Pat Schlapper Wins Bassmaster Elite Sabine River
Shop Pat's Winning Baits & Gear
Schlapper targeted grass, wood and undercut points. A modernized old school buzzbait produced the winning catch on Championship Sunday. The bait's loud clacking noise was ideal for the cloudy, breezy conditions conducive for buzzbaits. For the preliminary rounds a primary bait was a 3/8-ounce Do-it Molds Compact Finesse jig, with a Big Bite Baits Chunk for a trailer. For covering water, he used a Big Bite Fighting Frog Jr. Schlapper went all old school on Championship Sunday. The Brazalo Bushwhacker Pro Elite buzzbait, designed to cover the weight with a soft plastic bait, also creates a smaller profile (instead of a visible weighted head). Bait retention is another benefit of the design, along with its drop head for better hooking ratios.
Replay The Action
Bassmaster Elite Sabine River - Top 10
2nd Place - Patrick Walters - 36lb - 8oz - $20,000
Walters used a variety of baits depending on cover, time of day and location. A primary bait for Walters was this Rapala OG Rocco Squarebill. He also used this The Clutch Baby Boss. For flipping, he deployed a Zoom Z Craw Jr. on a 4/0 flipping hook with a 1/4-ounce VMC Tungsten Flip'N Weight.
3rd Place - Kyoya Fujita - 36lb - 8oz - $15,000
Fujita used a straight-tail worm and creature bait for his flipping and pitching package. His top choice was a Jackall Yammy 500 4.5 straight-tail worm. Alternatively, he used a Jackall Pine Shrimp 4.5.
4th Place - Taku Ito - 36lb - 2oz - $12,500
Ito used a punching, power finesse and bladed jig pattern. Ito's punch rig for heavy cover was a 4-inch Nories Front Flapper Curly, rigged on 3/0 Ryugi Tantrum Control Hook, with a 1-ounce weight. The power finesse rig featured a Nories Sankaku T-San Neko rig worm on a 1/0 Ryugi Infini Wide Gap Worm Hook, with a 3/16-ounce weight. Ito also used this 3/8-ounce Nories HulaChat with a 5-inch Deps Sakamata Shad for a trailer.
5th Place - Kyle Welcher - 35lb - 3oz - $11,750
Welcher battled the bass in heavy cover with two favored rigs. Leading off was this Welcher-designed Untamed Tackle 1/2-ounce Breacher Jig, with a CrushCity Cleanup Craw for the trailer. Otherwise, he rigged a CrushCity Hedgehog on a 3/0 Gamakatsu G-Power Heavy Cover Flip and Punch Hook, with a 1/4-ounce VMC Tungsten Flip'N Weight.
6th Place - Cooper Gallant - 34lb - 3oz - $11,000
Gallant used a flipping approach in heavy cover to catch his fish. A top bait for him was this 3/8-ounce Outkast Tackle Cage Feider Tungsten Flipping Jig, with an X Zone Lures Adrenaline Craw. He trimmed the fine-stranded skirt and craw to create a compact package for added strike appeal.
7th Place - Stetson Blaylock - 31lb - 9oz - $10,500
Blaylock combined a creature bait and spinnerbait into his game plan. A top choice for him was a Yum Spine Craw. A 1/2-ounce Booyah Covert Finesse Double Willow Spinnerbait with the new Great Lakes Finesse Dropkick Shad for a trailer produced reaction bites.
8th Place - David Mullins - 31lb - 9oz - $10,300
Mullins covered his strike zone with a flipping package for heavy cover, backed up with a spinnerbait, buzzbait and drop shot. For flipping and punching, he used a Yamamoto Flappin' Hog on a 4/0 straight shank hook. He alternated between 3/4- and 5/16-ounce weights for punching and flipping, respectively. Mullins made the drop shot with a Yamamoto Sensei Straith Tail Worm on a 3/0 hook with a 1/4-ounce weight.
9th Place - Justin Hamner - 31lb - 9oz - $10,200
Hamner fished heavy cover with a flipping package and a topwater frog. Leading off was a NetBait HexTek Eko Craw, rigged on a 3/0 Gamakatsu G-Power Heavy Cover Flip and Punch Hook. He alternated between 3/8-, 1/2- and 3/4-ounce weights depending on cover density. For covering dense cover, he used a Snag Proof Pad Rambler. Hamner also used a NetBait BF Toad Jr., rigged weightless on a 3/0 Gamakatsu G-Power Heavy Cover Flip and Punch Hook.
10th Place - John Crews Jr - 30lb - 6oz - $10,000
Crews deployed a flipping package for heavy cover and a crankbait for covering water. Leading off was a Missile Baits Baby D Bomb, with a 3/0 Gamakatsu G-Power Heavy Cover Flip and Punch Hook and 5/16-ounce tungsten weight. Crews also used a SPRO Baby Fat John.
