Photo: Steve Bowman - Big Bass. Big Stage. Big Dreams. Itâs all possible on the Bassmaster Elite Series. The entire 2020 schedule complete, it went out with a bang at Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefitting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Shop for lures on Amazon.com All captions: Craig Lamb Photo: James Overstreet - The derby at Lake Fork had two winners. Texas Parks and Wildlife, for providing opportunities to catch bucket list largemouth; and Patrick Walters, who joined the exclusive ranks of the Bassmaster Century Club with a winning weight of 104 pounds, 12 ounces. Check out his winning baits and those of the top finishers. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Andy Crawford - Skylar Hamilton (10th; 54-4) A Strike King Sexy Dawg and Jackall Iobee Frog were the top baits for Skylar Hamilton. Shop for lures on Amazon.com Photo: Andy Crawford - Stetson Blaylock (9th; 60-4) Stetson Blaylock used a Norman Lures NXS Crankbait, on a H20 XPRESS Tac-40 rod, with a H20 XPRESS Tac 40 reel and 12-pound Seaguar InvizX Fluorocarbon Line. Buy it now on Amazon: Norman Lures NXS Crankbait | Seaguar InvizX Fluorocarbon LinePhoto: Andy Crawford - Brock Mosley (8th; 61-9) Brock Mosley rotated through a bladed jig and squarebill crankbait. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Andy Crawford - He used a 1/2-ounce Z-Man ChatterBait Jackhammer, with a NetBait Big Spanky trailer. Mosley also used a Bill Lewis SB-57 Squarebill Crankbait. Buy it now on Amazon: Z-Man ChatterBait Jackhammer | NetBait Big SpankyPhoto: Andy Crawford - He also used a 1/2-ounce Angler Assets Jig, with a NetBait Dagger trailer. Shop for lures on Amazon.comPhoto: Shane Durrance - Lee Livesay (7th; 64-3) Crankbaits and worms were the top choices for Lee Livesay. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Andy Crawford - He used deep, medium and shallow squarebill crankbaits to cover the water column. Shop for lures on Amazon.comPhoto: Andy Crawford - Livesay also used a 15-inch NetBait C-Mac Worm, rigged on a 4/0 hook with 1/4-ounce weight. Buy it now on Amazon: NetBait C-Mac WormPhoto: Shane Durrance - Ed Loughran (6th; 66-13) Ed Loughran used a bladed jig and drop shot. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Andy Crawford - He made it using a Missile Baits Fuse 4.4 or a Missile Baits Quiver, rigged on a 3/0 Gamakatsu G-Finesse Hybrid Worm Hook, with a 1/8-ounce weight. He fished the drop shot rig on a Shimano Stradic Ci4 Plus 4000 with 15-pound Power Pro Super Slick 8 line, and a Shimano Expride spinning rod. Loughran also used a 3/8-ounce Z-Man ChatterBait with a Missile Baits Shockwave Swimbait. He fished it on a Shimano Chronarch MGL Casting Reel with 17-pound fluorocarbon line and a Shimano Expride rod. Buy it now on Amazon: Missile Baits Fuse 4.4 | Missile Baits Quiver | Gamakatsu G-Finesse Hybrid Worm Hook | Shimano Stradic Ci4 Plus 4000 | Shimano Expride | Z-Man ChatterBait | Missile Baits Shockwave Swimbait | Shimano Chronarch MGL Casting Reel | Shimano ExpridePhoto: Andy Crawford - Brad Whatley (5th; 68-9) A prototype bladed jig and prototype crankbait were the baits of choice for Brad Whatley. Shop for lures on Amazon.com Photo: Andy Crawford - The squarebill is by A Band of Anglers. It features a metal bill with a sharply tapered back design that produces a very wide wobble. He fished it on a Castaway Taranis Rod with a Daiwa reel. He also used a 1/2-ounce bladed jig and a swimbait trailer. He used a Castaway Rods Nano rod with a Lewâs reel. Buy it now on Amazon: Castaway Taranis Rod
Photo: Andy Crawford - Brandon Palaniuk (4th; 69-5) A Rapala DT 14 or Rapala DT 16 produced crankbait bites for Brandon Palaniuk. He fished the baits on a Daiwa Steez A 6.3:1 casting reel, with 12-pound Seaguar InvizX Fluorocarbon Line, and an Alpha Angler Mag-Rebound Rod. Buy it now on Amazon: Rapala DT 14 | Rapala DT 16 | Daiwa Steez Baitcast Reel | Seaguar InvizX Fluorocarbon LinePhoto: Andy Crawford - Palaniuk also used an X Zone Pro Series Mega Swammer, rigged on a 3/4-ounce swimbait head. He fished it on a Daiwa Tatula Elite baitcast reel with 15-pound Seaguar Tatsu line and an Alpha Hitter Rod. Buy it now on Amazon: X Zone Pro Series Mega Swammer | Daiwa Tatula Elite Baitcast Reel | Seaguar TatsuPhoto: Andy Crawford - Jay Yelas (3rd; 69-14) Jay Yelas focused on isolated wood in the backs of creeks and boat docks, where he used a spinnerbait and bladed jig. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Andy Crawford - He used a 1/2-ounce MGC Spinnerbait with tandem silver and gold Colorado blades, and a 3/8-ounce Z-Man ChatterBait with a Yamamoto Zako trailer. He fished both baits on a Lewâs Custom Pro Rod, and a Lewâs HyperMag Speed Spool Reel, and 20-pound Strike King Tour Grade Fluorocarbon Line. Buy it now on Amazon: Z-Man ChatterBait | Yamamoto Zako | Lewâs Custom Pro Rod | Lewâs HyperMag Speed Spool Reel | Strike King Tour Grade Fluorocarbon LinePhoto: Andy Crawford - Keith Combs (2nd; 75-2) Keith Combs did what he does best, and that was cast a deep-diving crankbait around flooded timber. Shop for lures on Amazon.com Photo: Andy Crawford - Combsâ primary bait was a Strike King Pro Model 6XD Crankbait. He fished it on a Shimano Curado DC baitcast reel with 15-pound Seaguar InvizX Fluorocarbon Line, and a Shimano Zodias Cranking Rod. He replaced the stock hooks with No. 1 Owner STY35 Treble Hooks. Buy it now on Amazon: Strike King Pro Model 6XD Crankbait | Shimano Curado DC Baitcast Reel | Seaguar InvizX Fluorocarbon Line | Owner STY35 Treble Hooks
Photo: Dalton Tumblin - Patrick Walters (1st; 104-12)Walters focused on largemouth suspended in timber. During the feeding window when they fed on baitfish, he mimicked the forage using jerkbaits. Shop for lures on Amazon.comPhoto: Andy Crawford - Key baits were a Rapala Shad Rap Deep and a Megabass Ito Vision 110+1 Jerkbait. He fished both baits on a Daiwa Steez CT SV baitcast reel with 12- or 14-pound Suffix Advanced Fluorocarbon and a Daiwa Tatula Bass Rod. Buy it now on Amazon: Rapala Shad Rap Deep | Megabass Ito Vision 110+1 Jerkbait | Daiwa Steez CT SV Baitcast Reel | Suffix Advanced Fluorocarbon | Daiwa Tatula Bass Rod
