Top lures at Clarks Hill Open 2025

Check out the baits used to claim Top 10 finishes at the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Clarks Hill Reservoir presented by SEVIIN.

Old Man Winter did his best to put a damper on the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Clarks Hill Reservoir presented by SEVIIN. Bitter cold temperatures and a cancelled day due to snow threw anglers a curveball, but the two-day tournament showcased the best of what Clarks Hill has to offer.
In total, 234 limits were caught by the field of 161 pros over the course of the two-day event, including multiple 20-pound bags and plenty of 5- and 6-pound largemouth. Chase Clarke, however, was the only angler to land multiple bags of more than 20 pounds.
That helped the Virginia Beach pro claim his first Opens title and a spot in 2026 Bassmaster Classic. Nine of his 10 bass were largemouth, and three of those largemouth bested the 6-pound mark.
If you can brave the elements, wintertime is one of the best times to head to the lake and catch big spotted and largemouth bass. Bass Pro Shops has everything you need to make the most of the cold weather months. Visit Basspro.com to find all of the baits used by the pros at Clarks Hill as well as your personal favorites.
River Lee (10th; 37-0)
River Lee used one key bait to notch his first Top 10 finish in an Open.
A Rapala CrushCity Mooch Minnow rigged on a 1/4-ounce jighead caught all of Lee’s bass this week.
Ryan Lachniet (9th; 37-7)
Two key baits allowed Ryan Lachniet to rise up the leaderboard at Clarks Hill.
A Deps Sakamata Shad rigged on a 3/8-ounce jighead was a key presentation.
This Megabass Vision 110+1 Junior in the pro blue color also generated bites.
Brooks Anderson (8th; 37-11)
Brooks Anderson used two finesse presentations to notch a Top 10 finish.
Anderson built a drop shot using a Yamamoto Sensei Worm, a 3/16-ounce tungsten weight and a 2/0 Owner Cover Shot hook.
A 5/8-ounce Queen Tackle Live Sonar tungsten jighead paired with a 3.5 Cast Echo Jighead Minnow also generated important bites for Anderson.
Michael Neal (7th; 38-2)
It was a two-bait approach for Michael Neal at Clarks Hill.
A 3/8-ounce Juices Jigs Hairmiki was a key presentation for Neal.
Neal also used a Big Bite Baits Jointed Jerk Minnow rigged on a Gamakatsu Horizon Head.
Dillon Falardeau (6th; 38-2)
Dillon Falardeau used a jighead minnow to excel on Clarks Hill.
He used this CAST Fishing Company Echo 2.75 rigged on a 1/4-ounce Guppy Head jig with a 1/0 hook.
Whether you are chasing bass all winter long, or stocking up for spring, Basspro.com has you covered.
Laker Howell (5th; 38-15)
Laker Howell used a two-pronged approach to notch his first top five of the 2025 season.
A Livingston Lures Jerkmaster 121 was a key lure for Howell. The Alabama angler also relied on a Yamamoto Scope Shad on a 1/4-ounce jighead.
Carter Cunningham (4th; 39-3)
Carter Cunningham used two hovering baits to catch quality bass.
Cunningham, a high-schooler, used this Strike King Z Too with a 3/8-ounce Queen Tackle Live Sonar tungsten jighead.
He also threw a Rapala CrushCity Mooch Minnow on a 1/2-ounce Queen Tackle Live Sonar tungsten jighead.
Lucas Lindsay (3rd; 39-14)
Lucas Lindsay caught the biggest bag of Day 2 using two finesse baits.
Lindsay tossed a Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ rigged on a jighead from Echo Bait Company in either a 3/16-ounce, 3/8-ounce or 1/4-ounce.
He also used a Rapala CrushCity Mooch Minnow on the same jigheads.
Blaine Bunney (2nd; 41-4)
The 18-year-old Bunney picked apart his best area using two different approaches.
His primary bait was a Spro RkCrawler. He rotated through several different colors during the tournament.
He also picked off several key bass with a 3-inch YUM Houdini Shad rigged on a 3/8-ounce Queen Tackle Live Sonar tungsten jighead.
Chase Clarke (1st; 47-7)
One style of bait pushed Clarke to his first Opens victory.
Clarke used this Greenfish Tackle Bad Little Shad jighead with a fluke-style bait. He used either a 3/16-ounce, a 1/4-ounce or a 3/8-ounce depending on how deep he was fishing.