Choose the lake or venture far up into the headwaters. Those were the options for anglers fishing the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Eastern Open on Douglas Lake. Patrick Walters took the long route and nearly won his second Open of the season.
All captions: Craig Lamb
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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Ott DeFoe played the home field advantage. This scene repeated itself for the third time in four years. The Tennessean won on Douglas in 2014, 2017 and 2018. Check out the Championship Saturday lure lineup of DeFoe and other top finishers.
Photo: James Overstreet
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Jeff Lugar
To finish 12th, Jeff Lugar rotated through a buzzbait, jig and shaky head rig.
To finish 12th, Jeff Lugar rotated through a buzzbait, jig and shaky head rig.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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He made it with a 3/16-ounce shaky-head jig with 7-inch Z Man Finesse WormZ.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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Lugar also used a 1/4-ounce buzzbait with Z Man MinnowZ trailer.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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A 3/8-ounce Z Man David Walker’s CrossEyeZ Power Finesse Jig was another choice.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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Allen Brooks
To finish 11th, Allen Brooks used this 1/2-ounce hand-tied Chattahoochee Jig Company Jig, Killer Miller pattern.
To finish 11th, Allen Brooks used this 1/2-ounce hand-tied Chattahoochee Jig Company Jig, Killer Miller pattern.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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For a trailer he added a brown/chartreuse 4-inch Strike King Rage Tail Craw Trailer.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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Jon Canada
To finish 10th, Jon Canada used soft plastics fished along heavy shoreline cover.
To finish 10th, Jon Canada used soft plastics fished along heavy shoreline cover.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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He chose a Reaction Innovations Tramp Stamp, Kinky Beaver and The Flirt, all Texas-rigged on 4/0 Owner 4x Jungle Flippin’ Hook with 7/16-once weight.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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He also fished the plastics on a 1/8- or 1/16-ounce shaky-head jig.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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David Williams
To finish ninth, David Williams rotated through a jig and buzzbait.
To finish ninth, David Williams rotated through a jig and buzzbait.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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That choice was a 1/4-ounce TrueSouth Custom Lures V-Twin Buzz Rig with 4.25 Zoom Horny Toad.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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A 1/2-ounce Queen Tackle Hammerhead Rattlin Football Jig with Zoom Z Craw or Speed Craw trailers was another choice.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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Bobby Lane
To finish eighth, Bobby Lane Jr. used a jig and shaky-head jig.
To finish eighth, Bobby Lane Jr. used a jig and shaky-head jig.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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That choice was a 3/16-ounce Greenfish Tackle Casey Ashley Clean Up Shakey Head, with 3.25-inch Berkley Craw Fatty Jr. designed by Lane.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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A 7/16-ounce 4x4 Bobby Lane Signature Series Jig with 2.5-inch PowerBait MaxScent Power Chunk trailer was another choice.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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Derek Cummings
To finish seventh, Derek Cummings used a jig and vintage balsa crankbait.
To finish seventh, Derek Cummings used a jig and vintage balsa crankbait.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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That choice was a Bagley Killer B Crankbait.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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He also used a 9/16-ounce TrueSouth Custom Lures Rockstar Jig.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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John Cox
To finish sixth John Cox alternated between a crankbait and spinnerbait.
To finish sixth John Cox alternated between a crankbait and spinnerbait.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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A 1/4-ounce Dirty Jigs Pro Level Spinnerbait was that choice. So was the new Berkley Pit Bull 5.5 FT Crankbait.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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Garrett Paquette
To finish fifth, Garrett Paquette used a 3/4-ounce Queen Tackle Hammerhead Rattlin Football Jig with twin tail grub trailer.
To finish fifth, Garrett Paquette used a 3/4-ounce Queen Tackle Hammerhead Rattlin Football Jig with twin tail grub trailer.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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He also used a Nemesis Baits Bullet Craw on 4/0 Lazer Trokar Flippin Hook and 5/16-ounce bullet weight.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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Toshinari Namiki
To finish fourth, Japanese angler Toshinari Namiki used lures of his design by his company O.S.P.
To finish fourth, Japanese angler Toshinari Namiki used lures of his design by his company O.S.P.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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The Tokyo angler used a 1/2-ounce Highpitcher Spinnerbait featuring thinner, stronger wire that transmit vibration throughout the entire lure.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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Nomiki also used a Tiny Blitz MR Crankbait, featuring a unique circuit board lip that imparts a unique wobbling action.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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Brandon Lester
To finish third, Brandon Lester used a pair of soft plastics by X Zone Lures.
To finish third, Brandon Lester used a pair of soft plastics by X Zone Lures.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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He chose a 4-inch X Zone Lures Pro Series Adrenaline Bug Craw, Texas rigged on a 4/0 Mustad Denny Brauer Grip-Pin Max Flippin’ Hook and 5/16-ounce tungsten weight. He also used 6-inch X Zone Lures MB Fat Finesse Worm on 3/16-ounce shaky-head jig.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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Patrick Walters
To finish second Patrick Walters used a River2Sea Whopper Plopper Silent 110 for schooling fish.
To finish second Patrick Walters used a River2Sea Whopper Plopper Silent 110 for schooling fish.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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When that action subsided he switch to a 3/8-ounce Zorro Baits Booza Bug Jig with 3.5-inch Zoom Z Craw Jr.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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Ott DeFoe
DeFoe alternated between two lures for the win.
DeFoe alternated between two lures for the win.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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DeFoe’s primary weapon of choice was a 6-inch Bass Pro Shops Magnum Fin-Eke Worm, rigged on a 3/0 VMC Ike Approved Heavy Duty Worm Hook with 3/16-ounce weight. He also used a 2.5-inch Terminator Walking Frog.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
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