Chris Johnston Wins Bassmaster Elite Santee Cooper Lakes

Palaniuk sacked limits weighing 29-1, 29-15, 20-11 and 14-5, targeting shallow cypress trees holding postspawn largemouth. A certain contour break and mix of vegetation were key ingredients for finding high percentage groups of trees. PalaniukÕs flipping package consisted of an X Zone Lures Muscle Back Finesse Craw on 3/0 BKK Heavy Cover Hook with 1.5-ounce Z Zone Lures Tungsten Worm Weight. He also used this Hideup Coike Fullcast on No. 1 BKK Spear 21 SS Treble Hook with 3/32-ounce X Zone Lures Tungsten Pagoda Nail Sinker. PalaniukÕs biggest bass came on a homemade urchin-style bait rigged weightless with No. 1 BKK Spear 21 SS Treble Hook.

Cook did what he likes to do best, which is focus on bedding largemouth in full spawn mode. He rotated through three baits. His flipping/pitching package consisted of a Nories Front Flapper on 4/0 Gamakatsu G-Power Heavy Cover Worm Flip and Punch Hook with 1/4-ounce tungsten weight. Cook made a wacky rig with his self-designed SPRO Wacky Snack on No. 2 Gamakatsu B10S Stinger Hook. For finesse fishing he used a 17mm Hideup Coike on No. 2 Gamakatsu Treble Round Bend.

A soon-to-be released urchin-style bait was Johnston's primary bait. That choice was a 6th Sense Abstract Series 18 on No. 1 BKK Treble Hook.

A bladed jig and creature bait rig were top baits for Schlapper. He used this 3/8-ounce Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammer over and through vegetation. A Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver on 1-ounce tungsten weight with 4/0 Gamakatsu G-Power Heavy Cover Worm Flip and Punch Hook was another top choice.

Hamner used a creature bait and glide bait. For flipping heavy cover, he chose this NetBait Bull Bream with HexTek and rigged on 4/0 Gamakatsu G-Power Heavy Cover Worm Flip and Punch Hook with 3/8-ounce tungsten weight. He added Bluegill BaitFuel for added strike appeal. Hamner also used this Clutch Swimbait Co. Baby Boss Glide Bait.

Welcher covered varying strike zones with a stick worm, creature bait and topwater frog. For finesse tactics he used this CrushCity Pig Stick on 2/0 Gamakatsu Split Shot/Drop Shot Hook. He also used a Crush City Bronco Bug on 4/0 Gamakatsu G-Power Heavy Cover Worm Flip and Punch Hook with 3/8-ounce weight. For topwater action Welcher used this SPRO Bronzeye Pop.

Smith fished a bladed jig over vegetation and an urchin-style bait around docks and other isolated cover. He used a 3/8 and 1/2-ounce bladed jig with a Yamamoto Zako over heavy vegetation.

Downey used a swim jig, bladed jig and flipping rig. A top choice was this 5/16-ounce All Terrain Tackle Swim Jig with CrushCity Cleanup Craw. For covering water, he used a 1/2-ounce Z-Man ChatterBait with CrushCity Freeloader. The flipping package consisted of a CrushCity Cleanup Craw rigged with 4/0 VMC Straight Shank Hook. He paired it with a 1/4-ounce weight for cypress trees and a 3/4-ounce weight for matted vegetation.

Hackney used a topwater frog, swim jig and flipping jig. A Strike King KVD Sexy Frog produced strikes over vegetation. He targeted cypress trees with this 3/4-ounce Strike King Hack Attack Heavy Cover Flipping Jig with Strike King Rage Craw. Between targets he fished a 3/8-ounce Strike King Hack Attack Heavy Cover Swim Jig with Strike King Rage Craw.