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Lake Okeechobee. Just the thought of it brings to mind big bass. The Big O did not disappoint at the A.R.E Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee.
All captions: Craig Lamb
Photo: Garrick Dixon
The lake was in its seasonal prime with all spawning phases underway during the tournament. Timmy Horton won it with 83 pounds, 5 ounces. Here are the lures used by Horton and the top pros during a week of amazing bass fishing.
Photo: Nate Sims
Adrian Avena
The 12th-place finisher cycled through his lure selection based on light conditions. Early, Avena threw a bone pattern Heddon Saltwater Zara Spook during the shad spawn. A key was switching the stock hooks with oversized No. 1 Berkley Fusion 19 treble hooks.
The 12th-place finisher cycled through his lure selection based on light conditions. Early, Avena threw a bone pattern Heddon Saltwater Zara Spook during the shad spawn. A key was switching the stock hooks with oversized No. 1 Berkley Fusion 19 treble hooks.
Photo: Garrick Dixon
For bedding bass he used a 1/2-ounce All Terrain Tackle Jig with a PowerBait Chigger Craw or Zoom Horny Toad. To trigger reaction bites he chose a 7-inch Roman Made Negotiator glide-style bait. For missed topwater strikes he made follow-up casts with a soft plastic stick bait.
Photo: Garrick Dixon
Stephen Browning
Browning used these lures for his 11th-place finish. He started with a 5-inch black/blue Z-Man ZinkerZ soft plastic stick bait rigged to a 4/0 Mustad Round Bend Hook and 1/8-ounce weight.
Browning used these lures for his 11th-place finish. He started with a 5-inch black/blue Z-Man ZinkerZ soft plastic stick bait rigged to a 4/0 Mustad Round Bend Hook and 1/8-ounce weight.
Photo: Garrick Dixon
Next in the rotation was a 7-inch Z-Man black/blue Magnum FattyZ with a 4/0 Mustad Grip Pin Big Bite Soft Plastics Hook and 5/16 ounce weight. Finally, he used 1/2-ounce Z-Man ChatterBaits, green pumpkin or black/blue patterns. For a trailer he used a 4.5-inch Z-Man RaZor ShadZ.
Photo: Garrick Dixon
Andy Montgomery
The 10th-place finisher used two lures to target bass in various spawning stages. For early morning bites he chose a 1/2-ounce white Strike King Hack Attack Heavy Cover Swim Jig. To that he rigged a 4-inch Strike King Magnum Rage Bug.
The 10th-place finisher used two lures to target bass in various spawning stages. For early morning bites he chose a 1/2-ounce white Strike King Hack Attack Heavy Cover Swim Jig. To that he rigged a 4-inch Strike King Magnum Rage Bug.
Photo: Garrick Dixon
Montgomery also used a Strike King KVD Popping Perch for topwater action. “The Magnum Rage Bug was the key, because it attracted the bigger bites,” he said.
Photo: Garrick Dixon
Dean Rojas
The ninth-place finisher spent most of the week fishing isolated reeds surrounded by patches of aquatic vegetation. That combination provided cover for migrating and spawning phase bass. Rojas chose his self-designed Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog, Blue and Black Sapphire pattern. He rigged that to a 5/0 Gamakatsu SuperLine Offset EWG hook and 3/4-ounce tungsten weight.
The ninth-place finisher spent most of the week fishing isolated reeds surrounded by patches of aquatic vegetation. That combination provided cover for migrating and spawning phase bass. Rojas chose his self-designed Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog, Blue and Black Sapphire pattern. He rigged that to a 5/0 Gamakatsu SuperLine Offset EWG hook and 3/4-ounce tungsten weight.
Photo: Garrick Dixon
Jason Williamson
“Pre- and post-spawn fish were eating a lot of shad near their spawning areas,” said the eighth-place angler. Williamson’s go-to bait was a lure of his own design.
“Pre- and post-spawn fish were eating a lot of shad near their spawning areas,” said the eighth-place angler. Williamson’s go-to bait was a lure of his own design.
Photo: Garrick Dixon
The choice was a 3/8-ounce Buckeye Lures J-Will Trokar Swim Jig, Sexy Shad pattern. “The swim jig worked really well for those pressured fish.” He added a pearl white soft plastic trailer for added strike appeal.
Photo: Garrick Dixon
Bobby Lane
The seventh-place finisher started the morning with a Yozuri 3DB Pencil topwater lure, Bluegill pattern. “The bass were feeding in the same places they spawned,” said Lane.
The seventh-place finisher started the morning with a Yozuri 3DB Pencil topwater lure, Bluegill pattern. “The bass were feeding in the same places they spawned,” said Lane.
Photo: Garrick Dixon
Alternatively, he used a 1-ounce 4x4 Bobby Lane Signature Series Jig, rotating between Black/Blue, Okeechobee Craw and Bream patterns. Later, he switched to a Berkley Havoc Pit Boss rigged to a 5/0 Lazer Trokar Big Nasty Flippin Hook. To that he rigged Flat Out Tungsten 1-, 1 1/2- and 2-ounce weights to penetrate thick tules.
Photo: Garrick Dixon
Dave Lefebre
The sixth-place finisher switched things up. He used a 1/4-ounce Terminator Swim Jig and matching soft plastic trailer. Added to the mix was a 3/8-ounce ChatterBait with a 4-inch Yamamoto Zako trailer. Alternatively, he used a 4.75-inch Yamamoto Sanshouo Salamander rigged to a 5/0 Gamakatsu SuperLine Offset EWG hook. He completed the rig with VMC Tungsten Weights in 1/16 and 1/8 ounce sizes.
The sixth-place finisher switched things up. He used a 1/4-ounce Terminator Swim Jig and matching soft plastic trailer. Added to the mix was a 3/8-ounce ChatterBait with a 4-inch Yamamoto Zako trailer. Alternatively, he used a 4.75-inch Yamamoto Sanshouo Salamander rigged to a 5/0 Gamakatsu SuperLine Offset EWG hook. He completed the rig with VMC Tungsten Weights in 1/16 and 1/8 ounce sizes.
Photo: Garrick Dixon
Greg Hackney
“My deal all week was focusing on fish in all phases of the spawn,” said the fifth-place angler. Hackney used namesake Strike King lures of his design. Those choices were a Strike King Hack Attack Heavy Cover Swim Jig and its flipping jig counterpart.
“My deal all week was focusing on fish in all phases of the spawn,” said the fifth-place angler. Hackney used namesake Strike King lures of his design. Those choices were a Strike King Hack Attack Heavy Cover Swim Jig and its flipping jig counterpart.
Photo: Garrick Dixon
He chose a 3/8-ounce white swim jig and 3/4-ounce blue/black flipping jig. He used a color matching Strike King Rage Tail Lobster for the flipping jig and Strike King Rage Craw for the swim jig.
Photo: Garrick Dixon
Fletcher Shryock
“I made super long casts anywhere I thought there was a spawning bed, to get a reaction bite,” said the fourth-place finisher. To make that happen Shryock used a 3/8-ounce swim jig with a 5-inch Yamamoto Twin Double Tail Grub.
“I made super long casts anywhere I thought there was a spawning bed, to get a reaction bite,” said the fourth-place finisher. To make that happen Shryock used a 3/8-ounce swim jig with a 5-inch Yamamoto Twin Double Tail Grub.
Photo: Garrick Dixon
Cliff Prince
The third-place finisher kept it simple. Prince’s primary choices were two lures. He chose a Greenfish Tackle The Tat topwater prop bait in a custom color chosen by him. Alternatively, Prince used a white Pro-Z T-Sitz topwater frog with a Fitzgerald rod.
The third-place finisher kept it simple. Prince’s primary choices were two lures. He chose a Greenfish Tackle The Tat topwater prop bait in a custom color chosen by him. Alternatively, Prince used a white Pro-Z T-Sitz topwater frog with a Fitzgerald rod.
Photo: Garrick Dixon
Ott DeFoe
The runner-up rotated through two primary baits for his second consecutive Top 10 finish this season. DeFoe’s choices were a pair of 3-inch Terminator Walking Frog Junior soft plastic topwaters in the Cocoa Camo and Hot Shad patterns.
The runner-up rotated through two primary baits for his second consecutive Top 10 finish this season. DeFoe’s choices were a pair of 3-inch Terminator Walking Frog Junior soft plastic topwaters in the Cocoa Camo and Hot Shad patterns.
Photo: Garrick Dixon
When the topwater bite slowed he switched to a 4.5-inch Bass Pro Shops River Bug, black/blue flake, rigged to a 5/0 VMC Heavy Duty Straight Shank Flipping Hook. He completed the rig with a 1/2-ounce Swagger Tackle Co. Tungsten Weight. Alternatively, he used a Bass Pro Shops Shadee Shad rigged with a 3/0 VMC Worm hook.
Photo: Garrick Dixon
Timmy Horton
Horton took a long ride to the south side of the lake to catch his winning fish on Days 1-3. Unique to the area were growths of dense and isolated reeds. Pitching and flipping baits into the mix of reeds and bladed aquatic weeds produced strikes.
Horton took a long ride to the south side of the lake to catch his winning fish on Days 1-3. Unique to the area were growths of dense and isolated reeds. Pitching and flipping baits into the mix of reeds and bladed aquatic weeds produced strikes.
Photo: Nate Sims
Horton kept it simple with a lure sold by Profound Outdoors, a company he founded. The choice was a 4.25-inch Klone Crawsome, Black and Blue Swirl pattern. To that he rigged a 4/0 Lazer Trokar Big Nasty Flippin Hook and Bass Pro Shops Tungsten Weights ranging from 1/2 to 1 1/2 ounces.
Photo: Garrick Dixon
