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Top lures at Lake Murray 2026

See the lineup of postspawn lures where herring were a key factor.

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Photography by
Dalton Tumblin
Photography by
Chase Sansom
West Virginia
Photography by
Shane Durrance
Photography by
Andy Crawford
Captions by
Craig Lamb
High spots plus blueback herring. That sums up the overall prevailing postspawn conditions at the Tedy’s Team Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray. Photo: Craig Lamb
Conditions were ideal for Murray’s dominant forage and bass to congregate around subtle bottom rises surrounded by deeper water, or even near-shore areas offering postspawn transition zones. Photo: Craig Lamb
The highland South Carolina lake was ideally similar to Lake Lanier, home lake for Georgian Paul Marks where he also guides part-time. Most impactful for Mark’s win is both are herring lakes, and Marks made the most of his lifetime of experience using techniques relevant to both lakes. 
Marks earned a second career blue trophy at Lake Murray with a four-day total of 90 pounds, 14 ounces. He began the tournament with 21-14 and rose to second place on Day 2 with 22-15, then added 20-15 on Semifinal Saturday. Marks dominated the final round with the day’s heaviest limit weighing 25-2. 
Marks mastered changing weather and finicky fish by effectively adjusting his locations, baits and presentations based on his understanding of herring fish preferences. Making a key adjustment by fishing riprap shorelines proved beneficial on Championship Sunday. 
Click here to buy these lures at Bass Pro Shops.
Caleb Hudson (10th; 78-7) 
Hudson used a fluke and drop-shot rig. 
He made it with a Zoom Z-3 Trick Worm rigged on 4/0 Gamakatsu G-Finesse Hook with 3/16-ounce weight. 
Hudson also used a Zoom Super Fluke rigged weightless on 4/0 Gamakatsu Superline EWG Hook. 
Drew Benton (9th; 80-6)
Benton rotated through a creature bait, wacky rig and paddletail swimbait. 
That option was this SPRO Surface Swimmer, rigged on 4/0 Gamakatsu Superline EWG Hook, with screw-in bait keeper.
Another choice was this Nories Front Flapper, rigged on 3/0 Gamakatsu G-Power Heavy Cover Worm Flip and Punch Hook, with 5/16-ounce Elite Tungsten weight. 
Alternatively, Benton wacky rigged this SPRO Wacky Snack on No 1. Gamakatsu G-Finesse Weedless Stinger Hook. 
Andrew Loberg (8th; 82-6)
Loberg alternated between a fluke and urchin-style bait. 
That choice was a G-Ratt Baits Webber rigged on 3/0 Ryugi Talisman Wacky/Neko Hook. 
For calling up fish he used a Zoom Super Fluke rigged on 5/0 Gamakatsu Nano Alpha Offset Round Bend Worm Hook. 
Jordan Lee (7th; 83-4)
Lee went weightless with his baits used to call up fish from deeper water or present the lures over shallow points and to schooling bass. 
A top choice was this Berkley PowerBait Power Jerk Shad, rigged on 4/0 Berkley Fusion10 Offset Worm Hook. 
Lee also used this Berkley Lab Series Minnow with 2/0 Berkley Fusion19 Hook. 
Emil Wagner (6th; 84-2)
Wagner used a topwater and fluke-style bait for schooling fish and to call up bass from deeper water. Key to the lure presentations was this new Abu Garcia Revo VoltiQ. The reel features a battery-free electronic braking system that makes real-time adjustments to minimize backlash and maximize casting distance. 
For topwater action he chose the battle-scared Berkley J Walker 90. 
For subsurface use he used this Berkley PowerBait Power Jerk Shad, rigged on 4/0 Berkley Fusion19 Hook. 
Click here to buy these lures at Bass Pro Shops.
Trey McKinney (5th; 84-7) 
McKinney’s key bait was a dice style bait, among other soft plastic rigs. 
A primary lure was this new 6th Sense Abstract rigged on 1/0 Gamakatsu Treble Round Bend Hook. 
Robert Gee (4th; 85-11)
Gee alternated between a soft jerkbait and innovative jighead. It features an angled metal blade allowing it to swim on the surface as a topwater, or subsurface like a scrounger head. 
That rig was this 3/16-ounce Buckeye Elevate Head, rigged with a Yamamoto D-Shad. 
Gee also used this Yamamoto D-Shad rigged weightless on 4/0 Ryugi Limit Offset Worm Hook. 
Brandon Cobb (3rd; 86-7)
Cobb spent most of his tournament moving throughout the lake to fish points, brush and cane piles. After that bite fizzled during the final round he targeted bass in the Saluda River with an Ark CT35 squarebill (not pictured). 
His primary bait was a Zoom Super Fluke, rigged with a small swivel and a prototype 3/0 Ark wide gap hook. 
Sam Hanggi (2nd; 87-5)
Hanggi finished second with 87-5 using a two-pronged approach. Mornings began during a herring spawn when bass were chasing bait. Afternoons were spent around docks and shallow brush. 
A primary setup was this 1/8-ounce Buckeye Lures Elevate Head, rigged with a Big Bite Baits Spotlight Minnow. 
Hanggi also used this Coike Fullcast rigged on 4/0 Ryugi Talisman Brutal Hook with a 1/8-ounce nail weight.
Completing Hanggi’s lure package was this fluke-style bait rigged on 4/0 worm hook. 
Paul Marks (1st; 90-14)
A fluke worked best throughout the tournament until it failed on Championship Sunday. Marks shifted to the riprap pattern and scored big with a SPRO Little John 50 squarebill (not pictured).
A primary setup was a Zoom Super Fluke rigged on 5/0 Gamakatsu Offset Shank Round Bend Worm Hook.
Marks alternated between Chartreuse and Chartreuse Herring colors. 

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