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Top lures at Mississippi River Open 2024

Frogs and vegetation coverage baits dominated the Top Lures lineup at the Mississippi River.

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Photography by
Andy Crawford
Photography by
Dalton Tumblin
Photography by
Grant Moxley
Photography by
Craig Lamb
Add commercial barge traffic to the list of factors that dictated timing of fishing strategies at the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Mississippi River presented by SEVIIN. The anglers could lock up into Pool 7 or down into Pool 9 with a hitch. Barges got priority, and some miscalculations proved costly for some anglers. 
Cody Stahl wisely decided to play it safe and stay in Pool 8 to maximize his fishing time. Doing so rewarded the Georgia angler with the win, $40,607 and an invitation to fish the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors. Stahl amassed a total weight of 53 pounds, 1 ounce, catching most of his fish on a topwater frog. See his lure lineup and stock up for fall fishing now. 
Whether you are targeting largemouth, smallmouth or both, Bass Pro Shops has everything you need for a successful trip, including baits and terminal tackle.
Paul Marks (10th; 46-12)
Marks relied on two jigs to catch most of his fish. 
A top choice was this Greenfish Tackle 3/16-ounce Clean Up Shakey Head, with a Zoom Z Craw Jr. 
Alternatively, he used a Greenfish Tackle 7/16-ounce Chibi Jig with a Zoom Z Craw Jr. 
Danny McGarry (9th; 47-3)
McGarry alternated between a frog and flipping jig, depending on the cover and water conditions. 
For topwater bites he chose a SPRO Bronzeye Frog 65. 
For heavy cover duties he used a 9/16 Punisher Flipping Jig, with an X-Zone Lures Adrenaline Craw. 
John Engler (8th; 47-10)
A crankbait, frog and bladed jig covered the water column for Engler. He used a an Omega Custom Tackle 3/8-ounce Rapture Vibrating Jig, with a Yamamoto Zako for a trailer. 
For covering water and around current he used a Strike King Sexy Dawg. 
A SPRO Bronzeye 65 produced strikes over heavy vegetation. 
Matt Adams (7th; 47-13)
Adams targeted bass staging in grass, wood and rock. 
To cover water around grass, he used this Davis Bait Co. 1/4-ounce Elite Swim Jig, with a Zoom Speed Craw.
For heavier cover, he used a Missile Baits D Bomb, rigged on a Spearpoint Performance 4/0 Fury Flip Hook, with a 6th Sense Fishing 1-ounce Pitch Black tungsten weight.
Josh Butler (6th; 48-11)
Butler alternated between a Texas rig and jig for pinpointing bass in grass and hard cover. 
A top choice was a Texas rig made with a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver 4.2, rigged on a 4/0 Owner Cover Shot Hook with a 3/8-ounce tungsten weight. 
To cover water, Butler used a War Eagle 3/8-ounce Heavy Finesse Jig, with a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver 4.2. 
Visit Basspro.com to find your favorite smallmouth and largemouth baits.
Cody Meyer (5th; 49-4)
Meyer rotated between a swimbait and drop shot. 
A primary lure was this Evergreen Baits Last Ace 140 line-through swimbait, fished around docks in the morning and afternoon in the presence of sunlight.  
For a finesse approach he made a drop shot with a 5-inch Yamamoto Thin Senko. 
Garrett Paquette (4th; 50-3)
Paquette rotated through lures for wing dams, shallow grass flats and other current-related structure. 
As a clean-up bait for shallow grass and wing dams, he used this Big Bite Baits 3.3 Pro Swimmer, rigged on a 1/8-ounce Gamakatsu Horizon Head. 
For shallow grass he chose this 3/8-ounce Z-Man ChatterBait with a Big Bite Baits Kamikaze Swimon for a trailer. 
For current-swept rock and wing dams the choice was a SPRO Little John MD Type R 50.
Chris Beaudrie (3rd; 50-13)
Beaudrie channeled his Kentucky Lake experience with fall drawdowns, targeting bigger fish transitioning back to deeper water. Key areas were grass points and other habitat that provided ambush cover for the migrating bass and bait.  
A primary bait was this 3/8-ounce Picasso Lures Inviz Wire Thunder Double Willow Spinnerbait, with a Zoom Swim Fluke Jr. 
He made a Texas rig with a Strike King Rage Craw, rigged on a Gamakatsu 5/0 SuperLine EWG Worm Hook, with a 3/8-ounce Picasso Lures tungsten weight.
For topwater action he used this frog. 
Chris Hellebuyck (2nd; 52-7)
Hellebuyck focused on a high spot surrounded by a large flat where funneling water washed away sediment and exposed shell bottom. The hard spot was the fish magnet. 
He retrofitted a BOOYAH Boss Pop with No. 4 Gamakatsu traditional bend trebles, and he added a tinsel tail for added strike appeal. 
Another payoff bait was this 3/8-ounce handtied jig with a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Chigger Craw.
For roaming fish, he used a 1/8-ounce Dirty Jigs Guppy Head, with a Big Bite Baits Pro Swimmer 3.3 for a trailer. 
Cody Stahl (1st; 53-1)
Stahl focused on key fallback areas where the bass would pull back to when the water dropped. Drains, points or any obscure structure providing ambush cover were sweet spots.
For topwater action he used this Sanford Baits Boom Boom Frog. Not pictured are other frogs adding to the weight: SPROG Bronzeye 65 and SPRO Bronzeye King.
Covering water required this 3/8-ounce Z Man Evergreen ChatterBait Jackhammer, with a Big Bite Baits Kamikaze Swimon. 
Lastly, he used a Big Bite Baits 6-inch B6 Line Thru Swimbait for picking bigger fish without disturbing the school.

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