Action-Filled Bassmaster Elite Series Ahead for 2023
2023 Bassmaster Elite Series Schedule
For the top anglers in the country, the 2023 Bassmaster Elite Series schedule has it all! The opportunity of big weights and challenging conditions will allow these anglers to showcase why they belong at the pinnacle of professional bass fishing.
There are some familiarities of seasons past with visiting record-breaking bodies of water like the St. Lawrence River and Santee Cooper Lakes. There are also some unfamiliar faces that we haven’t seen in a while on the Elite Series, like kicking the season off on famous Lake Okeechobee where any cast could land the pros a giant!
With such a diverse group of fisheries, local knowledge can be king when determining how a body of water is going to fish. These pros have 3 days to figure out the current bite in official practice but Omnia Fishing Ambassadors have been logging trips and filing fishing reports that could clue us into what the bite might look like.
Lake Okeechobee - Feb. 16-19
Lake Size: 320k+ acres | Primary Forage: Shad/Bluegill
February on Lake Okeechobee means fish are in and around the spawn. This early spring transition gives the anglers a chance at catching a double-digit largemouth. Fishing around vegetation this time of year can be key and some of the top techniques we could see coming into play are Swim Jigs and Texas Rigs.
Lake Seminole - Feb. 23-26
Lake Size: 37,500 acres | Primary Forage: Shad/Bluegill
Moving more north to Lake Seminole the week after will have fish around the spawn still. Common techniques for this time of year are Bladed Jigs, Topwater Frogs, and Swim Jigs. All centered around moving style baits that are great for covering water to locate fish.
Tennessee River - March 24-26
Lake Size: 30,000 acres | Primary Forage: Shad/Crawfish
The regular season takes a pause in March when all eyes are on the Bassmaster Classic out on the Tennessee River, which includes Fort Loudoun and Tellico Lake. This time of year can present challenges with colder weather still very much in the mix. Well known techniques are Shallow Diving Crankbaits, Jerk baits, and Football Jigs. Anything that can entice lethargic bass, both smallmouth and largemouth to bite.
Interested in learning about a lake near you? Browse our database of more than 100,000 waterbodies to see the essential details and which baits and techniques are having the most success for local anglers.
Lake Murray - April 20-23
Lake Size: 48,761 acres | Primary Forage: Shad/Blueback Herring/Bluegill/Crawfish
In April the regular season kicks back up with a visit to Lake Murray in South Carolina where fish can likely be found in all three stages of the spawn. Top reported techniques for this time of year are Lipless Crankbaits, Structure Jigs, and Jerk Baits.
Santee Cooper Lakes - April 27-30
Lake Size: 136,000 acres | Primary Forage: Shad/Bluegill
Santee Cooper, which includes Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie, has unlimited structure for bass to spawn around. Once key productive areas are found, slowing down and picking apart the structure will be necessary to get those big bites. Top techniques to do this effectively are Shallow Crankbaits, Spinnerbaits, Wacky Rigs, and Texas Rigs.
Lay Lake - May 11-14
Lake Size: 12,500 acres | Primary Forage: Shad/Bluegill
Next up the Elites head to Lay lake where fish will predominantly be in their summer patterns. With largemouth and spots in play, there will be no shortage of techniques used to fill out a limit. Top techniques this time of year can range from an offshore bite with Drop Shots and Finesse Jigs or up around shallow structure with a Texas Rig and Swim Jig.
Sabine River - June 1-4
Lake Size: 57,000 acres | Primary Forage: Minnow/Crawfish
June in Texas will pose some challenges for the anglers, especially with the coming and going of tides on the Sabine River. Being efficient with their time and fishing certain areas will be important to get timings right. Expect to see anglers utilizing Spinnerbaits, Topwater Frogs, and Texas Rigs to find and catch their fish.
Lake St. Clair - July 27-30
Lake Size: 57,000 acres | Primary Forage: Shad/Minnow/Perch/Alewife
The first stop of the northern swing lands the elites on Lake St. Clair as fish are moving out to their summer locations. Expect giant smallmouth to be weighed in. Popular techniques for smallmouth this time of year include Drop Shots, Ned Rigs, and Small Soft Body Swimbaits.
Lake Champlain - Aug. 17-20
Lake Size: 265,727 acres | Primary Forage: Shad/Crawfish/Minnows/Perch
Lake Champlain has a healthy population of both smallmouth and largemouth where both species will have an impact on the weights during this tournament. If anglers are offshore fishing for smallmouth, you might see them throwing a Drop Shot, Deep Crankbaits, or Jerk Baits. If anglers choose to be up in the vegetation, you can expect to see Grass Jigs and Texas Rigs.
St. Lawrence River - Aug. 24-27
Lake Size: 123,555 acres | Primary Forage: Crawfish/Minnows/Perch
The final stop of the 2023 Elite Series is familiar and is also known to kick out huge bags of smallmouth. The St. Lawrence River never disappoints with 2022 being a year where multiple anglers caught over 100 pounds of fish. During the summer, popular techniques like Drop Shots, Ned Rigs, and Finesse Hair jigs are going to put a lot of fish on the scales.
About Omnia Fishing
Omnia Fishing provides anglers with a revolutionary platform to help choose the tackle and gear that will catch them more fish. Through the Shop by Lake experience, anglers across the country can look up where they plan on fishing and get up to date recommendations with what is working out on the water. Local anglers who have expert knowledge day in and day out help provide insights in addition to lake characteristics like time of year, water clarity, structures, and species present. All of which are combined to present a personalized set of products to give you the confidence to go out and catch more fish. Try it out for yourself and select a waterbody on our extensive map page.
