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Top lures of Santee Cooper Lakes 2026

A seldom seen lure co-starred behind Chris Johnston's epic win.

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Photography by
Dalton Tumblin
Photography by
Andy Crawford
Photography by
Shane Durrance
Photography by
Chase Sansom
West Virginia
Captions by
Craig Lamb
Canadian Chris Johnston set out to erase his one-dimensional identity as a northern smallmouh guru on a legendary southern bass fishery. He succeeded without the aid of forward-facing sonar and at the Century Club level at the Yokohama Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes. 
Johnston won by a 19 pound, 12-ounce margin of victory with a winning weight of 113-12. “To have the week I had, catching 5-,6- and 7-pounders the whole time, you couldn’t ask for anything more.” Notably, he sacked daily limits weighing 21-3, 32-8, 29-2 and 30-15. 
The two-time Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year now has two blue trophies on his mantle, and a Century Club belt each for smallmouth and largemouth. 
The co-star of the week was not tactic, pattern or technique. Instead, it was a hot Japanese-inspired lure that has gone viral in the bass fishing world. The seldom seen lure on the Santee Cooper Lakes was key to his win and will be seen throughout this gallery. 
Johnston skipped and pitched the winning lure around main lake docks in less than 10 feet of water that he believed held resident largemouth. Skipping and pitching produced best. He opted for the lesser fished docks, given the most fishing pressure focused on cypress trees and the recent regrowth of aquatic vegetation. 
Click here to buy these lures at Bass Pro Shops.
Greg Hackney (10th; 71-2)
Hackney used a topwater frog, swim jig and flipping jig. 
A Strike King KVD Sexy Frog produced strikes over vegetation. 
He targeted cypress trees with this 3/4-ounce Strike King Hack Attack Heavy Cover Flipping Jig with Strike King Rage Craw.
Between targets he fished a 3/8-ounce Strike King Hack Attack Heavy Cover Swim Jig with Strike King Rage Craw.
Bob Downey (9th; 77-5)
Downey used a swim jig, bladed jig and flipping rig. 
A top choice was this 5/16-ounce All Terrain Tackle Swim Jig with CrushCity Cleanup Craw.
For covering water, he used a 1/2-ounce Z-Man ChatterBait with CrushCity Freeloader.
The flipping package consisted of a CrushCity Cleanup Craw rigged with 4/0 VMC Straight Shank Hook. He paired it with a 1/4-ounce weight for cypress trees and a 3/4-ounce weight for matted vegetation. 
Tucker Smith (8th; 82-8) 
Smith fished a bladed jig over vegetation and an urchin-style bait around docks and other isolated cover. 
He used a 3/8 and 1/2-ounce bladed jig with a Yamamoto Zako over heavy vegetation. 
Kyle Welcher (7th; 83-9)
Welcher covered varying strike zones with a stick worm, creature bait and topwater frog. 
For finesse tactics he used this CrushCity Pig Stick on 2/0 Gamakatsu Split Shot/Drop Shot Hook. 
He also used a Crush City Bronco Bug on 4/0 Gamakatsu G-Power Heavy Cover Worm Flip and Punch Hook with 3/8-ounce weight.
For topwater action Welcher used this SPRO Bronzeye Pop. 
Click here to buy these lures at Bass Pro Shops.
Justin Hamner (6th; 85-10)
Hamner used a creature bait and glide bait. 
For flipping heavy cover, he chose this NetBait Bull Bream with HexTek and rigged on 4/0 Gamakatsu G-Power Heavy Cover Worm Flip and Punch Hook with 3/8-ounce tungsten weight. 
He added Bluegill BaitFuel for added strike appeal. 
Hamner also used this Clutch Swimbait Co. Baby Boss Glide Bait. 
Pat Schlapper (5th; 90-3)
A bladed jig and creature bait rig were top baits for Schlapper. 
He used this 3/8-ounce Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammer over and through vegetation. 
A Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver on 1-ounce tungsten weight with 4/0 Gamakatsu G-Power Heavy Cover Worm Flip and Punch Hook was another top choice. 
Cory Johnston (4th; 92-3)
A soon-to-be released urchin-style bait was Johnston’s primary bait. 
That choice was a 6th Sense Abstract Series 18 on No. 1 BKK Treble Hook. 
Drew Cook (3rd; 92-9)
Cook did what he likes to do best, which is focus on bedding largemouth in full spawn mode. He rotated through three baits. 
His flipping/pitching package consisted of a Nories Front Flapper on 4/0 Gamakatsu G-Power Heavy Cover Worm Flip and Punch Hook with 1/4-ounce tungsten weight. 
Cook made a wacky rig with his self-designed SPRO Wacky Snack on No. 2 Gamakatsu B10S Stinger Hook. 
For finesse fishing he used a 17mm Hideup Coike on No. 2 Gamakatsu Treble Round Bend.  
Brandon Palaniuk (2nd; 94-0)
Palaniuk sacked limits weighing 29-1, 29-15, 20-11 and 14-5, targeting shallow cypress trees holding postspawn largemouth. A certain contour break and mix of vegetation were key ingredients for finding high percentage groups of trees. 
Palaniuk’s flipping package consisted of an X Zone Lures Muscle Back Finesse Craw on 3/0 BKK Heavy Cover Hook with 1.5-ounce Z Zone Lures Tungsten Worm Weight. 
He also used this Hideup Coike Fullcast on No. 1 BKK Spear 21 SS Treble Hook with 3/32-ounce X Zone Lures Tungsten Pagoda Nail Sinker. 
Palaniuk’s biggest bass came on a homemade urchin-style bait rigged weightless with No. 1 BKK Spear 21 SS Treble Hook.
Chris Johnston (1st; 113-12)
Johnston’s primary lures were the Hideup Coike Fullcast in two colors. He rigged both baits with a No. 1 Gamakatsu treble hook and pushed a 1/8-ounce tungsten sinker into the bottom of the bait so the buoyant material would sink. 
The first choice was the Watermelon Seed. 
The Scuppernong pattern was the other choice. 

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