Top 5 Bass Baits for February in Florida: Best Lures from the Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River

How Florida’s Cold Front Affected the Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River

Although the Bassmaster Elite Series fished out of Palatka, Florida just last year, it was in April rather than this year’s February visit. But back in 2022 they did fish a mid-February tournament here.

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

Crews’ bait selection covered of a wide range including a jerkbait, a dropshot worm, a spinnerbait, a bladed jig and a shaker head finesse worm. The wide variety of presentations he credited, does feel similar to the 2025 results.

While this year’s event was a week-and-a-half later in February than the ’22 event, the tournament started as another “polar vortex’ blew through Florida. The fish were further along in their spawning cycle, but cold temperatures made the expected bedding bite less productive. Anglers scrambled to adjust.

The lead changed hands many times over the course of Championship Sunday's fishing and nobody knew for sure who had won until the final fish was weighed. In the end, only 5 ounces separated first and third-place, but Bill Lowen won this exciting 2025 Bassmaster Elite St Johns River event with a total of 73-14, caught primarily on a black-n-blue pitching jig and a black-n-blue swimjig.

Following is a breakdown of the most effective baits used by the Top 10 finishers at the 2025 St Johns River, Bassmaster Elite event at Palatka, Florida.

Top 5 Bass Baits That Dominated the 2025 Tournament

1. Jerkbait – A Go-To Lure for Cold Water Conditions

Jay Przekurat showing off the jerkbait he used for his second place finish. — Second-place finisher Jay Przekurat was the best finisher of the four who leaned on a jerkbait. | B.A.S.S. | Dalton Tumblin

Four of the Top 10 finishers credited a jerk bait as a key lure in their success on the St Johns River. For second- and third-place finishers, Prezkurat and LeHew, it was responsible for most of the fish they weighed in.

2. Swimjig – The Winning Bait for Bill Lowen

Tournament winner Bill Lowen posing with the swimjig he caught most of his fish on. — This is the swimjig Bill Lowen said got most of the bites in his winning bag. | B.A.S.S. | Dalton Tumblin

Three of ten said that a swimjig was an important part of their plan. Most notably, tournament winner Bill Lowen, said for days two, three and four, the swimjig did most of the work.

“The key was fishing that swim jig really slow,” Lowen said. “In that cold water, they just wanted that bait moving slowly.”

3. Soft Plastic Stick Bait – Wacky-Rig and Texas-Rig Success

Jake Whitaker posing with the two soft plastic stick baits he used for his tenth-place finish. — Jake Whitaker used a soft plastic stick bait rigged two ways for his tenth-place finish. | B.A.S.S. | Dalton Tumblin

Tenth-place Jake Whitaker and seventh-place Gerald Swindle put a wacky-rigged soft plastic stick bait to work this week. Whitaker also listed a Texas-rigged stick bait with a 5/16 ounce weight as his other key lure.

4. Texas-Rigged Creature/Craw – Versatile and Effective in Heavy Cover

Shane LeHew showing the camera his texas-rigged craw. — Third-place finisher Shane LeHew credited a Texas-rigged craw as an importnat lure in his success. | B.A.S.S. | Dalton Tumblin

Three competitors credited some form of a Texas-rigged craw or creature bait. Their setups ranged from John Cox’s weightless Berkley PowerBait Speed Boss (kind of a hybrid soft plastic stick bait/speed craw), to his craw with a 1/4-ounce weight, to LeHew’s Stank Bug Craw with 1/8-ounce bullet, to Brock Mosley’s Yamamoto Flappin’ Hog with a 1-ounce punch weight.

5. Everything Else – Vibrating Jigs, Crankbaits, and Drop Shots

John Garrett posing with his Strike King 5XD crankbait. — John Garrett's 5XD crankbait may have been the most surprising lure credited in the Top 10 this week. | B.A.S.S. | Dalton Tumblin

With early spring, colder than normal Florida temps, it looks like there was some scrambling and plan changing going on. There were more one-of-a-kind lures mentioned in this Top 10 than normal. Apart from the four lure styles mentioned above, the top finishers also credited a fluke, a vibrating jig, a medium-deep crankbait, a drop shot and a pitching jig. For the record, the pitching jig was eventual winner Bill Lowen’s main bait for his Day 1 catch.

Key Takeaways from the Bassmaster Elite in Florida

The 2025 Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River showcased a wide mix of proven pre-spawn, spawn and post-spawn bass fishing techniques, with Bill Lowen securing victory using a slow-moving swim jig in cold conditions. This tournament provided a great opportunity to learn what the best-of-the-best do to adjust as cold Florida weather threw them all a curve.