting fin under the lip that stabilizes the lure for longer casts. He replaced the stock hooks with No. 4 and No. 5 Ryugi Pierce Brutal Treble Hooks. Photo: Andy Crawford - Seth Feider (6th; 86-11) Seth Feider rotated through a lineup featuring soft plastic and hard swimbaits.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Feider used a 6-inch Megabass Magdraft swimbait. Photo: Andy Crawford - Another choice was a Rapala Super Shad Rap. Photo: Andy Crawford - He also used a 1/2-ounce Outkast Tackle Chicken Jig, with a 5-inch Megabass Spark Shad.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Feider completed the lineup with a 3/8-ounce Outcast Heavy Cover Swim Jig. Photo: Steve Bowman - Chris Zaldain (5th; 93-0) On Lake Fork itâs a must to use big baits to catch big bass. Make no mistake, he did some of both. Photo: Andy Crawford - The lineup included an 8-inch Megabass Magdraft.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Zaldain also used a Tator Hog Custom Lures Hog Father Swimbait, by North Carolinian Matt McBee. Photo: Kyle Jessie - Brandon Card (4th; 97-3) Brandon Card used a lineup of mixed crankbaits, a jerkbait, swimbait and hair jig. Photo: Andy Crawford - That choice was a 5/8-ounce True Bass Shuttlecock Hair Jig, designed by Pickwick Lake guide David Allen.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Card also used a Yo-Zuri 3DB Jerkbait 110.Photo: Andy Crawford - Another top choice was a McGill Hand Crafted Baits BC Shad 4.0 Swimbait, rigged on a 3/4-ounce Z Dew jighead. Photo: Andy Crawford - Quentin Cappo (3rd; 99-6) Quentin Cappoâs key money bait was a squarebill crankbait, fished on windy points where shad were pushed in the wind-driven current toward the bass.
Photo: Andy Crawford - That money bait was a Strike King KVD 4.0 Magnum Squarebill Crankbait. Photo: Andy Crawford - Cappo also used a 3:16 Lure Co. Rising Son line-through swimbait. Photo: Andy Crawford - The bait is forward weighted to keep the nose of the shallow runner down when swimming.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Cappo also used a Strike King Hard Knock. Photo: Andy Crawford - Patrick Walters (2nd; 102-5) Patrick Waltersâ lure lineup featured jerkbaits and glide baits. Photo: Andy Crawford - A top pick was a Rapala X-Rap Haku. When rigged for action, the hooks are positioned just like on a regular glide bait, and the rig rests in the lureâs belly groove, out of the way and protected from weeds and snags.
Photo: Andy Crawford - At hook-set, the hook rig will release from the body, allowing a direct contact to the fish and letting the fish have no chance to use the lure as leverage to break free. The rig also makes removing the hooks easier the fish as the body of the lure is not in the way. Photo: Andy Crawford - Another choice was a 3:16 Lure Co. Workhorse Slow Glide. Photo: Andy Crawford - Walters also used a 13 Fishing Loco Special Jerkbait.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Lee Livesay (1st; 112-5) Lee Livesay used a wide array of rigs to match the conditions. Photo: Andy Crawford - A top lure was a 6th Sense Magnum Squarebill. Photo: Andy Crawford - Livesay also used a Heddon Saltwater Super Spook.
Photo: Andy Crawford - Another top choice was a 3:16 Lure Company Work Horse glide bait.
