Want to fish like the Bassmaster Classic winner? Here's what Jason Christie and other top finishers used on Lake Hartwell.
It was one of the most exciting finishes, but when the dust settled, Jason Christie took home the trophy for the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.
Often times, the biggest question on everyone's mind after the Classic is, "What did he catch them on?" Lucky for you, the answers have been revealed by B.A.S.S. and we'll pass them on.
The idea here is to enlighten you as to what the pros were using during the 2022 Bassmaster Classic, so that you can work to emulate their success and fill a bag of your own next time you're out on the water. And should you be lucky enough to visit and fish Lake Hartwell sometime soon, you'd be following in the footsteps of the best of the best.
Here are the baits and lures that Jason Christie, Kyle Welcher, and the rest of the top finishers used in the 2022 Bassmaster Classic. Almost every bait mentioned includes a link to purchase it yourself.
2022 Bassmaster Classic Champion Jason Christie - Winning Baits
B.A.S.S. / Seigo Saito
Christie used a prototype soft plastic called the YUM FF Sonar Minnow, which isn't available for purchase yet, on a 3/16-ounce jig head. The soft plastic colors that produced for him were Smoke and White. On the docks, Christie threw a 5/8-ounce War Eagle Jiu-Jigsu skipping jig with a 2.75 YUM Craw Chunk.
2nd Place - Kyle Welcher
B.A.S.S. / Chris Brown
Welcher narrowly missed out on the victory by only 5 ounces, and primarily fished a with a 3/16-ounce Untamed Tackle Shaky Head and a 6-inch 13 Fishing BFF (Blunt Force Finesse) Worm. He also used a SPRO McStick Jerkbait.
3rd Place - Stetson Blaylock
B.A.S.S. / Chris Brown
Though he didn't share the exact make and model, Stetson Blaylock said he used a bright red crankbait the first day (we'll suggest the tried and true Bandit Series 300 Crankbait if you want to emulate it), then moved to a wacky-rigged YUM Dinger on a No. 1 Gamakatsu Split Shot/Drop Shot hook with light line.
4th Place - Justin Hamner
B.A.S.S. / Chris Brown
Hamner, who was fishing in his first Bassmaster Classic, used a Damiki rig with a 1/4-ounce Freedom Tackle jig head and soft plastic swimbait, and drop shot made with a No. 2 Spearpoint Performance Hook, with a 3/8-ounce Freedom Tackle Tungsten Worm Weight.
All of these baits, lures, and patterns helped but fish in the livewell for all of these competitors, and produced top finishes in the biggest BASS tournament of the season. The 2022 Bassmaster Classic will go down in history as one of the most hotly competed event the tour has seen in years.
Now that you know what they caught them on, you can try the same setups and see how they work for you.
NEXT: WHERE TO FISH LIKE THE PROS: ELITE BASSMASTER TOURNAMENT STOPS THAT YOU CAN FISH TOO
