2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Title: Avena Wins Group B, Knockout Round Field Set

jody white • TACKLE WAREHOUSE PRO CIRCUIT

PRESS RELEASE

LA CROSSE, Wis. – Putting 13 pounds, 10 ounces on the scale on the second day of competition for Group B, Adrian Avena totaled 29-6 to win the group and advance directly to the Championship Round of the Tackle Warehouse TITLE Presented by Mercury on the Mississippi River. Behind him, Jared McMillan finished second in Group B and will be followed by eight other anglers from the group into the Knockout Round on Saturday.

Avena Heads to the Championship Round

After an uncharacteristic performance in the Bass Pro Tour event on Lake Champlain, Avena made up for it a bit with two great days of fishing to win the group and lock in his spot among the Top 10 in the Championship Round.

“Champlain is one of my favorite lakes in the country, probably my favorite,” Avena said. “I cut my teeth there and won a tournament early. Four of the Top 10 were at Ti, and that’s where I love. It burnt me a little bit, and I didn’t want to end on that. I’ve still got the St. Clair [Bass Pro Tour] event coming up, but it’s nice to come out here and really catch ‘em.”

Fishing mostly in a small section of the Black River, Avena is happy he’s not fishing the Knockout Round and looking forward to saving some fish.

“Honestly I feel like a million dollars, because I didn’t want to fish tomorrow,” Avena admitted. “I’m burning up fish up there, but I’ve still got something in my back pocket that I’m glad I don’t have to burn tomorrow. It’s one of those deals that I have no idea if I’m going to be able to get to it or not, but at least I’m going to do it on championship day. If I get stuck, I get stuck or if I take off my lower unit, I take off my lower unit, but at least it’s on championship day.”

The schooling bite has been robust this week, and Avena has taken advantage of it as well or better than anyone else so far.

“I’m throwing a swimbait and throwing a topwater,” Avena outlined. “I’m mixing in a bunch of other stuff, I think I’ve caught one on a fluke and maybe one or two on a jerkbait. I’m fishing schoolers, and it all comes down to making the right casts. I had a couple opportunities and pulled off some 3-pounders today, and I had some other opportunities where I made bad casts.”

Avena has also been dealing with some unique pressure this week, not from his direct competition, but from some young fishing enthusiasts in the same area he is.

2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Title: Avena Leads Group B!

Jody White • TACKLE WAREHOUSE PRO CIRCUIT

PRESS RELEASE

LA CROSSE, Wis. – As stingy as the Upper Mississippi River is fishing right now, Adrian Avena certainly found a way to make it shine on Day 1 of Group B competition in the Qualifying Round of the Tackle Warehouse TITLE Presented by Mercury.

Tallying 15 pounds, 12 ounces,  the New Jersey pro put up the biggest limit of the event so far to take the early lead in Group B. Overall, Group B made the river look good on Day 2, with three pros cracking the 14-pound mark and 10 pros catching more than 12 pounds, a feat which only six pros in Group A managed on Tuesday.  

Avena Makes It Look Easy

Coming off a bottom-of-the-barrel finish in the Bass Pro Tour event on Lake Champlain, Avena was looking to get revenge on something, and the Mississippi River bass just happened to be in his way. Putting them in the boat early and often, Avena didn’t have to do anything too wild to catch his fish, he just caught ‘em.

“Today was fun, I got in an area that had some bass in it and really, just caught a lot of bass and I was able to catch those better than average fish,” Avena said. “I found it in practice. I had three bites right at the end of practice and they were all better than average. I rolled into that area today, and there were a lot of bass there, it’s just whether or not I’ll be able to fish it again.”

Catching more than 25 keepers on the day, Avena wants to shoot for the win and the automatic berth in the Championship Round.

“I’m gonna try to wind the round, that’s going to be my goal,” Avena said. “I feel like where I’m at, it can only do good with rest. If I can go out there and catch a really good bag and possibly win the round and punch my ticket to the Championship Round that’s what I want to do.”