2021 Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River Day 2: Christie Jumps into Lead with 28-15lbs!

Canadians Chris Johnston 4th, Cory Johnston 70th & Gustafson 72nd 

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Christie fishing skinny water for fat bass.
(Photo: BASS)

Putting significant distance between himself and the rest of the 98-boat field, Jason Christie amassed a two-day total of 28 pounds, 15 ounces and took over the Day 2 lead of the 2021 Dovetail Games Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River sponsored by Bassmaster Fishing 2022 – the official video game of B.A.S.S.

 

Placing second on Thursday with 15-1, the pro from Park Hill, Okla., added 13-14 Friday.

 

Christie is running nearly two hours up the Sabine River to fish a small backwater area with abundant shallow cover and clear water. He caught fish flipping yesterday, but with more inflowing water, a 1/2-ounce chartreuse/white/blue Booyah Covert spinnerbait with tandem nickel and gold Colorado blades produced best Friday.

 

“The water was high and the current was ripping in there and I’m starting to think that the best thing to do is just cover water when it’s high,” Christie said. “Tomorrow, I might go up there and it might be low and the current’s slowed down and I can catch them flipping again. I’ll just have to see what happens when I get there.”

 

Christie had previously visited his general area when the Elites last visited the Sabine in 2018. Expanding his waters led him to greater opportunity.

 

“I just didn’t go far enough the last time we were here, and it seems like they’re tucked in there a little ways,” Christie said. “I had practiced up there and, honestly, I had written it off, but I got home and looked at Google Earth and there was one place I hadn’t been.

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

Single spot soars Japanese angler into lead
By Bryan Brasher
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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.”
 

Dustin Connell Wins 2017 BASS Elite Ross Barnett Event with 64-13lbs!

Big storm didn't phase rookie Connell
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Rookie Connell outlasts Van Dams
(Photo: BASS)

Severe storms may have caused the postponement of the final round of fishing Sunday, but nothing could stop Bassmaster Elite Series rookie Dustin Connell of Clanton, Ala., from claiming victory in the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Ross Barnett.

Connell caught a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 15 ounces today, pushing his four-day total to 64-13 and holding off a late-charging veteran Kevin VanDam, who ended with 62-10.

Hoisting the coveted first-place trophy overhead — and pocketing the $100,000 that goes with it — has been Connell's dream since childhood.