Elite

Top lures of Lake Martin 2026

See early prespawn baits used by the pros for spotted bass and largemouth.

Posted on
Photography by
Dalton Tumblin
Photography by
Chase Sansom
West Virginia
Photography by
Andy Crawford
Photography by
Grant Moxley
Photography by
Shane Durrance
Photography by
Solomon Glenn
Minnesota
Captions by
Craig Lamb
Spotted bass and largemouth were in play at the Lippert Bassmaster Elite at Lake Martin. Sunny conditions during preliminary rounds favored spotted bass, then weekend clouds and rain also prompted early prespawn largemouth movement. Photo: Craig Lamb
Championship Sunday anglers had their pick, and Fisher Anaya chose prespawn staging areas on the clearer south side of the central Alabama lake. The 20-year-old rookie from Alabama brought his spotted bass game to the win with 54 pounds, 6 ounces. 
Anaya led off with 11-6 and then worked his way into the Top 10 with 12-13, 14-7 and then 15-12, the biggest catch of the tournament. 
Anaya won his first Elite in just two events, also after winning 2025 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier presented by Bass Pro Shops Angler of the Year. See his winning baits and those used by the top anglers to catch prespawn bass on a highland lake. 
Click here to buy these lures at Bass Pro Shops.
Caleb Hudson (10th; 45-9)
Hudson rotated between a jerkbait and Neko rig. 
He made the Neko rig with a shorted 5-inch Zoom Thick Trick, rigged on 1/0 Gamakatsu G-Finesse Stinger Hook. 
Hudson also used a SPRO McRip jerkbait for firing up schooling spotted bass. 
Cody Meyer (9th; 45-14)
Meyer wisely used his favorite West Coast baits and tactics for his strategy. 
His primary setup was this wacky-rigged 5-inch Yamamoto Senko rigged on No. 1 Owner Sniper Finesse Neko Hook. 
Alternatively, Meyer used this Neko rig made with a Daiwa Neko Fat, rigged with 1/16-ounce Cipher Fishing Tungsten Nail Weight, and No. 2 Owner Sniper Finesse Neko Hook. 
Meyer also used this 3/8-ounce Evergreen Baits IR-Jig with Yamamoto Yama Bug. 
Pake South (8th; 46-1) 
South used a jerkbait as his primary lure 
That choice was a Berkley Stunna +1.
Robert Gee (7th; 46-2)
Gee rotated between a stick worm and homemade jig. 
A primary bait was this 5-inch Yamamoto Senko, with on 1/48- and 1/32-ounce Ryugi Adjust Tungsten Nail Weights. 
Alternatively, he used this 1/4-ounce homemade jig with 3.5-inch Yamamoto Hinge Minnow. 
Chris Zaldain (6th; 46-14) 
Zaldain used two swimbaits for shallow largemouth in standing timber and wood and deeper spotted bass. 
His primary bait was this Bass Mafia Dangerous Unloaded Swimbait, rigged on 7/0 hook with inline 3/16-ounce weighted head.
For spotted bass, Zaldain used this Bass Mafia Dangerous Loaded Swimbait with in-line assembly for penetrating a strike zone in 25 feet of water. 
Click here to buy these lures at Bass Pro Shops.
Joey Cifuentes III (5th; 48-11)
Cifuentes’ primary bait was a dice-style bait. 
He rigged it on Berkley Fusion19 Weedless Wide Gap Wacky Hook, with 3/32-ounce nail weight. 
Easton Fothergill (4th; 50-11)
Fothergill rotated between a jighead minnow and swimbait. 
That choice was this Strike King Final Copy Swimbait rigged with No. 1 Ryugi Pierce TC Treble Hook. 
For finesse bites, he switched to this Strike King 3X Baby Z-Too Soft Jerkbait, rigged on 1/4-ounce Keitech Tungsten Super Round Jig Head.
Emil Wagner (3rd; 50-11)
Wagner focused on soft plastics on Neko and shaky-head rigs. Points with chunk rock were primary strike zones. His primary lures were two Berkley prototype soft plastic baits currently under development. 
Otherwise, he used a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent The General, rigged on 1/4-ounce shaky-head jig. 
Brock Mosley (2nd; 52-14) 
Mosley focused all week on shallow water tactics, rotating through a bladed jig, squarebill crankbait and jig. Rainy conditions on Championship Sunday proved favorable for his tactics. 
For shallow cover he used this 3/8-ounce Buckeye Lures The Thump Jig. 
Another top bait was this 3/8-ounce Z-Man Tungsten ChatterBait EVO, rigged on Yamamoto Zako. 
For covering water, he used this Bill Lewis ATV Squarebill Crankbait. 
Fisher Anaya (1st; 54-6)
Anaya targeted prespawn staging areas in big pockets on the south end of the lake, favored for its clearer water. Most of his spotted bass were located on rockpiles in less than 10 feet of water and stumps on Championship Sunday. 
A primary choice was this CrushCity Freeloader fished on 1/4-ounce jighead.  
Alternatively, he used this dice-style bait with 1/32-ounce nail wight on VMC RedLine Treble Hook.

Related