Water and weather foretell favorable fishing for Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River
Feb. 13, 2025
PALATKA, Fla. — “Cold” typically is a four-letter word in Florida, but Bassmaster Elite Series pro Drew Benton said winter weather in the right measure and with the right timing could unleash an eruption of Sunshine State potential during the 2025 FXR Pro Fish Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River.
Competition days will be February 20-23 with daily takeoffs from Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp at 7 a.m. ET and weigh-ins each day at Palatka Riverfront Park at 3 p.m.
“The big thing that is going to positively influence this event is the cold weather we had leading up to the (recent) warming trend,” Benton said. “Any time we get cold weather in Florida, and it warms up, it makes these lakes explode.
“The power of weather on these Florida fisheries is incredible. When we have a good, cold winter and the fish can’t just trickle spawn and do their thing whenever they want to, it makes them flood the bank all at the same time. They don’t all spawn at once, but they get up there where you can catch them all at once.”
Acknowledging late winter’s notoriously fickle nature, Benton wisely hedges his prediction. Late January saw a historic winter storm drop 8 inches of snow at his home in Panama City, Fla., so he’s taking nothing for granted.
“That was unheard of, but barring any (extreme) weather, all things are pointing to two strong Florida events (at St. Johns on Feb. 20-23 and at Lake Okeechobee Feb. 27-March 2),” Benton said. “People think cold weather is a bad thing in Florida, but it can really set up the fishing.”
Last year’s Elite at the St. Johns was held mid-April and saw Canadian hammer Cory Johnston win by targeting spawning bass in the Salt Springs area of the fishery. Even though this year’s tournament takes place approximately two months earlier in the year, Benton expects the warming trend to again highlight the spawn.
Benton, who has placed fourth at the St. Johns twice (2024, 2016), also points to water level as a key factor. The St. Johns suffered a tremendous loss of submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) — mostly eelgrass — during past hurricanes, with winds ripping up much of the vegetation and lingering high water choking out any resurgence.
While it takes years to regrow the eelgrass that once carpeted much of the system and made areas like Crescent Lake and Lake George spawning meccas, Benton said the current scenario will deliver immediate impacts.
“One thing I’ve been watching is the water level, and it has been down this year, which is a positive,” Benton said. “That’s what has negatively affected the grass growth. I don’t know if the current water level is going to impact the grass growth, but as a whole, it’s going to make the river healthier.
“Typically, as long as it’s not high it’s going to be clear. And (the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) put in a lot of work on the fishery with eelgrass planting and (protective fencing around planted areas). From what I’ve seen online, some of those planted areas have taken off. That little bit of grass will help with water quality.”
Despite a major change in fishable waters, Benton believes anglers will find significant opportunities throughout tournament waters. Last year, competitors were allowed to fish Rodman Reservoir — a man-made reservoir on the Ocklawaha River that connects to the St. Johns through a canal south of Palatka.
This year, Rodman is off-limits, but Benton remains optimistic. Tournament boundaries stretch from the Fuller Warren Bridge (I-95) in Jacksonville down to State 44 in DeLand. Past events have seen anglers push far north of Palatka and nearly to the southern boundary.
With the combination of lower water and favorable weather, Benton believes competitive bags could come from both extremes and all points in between.
“Initially, I didn’t like that Rodman was out of the equation this year, because in the past it attracted a lot of boats and kept them off the river,” he said. “I was afraid that would make the river fish extremely small this year, but because of that weather we’ve had, I think it’s going to spread guys out.
“I think the entire range is hitting the magical water temp. I think that as far as you want to go north or south could be in play.”
Sight fishing likely will make up a large portion of the angling effort, but Benton said late prespawners preparing to move up will also present solid opportunities. He’s also pondering the potential for a traditional postspawn pattern.
“Shellbeds always play, because not all the fish are gonna bed at the same time,” Benton said. “If a guy finds a place where they’re pulling up before they spawn and they’re stopping on a shellbed or a little drop on that river, that’s what’s gonna win this tournament. That’s because you’ll have fish coming to you and fish stopping on their way back out.
“The guys doing the shellbed game will have a rotation of jerkbaits, Carolina rigs, Ned rigs and rattling baits, depending on tide and depth. It’s a little early, but any time water temperatures are in the 70s, you have the potential to have a shad spawn.”
Benton went on to say that in the absence of any significant SAV, spawning bass will utilize any hard cover, including wood and lily pad root systems standing above the bottom substrate. Past events have seen anglers targeting spawning fish on cypress tree roots. That also could be in play this time around, but Benton warned of navigational challenges.
“Some of that stuff is deceptively shallow,” he said. “You may be 100 yards out trying to get in, and your trolling motor is hitting the bottom. Finding that stuff with the right amount of water on it is going to be the big deal.”
Benton said he’s looking for a four-day winning total of 88 pounds, with 19 pounds a day making the Top 10 cut. Johnston won with 93-6 last year, so if weather and water factors remain as Benton expects, the field should easily meet or exceed those numbers.
Bassmaster LIVE will be streaming on Bassmaster.com all four days, and coverage will also be available on FS1 on Saturday and Sunday. Stay up-to-date on all tournament coverage at Bassmaster.com/how-to-watch/.
Florida’s Putnam County Chamber of Commerce is hosting the event.
2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew’s, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
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