Top lures at St. Lawrence River 2024

Claiming first place is no easy feat in the rankings of the Bassmaster Magazine 100 Best Bass Lakes, and the St. Lawrence River has now done it twice (2022, 2024). The river and easternmost Lake Ontario again validated the coveted ranking at the Humminbird Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River, producing two more Bassmaster Century Club entries.

Bassmaster Elite Series rookie Robert Gee claimed a Century Club belt with his second-place finish of 100 pounds, 7 ounces. The Tennessean capped off an impressive first season after fishing a fourth — and third consecutive — Championship Sunday at the nation’s top fishery.

Canadian Cory Johnston also claimed a belt by winning the tournament with 102 pounds, doing so on familiar ground — and conditions — by mastering the rolling waves and gusty winds of the big lake.

After claiming his first blue trophy of the season at the St. Johns River, Johnston took another home to Canada. See his winning baits and those used by the top finishers to catch smallmouth on the river and lake.

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Carl Jocumsen (83-10; 10th)

Jocumsen used a drop shot for finnicky fish and a jig for targeting quality smallmouth.

He used a 1/2-ounce finesse jig with the new X Zone Scented Stealth Finesse Series Stealth Creature for a trailer.

He made a drop-shot rig with an X Zone Scented Stealth Finesse Series Stealth Minnow, rigged on a No. 2 VMC RedLine Series Drop Shot Hook, with a 3/8-ounce VMC Tungsten Weight.

Using the same size hook and weight, he made another drop shot with an X Zone Stealth Finesse Series Invader.

Caleb Sumrall (87-3; 9th)

Sumrall’s strategy focused on the St. Lawrence River, where he used a drop-shot rig.

He made it with a 4-inch Missile Baits Magic Worm, rigged on a No. 1 Gamakatsu G-Finesse Drop Shot Hook, with a 3/8-ounce SPRO Tungsten Drop Shot Sinker.

Patrick Walters (89-14; 8th)

Walters carried over his success from the previous week at Lake Champlain, again using a swimbait, Ned rig and drop shot to cover his favored strike zone.

Walters used the new 4-inch Zoom Winged Fluke on a 3/8-ounce VMC HSBJ Hybrid Swimbait Jig.

He made the Ned rig with a 1/4-ounce VMC NRJ Ned Rig Jig, with a Zoom Micro Ultra Vibe Speed Craw.

Walters created the drop shot with a 3-inch Zoom Shimmer Shad, rigged on a No. 6 VMC RedLine Series Finesse Neko Hook, with a 1/2-ounce VMC Tungsten Weight.

Drew Benton (91-12; 7th)

Benton used a combination of drop-shot rigs for finessing smallmouth. He added spinnerbait skirt material to both soft plastic lures for strike appeal.

A key bait was this SPRO Sakura Worm, rigged on a No. 2 Gamakatsu G-Finesse Worm Light Wire Hook, with a 1/2-ounce drop-shot weight.

Benton also used a SPRO CJ Smasher on a No. 2 Gamakatsu G-Finesse Drop Shot Hook, with a 1/2-ounce weight.

Shane LeHew (92-13; 6th)

LeHew favored a simple finesse setup.

His key lures were the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flatnose Minnow and the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm.

He rigged both on a No. 1 Berkley Fusion19 Drop Shot Hook, with a 3/8-ounce weight.

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Jordan Lee (93-0; 5th)

Lee fished consistently all week using the same rig.

He made a drop shot with a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm, rigged on a No. 1 Berkley Fusion19 Drop Shot Hook, with 3/8- or 1/2-ounce tungsten weights.

Chris Johnston (96-2; 4th)

Johnston used drop shots to capitalize on his strike zone.

A primary rig was a minnow bait rigged on a 6.2-gram Gamakatsu Horizon Head LG with a 3/0 hook.

Johnston made a drop shot with a SPRO CJ Smasher, rigged on a No. 2 Gamakatsu G-Finesse Drop Shot Hook, with a 3/8-ounce weight.

Trey McKinney (98-9; 3rd)

McKinney used the same lure as a search and find bait, and to catch his smallmouth once discovered. That choice was a Strike King 3X Z-Too Soft Jerkbait, rigged on a 3/8-ounce tungsten jig head.

Robert Gee (100-7; 2nd)

Gee fished his fourth — and third consecutive of the season — Championship Sunday using a familiar lure that got him to the finals each time. The Tennessean focused his efforts on a point with scattered boulders and breaks.