Fantasy Fishing: Hammer down early and often

Written by

Coy Greathouse

Open letter to me, from me:

Coy, the last few years have been pitiful. You chose every dark horse either one tournament early or one too late. Every “shoe-in” was a bust, or at the very least, got a middling finish. So what the heck are you going to do to turn it around? You’ve been playing this dang game for a decade now, and what do you have to show for it?! A few decent finishes and bragging rights because you outpaced Rich Lindgren for a tournament or two? Big deal!

Put your big boy pants on and buck up. This year, you have a job to do. Consider the new faces, the new payout structure, the new rules around electronics. Keep an eye on the weather before the event and don’t be afraid to pivot at the last second. Trust your gut, but don’t rely on it.

You’ve been in the mix before. Do your homework and take it seriously. There are some monster prizes at stake if you can just manage to strike gold. And heck! Who’s to say you can’t take it down this year? You’re a freelance writer for B.A.S.S.! Ain’t no rules about you winning the whole thing! Go get ‘em!

Too dramatic? Probably.

But hey! We all DO have a job to do it starts now at the St. Johns River!

By now, we’re all very familiar with this body of water, however, it never ceases to amaze me how much it can change from year to year. Depending on water level and the amount of rainfall they’ve had in northern Florida, it can either be chock full of grass or have very little.

Currently, due to the hurricanes from last year, much of the lush offshore grass has been flushed out of the system. There are plenty of backwaters and oxbows to explore, however, not all parts of this system are made equal and just because something looks fishy, certainly doesn’t mean it holds a population.

Anglers are going to have to spend a good amount of time scouting the most productive areas. The good news is that when you find an area, you might just find the motherload. The bad news is that every one of these anglers is capable of finding the same fish. So expect it to fish tight in a few key areas, but look for the handful of guys who choose to get away from the crowds. There’s always a chance of someone finding a magical area and running away with the event.

With it nearing the spawn, flipping and pitching will probably be the primary techniques. Watch for guys who can frog and swim a jig though too. You might even see some wily old veterans winging around a spinnerbait or two.

BUCKET A: CORY JOHNSTON

With the fantasy fishing playing field being equal, there is no sense in risking too much this early in the season. Cory Johnston always tends to show up here. There have been years where he flips grass and years he fishes docks, but ultimately, his strength lies in his willingness and ability to adapt. He is a great sight-fisherman but is as meticulous as they come when flipping apart cover.

Last three B.A.S.S. finishes: 1st, 17th, 17th

Career Worst: 55th

Career Best: 1st

Don’t Sleep On: Trey McKinney

Sophomore Trey McKinney lit the world on fire last year. His Elite Series record has him finishing in the top 20 a whopping 60 percent of the time. He would have been in line for Bassmaster AOY if it weren’t for a rookie mistake that caused him to have a limit disqualified, ultimately leading to him losing the lead and eventually the title.

Bottom line, he is a hammer. Proceed with caution, however, because the sophomore slump is a real thing. Time will tell if he is able to keep the wheels on.

BUCKET B: COX

There is something to be said about being versatile and there is something to be said about being a specialist. John Cox is a specialist. He looks for the shallowest, most difficult water to fish and finds a way to make it happen. Stick baits, drop shots, swim jigs, and frogs will likely be all over his deck.

Last three B.A.S.S. finishes: 22nd, 4th, 37th

Career Worst: 37th

Career Best: 4th

Don’t Sleep On: Matt Arey

Give Matt Arey a reason to throw a chatterbait and a fish or two on a bed and he’ll put on a show. He’s historically done pretty well here with a few top-10s.

BUCKET C: PALANIUK

I feel like I say it every year, but the stigma around the Florida swing has all but fallen off of Brandon Palaniuk. Once known as a deep cranker, in the last half a decade, he has become one of the most versatile anglers on tour. He can sight-fish with the best but isn’t afraid to go push mats, throw a frog, or even bust out a giant swimbait.

Last three B.A.S.S. finishes: 16th, 20th, 14th

Career Worst: 67th

Career Best: 14th

Don’t Sleep On: Kyle Welcher

I see it often when an angler wrecks shop their rookie year, wins the Classic, or wins AOY, they tend to slip for a few events if not the whole season. Kyle Welcher has paid his dues from his 2023 AOY win with a middling 2024 season, but he is back and ready to flip, frog, and swim a jig to the best of his ability.

BUCKET D: MENENDEZ

The last time I put my money on Mark Menendez was back in 2022 and I expected him to throw some spinner bait from the 1970s that the bass hadn’t ever seen before and land top-10 like he did in 2021 when he finished 5th. I don’t remember what he threw that tournament in 2022, but I got my rear end handed to me with that pick. He turned it around in 2024, though, and hopefully, this will be a continuation of that momentum.

Last three B.A.S.S. finishes: 18th, 69th, 5th

Career Worst: 69th

Career Best: 3rd

Don’t Sleep On: Jason Christie

Jason Christie had one of the most memorable fish losses of 2024 when a massive 8- to 10-pounder came unbuttoned feet from the boat, leading to a 7th place finish. That fish alone may have gotten it done for him. He has a pretty, new fiberglass boat this year, but I guarantee it’ll have plenty of new scuffs and scrapes on it from getting into some places a fiberglass boat doesn’t belong.

BUCKET E: EBARE

If there were justification for going a little off the beaten path, it would usually be in Bucket E, and when you’re talking about the legend-in-the-making, Dakota Ebare, it’s really not much of a stretch, if any. He doesn’t have any professional recorded results here, but what he does have is a wildly successful and varied resume. He’ll bring some great experience from amazing fisheries like Santee Cooper, Okeechobee, and the Arkansas River, all of which had great finishes. No matter what lake or river the Elite Series goes to this year, you better watch out for this dude.

Don’t Sleep On: Scott Martin

Floridian Scott Martin without a doubt has something to prove. The entire 2024 season was a huge bust aside from his Bassmaster Open victory on Okeechobee. With that very lake on the roster as our next stop, he needs to generate some early momentum to set himself up for the best chance at a repeat showing.