Winning Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year is arguably the most difficult feat to accomplish in bass fishing. To win, one must be proficient at the gamut of bass fishing techniques and beat roughly 100 of the best anglers in the world along the way. Brent Chapman won the 2012 crown and used a variety of baits along the way, and is also an unashamed soft plastics fanatic. Here are his five favorite plastic and hook combos that helped him earn the 2012 title.
1. 3-inch Tightlines UV Beaver
This beaver-style flipping bait is one of Chapman’s flipping go-to lures. Like all Tightlines UV baits, the UV Beaver has a built-in UV “glow” that is reportedly a signal that bass home in on; in other words, they see the UV glow that is invisible to humans. Photo courtesy of Tackle Warehouse.
1a. 4/0 Lazer TroKar TK130
“This hook is a perfect match for the Beaver because it basically covers the entire bait, and if you get a bite on it, you’re more than likely going to get a hook in that fish,” Chapman said. Photo courtesy Tackle Warehouse.
2. 5-in Tightlines UVenko
This stickworm is Chapman’s favorite soft plastic for heaving around — not in — vegetation and visible cover on heavy line.
2a. Lazer TroKar 5/0 TK130
“This straight-shank hook is the real deal for that UVenko. I’m usually fishing it on heavy line and the hookup ratio is great on it. It’s tough enough to take a big hookset, too,” Chapman says. “A lot of guys use an EWG, but and you can, but I always use a straight-shank whenever I can.” Photo courtesy Tackle Warehouse
3. Mesu Bait Co. Wobble Head
“This is a football head with a loose TroKar TK 120 hook, and it’s great for using like a football jig, but a bit faster,” Chapman says. “I let it hit the bottom and then slowly crawl it back. I use a steady retrieve.” This is a Chompers Wobble Head, which is similarto the Mesu. Photo courtesy of Tackle Warehouse.
3a. 4-in Tightlines UV Beaver
This is what Chapman threads on his Wobble Head. “There are lots of baits that will work for this, but I just like the profile on the slightly bigger beaver. I actually caught some fish with this combo at the Green Bay Elite Series this past year.” Photo courtesy of Tackle Warehouse.
4. Tightlines UV Hog
This 5-inch creature bait is one of the few soft plastics that Chapman uses with an EWG hook. “I know it seems weird that I use a straight shank for everything else, but this is just what I’ve used over the years and it’s what I have confidence in,” he says. “The bait just seems to ‘work’ better with an EWG.” Photo courtesy of Tackle Warehouse.
4a. Lazer TroKar TK120
Chapman most often uses this hook in a 5/0 size with his UV Hogs.
5. Tightlines UV Bill Lowen's Flipping Tube
“For years, I’ve loved a flipping tube but I’ve never liked the less-than-ideal hookup ratio,” Chapman says. “Tubes get a lot of bites, but I wasn’t landing as many fish as I would’ve liked.” Photo courtesy of Tackle Warehouse.
5a. Lazer TroKar TK140 Tube Hook
“Like I said, I’ve never found a tube hook that I felt really good about until TroKar made this tube-specific hook,” he says. “It’s got a plastic collar that holds the head in place so it doesn’t fall off the hook, and I’ve never landed so many fish as I have with this hook.” Photo courtesy of Tackle Warehouse.
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