Dustin Connell Q&A: Top Setups, Go-to Spring Baits, and 2026 Tour Thoughts

Few pro bass anglers have carried the consistency and versatility that Dustin Connell has shown over the last several years. He’s logged multiple Bass Pro Tour (BPT) victories and numerous top-10 finishes across a wide range of fisheries, blending traditional techniques with a modern, adaptable strategy in open water and heavy cover alike. Connell builds his approach around tools he trusts completely.

We caught up with Connell to break down a few of his top lures and rod setups, the tactics he leans on every spring, and the tournaments he’s most excited about heading into the 2026 season.

The Mooch Minnow System
Connell has caught a lot of bass — and won a lot of money — fishing the CrushCity™ Mooch Minnow®. His setup is precise, balanced, and built around efficiency.

Q: You’ve caught a LOT of bass and won a LOT of money on a Mooch Minnow. Can you give us a rundown of your whole setup?

A: “While the Mooch Minnow product line has grown, my all-rounder setup remains a 3/16-ounce VMC® RedLine Series® Tungsten Swimbait Jig with a 1/0 hook and a 3.5-inch Mooch Minnow. The combo is spooled with 15-pound braided mainline to a 12-pound fluorocarbon leader and paired with a 6’9’’ 13 Fishing® Oath Shaker rod and 2500-size spinning reel. The Oath Shaker is a technique-specific rod designed for the “shaking a minnow” approach and blends a super-responsive, bouncy tip with a powerful yet balanced midsection to drive hooks home and keep bass pinned.”

“It’s the ultimate setup for a Mooch or Freeloader®,” Connell adds. “Absolutely perfect.”

The braid-to-fluoro system gives him sensitivity and control while maintaining stealth. The 6’9’’ rod provides enough tip to work the bait naturally while still delivering solid hook-setting power. For Connell, it’s not just a seasonal tool—it’s a year-round confidence presentation that adapts to a range of fisheries and conditions.

If He Had Only One Rod and One Lure
Q: If you could only fish with one rod and one lure for the rest of your life, what would you pick?

A: “It would be the soon-to-be-released VMC Ace Jig in Green Pumpkin paired with a CrushCity Cleanup Craw® in the same color. I’d throw it on a 7’3’’ 13 Fishing Myth medium-heavy rod with 17-pound fluorocarbon. It works year-round, on every lake, at any depth. It’s just super universal and effective.”

For Connell, the jig-and-craw combination represents the ultimate do-it-all system. It can be pitched shallow, skipped under docks, fished through cover, or worked around offshore structure without changing tools. The 7’3’’ medium-heavy rod has the right blend of tip flex and strength for sensitivity and casting accuracy, with the backbone for driving hooks home and controlling bass around cover.

It’s an old-school staple — but one that reflects Connell’s blended approach of new-school finesse and more traditional bass tactics.

Go-To Spring Baits
Spring fishing is about adjustment. Bass constantly reposition, and Connell rotates through a handful of confidence techniques to stay dialed in.

Q: What are a few of your top techniques for springtime bass fishing?

1. Jerkbaits
A: “A jerkbait for sure. Jerkbaits, and in particular, the Rapala PXR Mavrik® 110 is a big-time confidence bait for me in the spring — but honestly, it’s a 365-day-a-year bait. I’ll fish everything in front of me from the bank out to deeper water — docks, brushpiles, clear water, dingy water, it doesn’t matter. Bold Shad is one of my favorite colors. I throw it on 12-pound fluorocarbon line with a 6’8’’ 13 Fishing Oath rod. If I need to get deeper, I switch to the Deep Mavrik.”

Connell relies on the jerkbait to cover water and generate reaction bites from bass.This could be in open water, around points and humps, or along the shoreline, as long as he can reach the depth where fish are holding. The shorter 6’8’’ medium-power, fast-action rod supports precise cadence control, while the parabolic midsection keeps treble hooks buttoned. When bass slide deeper, the Deep Mavrik allows Connell to stay in contact without switching tactics.

2. DT6 Crankin’
A: “The Rapala® DT® 6 is similar to a jerkbait for me — I just put the trolling motor down and throw it at everything. Water color doesn’t matter — its tight balsa action will fool bass anywhere. The DT6 comes in a pile of awesome colors. I typically use red and brown color varieties. It’s just a great way to cover water and trigger bites.”

Connell uses the DT6 as a search tool when bass are scattered along rock, grass, wood, or transition banks. Rather than overcomplicating retrieves, he focuses on making consistent bottom contact and deflections off cover, or even fishing it around and ticking grass. The DT6 allows him to efficiently comb staging areas and trigger reaction strikes from fish positioning ahead of the spawn.

3. Neko Rig
A: “Switching gears to finesse, skipping a Neko rig under docks is a major prespawn technique for me. I throw a CrushCity Janitor® in Green Pumpkin with a 1/16-ounce nail weight, a VMC RedLine Neko hook (#2), and a size 4 VMC Crossover Ring. I fish this setup on a 7’1’’ 13 Fishing Myth spinning rod.”

The light nail weight allows the plastic to sink and fish naturally. The 7’1’’ medium-power rod provides added leverage for skipping, control, and power when steering fish away from abrasive bottoms and cover. For Connell, the Neko rig is a get-bit precision finesse technique — one he leans on when bass are relating tight to structure and cover and not committing to moving baits.

2026 Tour Thoughts
Beyond spring tactics and confidence setups, Connell is already looking ahead to key stops in the 2026 season.

Q: Which event are you most looking forward to in 2026?

REDCREST on Table Rock
A: “Table Rock sets up really well for my style. There are so many options — you might have spawning fish on one end and prespawn on the other. You can target largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass in different phases of the spawn. I like having those kinds of options — it makes for fun, more dynamic fishing.”

Table Rock’s versatility mirrors Connell’s own. The ability to pivot between species, locations, tactics, and the phases of the spawn plays to his adaptable approach.

Final Thoughts
From dialing in a Mooch Minnow setup to rotating jerkbaits, Neko rigs, and crankbaits through the spring, Dustin Connell’s overall bass fishing strategy is rooted in efficiency and confidence. Add in the strategic mindset he brings to each tour stop, and it’s clear his approach extends far beyond a single season.

Whether it’s springtime adjustments or championship preparation, Connell builds his season around tools he trusts completely.