Trey McKinney Wins Bassmaster Elite Lake St Clair
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McKinney targeted patches of mixed short sand grass and taller vegetation in 15 to 18 feet of water. He set up on a 100-yard stretch for his half-mile drifts across the prime strike zone. In practice, he used a 6th Sense Saltwater Shindo Shad 6.0 on 3/16-ounce jig head. As angling pressure increased, he needed to adjust his bait selection, switching to a dice bait for a more subtle strike appealing presentation. His bait or choice was this 6th Sense prototype dice bait with 1/32-ounce nail weight on No. 4 Gamakatsu G-Finesse Hook.
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Bassmaster Elite Lake St Clair - Top 10
2nd Place - Logan Parks - 90lb - 6oz - $20,000
Parks alternated between a jerkbait for reaction bites and a drop shot for finesse tactics. He used a Berkley Stunna Jerkbait 112. He switched out the factory hooks with No. 7 Ryugi Pierce TC Trebles. Alternatively, Parks made a drop shot with a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flatnose Minnow, rigged on 2/0 hook with 3/8-ounce drop-shot weight.
3rd Place - Kyoya Fujita - 88lb - 1oz - $15,000
Fujita used a bait currently only available in Japan that is ideal with slow-sinking presentations for pressured bass - that lure is a Jackall King Jimmy Henge.
4th Place - Matt Robertson - 87lb - 2oz - $12,500
Robertson targeted offshore smallmouth with a minnow setup. He used a 3/8-ounce Berkley Fusion19 Hybrid Jighead with Berkley prototype minnow.
5th Place - Brandon Palaniuk - 86lb - 14oz - $11,750
Palaniuk used a pair of drop-shot rigs to catch offshore smallmouth. He used a X Zone Lures Stealth Finesse Creature, rigged on 1/0 BKK Armor-Point Dropshot Hook with 3/8-ounce X Zone Tungsten Worm Weight. Alternatively, Palaniuk rigged up a X Zone Lures Whiplash Shad on 2/0 BKK Armor Point Dropshot - Long Shank, with 1/2-ounce X Zone Tungsten Worm Weight.
6th Place - Evan Kung - 85lb - 0oz - $11,000
Kung rotated through a selection of drop shots and a jighead minnow. A primary setup was a Great Lakes Finesse 2.75-inch Dropkick Shad, rigged on a No. 2 drop-shot hook with a 1/4-ounce weight. To give the smallmouth a different look he chose a new Great Lakes Finesse 2.25-inch Micro Series Drop Minnow, using the same hook and weight sizes. Alternatively, Kung used a Great Lakes Finesse 2.5-inch Juvy Craw rigged on 1/4-ounce jighead.
7th Place - Cole Sands - 84lb - 6oz - $10,500
Sands used a topwater popper for calm conditions and then switched to a swimbait. He used a mayfly imitator in the presence of a hatch. He used a Yo-Zuri Pro Series Popper during a mayfly hatch. And alternatively, he chose a mayfly imitator rigged on 1/8-ounce Queen Tackle LS Tungsten Rollin Strollin Jig Had. Sands also used a FishCo Radar Shad rigged with a FishCo Wingman inserted into the bait. The rig enhances natural rolling and strolling action. He rigged the bait on a 3/16-ounce Queen Tackle LS Tungsten Jig Head.
8th Place - Tucker Smith - 82lb - 12oz - $10,300
Smith used a minnow setup to catch his offshore fish. His primary bait was a Yamamoto Scope Shad, rigged on 1/4- or 3/16-ounce Picasso Lures Tungsten Ball Head Jigs.
9th Place - Paul Mueller - 81lb - 6oz - $10,200
Mueller kept it simple with a custom-made jig. He made it with a Do-It Molds Football jig featuring a Gamakatsu Jig 60 Round Bend Hook. He added a floating trailer for enhanced buoyancy and action.
10th Place - Alex Redwine - 80lb - 15oz - $10,000
Redwine used a jerkbait, dice bait and tube jig. A top bait was a Strike King 3X Baby Z-Too Soft Jerkbait, rigged on 1/4-ounce Gamakatsu Horizon Head. For a finesse approach he used a OSP Saikoro Dice, rigged on 2/0 Gamakatsu G-Finesse Drop Shot Hook with 1/8-ounce nail weight. For a changeup Redwine used a Poor Boys Tube with 3/8-ounce weight.
