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Top lures at Lake Fork 2025

See the spawn and postspawn baits used for Bassmaster Century Club weights at Lake Fork.

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Photography by
Dalton Tumblin
Photography by
Logan Crumley
Photography by
Shane Durrance
Captions by
Craig Lamb
A spectacular sunrise over Caney Point Recreation Area was a sign of magnificent things to come at the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork. The legendary lunker fishery would show out, and so would the anglers. Photo: Craig Lamb
The Top 10 earned Bassmaster Century Club belts with four-day weights surpassing 100 pounds. 
The tournament ended with an awe-inspiring win by Tucker Smith, the former Bassmaster High School All-American, three-time Bassmaster High School National Champion and the 2023 College National Champion. 
Smith, a protégé of the legendary Aaron Martens, tallied daily limits weighing 25 pounds, 4 ounces, 34-5, 33-1 and 34-14 for a winning score of 127-8. Smith drilled down on a strategy to specifically target the biggest bass by settling into a rotation of offshore areas, pond dams and clay points. 
See Smith’s winning baits and those used by the top anglers for spawn and postspawn conditions. 
Click here to buy these lures at Bass Pro Shops.
Seth Feider (10th; 101-8)
Feider used a swim jig early during the shad spawn and then switched to a Texas rig for catching spawning largemouth. 
A top bait was this 3/8-ounce Black Sheep Tackle prototype swim jig with a Z-Man Hella CrawZ for a trailer.
When the shad spawn subsided, Feider switched to this Z-Man Hella CrawZ, rigged on a 4/0 VMC Ringed Heavy Duty Wide Gap Hook, with a 3/16-ounce WOO! Tungsten Flipping Weight. 
Jay Przekurat (9th; 106-7)
Przekurat used crankbaits to catch his bass suspended in standing timber and other wood structure. For deeper strikes zones he used a Strike King Pro Model 8XD.
For shallower zones, he used a Strike King Pro Model 6XD. 
Easton Fothergill (8th; 106-8)
Fothergill’s hunt-and-catch bait proved productive in locating and catching bass in timber. 
The top bait was this Strike King Model 8XD. 
Wesley Gore (7th; 107-6)
Gore used a white swim jig for low light and then switched to a darker pattern for brighter conditions. A crankbait proved productive for locating bass. 
His primary baits were these 3/8-ounce Nomad Design Badlands Swim Jig Heavy Cover for low light conditions.
He used the same bait package in a darker pattern for brighter conditions. 
Alternatively, Gore used this Strike King Pro Model 6XD.
Tyler Williams (6th; 110-9)
Williams target largemouth in heavy cover with a jig. 
His choice was this 3/4-ounce Green Fish Tackle Little Rubber Jig with a Yamamoto Flappin’ Hog for a trailer. 
Click here to buy these lures at Bass Pro Shops.
JT Thompkins (5th; 120-4)
Thompkins alternated between a deep-diving crankbait and soft jerkbait. 
That choice was a Strike King 3X Baby Z-Too Soft Jerkbait. Thompkins rigged it on a 3/16-ounce Outkast Tackle Radar Love Jig Head that features a realistic eyeball and rolling head design. 
For deeper strike zones, Thompkins used this Strike King Pro Model 8XD. 
Kyoya Fujita (4th; 121-13)
Fujita rotated through a swimbait and other unique Japanese soft plastic lures. 
A top choice was this Jackall Driftfry 4.0. 
He also used this Jackall Vividus soft swimbait. 
Another top choice was this all-new Jackall Drift Crab 45 that he also modified for improved strike appeal. The bait was designed for crab-eating largemouth, although it’s unique design and action make it ideal for giving the bass a different look in a bait. 
Trey McKinney (3rd; 122-3)
McKinney used a minnow style bait on a ball head jig, which produced a strike-appealing rolling action. 
The 6th Sense Fishing protype features a long, slender tail that is unique to the category. McKinney rigged it on a 3/16-ounce ball head jig. 
Paul Marks (2nd; 126-11)
Marks targeted his strike zone with a fluke-style bait. 
His favored bait was this 7.5-inch Zoom Winged Fluke, rigged on a 1/4-ounce Green Fish Tackle protype jig head. 
Tucker Smith (1st; 127-8) 
Smith alternated between a jerkbait and minnow-style bait. A key bait not pictured was a Yamamoto Yama Craw rigged on a 3/4-ounce Picasso Lures Tungsten Football Jig. 
Smith also used this 1/4-ounce Picasso Lures Tungsten Ball Head Jig, with a minnow-style bait. 
Another top choice was this Bill Lewis Lures Scope Stik.

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