The Game is on! Rapala Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing 2025 Kicks Off on the St. Johns River in Florida
Gear up for Rapala Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing 2025 before the first Elite Series begins on February 20, 2025.
You can spend all the time you want trash-talking to your pals and fellow fantasy fishing competish, but wouldn’t your taunts be a little more satisfactory if you could wave a for-real title – or, even better – some cold, hard cash in front of their chummy faces?
Rapala Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing 2025 commences at the first Elite Series stop – St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida – on February 20, 2025. But you can – and should – set your lineup today.
The grand prize winner of this year’s Fantasy Fishing takes home a $15,000 Bass Pro Shops Gift Card, $5,000 cash, a Rapala package and an expenses-paid trip to the 2026 Bassmaster Classic. Winners of individual tournaments take home a prize package worth between $4,000 and $4,500.
Can’t you just see it now? Sitting in the coziest booth at your favorite water-side dive bar. “Next round on me,” you say, and pat your buddy on the back.
Ahh…bragging rights have never tasted so sweet.
Of course, the hungry bass of St. Johns River would disagree. It’s been a colder-than-normal winter for these hogs, and you can bet they’re ornery as heck.
With the variable conditions, it might be difficult to know how exactly who to select for your fantasy lineup. But that’s alright, because, in a new video by Rapala Fishing Lures, several of Rapala’s top pros provide some serious intel as to how they expect the series kick-off to go down – who they’d pick for their line-up and the baits that will generate the most action.
“It’s been cold so far this year down south, so if we can maintain a little bit of cold weather, then one or two weeks before we get there it gets warm, it’ll be lights out,” said Elite Series angler Patrick Walters in the video. “That’s what I’m hoping is gonna happen. We’re gonna have a big fish derby. I mean, a real hammer fest.”
Rapala pros Carl Jocumsen, Kyle Welcher, Davy Hite, and Bob Downey also share who their top bucket picks are.
“I am going to pick Patrick Walters,” said Jocumsen. “You can’t beat him, he’s one of the best all-around anglers. He catches ‘em at St. John’s whether it's on a shell bar or out on the pads…he can do it.”
The guys even share some seasoned lure wisdom. Here are some of the top baits they expect to see on the water come February:
X-RAP® Prop
“A bait that I’ve always got tied on is the X-Rap® prop. It’s just an absolute killer,” said Jocumsen. “You’ve seen it work time and time again. The only thing I do differently with a lure like this is put on the brand-new VMC redline trebles. They’re sticky, they’re sharp. That bait is gonna play.”
“You cannot leave home and go to Florida without an X-RAP prop,” said Downey. “Those Florida bass do not like a prop bait up around their bed. They get really pissed off by it. It’s a really good way to trigger some big bites.”
CrushCity™ Bronco Bug®
“This year, there’s gonna be a lot of people sharing water and having to fish behind each other,” said Welcher. “So, a unique bait like the Crush City Bronco Bug will get you a few extra bites fishing behind other anglers because of how unique the action is on that bait.”
PXR Mavrik™ 110
“If its colder conditions, you’re not gonna be able to beat the Maverick,” said Walters. “The jerkbait will trigger those bites in tough conditions. Whether it's on shell beds, on ditches, or anything like that.”
“The deep version is awesome for the pre-spawn time of the year,” said Downey. “It allows us to target those fish a bit deeper, that six-to-twelve-foot range.”
Arashi® Vibe
“I gotta go with the Arashi Vibe,” said Downey. “That's a bait that played really good for me a couple of years ago. I almost won the tournament on this bait.”