Bobby Lane Wins 2025 Bass Pro Tour Suzuki Marine Stage 2 Presented by YETI on the Harris Chain of Lakes

Bobby Lane rallies to comeback win on Harris Chain

Celebrating a Stage 2 victory was a family affair for Bobby Lane. Photo by Joel Shangle.

By Mitchell Forde 

BASS PRO TOUR Press Release 

LEESBURG, Fla. — Across a decorated 17-year career that includes a REDCREST victory, one of the few accomplishments that had eluded Bobby Lane was a national-tour win in Florida. He’d come close – in fact, the last time the Bass Pro Tour visited the Harris Chain of Lakes, Lane finished second to Ott DeFoe – but had yet to lift a trophy in his home state.

Midway through the Championship Round at Suzuki Marine Stage 2 Presented by YETI at the Harris Chain of Lakes, it looked like Lane would have to keep waiting.

Matt Becker and Mark Davis shot out of the starting blocks, both amassing more than 30 pounds in the first period. Lane, meanwhile, started on the opposite end of Lake Apopka from where he’d caught most of his fish due to the strong south wind and struggled to gain traction. Halfway through Period 2, he’d tallied just 17 pounds, 6 ounces and trailed Davis by more than 20 pounds – and as the wind continued to increase in intensity, presenting baits and generating bites became more difficult by the minute.

Wheeler Continues Roll, Leads Shotgun Round 2 at Bass Pro Tour Evinrude Stage Eight Presented by Tracker Off Road

MLF pro Jacob Wheeler sits in familiar territory.
(Photo: MLF)

Jacob Wheeler has picked up right where he left off after winning Stage Seven on Table Rock Lake. Even though the competition has moved more than 700 miles north, he still finds himself in familiar territory after the second Shotgun Round of the Evinrude Stage Eight Presented by Tracker Off Road on Lake Winnebago: on top of SCORETRACKER®.

The Tennessee pro caught 33 fish for 51 pounds, 4 ounces, finishing the second day of competition on top of Group B. Leading Bass Pro Tour rounds has become a theme for Wheeler this year. In fact, he's been in first place after four of his last five competition days, and is proving that the Major League Fishing® (MLF) format is tailor-made for his fishing style.

Wheeler has a chance to become the Bass Pro Tour's first two-time champion and first back-to-back winner if he can continue his hot streak.

The fishing on Winnebago proved to be more difficult on Wednesday's anglers as only four anglers topped 40 pounds as opposed to eight yesterday. The first Elimination Round on Thursday will show if it was just the conditions or if the fishing is getting tougher.

Even with the lower weights, 664 bass weighing 1,046 pounds were brought in today. The fish are still biting here in Wisconsin.

Wheeler Rolls Through Shotgun Round 2

Wheeler did most of his damage midmorning during Period 2, and once he took over the lead, he never looked back.

"I started in the morning with a pattern that I thought would be good and caught a few, but it didn't work out as planned," Wheeler said. "Midmorning is when I started to make the transition and started to figure things out. It was a good mixture of shallow and deep and both largemouth and smallmouth. I feel like if I can catch another 10 pounds or so during the Elimination Round that I should be able to make it to the Knockout Round."

He will carry a 3-pound lead over second place and a 26-pound lead over the 20th place spot heading into the Elimination Round.

Tak Stands in Second

Takahiro Omori had an excellent day and held the lead or top two spots for most of the day with 31 bass for 47-14. His catch count was buoyed by a strong morning.

Powroznik Rallies for Win in Bass Pro Tour Favorite Fishing Stage Three Raleigh presented by Evinrude.

Wheeler 2nd, Omori 3rd. 

MLF PRESS RELEASE

Jacob's change from sight fishing to casting secured win!
(Photo: MLF)

When it all comes down to it, the Major League Fishing® (MLF) format has always been about identifying fishing conditions on the fly, and making the right adjustments as those conditions change.

MLF pro Jacob Powroznik learned enough from the first fish he saw on Championship Sunday to tell him all he needed to know. That fish, which rolled on a floating worm in the first pocket that the Virginia pro fished on Shearon Harris Reservoir, clued Powroznik in that the lake's largemouth were in extremely shallow water and spawning.

Powroznik didn't catch that fish, but it caused him to pick up a wacky-rigged 5-inch V&M Chopstick and start fishing for spawners. It was the right decision: Powroznik connected with 20 fish for 63 pounds, 4 ounces to earn a shiny new red-and-silver trophy and the $100,000 first-place check at the Bass Pro Tour Favorite Fishing Stage Three Raleigh presented by Evinrude.

"I saw that fish swim over on that floating worm, and I knew right then fish were spawning," Powroznik said. "They were really shallow, and I picked that wacky-worm up right then and didn't take it out of my hand the rest of the day."

 

From sight fishing to casting

Powroznik, one of the most skilled sight-fishermen in the field, dedicated some time early in the day to bedding fish, but then pulled off the beds and started casting to shallow water when mid-day clouds spoiled the visibility. That, too, proved to be a key decision.

2019 Bass Pro Tour B&W Trailer Hitches Championship Sunday!

Tp 10 Anglers Advance to Garcia of the Win!

BPT PRESS RELEASE

Dustin Connell's 9-pounder lead him to a Knockout Round win.
(Photo: BPT)

Major championships are usually played on championship venues. For the first-ever Championship Round of the MLF Bass Pro Tour, that's exactly what the Top 10 will get Sunday when action shifts away from the Kissimmee Chain and onto Ansin Garcia Reservoir.

 

The B & W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented By Power-Pole moves an hour southeast of Kissimmee on Sunday to Garcia, a 3,100-acre flooded former farm site located in Blue Cypress Management Area near the town of Fellsmere. It's a fishery that MLF fans will recognize: Garcia served as competition waters for the Shotgun Rounds of the 2018 General Tire World Championship won by Greg Hackney.

 

And while Hackney won't be participating in the Bass Pro Tour's first Championship Sunday, two of the 10 anglers vying for the championship trophy and $100,000 payday will be: Takahiro Omori, who finished third in the Knockout Round with 40-9, and Edwin Evers, who finished eighth with 31-9.

 

Whether that previous experience on Garcia gives Omori and Evers an advantage over the rest of the Championship 10 - Dustin Connell, Jeff Sprague, Randy Howell, Alton Jones, Jr., Jordan Lee, Anthony Gagliardi, Jared Lintner and Michael Neal - remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: all 10 anglers fishing on Sunday are hoping that the move further south and closer to the ocean will put them on a fishery that's farther along in the pre-spawn than the Kissimmee Chain.

 

According to MLF NOW! analyst JT Kenney, who lives 45 minutes away from Garcia in Palm Bay, there's a good chance that'll happen.

 

"It's only an hour away, but the climate (at Garcia) is significantly different - the lows at night are maybe 10 degrees warmer than Kissimmee," Kenney said. "The water temperature at Garcia should be in the mid-60s, and everything should be further along than Toho and Kissimmee. I wouldn't be surprised if we hit it right. If we do, you'll see some Florida studs: there are some big fish in that lake."

2018 Bassmaster Elite Grand Lake Day 1: Omori Tops Them All with 23-12lbs.

10 limits over 20 pounds!
By Thomas Allen
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Tak on the path to second win in 18.
(Photo: BASS)

Japanese angler Takahiro Omori, who now calls Emory, Texas, his home, recently earned his seventh Bassmaster title at the first event of the 2018 Bassmaster Elite Series season on Alabama’s Lake Martin.
 
Today his dominating streak continues thanks to a pair of 6-pound bass that anchored a 23-pound, 12-ounce five-bass limit at the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Grand Lake in Grove, Okla.
 
“I didn’t have a very good practice earlier this week,” he said. “I knew the fish were about to spawn, but I was surprised with what I caught today. The rest of the field also caught quite a few big fish, and that’s going to keep things interesting for the next three days.”
 
The 47-year-old angler has been fishing with B.A.S.S. for over 27 years, and he said this was his best day ever on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees.
 
“The best finish I’ve had on this lake was 30th place, so I’m very happy with how I did today,” said the 2004 Bassmaster Classic champion. “I know more fish are moving to shallow water, but it will be tough to catch this much again tomorrow.”
 

2018 Bassmaster Elite Lake Martin Day 3: Takahiro Omori Continues Lead with 32-11lbs!

Omori needs only one more day 
By Bryan Brasher
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Crankbait and current key to Tak's dominance.
(Photo: BASS)

While fishing Saturday’s semifinal round of the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Martin presented by Econo Lodge, Takahiro Omori caught a bass that had two crankbaits in its mouth.
 
One was a chartreuse colored bait that Omori had lost on an underwater tree branch Friday, and the other was the red bait he fished with most of the day Saturday.
 
In 287 events with B.A.S.S., Omori said he’s never had anything like that happen before. But it’s been a charmed tournament for the Japanese-born angler turned Texas resident.
 
Omori utilized one tiny spot on Lake Martin for the third straight day Saturday, landing a five-bass limit that weighed 12 pounds, 13 ounces. He’ll now lead the field into Championship Sunday with a three-day weight of 45-8 and a chance to claim his seventh career victory.
 
“That crankbait is just a once-in-a-lifetime story,” Omori said. “I think maybe what happened is that it got hung up and the fish ate it before. Then it ate the other bait today.
 
“Maybe that’s a sign that everything is going right.”
 
Omori has been traveling up the lake each day to a small nondescript spot that can’t be easily accessed. He has to trim his outboard up to get through some extremely shallow water and then use his Power-Pole shallow-water anchors to hold his boat in place while making continuous casts to an area about twice as wide as a bass boat.
 
So far, it’s been worth the trouble.
 
Omori landed 18-2 during Thursday’s first round and followed that with 14-9 Friday. He’s left with the fish still biting each day, and he’s hoping the spot has one more good day left in it.
 
“We won’t know until tomorrow,” he said. “I just plan to work on my tackle tonight, get a good night’s sleep and go right back there in the morning.”
 
His lead is anything but rock solid, with four anglers within about 6 pounds of the lead.
 
Rookie Roy Hawk caught five bass that weighed 12-10 Saturday and pushed his second-place total to 41-6. He said he might be even closer to the leader if it hadn’t been for one missed opportunity.
 

2018 Bassmaster Elite Lake Martin Day 2: Takahiro Omori Leads with 32-11lbs!

Single spot soars Japanese angler into lead
By Bryan Brasher
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Crankbait the key to Omari's lead.
(Photo: BASS)

Since the Bassmaster Tournament Trail hasn’t visited Lake Martin for a major event in more than 15 years, the belief coming into this week’s Bassmaster Elite at Lake Martin presented by Econo Lodge was that veteran local anglers with recent experience on the fishery had a chance to dominate.
 
But after two days, the top of the leaderboard includes a guy from Japan, a rookie from Arizona and a longtime pro from Washington State.
 
So much for local domination.
 
Takahiro Omori, a Japanese angler who now lives Texas, caught 14 pounds, 9 ounces and jumped from second place into the lead with a two-day weight of 32-11. He’s followed by newcomer Roy Hawk of Arizona (28-12), who is fishing his first-ever Elite Series event, and Washington angler Luke Clausen, who joined the Elite Series last year after a long and successful career on the FLW Tour.
 
Omori said most of his fish came early — and from one magical spot.
 
“I don’t want to tell anybody about that spot because I’ve got to go back tomorrow,” Omori said. “It’s a really good spot, but it’s about all I have.”
 
In the interest of saving fish for the final two days of the tournament, Omori left his best area well before lunchtime and went looking for something else similar.
 
“After I left that spot, I started practicing,” Omori said. “I tried to find another place to fish, and I couldn’t find it.
 
“I still have to be open-minded because this time of the year, anything can happen.”
 

2018 Bassmaster Elite Lake Martin Day 1: Cliff Prince Scores Lead with 19-13lbs!

Two big bass score lead
By Bryan Brasher
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Prince's two big largemouth secures lead.
Photo: BASS

Conventional wisdom says one big bass per day will give you a good shot at winning a tournament on Lake Martin.
 
So, when Florida angler Cliff Prince caught a pair of giants on back-to-back casts Thursday, he needed a quick breather to collect himself.
 
One weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces, the other weighed 6-3, and they propelled Prince to a leading first-day weight of 19-13 in the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Martin presented by Econo Lodge.
 
“Back-to-back casts — it was unbelievable,” Prince said. “I had to sit down for a minute because I definitely wasn’t expecting it.”
 
Like many of the competitors in this week’s 110-angler field, Prince has very little experience on Lake Martin — and the three official practice days prior to the tournament weren’t exactly kind to him.
 
But before 9 a.m. Thursday, he idled past a spot that he recognized as a potential big-fish haven.
 
“I didn’t fish that spot in practice,” said Prince, who was tightlipped about exactly where and how he caught his fish. “But I knew I had gotten bit on another stretch like that. I figured if I caught a big one, it would be down that stretch — and I caught two.”
 
Unlike Prince, who has fished just 85 tournaments with B.A.S.S. — and none on Lake Martin — the two anglers just behind him in the standings have extensive experience on the fishery.
 
Takahiro Omori, a Japanese angler who now resides in Texas, earned checks in Bassmaster Invitationals held on Martin in 2001 and 2002. He also won an FLW Tour event on Martin in 2001, earning a $100,000 first-place prize.
 
Omori caught 18-2 Thursday to land in second place.
 
“I never even pre-fished this time, so it’s been at least 15 years since I was here,” Omori said. “I didn’t fish any of the same stuff from back then.”
 

2016 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship at Mille Lacs Lake Day 1: Swindle Misses Smallmouth Fest!

Omori bags giant 26 pound smallmouth limit
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Terrible day reduces AOY lead for G- Man.
(Photo: BASS)

Giant limits of smallmouth bass created quite the spectacle during the first weigh-in of the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship at Mille Lacs Lake in central Minnesota.
 
Twenty-three anglers crested the 20-pound mark with their individual five-fish daily limits. While that’s very impressive, this tournament isn’t won by the heaviest three-day total. Rather, it’s all about crowning the best angler of the 2016 season.
 
Gerald Swindle of Warrior, Ala., came to Mille Lacs with a 43-point lead over Keith Combs of Huntington, Texas. Swindle didn’t have to do much coming into this tournament to lock up the AOY title. But during Thursday’s first round, the 15-time Classic qualifier struggled to locate the right fish.
 
Swindle brought only three bass to the scales that weighed 9 pounds, 9 ounces.
 

2016 BASS Elite Mississippi River Day 3: Ott DeFoe Continues to Lead with 51.09 Pounds!

DeFoe banks on spillway.

BASS COMMUNICATIONS

Ott DeFoe widened his lead in the Plano Bassmaster Elite at the Mississippi River presented by Favorite Fishing on Saturday, if ever so slightly.

DeFoe of Knoxville, Tenn., weighed in 16 pounds, 7 ounces in the third round of the four-day Elite Series tournament for a total of 51 pounds, 9 ounces. That's 2 1/2 pounds ahead of second-year Elite pro Seth Feider of Bloomington, Minn., who has 48-15. DeFoe had a 1-14 lead Friday.

Ott sticks it out at spillway to scoop lead. (Photo: BASS)

That doesn't sound like much of a margin, but in a fishery where big bass of the day is usually under 5 pounds and only ounces separate many of the positions in the standings, it will take a stumble by DeFoe and a stellar day for Feider. In fact, most of the difference between the two can be accounted for by the 6-pound, 1-ounce largemouth — a giant in this fishery — DeFoe caught at the end of the day Friday.

Takahiro Omori Wins 2016 BASS Elite Lake Wheeler Tournament in Grand Fashion!

Omori Wins!

By Thomas Allen

BASS PRESS RELEASE

In 2004, Japan native Takahiro Omori won the GEICO Bassmaster Classic during the final minutes of the final day. On Championship Sunday of the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Wheeler Lake, Omori earned another win after putting together a final-day catch of five bass weighing 25 pounds, 3 ounces.

Big spook and swim bait pave way to big
win for Omori! (Photo: BASS)

Omori, who now hails from Emory, Texas, finished with a four-day total of 81-6, more than 4 pounds ahead of Saturday's leader, Dave Lefebre of Erie, Pa.

Omori struggled on Thursday's opening round of competition weighing only 10-7, which put him in 72nd place. He made a powerful comeback on Friday, catching 23-3, which bumped him all the way up to fourth place.

Following Saturday's competition, Omori climbed into second place after weighing a mixed bag of large- and smallmouth bass for 22-9. The former Classic winner kept his momentum rolling and produced the tournament's heaviest limit of bass on Sunday for an impressive come-from-behind victory.

2016 BASS Elite Wheeler Lake Day 3: Dave Lefebre Controls Wheeler!

Lefebre vs Omori Shoot Out.

By Thomas Allen

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Championship Sunday in Decatur, Ala., will be a shootout as the top anglers battle for the coveted first-place title and the $100,000 that goes with it.

With one day of competition remaining, Dave Lefebre of Erie, Pa., remains in the lead after weighing five bass for 20 pounds, 10 ounces at the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Wheeler Lake.

Fishing shallow kept him above the rest. (Photo: BASS)

Lefebre's success comes after a relatively unproductive three days of practice fishing.

"On the first day of the event, I wasn't sure if the pattern I had found was sustainable for more than one day," Lefebre said. "I mean, it was the only spot I found during practice that was producing any good bass at all, and I typically like to have several spots — each with back-up plans."

Lefebre was very pleased with his results on Thursday and Friday, but after weighing 20-10 during today's semi-final round, which pushed his three-day total to 60-9, he is confident that he can win the tournament from his location.

"As soon as I culled out my smallest fish, I backed off the spot around 11 a.m., hoping to save some fish for tomorrow," he said. "I had my limit early enough that I didn't even get a chance to fish the best brushpiles in that part of the lake. Each time I have fished those brushpiles over the past couple of days, I've caught a big one. Keeping those spots untouched for tomorrow is a bonus."

While Lefebre's best areas remain fresh for Sunday's championship round, Takahiro Omori of Emory, Texas, is chipping away at Lefebre's lead after weighing 22-9 for a total of 56-3 in three days of competition.

2016 BASS Elite Wheeler Lake Day 2: Dave Lefebre Sacks 21 Pounds to Grab Lead.

Battle of shallow vs deep.

By Thomas Allen

BASS PRESS RELEASE

With a rapidly approaching severe thunderstorm, the Bassmaster Elite Series anglers rushed through Friday's weigh-in to stay ahead of the potentially dangerous weather. Erie, Pa., angler and Bassmaster newcomer Dave Lefebre is the Day 2 leader after catching an impressive limit of bass that weighed 21 pounds, 3 ounces.

Lefebre's not limited to one pattern. (Photo: BASS)

Like most of the anglers, Lefebre had a difficult practice and was only able to isolate a single area that was producing the kind of fish he thought could carry him through to Championship Sunday at the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Wheeler Lake.

Lefebre is competing during his first year as a Bassmaster Elite Series pro, but he is no rookie. He spent 13 years fishing the Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) tour, earning six wins and nearly $2 million in prize money.

"I knew I had more weight than yesterday, but I was pleasantly surprised to find I had caught better fish today than I had expected," Lefebre said, who weighed 18-12 on Thursday for a combined two-day total of 39-15. "I feel like I could have weighed even more yesterday and today if I executed better. I've been leaving that area after I have a good limit hoping to keep some fresh bass for the next day."

Aaron Martens Wins BASS Elite Lake Havasu Tournament with 68-09lbs!

With 13 Second Place Finishes Martens Finally Wins. 

By Bryan Brasher

bass press release

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. – Aaron Martens heard the chuckles from the crowd when he explained the primary pattern he used during the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Havasu presented by Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels.

But as crazy as it sounded, he was serious.

Martens made a short run up the Colorado River each day and fished thick patches of shoreline vegetation where big largemouth bass were feeding on blackbirds. Flipping a bait designed to mimic their prey, he caught enough bass the first three days to enter Sunday’s championship round in fourth place.

Then during the championship round, he caught five bass that weighed 19-5 and took home the $100,000 first-place prize with a four-day total of 68-9.

Winning on Mother's Day overcame series of second places.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

He used a drop-shot rig some during the week, too. But after the final weigh-in, the buzz was about the birds.

“I do that all the time,” said Martens, who earned the victory on Mother’s Day with his own mother, Carol, in the crowd. “I don’t know why people don’t believe me when I say it. The birds fall out of the nest, and the bass eat them. Birds are definitely part of their diet.”

Martens used a 1/2- or 3/4-ounce weight and a 4/0 Heavy-Cover Gamakatsu hook rigged with a green pumpkin punch skirt and one of two plastic trailers. His choice of trailer was determined by which weight he was using – it was a large Rage Craw for the 1/2-ounce rig and a Speed Craw for the 3/4-ounce setup.

He paid special attention to areas where lots of blackbirds were nesting.

“I probably shouldn’t even be talking about it, because I’ve known about it for 25 years,” said Martens, who said several fish spit up black feathers in his livewell during the tournament. “I’ve caught them in California and had them spit up full-grown blackbirds.

Casey Ashley is the 2015 Bassmaster Classic Champ!

Casey Ashley wins hometown Classic with dad's homemade baits

By Bryan Brasher

bass press release

GREENVILLE, S.C. - On Sunday evening at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Casey Ashley completed a journey that began more than three decades ago and seemed to drag on forever these past few weeks.

The 31-year-old South Carolina native, who has lived just a few miles from Lake Hartwell all his life, caught five bass that weighed 20 pounds, 3 ounces to cap a moving victory in the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro on his home waters with a three-day total of 50-1.

The weight was enough to help Ashley past Florida pro Bobby Lane, Jr., who finished second with 46-15, and Texas angler Takahiro Omori who placed third with 44-3.

Casey kept underspin spinning all day to capture win by 3 pounds.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

The end of the weigh-in meant Ashley could finally take a deep breath after seven weeks when the lake was mostly off-limits due to B.A.S.S. rules and when virtually everyone he saw wanted to talk about him being the favorite to win.

“I worked a show in Greenville at the TD Convention Center (in mid-January), and I bet I thought about the Classic 50,000 times while I was standing there,” said Ashley, who won the event on his sixth try. “My first Classic was here (in 2008), and ever since then I’ve been saying I’d like to have that one back.
“I wanted to win so bad here at home, and I had a long time to think about it. It was pretty rough.”

2015 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell Day 2: Omori Leads Ounces Over Rojas and Ike!

By Bryan Brasher

BASS press release

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The final day of the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro on Lake Hartwell is shaping up to be a free-for-all with a handful of former Classic champions sitting atop the standings with the coveted trophy and $300,000 first-place prize well within their grasp.

Takahiro Omori, a Japanese angler who now makes his home in Emory, Texas, caught five fish that weighed 16 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday and claimed the lead going into Sunday’s final round with a two-day total of 31-11.

Takahiro Omori jumped from seventh place into the lead going into the final day of the 2015 Bassmaster Classic.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

The 2004 Classic winner holds a razor-thin lead over Arizona angler Dean Rojas (31-9), New Jersey angler and 2003 Classic winner Michael Iaconelli (31-0) and 2014 Classic winner Randy Howell of Alabama (30-11).

Omori got off to a slow start Saturday. But with years of experience and one Classic title already under his belt, he didn’t panic and managed enough weight to jump from seventh into first.

2015 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell Day 1: Rojas Rules with Over 21 Pounds!

Despite Bitter Cold Dean was Red Hot!

By Bryan Brasher

bass press release

Doesn’t it just figure that after the coldest day in the history of the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro, four anglers from warm, sunny climates are sitting atop the standings?

Arizona angler Dean Rojas wowed the crowd at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., with five Lake Hartwell bass that weighed 21 pounds, 2 ounces despite frigid temperatures that were in the neighborhood of 10 degrees just before takeoff at Green Pond Landing in Anderson.

Dean overcame the bass, weather, and
practice late penalty to take day 1 lead. He was
optimistic before the day started because this was
his 13th Classic, he is boat #13 and its was
Friday the 13th.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

Rojas also overcame a 28-minute penalty that he was forced to spend in the tournament “penalty box” as punishment for being late for check-in to Wednesday’s practice period.

He leads California angler Skeet Reese (20-2), Texas pro Keith Combs (18-8) and fellow Arizona angler Brett Hite (15-7).

“This is our biggest stage that we perform on, and to be able to catch a big bag like that on the first day is amazing,” Rojas said. “How could you script it any better than that? Obviously, I’d rather finish it that way. But hey, I’ll take it.”

Though Rojas hasn’t won a Classic in 12 previous appearances – and hasn’t finished first in an event since the 2011 Elite Series event on Toledo Bend Reservoir – he said he’ll be more excited than nervous to lead the field into Saturday’s second round.

He’s taking his Day 1 success in stride, much like he did the 28-minute penalty he endured Friday morning. He said the infraction was due to a Lowrance unit on his boat that he kept promising himself he would switch from Central Time to South Carolina’s Eastern Time, but never did.

2015 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell Day 1: Mid-day Report

Bass Biting Well Considering the Cold

By Luigi De Rose

BASS has been really trying to raise the bar of real-time coverage at the 2015 Classic. With five live camera feeds; on the water coverage plus studio commentary, the boys at Bassmaster are providing first-rate coverage. Fishing has been good to many with several anglers over 10 pounds with the warmest part of the day still to come.

Here is the unofficial top 5-leader board as of 1:10pm.

1. Keith Combs  15lbs 5oz
2. Dean Rojas     15lbs 0oz
3. Takahiro Omori   14lbs 4oz
4. Skeet Reese  14lbs 4oz
5. David Walker  12lbs 14oz