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Fothergill’s Opens AOY tacklebox

Check out the key lures Easton Fothergill consistently used to win the Bassmaster Opens EQ Angler of the Year title.

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Photography by
Solomon Glenn
While Fothergill won the Bassmaster Opens EQ Angler of the Year by 15 points against a group of extremely talented anglers, he took the lead at Lake Eufaula and never looked back.
Fothergill’s Opens season was nothing short of special. His lowest finishes were 83rd on Santee Cooper and 46th on Lake St. Clair.
Besides those two events, Fothergill didn’t finish outside the top 25.
Fothergill also fished the Bassmaster Classic and came away with an impressive 16th place in the biggest tournament in bass fishing.
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The recent University of Montevallo angler received the opportunity to fish the Opens and Bassmaster Classic by winning the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket in 2023.
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Through his first go at the Opens, Fothergill claimed two wins. One of them being on his home waters of Leech Lake, Minnesota. Fothergill caught a total of 49 pounds, 13 ounces for just two days of fishing.
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His other victory came as more of a surprise on Lake Eufaula, Oklahoma. An 8-pound, 12-ounce kicker largemouth on the final day helped propel Fothergill to his first victory of the year.
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We caught up with Easton Fothergill recently to highlight his top baits. Although Fothergill used a variety of baits depending on the tournament location, three were utilized consistently throughout the entire season.
Fothergill likes to keep things simple and trusted these three baits to do much of the heavy lifting across the country.
Strike King 6-inch Filler Worm: Rigged Neko style, Fothergill used a Filler Worm in Red Bug with a No. 2 Ryugi Talisman hook. “That was the most important bait for my season.”
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Strike King Baby Z Too: Fothergill dubs the Baby Z Too as the secondary bait he used throughout the year. The bait he displays here is in Pearl color and is rigged on a 1/4-ounce ball head jig. There aren’t specific tournaments that come to Fothergill’s mind where the Z Too and Filler Worm excelled more than normal. “They were just consistent fish catchers everywhere we went.”
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Strike King Tungsten Thunder Cricket: Although used throughout the season, Fothergill greatly attributes his win on Lake Eufaula to the Tungsten Thunder Cricket in Mouse color. The bait is paired with a Strike King Rage Menace in Glacier color.
“This is what got me the win at Lake Eufaula in Oklahoma, which ended up being my first-ever major win (at the Opens level) in my career.”
While the list may be short, Fothergill likes to keep things simple and stick to what he has confidence in. These three baits were major players in helping him seal the deal on the Bassmaster Opens AOY. Next year on the Elite Series, you can count on Fothergill having these baits tied on.

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