Elite

Top lures at Mississippi River 2025

See the lineup of topwater frogs and other heavy cover baits that dominated on the Mississippi River.

Posted on
Photography by
Andy Crawford
Photography by
Dalton Tumblin
Photography by
Shane Durrance
Photography by
Chase Sansom
West Virginia
Photography by
Logan Crumley
Photography by
Solomon Glenn
Minnesota
Captions by
Craig Lamb
The upper Mississippi River is a sight to behold and a bass angler’s dream with a distinguishing characteristic — its myriad backwaters. Those vast areas produced the top catches at the Pro-Guide Batteries Bassmaster Elite at Mississippi River. Photo: Craig Lamb
Throughout this gallery you will find what is undeniably a favorite lure of anglers in the topwater frog, with explosive strikes through dense vegetation providing memorable catches. 
Pat Schlapper made the most of those memories with an 18 pound, 7 ounce, Championship Sunday catch for a winning weight of 66-5. The milestone marked the Wisconsin pro’s second Elite Series victory of the season, and it was the heaviest winning weight on the mighty Mississippi. 
Click here to buy these lures at Bass Pro Shops.
Cooper Gallant (10th; 57-5)
Gallant alternated between a frog for covering water and a flipping package for heavy cover. 
A frog produced topwater strikes across heavy vegetation. 
Gallant also used an X Zone Adrenaline Craw Jr., rigged on 3/0 BKK Heavy Cover Hook with 3/8-ounce tungsten weight. 
Stetson Blaylock (9th; 58-7)
A jig, crankbait and Texas rig produced best for Blaylock. 
Leading off was this YUM Scutter Bug rigged on 1/2-ounce wobble head jig. 
Blaylock covered water with this Bandit 200 FX Series crankbait. 
For flipping he used this Yum Spine Craw on 3/0 hook with 1/2-ounce weight. 
KJ Queen (8th; 58-8)
Queen rotated through a fluke, bladed jig and split-shot rig for best results. 
A top bait was this Zoom Super Fluke rigged on 3/16-ounce Queen Tackle Ghost Jighead featuring 5/0 hook. 
Queen also used a 1/2-ounce Queen Tackle Switchblade Tungsten Bladed Jig with Zoom Z Craw trailer. 
He made a split-shot rig with a Zoom Trick Worm and No. 2 split-shot weight. 
Tucker Smith (7th; 60-12)
Smith covered water with a topwater frog and targeted cover with a jig. 
That choice was a 1/2-ounce Picasso Lures Jig with 3-inch Yamamoto Yama Craw. 
Smith also used a Frog Factory Boom Boom Frog.  
Kyoya Fujita (6th; 61-1)
Fujita’s top baits included a soft plastic stick worm, swimbait and structure spoon. 
A top lure was this Jackall Yammy 4.5 rigged on Daiwa hook. 
Fujita also used this Jackall Drift Fry 5.2. 
For deeper fish he chose this self-designed Jackall Counter Back Spoon. 
Click here to buy these lures at Bass Pro Shops.
Jay Przekurat (5th; 61-12)
Przekurat rotated between a jig and a Carolina rig. 
He made it with a Strike King Rage Bug rigged on 3/0 Gamakatsu Superline Extra Wide Gap Hook, with 3/8-ounce WOO! Tungsten Barrel Weight. 
A 3/8-ounce Denny Brauer Structure Casting Jig with 4-inch Strike King Rage Menace was another top choice. 
Bryan Schmitt (4th; 62-1)
Schmitt rotated through a swim jig and topwater frogs. 
A top choice was this 3/8-ounce Hayabusa Fishing Lil’ Schmitty Swim Jig with Missile Baits Shockwave Swimbait 3.5. 
Schmitt also used a Spro Popping Frog, customized with white legs for added strike appeal. 
He made a Carolina rig with a Missile Baits Magic Worm, inserting a Floatzilla Fire Tail for added tail buoyancy. 
Another top bait was the new Spro Laughing Frog Jr. 
Cory Johnston (3rd; 62-6)
Johnston discovered “spot oriented” areas in concentrated strike zones of opportunity in the river’s vast habitat. He caught his bass on jig and a Texas rig outfitted with a 6th Sense Bongo. 
Another top lure was this 6th Sense Fishing Vega Frog 70. 
Caleb Kuphall (2nd; 63-9)
Kuphall targeted undercut banks with occasional current breaks, using a pattern he learned over 20 years ago. Appropriately, he found success on a homemade jig. 
He made it with a 3/8-ounce Do-It Molds Sparky Head Jig with 2.75-inch Big Bite Baits Chunk for a trailer.
Pat Schlapper (1st; 66-5)
Schlapper targeted vast expanses of eel grass with a minnow bait and frog to search for schooling fish. Elsewhere, he punched dense vegetation with a creature bait on 4/0 hook with 1 1/2-ounce weight. Following are the search baits. 
He used a Big Bite Baits Jerk Minnow rigged on 5/0 hook. 
Another top producer was a Spro Bronzeye Frog 65.

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