"South Boston Bass-A-Thon" Top Baits
- kayakjaknebraska
- May 16
- 8 min read
Updated: May 19
Presented by Omnia Fishing, where you can purchase most of these baits and get a $50 gift card when you purchase their Omnia Pro app ($60) by using code KASPRO
The Kayak Adventure Series hit the eastern side of the country this past month in scenic South Boston, Virginia. According to second place finisher, Elvis Lee, “The overcast conditions and fishing later on Day 1 set up for a strong topwater bite.” Day 2 brought on a great early morning bite with the wind picking up as the day went on. Tyler Bean of Georgia, who finished third, also mentioned that there were overcast skies and a later fishing period on day one which worked in his favor, setting up a strong topwater bite. On day two, he shifted focus to maximize the early window with the Whopper Plopper. Once he dialed in the pattern, it was all about staying efficient and covering water. He always had a lot of confidence in topwater baits, and this event proved just how effective they can be under the right conditions.
Great results were achieved on several of the lakes in play which is what makes this series so attractive. Let’s see those top baits used to catch bass at these fisheries in Virginia.
Alex Sterling of North Carolina used a variety of baits to take top honors at the KAS South Boston, Virginia event. He used a fluke to search for patrolling bass. He attacked the shoreline area that had semi submerged vegetation and grass flats that held bluegill beds and where bass were bullying them. His set up for the fluke included:
-Reel: Shimano SLX DC 71 HG 7:3:1 (JP)
-Rod: Daiwa AIRD X Braiding X 7’ Medium Heavy, Fast
-Line: Seaguar 12lb AbrazX Fluorocarbon line
-Bait: BPS XPS Rock’n Shad in Green Pumpkin Shad on Gamakatsu Round Bend Offset Worm Hook 3/0
Sterling also used a wakebait when the lake was flat from calm conditions on main points. The wakebait would cause ripples on the surface and he would get big bites from willing open water bass.
WakeBait Setup:
-Reel: Piscifun Aljoz 300 Low Profile 5:3:1
-Rod: 6th Sense Milliken Series Casting Rod 7'9" Extra Heavy, Fast
-Line: Trilene BigGame 20lb Mono
-Bait: Triton Mike Bucca Bull Shad Wakebait in Gizzard Shad
After a fast cold downpour of rain mixed with heavy winds, the topwater activity picked up Day 1 during the evening period, Sterling tied on a Yo-Zuri 3DB Pencil Bait in Prism Shad. Sterling would hook up with a 21.75” monster using this bait while attacking points and open water. He threw this bait just about everywhere getting good bites.
Elvis Lee of Minnesota used a GotM Baits bladed jig and flipping bait for a second place finish.
Flipping jig setup:
-Bait: GotM Baits ⅜ oz. flipping jig in a “Bama Craw” color on day one and a “green pumpkin” color on day two. Both were paired with a ZMan palmetto bug in “black and flue.”
-Reel: Shimano SLX 151XG reel
-Rod: Shimano SLX 7’10” Heavy with Moderate fast tip on a graphite rod
-Line: Power Pro 30 lb. braid
Bladed jig setup:
-Bait: GotM Baits ½ oz. bladed jig in a “bluegill” color with a ZMan 5” scented Jerk ShadZ in sexy mullet
-Reel: Shimano SLX reel
-Rod: Shimano SLX 7’4” Medium Heavy with moderate tip glass rod
-Line: Power Pro 30 lb. braid
Tyler Bean of Georgia was successful with a spinnerbait and Whopper Plopper at the Kayak Fishing Series “Bass-A-Thon” at South Boston, Virginia recently.
-Bait: Spotsticker ¾ oz Mini-Me Double Willow Spinnerbait (PC Special)
-Reel: Bates Hundo 7.1:1
-Rod: St. Croix Victory 7'3" Medium Heavy Fast
Line: 17 lb Seaguar AbrazX Fluorocarbon
Tactic: Bean used this bait to target fish positioned in current and around shoals. The heavier weight helped it stay down in the flow, and it was deadly around actively feeding fish.
-Bait: River2Sea Whopper Plopper 90 (Bone)
-Reel: Daiwa Tatula 150 7.3:1
-Rod: Shimano Expride 6'10" Medium Moderate
-Line: 40 lb PowerPro Braid
Tactic: This was Bean’s primary search bait. He used it to cover water and locate active fish. Four of his submitted fish came on the plopper. On day two, he capitalized on the morning topwater bite with it, including his biggest upgrade of the event.
Adam Coleman of Ohio picked up another top finish at the South Boston AKS event. He used a generic buzzbait, Crush City Mooch Minnow, and a punch bait in lily pads to catch his bass.
I used the buzzbait (unknown brand) with 65lb braid on a 7’2” MH in the morning of day two to cover water and pick off some fish sitting on shallow wood and in shallow Lilly pads. I would use a variety of flipping/punching set ups to fish in the pads as well to pick up fish that missed the buzzbait or were deep in the cover. The Crush City Mooch Minnow on an owner range roller head was the heavy hitter though. I fished that with sinking braid, 8lb test leader, and a 7’ med lt spring rod. That combo caught almost all my final weight.
-Bait: Buzzbait
-Rod: 7’2” Medium Heavy
-Line: 65 lb. braid
-Tactic: Coleman covered water and picked off bass sitting on shallow wood and in shallow lilly pads.
Coleman also used a flipping/punch bait in the lily pads to pick up fish that missed the buzzbait or were deep in the cover. The Crush City Mooch Minnow on an Owner Range Roller jig head was his “heavy hitter” for catching bass. He fished it on a sinking braided line with an 8 lb. test leader and 7’ medium spinning rod. This was his most effective combination.
Nate Hall of Pennsylvania caught his bass on a Strike King Rage Cut R Worm, Berkeley Pit Boss, and a 6th Sense Divine Swim jig.
Will Lambert from North Carolina threw two primary baits for the KAS event. He used a Rapala Freeloader with a Core Tackle hook that slows the fall rate compared to a ball shaped jig head. It also mimics a dead or dying bait fish. His other bait was a weightless Gary Yamamoto Senko on an Owner hook. He fished both on JB Custom Rods. The Shakyman spinning rod was paired with a Shimano Stratic reel and 10 lb. Seaguar InvisX line.
Garriett Chavis of North Carolina used a finesse approach to catch his fish. His rigs included a drop shot and shaky head presentation with the Crush City Janitor worm in a morning dawn and green pumpkin color.
-Bait: Rapala Crush City Janitor Worm on ¼ oz.drop shot and Shaky Head jig.
-Rod: 6’10” Medium Fast DSR Spinning Rod/7’ Medium Fast Wrench spinning rod.
-Line: 15 lb. Suffix Braid with a 10 lb. Seaguar Red Label leader.
To get some key bites Dave Hart from North Carolina used Versatile Baits VG2 glide bait in Dirty Shad to find his fish and then a ZMan Tungsten Chatterbait Elite EVO in ⅜ oz. in Bama Craw color with a Strike King Rage Menace trailer in Blue Craw. He tried to mimic the bluegill to catch spawning female bass on stumps. He also threw a Lobina Lures Rio Rico Popper in Bone, a bait that legendary Rick Clunn used to win a Bassmaster Classic. He used this topwater bait to get some key bites in the afternoon under cloudy conditions.
The most productive presentations for Rick Garavaglia from West Virginia were the mid diving crankbait on Day 1 and a buzzbait, walking bait, and ball head jig with a small fluke on Day 2.
He lost his only Strike King 3XD he was using in a bluegill color pattern that caught most of his day one fish. He was working rip-rap in about 7-8’ of water working his way across the bottom.
His rod that he used was a 7’2” Medium Heavy Mot’s Custom Rod. He mentioned, “This crankbait rod can handle a lot of deeper diving cranks from ½-1.5 ounces.” The guides on the rod are American Tackle Microwave and a Bushido blank. He paired this rod with a Sixgill Fishing Products Texas Project Arrival reel in 6.5:1 ratio to keep it in the strike zone as long as possible.
On Day 2, he turned to mostly top water. When the water was calmer he would throw his homemade buzzbait with a custom colored Big Lake Baits Thumper as a trailer.
He threw the buzzbait on another Mot’s Custom Rod MB 7’3” Medium Heavy rated for 3/8-3/4 oz. This rod features American Tackle Microwave guides, Bushido blank, and full length cork handle. He paired it with a Sixgill Fishing Products Texas Project Arrival Reel in 8:1 ratio.
When in choppy water he needed to make as much noise as he could by throwing a Strike King Hard Knock walking bait in Natural Shad color. His limit of fish day one and my big fish on day 2 came about with this walking bait.
I used his custom rod that friend, Philip Backus, built him on a 7’ North Fork blank that was Medium Heavy Moderate. He paired it with a Sixgill Fishing Products Hamarr S+ reel in 8:1 ratio.
To get in the Top 10 he caught his last upgrade with six minutes left in the tournament live scoping with this ball head jig by Keitech paired with a Big Lake Baits small fluke in his favorite custom color. He was using a Sixgill Fishing Products Scythe spinning rod paired with their Dreadnaught 3000 reel. He used Trilene XT Extra Tough mono low vis green 20 lb for walking bait.
Jonathan Graham from Virginia caught the three fish that counted for his total with a River2Sea Whopper Plopper 110 that was slightly customized with a split ring and swivel on the line tie, to keep line twist to a minimum. He also used a Yamamoto D Shad in Smallmouth Magic, with a 4/0 VMC ⅛ ounce weighted twist lock hook. He finished up his day using a Yamamoto 5” Hula Grub Texas rigged with a 3/0 Owner Haymaker Hook, and ⅝ ounce Woo Tungsten bullet weight.
Graham used Dobyns Fury rods, Shimano Curado reels, and 30 lb. Power Pro Braid with a 14 lb. Sunline Sniper leaders, for the D Shad and Hula Grub, and straight 30 lb. braid on the Whopper Plopper.
-Bait: River2Sea Whopper Plopper 110
-Reel: Shimano Curado
-Rod: Dobyns Fury Rod
-Line: 30 lb. braid
-Bait: D Shad and Hula Grub
-Hook: Owner Haymaker Hook 3/0
-Weight: Woo Tungsten bullet weight
-Reel: Shimano Curado
-Rod: Dobyns Fury Rods
-Line: 30 lb. Power Pro Braid with a 14 lb. Sunline Sniper leader
