Top lures of Lake Champlain

Lake Champlain’s largemouth and smallmouth showed out at the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain. It would take both species to fish on Championship Sunday, adding to the sporting challenge.

All captions: Craig Lamb

Photo: Dalton Tumblin

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Championship Sunday dealt another set of challenges to the anglers. Less than 2 pounds separated the leader from 10th place, while stormy weather and nasty southerly winds kicked up to make boat control and lure execution a challenge.

Photo: Dalton Tumblin

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Overcoming all the challenges was Brandon Palaniuk, winning his fourth Elite Series event. Check out his winning lures and those of the top finishers.

Photo: James Overstreet

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Taku Ito (10th; 73-10)

Taku Ito made a Neko rig with a 5.25-inch Nories Latterie straight-style finesse worm. He rigged it to a No. 1 Ryugi HHT113 Heavy Guard Talisman Hook, with 3/16-ounce weight. He made a drop shot rig with a 3-inch Berkley Gulp! Minnow, with No. 1 Ryugi HHT113 Heavy Guard Talisman Hook and 3/8-ounce weight.

Photo: Andy Crawford

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Cory Johnston (9th; 73-13)

A Canadian-made custom jig was a key bait for Cory Johnston.

Photo: Shane Durrance

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Johnson alternated between a Heddon Super Spook, and a 9/16-ounce Punisher Jig, with Zoom Super Chunk.

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Heddon Super Spook
Zoom Super Chunk

Photo: Andy Crawford

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Brock Mosley (8th; 74-2)

Brock Mosely alternated between two setups for smallmouth and largemouth. For the latter, he used a 1/2-ounce Angler Assets Big Money Flipping Jig, with NetBait Paca Slim trailer. For smallmouth, he used a 3.75-inch NetBait Crush Worm, rigged on 2/0 drop shot hook, with 1/2-ounce drop shot weight.

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NetBait Paca Slim

Photo: Andy Crawford

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Koby Kreiger (7th; 75-4)

Koby Kreiger used a jerkbait and a pair of vintage topwater baits.

Photo: Andy Crawford

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A Rebel Pop-R P6000, and a Heddon Saltwater Super Spook Jr., were the choices.

Photo: Andy Crawford

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He also used a 4-inch Lucky Craft Pointer SP100.

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Lucky Craft Pointer SP100
Heddon Saltwater Super Spook Jr.

Photo: Andy Crawford

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Ed Loughran III (6th; 76-1)

Ed Loughran III used a drop shot rig and bladed jig to catch his fish.

Photo: Andy Crawford

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Loughran chose a 3/8-ounce Z Man Original Chatterbait, with a 3.5-inch Missile Baits Shock Wave Swimbait.

Photo: Andy Crawford

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He made the drop shot with a 4-inch Missile Baits Bomb Shot Worm, rigged on No. 2 Gamakatsu G Finesse Stinger Hook, with 3/8-ounce weight. For the past three years, the plastic lures have been stored in a container with Gulp! Alive! Recharge Liquid.

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Z Man Original Chatterbait
Missile Baits Shock Wave
Gulp! Alive! Recharge Liquid

Photo: Andy Crawford

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Jason Williamson (8th; 76-11)

Jason Williamson found best success with drop shot rigs on Lake Champlain.

Photo: Shane Durrance

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Williamson alternated between a 5.25-inch Zoom Super Fluke and 4-inch Zoom Z Drop Worm. He rigged both to No. 1 Owner Mosquito Light Hooks, with 3/8-ounce Titan Tungsten Drop Shot Sinkers.

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Zoom Super Fluke
Zoom Z Drop Worm
Owner Mosquito Light Hook

Photo: Andy Crawford

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David Mullins (4th; 77-13)

David Mullins ran a drop shot pattern all week on Lake Champlain.

Photo: Shane Durrance

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Mullins made a drop shot with an unnamed soft plastic bait, rigged on a No. 1 drop shot hook, with 3/8-ounce tungsten weight.

Photo: Andy Crawford

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Jamie Hartman (3rd; 78-5)

Jamie Hartman rotated through three baits in a largemouth and smallmouth pattern. A Carolina rig was a key player.

Photo: Ken Golub

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Hartman’s lure lineup included a 1/2-ounce Riot Baits Lil’ Creeper Jig with unnamed trailer.

Photo: Andy Crawford

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Alternatively, he made a Carolina rig with an unnamed craw-style bait, rigged on 3/0 Owner Extra Wide Gap Hook, with 1-ounce weight. Hartman also used an unnamed shad imitator on a No. 1 Owner Cover Shot Worm Hook, with 3/8-ounce weight.

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Owner Cover Shot Worm Hook

Photo: Andy Crawford

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Seth Feider (2nd; 78-14)

Seth Feider rotated between a largemouth and smallmouth bite, a wise decision to make on Lake Champlain when a win is on the line.

Photo: Dalton Tumblin

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Feider rotated between two primary rigs, including a 5/8-ounce Outkast Tackle Stealth Feider Jig with unnamed trailer. He also used an unnamed Texas-rigged creature bait on a 4/0 VMC Ringed Wide Gap Hook, with 1/2-ounce Woo! Tungsten Flipping Weight. On Championship Sunday he added an unnamed crankbait to the lineup.

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VMC Ringed Wide Gap Hook

Photo: Andy Crawford

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Brandon Palaniuk (1st; 80-1)

Brandon Palaniuk rotated through a Neko rig, drop shot rig and glide bait.

Photo: Andy Crawford

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That choice was a 7.50-inch Storm Arashi Glide Bait.

Photo: Andy Crawford

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He made the Neko rig with a 6-inch X Zone Lures MB Fat Finesse Worm, on No. 1 VMC Ike Approved Weedless Neko Hook, with 3/16-ounce VMC Mushroom Head weight. Palaniuk made the drop shot rig with a 3.25-inch X Zone Lures Pro Series Finesse Slammer, on No. 2 drop shot hook and 3/8-ounce VMC Tungsten Teardrop Drop Shot Weight.

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Storm Arashi Glide Bait
VMC Ike Approved Weedless Neko Hook
X Zone Lures Pro Series Finesse Slammer

Photo: Andy Crawford

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Top lures of Lake Champlain

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Taku Ito (10th; 73-10)

Cory Johnston (9th; 73-13)

Brock Mosley (8th; 74-2)

Koby Kreiger (7th; 75-4)

Ed Loughran III (6th; 76-1)

Jason Williamson (8th; 76-11)

David Mullins (4th; 77-13)

Jamie Hartman (3rd; 78-5)

Seth Feider (2nd; 78-14)

Brandon Palaniuk (1st; 80-1)

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