Tharp thumps 'em
Florida angler goes wire-to-wire for title, Classic berth
RIDGELAND, Miss.—Touring pro Randall Tharp was the epitome of consistency at Ross Barnett Reservoir during the Bass Pro Shops Central Open.
After catching 13-pound-plus limits the first two days of the tournament and holding the lead each day, Tharp followed up today with a 12-pound, 11-ounce limit to win the Open and the top prize of a Triton 19XS/Mercury 200 Pro XS package worth $40,000 and $6,315 in cash. His three-day catch of 41-15 also earned him a berth in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic and the Central Opens point standings title.
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| Tharp has demonstrated that he might be the best bass angler out there. Can he add a BASSMASTER Classic title with his 2013 FLW Cup? (Photo: BASS) |
“Ninety percent of my fish this week came on a 1/2-ounce Randall Tharp Signature Series 4 x 4 Jig, and almost all of my big fish came from around isolated docks,” Tharp said. “I weighed in two fish on an Alabama rig off the riprap and I weighed in one fish on a Chatterbait.”
The Port Saint Joe, Fla., angler noticed the timing of his bites changed each day. The first morning his best action was in the morning but the second day he caught most of his fish in the afternoon. “(Today) it was slow in the morning and I just put my trolling motor down and didn’t pick it up until I got five fish. There was a small window (of action) from about 11 to 12 o’clock.”
