Elite

Top lures at Lake Okeechobee 2025

See the lure lineup used by the top finishers for prespawn largemouth on Lake Okeechobee.

Posted on
Written by
Craig Lamb
Photography by
Dalton Tumblin
Captions by
Craig Lamb
For the second time since the last Bassmaster Elite Series visit in 2023, the main lake did not produce the winning catch at the Champion Power Equipment Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee. In 2023, it was the Kissimmee River on the far north end that shined the most. This time, it was a small stretch of the C-41A Canal, which flows southeast from Lake Istokpoga. 
“I tend to do better coming off a bad year.” The “bad” year was 2024, when Brandon Palaniuk missed the cut for this year’s world championship after a run of four appearances since 2021. The Idaho pro used the second event of the season to launch his comeback. 
Starting strong with a third-place, first-round limit of 23 pounds, 7 ounces, Palaniuk moved into the Day 2 lead with 34-10, a personal best and the heaviest limit weighed in a Bassmaster Elite at Okeechobee. After expanding his Day 3 lead with 23 pounds, Palaniuk sealed the win with 14-3 and a winning weight of 95-4. 
The key location was ideal for hard baits, namely a trio of crankbaits and jerkbaits that topped the champion’s lure lineup. A ridge with adjacent deep water forming a funnel held abundant bait for transitioning prespawn females. The baits intercepted bass movement to keep the spot hot throughout the tournament. 
Click here to buy these lures at Bass Pro Shops.
Jason Christie (10th; 54-5)
Christie played his strengths in heavy cover with a topwater frog and punching rig. For the latter setup he used a YUM Wolly Bug, rigged on 5/0 Eagle Claw Trokar TK130 Flippin’ Hook and 3/8-ounce tungsten weight.
Christie also used this 6-inch YUM Dinger, rigged on 5/0 Eagle Claw Trokar TK130 Flippin’ Hook with 3/8-ounce tungsten weight.
Christie fished a BOOYAH Pad Crasher for topwater bites. 
Jacob Foutz (9th; 59-5)
Foutz used finesse tactics to coax his bass on Okeechobee. 
He used this 1/4-ounce swim jig with Kietech Swing Impact 3.5 swimbait. 
Alternatively, he used a 4-inch Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ on 3/16-ounce Owner Range Roller jig head. 
Trey McKinney (8th; 65-9)
McKinney used a finesse worm and Carolina rig fished over hard-bottom areas. 
McKinney used this 6th Sense Bamboosa 5.3 on a 2/0 Gamkatsua Stinger Hook. 
He made a Carolina rig with a 6th Sense Bamboosa 5.3 on a 4/0 Gamkatsua Hook and 1/2-ounce weight. 
Greg DiPalma (7th; 67-4)
DiPlama used a magnum worm and crankbait to pinpoint prespawn bass on depth breaks. 
For targeting specific spots, he used this Zoom Magnum Ultravibe Speed Worm, rigged on a 7/16-ounce wobble head-style jig head. 
For covering water and eliciting reaction strikes he used this Nomad D-Trak crankbait. 
David Gaston (6th; 68-4)
A bladed jig did the trick for Gaston. 
He used this 1/2-ounce Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammer with a Bruiser Baits Sidekick for a trailer. 
Click here to buy these lures at Bass Pro Shops.
Bob Downey (5th; 73-2)
Downey rotated through a flipping jig and punch rigs. 
Leading off was this 5/8-ounce All-Terrain Tackle Flip TG jig with a CrushCity Cleanup Craw for a trailer. 
For a punching rig, Downey used this CrushCity Cleanup Craw on a 4/0 VMC Heavy Duty Worm Hook, with a 3/4-ounce VMC TF Tungsten Flip’N Weight. 
For slower presentations he used this 5/16-ounce All-Terrain Tackle Swim Jig with the CrushCity Cleanup Craw or CrushCity The Mayor for a trailer. 
Will Davis Jr. (4th; 76-5)
Davis alternated between a swim jig and shaky head for big bass catches. 
A key bait was this 1/4-ounce Davis Bait Co. Beast Swim Jig, with a Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog for a trailer.
Alternatively, Davis used a 3/16-ounce Davie Bait Co. Little Will Shaky Worm jig head with a Davis Shaky Worm. 
Kyoya Fujita (3rd; 77-4)
Fujita used his favorite Japanese made and inspired baits to give the Okeechobee bass a different look. 
Leading the lineup was this weightless 14 mm Field Side Saikoro Dice Rubber Magnum. 
Fujita also used this Jackall Driftfry on a 1/8-ounce jighead. 
John Garrett (2nd; 79-7)
Garrett went armed with heavy tackle for his bass in thick cover. 
His primary bait was a Strike King Rage Bug, rigged on a 4/0 Owner 4x Jungle Flippin’ Hook, with a 1/4-ounce tungsten weight. 
Brandon Palaniuk (1st; 95-4)
Palaniuk used hard baits, namely two crankbaits and one jerkbait to win the tournament. 
Leading off was this Megabass protoype crankbait designed to run between 10 and 12 feet and signed by founder and designer Yuki Ito. 
Palaniuk also used a Megabsss Big-M 4.0.
For upper water column reaction strikes, he used this Megabass Kanata Jerkbait in Kameyama Ghost Pearl.

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