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A grinder. When every keeper going into the livewell was worth celebrating. That was the vibe at the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Neely Henry Lake.
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All captions: Craig Lamb
Photo: Dalton Tumblin
“I made 100 stops today.” That summed up the game plan for Texan Cody Bird, who put together a milk-run, run-and-gun pattern that put him in the lead on Friday, when he made that comment. He managed to hold the lead on Championship Saturday for the win. Check out his winning baits and those of the top finishers at Neely Henry. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Chris Mitchell
Brandon Palaniuk (12th; 22-11)
Brandon Palaniuk, fishing his fifth consecutive Bassmaster event, coincidentally used the very same drop shot that earned him an Elite Series win at Santee Cooper. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Brandon Palaniuk, fishing his fifth consecutive Bassmaster event, coincidentally used the very same drop shot that earned him an Elite Series win at Santee Cooper. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Dalton Tumblin
He made it with an X Zone Lures Deception Worm, rigged on a No. 1 VMC Finesse Neko Hook, with 1/4-ounce VMC Teardrop Tungsten Drop Shot Weight. Buy it now on Amazon: VMC Finesse Neko Hook
Photo: Andy Crawford
He also used a Storm Arashi Silent Square 3, swapping the stock hooks out for VMC 7548 Treble Hooks. A 1/4-ounce buzzbait with a Zoom Horny Toad completed his lineup of baits. Buy it now on Amazon: Storm Arashi Silent Square 3 | Zoom Horny Toad
Photo: Andy Crawford
Matt Pangrac (11th; 25-8)
A top bait for Matt Pangrac was an Academy H20 XPRESS CRS Crankbait, replacing the stock hooks with No. 5 Gamakatsu Aaron Martens TGW Nano Finesse Treble Hooks. He also used a 1/2-ounce Z-Man Chatterbait Jackhammer, with a Big Bite Baits Kamikaze Swim On for a trailer. Buy it now on Amazon: Gamakatsu Aaron Martens TGW Nano Finesse Treble Hooks | Z-Man Chatterbait Jackhammer | Big Bite Baits Kamikaze Swim On
A top bait for Matt Pangrac was an Academy H20 XPRESS CRS Crankbait, replacing the stock hooks with No. 5 Gamakatsu Aaron Martens TGW Nano Finesse Treble Hooks. He also used a 1/2-ounce Z-Man Chatterbait Jackhammer, with a Big Bite Baits Kamikaze Swim On for a trailer. Buy it now on Amazon: Gamakatsu Aaron Martens TGW Nano Finesse Treble Hooks | Z-Man Chatterbait Jackhammer | Big Bite Baits Kamikaze Swim On
Photo: Andy Crawford
Pangrac also used a Big Bite Baits BFE, rigged on a 5/0 Gamakatsu Screw Lock Hook, with a 3/16-ounce Covert Tungsten Weight. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Andy Crawford
Darold Gleason (10th; 28-1)
A 1/4-ounce Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap was a top choice for Darold Gleason. So was a 3/8-ounce V&M Pacemaker HD Swim Jig with a V&M J-Bug trailer. Buy it now on Amazon: Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap
A 1/4-ounce Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap was a top choice for Darold Gleason. So was a 3/8-ounce V&M Pacemaker HD Swim Jig with a V&M J-Bug trailer. Buy it now on Amazon: Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap
Photo: Andy Crawford
For flipping, Gleason chose a V&M J Bug, rigged on a 4/0 Gamakatsu Super Heavy Cover Flippin’ Hook, with a 1/4-ounce weight. Buy it now on Amazon: Gamakatsu Super Heavy Cover Flippin’ Hook
Photo: Andy Crawford
Keith Poche (9th; 28-13)
A Berkley Square Bull was a top bait for Keith Poche. So was a Berkley Pit Boss, rigged on a 4/0 Berkley Fusion 19 Heavy Cover Hook, with a 3/8-ounce tungsten weight. Buy it now on Amazon: Berkley Pit Boss
A Berkley Square Bull was a top bait for Keith Poche. So was a Berkley Pit Boss, rigged on a 4/0 Berkley Fusion 19 Heavy Cover Hook, with a 3/8-ounce tungsten weight. Buy it now on Amazon: Berkley Pit Boss
Photo: Andy Crawford
Wyatt Burkhalter (8th; 28-15)
Wyatt Burkhalter used a 1/2-ounce Z-Man Chatterbait Jackhammer with a Gambler Baby Flappn’ Shad for a trailer. Buy it now on Amazon: Z-Man Chatterbait Jackhammer | Gambler Baby Flappn’ Shad
Wyatt Burkhalter used a 1/2-ounce Z-Man Chatterbait Jackhammer with a Gambler Baby Flappn’ Shad for a trailer. Buy it now on Amazon: Z-Man Chatterbait Jackhammer | Gambler Baby Flappn’ Shad
Photo: Andy Crawford
Jason Christie (7th; 29-0)
A 1/2-ounce War Eagle Covert Spinnerbait with tandem Indiana blades was a top choice for Jason Christie. So was a 1/2-ounce War Eagle Gold Frame Tandem Indiana Spinnerbait. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
A 1/2-ounce War Eagle Covert Spinnerbait with tandem Indiana blades was a top choice for Jason Christie. So was a 1/2-ounce War Eagle Gold Frame Tandem Indiana Spinnerbait. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Andy Crawford
Christie also used a 1/2-ounce War Eagle JIU-JIGSU with a Yum Spine Craw for a trailer. Christie also used a Booyah Melee bladed jig, with a Yum Pulse swimbait for a trailer. Buy it now on Amazon: Booyah Melee | Yum Pulse
Photo: Andy Crawford
Joey Nania (6th; 30-13)
A 6th Sense Cloud Series C10 crankbait was a top choice for Joey Nania. Buy it now on Amazon: 6th Sense Cloud Series C10 crankbait
A 6th Sense Cloud Series C10 crankbait was a top choice for Joey Nania. Buy it now on Amazon: 6th Sense Cloud Series C10 crankbait
Photo: Andy Crawford
So was a Z-Man CrossEyeZ Power Finesse Jig, with a Z-Man TRD BugZ for a trailer. Nania also used a Texas/Ned rigged TRD BugZ on a 1/6-ounce Z-Man Ned LockZ HD Jighead. Buy it now on Amazon: Z-Man CrossEyeZ Power Finesse Jig | Z-Man TRD BugZ | Ned LockZ HD Jighead
Photo: Andy Crawford
Kenta Kimura (5th; 31-1)
A self-designed crankbait provided confidence and an edge for Japanese angler Kenta Kimura. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
A self-designed crankbait provided confidence and an edge for Japanese angler Kenta Kimura. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Andy Crawford
A pair of Deps Evoke 1.2 Squarebill crankbaits were a top choices. He chose two types: medium- and shallow-divers. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Andy Crawford
He also made a Neko rig with a finesse-style worm rigged on a No. 1 hook and 3/16-ounce weight. Buy it now on Amazon: Deps Evoke 1.2 Squarebill
Photo: Andy Crawford
Derek Hicks (4th; 31-11)
A 5/8-ounce homemade jig with Zoom Super Chunk trailer was a top lure for Derek Hicks. He also used a 1/2-ounce Z-Man Chatterbait Jackhammer, with a Zoom Swimmin’ Super Fluke Jr. for a trailer. Buy it now on Amazon: Zoom Super Chunk | Z-Man Chatterbait Jackhammer | Zoom Swimmin’ Super Fluke Jr.
A 5/8-ounce homemade jig with Zoom Super Chunk trailer was a top lure for Derek Hicks. He also used a 1/2-ounce Z-Man Chatterbait Jackhammer, with a Zoom Swimmin’ Super Fluke Jr. for a trailer. Buy it now on Amazon: Zoom Super Chunk | Z-Man Chatterbait Jackhammer | Zoom Swimmin’ Super Fluke Jr.
Photo: Andy Crawford
Hicks also used a 3/16-ounce War Eagle Shakey Head, with a Zoom Trick Worm for a trailer. Buy it now on Amazon: Zoom Trick Worm
Photo: Andy Crawford
Stephen Browning (3rd; 32-11)
A Jackall Mushbob 50MR crankbait was a top choice for Stephen Browning. So was a 1/2-ounce Z-Man Chatterbait Jackhammer, with Z-Man RaZor ShadZ for a trailer. Buy it now on Amazon: Z-Man Chatterbait Jackhammer
A Jackall Mushbob 50MR crankbait was a top choice for Stephen Browning. So was a 1/2-ounce Z-Man Chatterbait Jackhammer, with Z-Man RaZor ShadZ for a trailer. Buy it now on Amazon: Z-Man Chatterbait Jackhammer
Photo: Andy Crawford
He also used a soft plastic tube, rigged with a 6/0 Owner Hook and 3/8-ounce tungsten weight. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Andy Crawford
Matt Robertson (2nd; 33-1)
A 3/8-ounce Strike King Redeye Special Spinnerbait was the key bait of choice for Matt Robinson. Buy it now on Amazon: Strike King Redeye Special Spinnerbait
A 3/8-ounce Strike King Redeye Special Spinnerbait was the key bait of choice for Matt Robinson. Buy it now on Amazon: Strike King Redeye Special Spinnerbait
Photo: Andy Crawford
Cody Bird (1st; 34-1)
Cody Bird needed something different to fool the already wary and lethargic Coosa River bass. He brought out a discontinued crankbait that he said made the difference. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Cody Bird needed something different to fool the already wary and lethargic Coosa River bass. He brought out a discontinued crankbait that he said made the difference. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Dalton Tumblin
He found it in a limited run of custom-color Lucky Craft crankbaits. He also used a 1/2-ounce Z-Man Chatterbait with a Lake Fork Tackle Magic Shad for a trailer. Shop for lures on Amazon.com
Photo: Andy Crawford
Bird also used a 1/2-ounce War Eagle spinnerbait. Buy it now on Amazon: War Eagle Spinnerbait
Photo: Andy Crawford
