Dustin Connell Wins MLF Bass Pro Tour 2025 REDCREST
Shop Dustin's Winning Pattern, Baits & Gear
Both the Rapala Crush City Mooch Minnow and the Rapala Crush City Freeloader (Gizzard Shad) were top performing baits for Dustin. He fished both those baits on a 3/16-oz VMC Tungsten Swimbait Jighead and 18-lb Seaguar JDM PEX8 Braid to 12-lb or 17-lb Seaguar InvizX fluoro. He also caught some smallmouth early in the week on a Rapala Mavrik Jerkbait (pro blue) with the stock VMC RedLine Trebles and 12-lb Seaguar InvizX.
Replay The Action
MLF Bass Pro Tour - REDCREST - Top 10
2nd Place - Wesley Strader - 79lb - 6oz - $50,000
Wesley favored a Zoom Winged Fluke (TN shad) on a 1/8-oz tunsgten Big Daddy's Spotlighter Head, 10-lb Sunline Xplasma Asegai Braid to 12-lb Sunline Sniper fluoro, Lew's Custom Pro Spin Reel and a Powell Endurance 732 Spin Rod to target smallmouth. For spawning and fry-guarding largemouth he reached for a Zoom Zlinky stick worm (green pumpkin) on a Trokar TK137 Weedless Hook, same line and reel, and a Powell 703 Endurance Rod. A 3/8-oz Epic Swim Jig (black/blue) with a Zoom Magnum Speed Craw (black/blue sapphire), 60-lb Sunline FX2 Braid, Lew's Custom Lite Reel on a Powell 765SBR Rod was also a top choice for Strader.
3rd Place - Zack Birge - 44lb - 12oz - $40,000
Zack used a Wacky-rigged Senko, 2/0 wacky hook, 10-lb Yo-Zuri SuperBraid to 10-lb Yo-Zuri T7 Fluoro on a 7' M Alpha Angler Wrench Spin Rod. A 3/8-oz ChatterBait, 20-lb Yo-Zuri T7 Fluoro, Ark Reel (8.1), on a 7' 6" Alpha Angler Mag Rebound Rod also helped get him to the top 5.
4th Place - Paul Marks Jr - 43lb - 5oz - $28,000
5th Place - Jake Lawrence - 38lb - 10oz - $25,000
Jake used a 3/8oz Z-Man JackHammer (green pumpkin shad) with a 5.5 Yamamoto Swim Senko (green pumpkin) that was cut down so he could get largest tail possible to create lift to keep the Chatter high above the shallow vegetation. 20-lb Seaguar Red Label fluoro on a Bates Hundo Reel and Dobyns Champion XP 733 Rod was the set up he used for this combo. A Prototype 6" Yamamoto minnow bait (upcoming Icast release) on a 3/16-oz Buckeye G-Stroll Head, 18-lb Seaguar JDM PEX8 Braid to 15-lb Seaguar Red Label fluoro and the new Dobyns Kaden Series 610-1SH Rod also performed well for Lawrence.
6th Place - Chris Lane - 38lb - 10oz - $20,000
A creature bait (green pumpkin), 5/0 SuperLock Hook, 3/26-oz Tungsten Weight, and 20-lb fluoro was the key set up for Chris.
7th Place - Brent Ehrler - 37lb - 12oz - $18,000
Brent chose a Lucky Craft Pointer 78 (chartreuse shad) with #4 Gamakatsu G-Finesse Trebles, and a Lucky Craft Slender Pointer 112 (chartreuse shad and BE gill) with the same trebles. He used 12-lb Sunline Sniper fluoro, Daiwa Tatula Elite Reel, 6' 9" ML Daiwa Tatula Elite Rod for both jerkbait setups. While sight fishing, he favored a Wacky-rigged 5" Yamamoto Senko (green pumpkin), #1 Gamakatsu Weedless Wacky Hook, 16-18 lb Sunline Almight Braid to 12-lb Sunline Sniper fluoro on a Daiwa Tatula Elite Reel (4000) with 7' 1" MH Daiwa Tatula Elite Drop Shot Rod. Ehler also fished a 1/2-oz JackHammer with a Yamamoto Zako.
8th Place - David Dudley - 33lb - 8oz - $16,000
Dudley relied on Perfection Lures 5.25" Dudleys Wacky Worm and 6" Dudley Finesse Worm (green pumpkin and watermelon red), 2/0 straight shank hook, 10-lb Toro Braid to 10-lb Gamma fluoro, Profishiency Krazy Reel, 7' 2" MH Profishiency David Dudley signature Krazy Rizz dropshot and wacky rod.
9th Place - Ron Nelson - 15lb - 2oz - $14,500
Nelson mixed things up with a CFlash crankbait, Z-Man JackHammer (green pumpkin) with Yamamoto Zako (green pumpkin) and a 3/8oz Spanker Jig (Gville Purple), and 16-lb Sunline Sniper fluoro. His Douglas Rods performed well.
10th Place - Bobby Lane - 8lb - 5oz - $12,500
Bobby found success with a 5" Berkley MaxScent General (gp) on a #1 Berkley Fusion19 Hook and 3/16oz or 1/4oz Epic Tungsten Drop Shot Weights (when needed) and 10-lb Berkley X9 Braid to 12-lb Berkley Trilene 100% Fluoro. An Abu Zenon X Spin Reel (3000) on a 7' M Abu Fantasista X Spin Rod were his top choice rod and reel.
