The first Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open on the Harris Chain experienced cooler temperatures and a strong north wind. Anglers adjusted with numerous baits as reaction lures and slowly fished plastics dominated.
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To finish 12th, David May used three different lures. May fished in Lake Griffin and Eustis.
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His soft plastics were the Gambler Burner Worm and the Gambler Burner Craw. The worm was utilized in casting situations while the craw was used while flipping vegetation.
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His reaction lure was a Strike King Red Eye Shad in Chili Craw.
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To finish 11th, John Cox relied on a Berkley Powerbait Windup Worm. He fished it around spawning areas and reeled it over grass patches.
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To finish 10th, John Hunter used two reaction baits to cover water.
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He used a 6th Sense Provoke 106x in French Bone Pearl on his signature series John Hunter Cashion rod.
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He fished it over grass patches in open water.
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He also used a 5/8-ounce 6th Sense Quake 70 Lipless Crankbait in Chrome Threadfin.
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Alvin Shaw used two baits to finish 9th.
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First was a Jackall TN70 Lipless Crankbait. It used to be HL Blueback Chrome, but after so many fish the color has been worn off in places.
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He also used a white 1/2-ounce Z-Man Jackhammer Chatterbait with a chartreuse Zoom Curly Tail trailer.
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Trevor Fitzgerald finished in 8th place with two moving baits.
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One was a 3/4-ounce Z-man Project Z Chatterbait with a Hog Farmer Spunk Shad trailer.
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He also used a Strike King KVD 300 series jerkbait in Crystal Shad.
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To finish 7th, Nick Hatfield used a two-pronged approach.
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One was a 1/2-ounce Booyah One Knocker Lipless Crankbait in Bling color.
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The other was a Zoom Magnum Speed Worm.
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Buddy Gross notched a 6th-place finish with two reaction lures.
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One was a 3/4-ounce Z-man Jackhammer Chatterbait with a Zoom Z-Craw trailer.
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The other was an Azuma Shaker Z Lipless Crankbait in Chartreuse/Black.
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Gross fished both baits on offshore grass patches.
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Brandon Lester extended his streak of top 5s to five with a 5th-place finish.
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He used a finesse Carolina Rig with a 5/16-ounce weight with a X-Zone Lures 5-inch True Center Stick. He rigged it on a 3/0 Mustad Grip Pin Big Bite hook.
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Then he threw a 5/8-ounce Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Wild Shiner.
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Eric Panzironi cashed in with a 4th place finish. He used two lures exclusively in Lake Eustis.
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One was a Z-Man Jackhammer Chatterbait in white. He also caught fish on a Zoom Speed Worm in Black/Blue.
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Kyle Welcher caught a big bag on the final day to move up to 3rd place. He used a Gary Yamamoto 5-inch Senko in Mardi Gras color.
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He also used a Yamamoto D-Shad, but ran out on the final day after catching so many fish.
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Bryan Schmitt caught 27 and 18 pounds respectively to finish 2nd.
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He used a 3/8-ounce prototype Hayabusa Swim Jig in Black/Purple with a Missile Baits Twin Turbo trailer.
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Along with the swim jig he also mixed in a bladed jig some as well.
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Then he followed up his moving baits with a Missile Baits 48 worm. He rigged it on a 5/16-ounce weight and a 4/0 Hayabusa WRM 959 hook. He caught his Day 1 8-4 big fish on it.
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Whitney Stephens won the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open by an astounding 11+ pound margin. He used two lures to catch 32-12 and 24-12.
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He used a 3/4-ounce custom Spinnerbait in Gold Shiner with double willow leaf blades with the biggest being a #6 size. The spinnerbait landed him numerous fish including the 7-8 kicker on the final day.
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He also caught fish on a Zoom Magnum Trick Worm in Junebug. It was rigged on a 5/16-ounce VMC weight with a 5/0 VMC hook on 15-pound Berkley 100% fluorocarbon.
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