Top lures at Lake Hartwell 2025

The fishing conditions were ideal for capitalizing early on the blueback herring spawn, then choosing between spawning largemouth and offshore fishing for spotted bass at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell.

Georgia pro Paul Marks traveled two hours from his home near Lake Lanier and unloaded his spotted bass expertise on the similar waters of Lake Hartwell.

Marks started strong with a third-place Day 1 limit weighing 19 pounds, 7 ounces, then held on to second place for the next two days with limits of 17-4 and 16-5. He added a Championship Sunday limit of 15-8 for a winning weight of 68-8. See his winning lures and others used by the other top anglers.

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Jacob Powroznik (10th; 60-2)

Powroznik alternated between a topwater and drop shot.

He made it with a 6-inch Roboworm Flat Worm rigged on a 4/0 Ryugi hook, with a 1/8-ounce Ryugi Tungsten Drop Shot Weight.

Powroznik used a Livingston Lure Plopmaster for topwater action.

Emil Wagner (9th; 60-13)

Wagner alternated between Neko and wacky rigs and a shaky head.

A key bait was this 5-inch Berkley PowerBait MaxScent The General, rigged on a 1/0 Berkley Fusion19 Drop Shot Hook.

He also used a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Hit Worm Magnum, rigged on a 3/16-ounce shaky head.

Wesley Gore (8th; 61-3)

Gore used finesse tactics and a glide bait for varying strike zones.

He made a drop shot with a 6-inch Roboworm Straight Tail Worm, rigged on a 1/0 Roboworm Rebarb Hook with a 3/16-ounce weight.

Gore used this SPRO KGB Chad Shad 180 Glide Bait.

Another top lure was this 5.25-inch Nomad Design Tackle Wingman featuring a ribbed belly for holding scent with a realistic look and 3D eye design. Gore rigged the Tennessee Shad pattern bait on 5/0 Owner Cutting Point Hook.

Easton Fothergill (7th; 61-11)

Fothergill used a swimbait and Neko rig.

A key bait was this Strike King KVD Perfect Plastics Caffeine Shad Soft Jerkbait, rigged on a 4/0 Ryugi Infini Offset Wide Gap Worm Hook.

He made the Neko rig with a Strike King KVD Filler Worm, rigged on a No. 1 Ryugi Talisman Hook, with a 3/32-ounce weight.

Randy Howell (6th; 62-11)

Howell alternated between a topwater for the early morning herring spawn and a wacky-rigged worm for the remainder of the day.

Howell caught most of his fish on this wacky-rigged 5-inch Yamamoto Senko rigged on a 1/0 Pro X Hook.

For topwater action, he used a Livingston Lures Walking Boss.

Jay Przekurat (5th; 64-7)

Przekurat used a drop shot and wacky rig.

He made the drop shot with a 5-inch Strike King KVD Filler Worm, rigged on a 1/4-ounce WOO! Tungsten Drop Shot Weight.

Przekurat made a wacky rig with a Strike King KVD Perfect Plastics Ocho, rigged on a Gamakatsu G-Finesse Hook.

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Drew Cook (4th; 65-7)

Cook used a variety of soft plastics ideal for bed fishing, including two versions he co-designed with Drew Benton.

Cook rigged this SPRO prototype on a 5/0 Gamakatsu G-Power Heavy Cover Worm Flip and Punch Hook, with a 5/16-ounce weight.

He rigged this other SPRO prototype on a No. 2 Gamakatsu G-Stinker Hook.

Cook also used this Nories Front Flapper rigged on a 4/0 Gamakatsu G-Power Heavy Cover Worm Flip and Punch Hook, on a 1/4-ounce tungsten weight.

Luke Palmer (3rd; 66-10)

Palmer chose a swimbait and drop-shot rig.

A top choice was this 4-inch YUM Sonar Minnow, rigged on a 1/4-ounce Rougarou Jig Head.

He made the drop shot with a YUM Finesse Worm, rigged on a 1/0 wide gap hook, with a 1/4-ounce Rougarou Tungsten Voodoo Series Drop Shot Weight.

Tucker Smith (2nd; 66-10)

Smith used a Neko rig, shaky head and soft-body jerkbait.

He made the Neko and shaky-head rigs with a 5-inch Yamamoto Senko.

Alternatively, he used a 5-inch Yamamoto D-Shad on a 5/0 Ryugi Hook.

Paul Marks (1st; 68-8)

After spending Day 1 on a bed-fishing pattern, Marks moved offshore and committed to grinding through numbers of spotted bass. He started each day on the blueback herring spawn.