St. Johns River Florida Bass Fishing Report: Best Baits & Tactics

Expert insights on bass behavior, proven tournament baits, and the best fishing spots for bass fishing on the St. Johns River at Palatka, Florida.

The St Johns River in Northern Florida is a premier largemouth bass fishing destination and a frequent stop for professional bass tournaments. | B.A.S.S.

2025 St. Johns River Bass Fishing Report: What Anglers Need to Know

As we prepare for the first event of the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Series, it feels appropriate to take a look at what's happening on the St Johns River at Palatka, Florida for February of 2025.

Mid-February typically marks the start of the spawning season for largemouth bass on the St Johns. Lots of bass will be shallow. But at this time of year, you can count on the fact that some bass are still pre-spawn, the ones you can see are currently spawning, and some bedded early and are already post-spawn.

To maximize your catch, an angler will have to have a good understanding of bass in all three phases, so they can make adjustments as weather changes.

The St Johns River in Northern Florida is home to lots of bass and lots of bass tournaments. | B.A.S.S. | Google

Understanding the Bass Spawning Cycles

Typically, largemouth bass begin their spawning cycle once water temperatures push past that critical 60°F threshold. But as we all know, not all the bass spawn at once.

Instead, they stagger their spawning efforts in waves, which helps protect the population from sudden environmental changes that could wipe out an entire year's class.

In southern bass states like Florida, the spawning process can stretch out over the course of months. While in states like Wisconsin and Minnesota, the duration of the spawning cycle is usually more compressed.

Where to Find Bass During the Spawn

During the spawn, bass spend their time in shallow water—usually less than three feet deep. The best areas have protection from north winds and cold fronts, so the north shorelines with proper depth and bottom composition are prime. Focus on areas with hard bottom composition like sand flats. And a mixture of hard cover like submerged logs, lily pad roots, and docks can make an area even more appealing to spawning bass.

The 2024 Bassmaster Elite tournament on the St Johns River was very much influenced by spawning bass. Current conditions suggest the anglers may see that again in 2025. | Craig Lamb | B.A.S.S.

What Were The Best Baits Used In Previous Fishing Tournaments?

The last time the Bassmaster Elite Series visited the St Johns River at Palatka, Florida was less than a year ago in mid-April of 2024. It was two months later in the year and the bass spawn was in full swing but quickly winding down, and the morning shad spawn played a key role in several of the top 10 finisher’s strategies. But winner, Cory Johnston focused on the bedding fish for most of the fish he weighed in. Following is a breakdown of the most used baits by the Top 10 finishers.

Any time we’ve been here my mind goes toward trying to find spawning bass. You can always catch one or two big spawners and fill out a big limit.

Cory Johnston

1. Texas Rigged Soft Plastic
Five anglers, including the winner, Cory Johnston, credited Texas rigged flipping baits, including creatures, craws, straight tail worms, and stick baits, for their top 10 finishes.

Texas-rigged soft plastic baits were the number one choice among the top finishers in 2024. | B.A.S.S.

2. Swim Jig
Three of the top 10 finishers employed a swimbait in their strategy, all using large profile craw-style trailers.

Swimjigs were a popular choice, but everyone used a large profile craw trailer. | B.A.S.S.

3. Topwater Walking Bait
Three competitors included topwater baits in their plan—a Yo-Zuri Pencil, a Heddon Zara Spook, and a 6th Sense Dogma 115 all got the call.

Bassmaster Pro, Jason Christie, and other anglers, utilized a topwater walking bait as part of his St Johns' bass fishing arsenal. | B.A.S.S.

4. Soft Stick Bait
Again, three times this bait was credited. It’s never a big surprise to see this bait work well in Florida.

A soft stick bait almost always plays in Florida. | B.A.S.S.

5. Spinnerbait
Two of the most experienced anglers in the field, Greg Hackney and Jason Christie spent a good part of their time with a spinnerbait in their hand.

Greg Hackney showing off the multi-bladed spinnerbait he utilized on the St Johns River for his top 10 finish. | B.A.S.S.

Last Time the Elites Fished St Johns in February

In 2022 the Bassmaster Elite Tournament at Palatka, Florida was February 10-13. That’s much closer date-wise to the 2025 event, but it seems like it may have felt earlier as far as the spawn goes, with most fish still pre-spawn.

John Crews was the eventual winner of that event with a four day total of 75 pounds, 4 ounces.

Crews’ baits consisted of a wide range including a jerkbait, a dropshot worm, a spinnerbait, a bladed jig and a shaker head finesse worm.

John Crews relied on a variety of baits for his early-season 2022 victory. | B.A.S.S.

I just went out and fished like I normally fish, which is all over the place. I was throwing a spinning rod in 25 feet of water one minute and I’m throwing a (reaction bait) in a foot of water 20 minutes later. Luckily, on the St. Johns River, that works.

John Crews

Second place finisher, Bob Downey credits a soft plastic stick bait, a topwater prop bait and a lipless crankbait for his 74 pound catch.

Final Tips for a Successful St. Johns River Fishing Trip

As we look ahead to the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Event on the St Johns River, understanding the seasonal patterns and proven bait choices can give anglers a competitive edge. With bass coming into their spawning cycle, focusing on shallow water in protected areas, such as the northern shorelines, will be key.

Anglers should keep their tackle boxes stocked with Texas-rigged soft plastics for sight fishing beds, as well as checking around thick cover for fish in the general area that have not started bedding yet. Spinnerbaits, bladed jigs, and swimjigs, all of which have proven successful in past tournaments, can cover water more efficiently when looking for pre-spawn fish.

Competitors and recreational anglers alike can capitalize on this prime fishing season with proper preparation and an understanding of the St Johns River and Rodman Reservoir’s unique and constantly changing conditions. Whether casting from a boat or the bank, understanding how fish react to weather and water levels, while utilizing proven baits and tactics will give you the best chance at a big Florida largemouth bass.

Keep checking back in to Fishing On SI for updates as the tournament progresses.