Elite

Top lures at Toledo Bend 2024

See the lures used by the top anglers at the 2024 Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend.

Posted on
Photography by
Dalton Tumblin
Captions by
Craig Lamb
The huge crowds came to see something special unfold at the 2024 Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend. They would not be disappointed. 
Big Bass. Big Stage. Big Dreams. A full moon and moderating temperatures set the stage for the big girls to migrate toward the spawning areas. 
The migration was in full swing as the bass followed textbook prespawn transition areas. Creek channels bordered by shallow ridges were transition zones, before the fish moved into secondary creeks to spawn. Photo: Craig Lamb
Kyoya Fujita entered Championship Sunday 6 pounds behind Pat Schlapper. The Japanese pro rallied with a final round catch of 28 pounds, 13 ounces, a bag almost entirely made up of 6-pounders. 
With a winning weight of 100 pounds, 13-ounces, Fujita claimed a coveted Century Club belt — an exclusive award given only to those who catch at least 100 pounds of bass in a four-day event. What is more, the sophomore Elite won a second Elite Series title in 10 events. 
Click here to buy these lures at Bass Pro Shops.
Alex Wetherell (10th; 73-8)
Wetherell focused on a soft plastic and jig head package for his strike zone. 
He rigged this 5-inch Caperlan Yubari to a 1/8-ounce jighead, then inserted a Lunker City Insert/Nail Weight to get the overall weight to 3/16 ounce. 
Wetherell also rigged the same bait on a 3/16-ounce Lunker City Jig. 
Jordan Lee (9th; 75-8)
Lee made his return to the Elite Series memorable with a Championship Sunday appearance in his first event back. He kept it simple with a finesse worm and jig head. 
Lee used a 4-inch Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flatnose Minnow, rigged on tungsten weights ranging from 1/8 to 3/8 ounce, depending on wind speed and strike zone depth. He used two colors: Blue Pearl (pictured).
And Brown Back.
Cooper Gallant (8th; 76-14)
Gallant combined jerkbaits with a finesse jig head package.
For covering water, Gallant used this Shimano World Minnow 95SP suspending jerkbait featuring FLASH BOOST and SCALE BOOST for added strike appeal, and JET BOOST for the extended casting range needed to reach faraway fish. 
Alternatively, for deeper bass he used this Shimano World Diver with the same features. Gallant switched out the stock hooks for both baits with BKK Treble Hooks. 
Gallant also used an Outkast Tackle Goldeneye Swimbait Jig Head with a fluke-style bait. Jig sizes ranged from 1/4 to 3/8 ounce depending on wind and strike zone depth. 
Chris Johnston (7th; 79-14)
Johnston targeted bass with jerkbaits and a jig head/minnow package. The primary jerkbait choice was Spro McStick 110 +1 (not pictured). 
Alternatively, Johnston used a Megabass VISION ONETEN +1. 
For slower presentations he rigged a soft plastic minnow to a 3/32-ounce jig head. 
Luke Palmer (6th; 86-4) 
Palmer used a soft plastic swimbait and flipping rig for his strike zone. 
A 4-inch YUM FF Sonar Minnow, rigged with 1/4- to 3/8-ounce jig heads was a top choice. 
The new Great Lakes Finesse Drop Minnow was another top choice. Palmer rigged it on a 3/16-ounce Great Lakes Finesse Stealth Ball Jig Head. 
Alternatively, Palmer used a YUM Wooly Bug rigged on a 3/0 hook with a 1/4-ounce Rougarou Tungsten Weight. 
Click here to buy these lures at Bass Pro Shops.
Ben Milliken (5th; 89-11)
Milliken targeted his bass with a jerkbait and soft plastic rig.
For reaction bites he chose a 6th Sense Provoke 97, Milliken’s Ghost pattern. 
Milliken also used a 6th Sense Juggle Minnow, Pro Shad, rigged on a 1/16-ounce jig head. 
Robert Gee (4th; 90-5)
Gee searched shallow-water zones for roaming bass. 
A key bait was this Crock-O-Gator Bait Co. Slide Shad.
Gee rigged it to 1/8- or 1/2-ounce jig heads depending on wind and depth needs. 
Pat Schlapper (3rd; 93-8)
Schlapper used one key bait to cover his strike zone. 
The choice was a 3-inch minnow bait on a 1/4-ounce Queen Tackle jig head.
Patrick Walters (2nd; 95-15)
Walters rotated through a Damki rig and a finesse worm rig. 
He made the Damiki rig with a Zoom Super Fluke, rigged on a 3/16-ounce VMC Hybrid Swimbait Jig. 
For a finesse approach, Walters used a Zoom Magnum Swamp Crawler, rigged on a No. 2 VMC Neko Hook, with a 3/32-ounce nail weight and No. 5 VMC Crossover Ring. 
Kyoya Fujita (1st; 100-13)
Fujita focused in one offshore area in a large creek, where he caught suspended bass in 10 feet of water as the fish migrated toward the spawning areas. 
He used this 3-inch Jackall Revoltage RV Drift Fry, rigged on a 3/16-ounce jig head. 
Alternatively, he used a Deps Sakamata Shad on a 3/16-ounce jig head. 

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