20 Pros Survive Elimination at MLF Bass Pro Tour
MLF PRESS RELEASE
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| MLF pro Randall Tharp was one of 20 anglers to advance out of Group A's Elimination Round today at North Carolina's Falls Lake. He will fish in Saturday's Knockout Round. |
It has become one of the most interesting (and in some cases, gut-wrenching) focal points of the young Major League Fishing® (MLF) Bass Pro Tour season: the battle around the 20th spot in the standings on Elimination Rounds.
That 20th spot - which represents the final qualifier for the Knockout Round - is the definition of "make or break" and has created some of the highest moments of drama in the history of professional bass fishing.
If you're Jacob Powroznik, you love it today. The Virginia pro weighed in 12 pounds, 13 ounces of Falls Lake largemouth to finish with a two-day total of 32-14: good for 20th in Group A at the Bass Pro Tour Favorite Fishing Stage Three Raleigh presented by Evinrude.
If you're Michael Neal, not so much: the Tennessee pro put 17-4 on SCORETRACKER™ on the day, but fell 2 ounces short of Powroznik for the coveted final spot with 32-12.
"Well, what can you say: somebody has to be that guy, and today, that's me," Neal deadpanned as he waited for the start of the Berkley Postgame Show.
"It was very stressful," Powroznik admitted. "At about 1 p.m., I was like 'What am I doing wrong?' The areas where those fish should be going, they're just not there yet. The biggest thing is just keeping your head in it. I'm just glad I made it."
Moving on to Knockout
For the 20 anglers who finished just ahead of Neal in Group A Shotgun and Elimination Round competition, it's on to Saturday's Knockout Round, where they'll be joined by the Top 20 after tomorrow's second Elimination Round on Falls Lake, consisting of Group B anglers.
Notable performers on the day included:
