Big Baits and New JDM Products That Gained Street Cred on the 2024 Elite Series
In an Elite Series season where forward-facing sonar seemed to be the unending story, it’s not surprising that we saw lots of soft plastic minnow baits and hard jerkbaits in top ten lure galleries. Of course there were plenty of wacky worms and skirted jigs, too. But this was the first season I can recall where big gliders showed up in more than just a couple of derbies.
There were also quite a few JDM products that gained a following. Most notable among them was the Deps Sakamata Shad, which retailers had a hard time keeping in stock.
Below are some of the ones that caught my attention (colors chosen for variety, not necessarily the ones they used). They weren’t always part of the winning array, or the primary lure in the winner’s arsenal, but they produced enough fish to make me take notice:
Toledo Bend
Kyoya Fujita – 1st
Lake Fork
Ben Milliken – 8th
Harris Chain
Trey McKinney – 6th
JT Thompkins – 2nd
Lake Murray
Patrick Walters – 1st
Wheeler Lake
Justin Hamner – 9th
Smith Lake
Justin Hamner – 10th
Taku Ito – 1st
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Field Side Saikoro Dice Rubber
Lake Champlain
Chris Zaldain – 9th
Bonus Notes:
In his victory at Lake Murray, Patrick Walters introduced the world to the Rapala Jowler, which was formally uncovered at ICAST.
In his victory at Champlain, Ed Loughran caught some fish on a SPRO Walking Haint Topwater.
Clutch went from a relatively little-known brand to a major player on the tournament circuits in a remarkably short time.
In two top ten finishes Robert Gee used a homemade tungsten crappie jig.
Easton Fothergill used the OSP Saikoro Dice Rubber to win the recent Bassmaster Open on Minnesota’s Leech Lake.
