Kuphall Builds Hefty Lead At Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Guntersville

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. — A fast start plus two afternoon upgrades yielded a five-bass limit of 27 pounds, 10 ounces for Caleb Kuphall of Mukwonago, Wis., who leads Day 1 of the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville.

Caleb Kuphall, of Mukwonago, Wis., is leading after Day 1 of the 2021 Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville with 27 pounds, 10 ounces. Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S

Heading into Day 2, Kuphall holds a lead of 6-7 over veteran South Carolina pro Todd Auten.

According to BassTrakk’s unofficial standings, Kuphall had secured a limit of approximately 19-4 by 6:58 a.m. Registering his first keeper — a 2-12 — 24 minutes after the 5:30 takeoff, Kuphall quickly added four more keepers, including two over 5 pounds.

About 30 minutes after securing the day’s first limit, Kuphall upgraded to 21-12. Several hours passed without further improvement, but shortly after noon, he added a 4-8 and followed with a 5-8 just before 1 p.m.

Noting that he fished two different areas, Kuphall described his primary spot as a classic postspawn staging area. Located in a large spawning cove, the area he targeted provided a natural stopping point for bass on their way out toward summer habitat.

“It was a point with a big mat of milfoil going out to the main lake,” he said. “I got back-to-back bites — in the morning, I caught a 6- and a 5 1/2-pounder on the very next cast.

“I kind of had two things going today, and the first one was a supershallow deal. I caught two of my weigh-in fish in about 3 feet of water, and the rest of them came in about 6 feet.”

Kuphall kept his bait details guarded, but he noted that a bottom-oriented presentation tempted all of his bites. He used multiple colors, but he said the appearance is less important than the presentation.
“It’s a reaction bite; a fast-fall kind of deal,” he said.

Kuphall said he ended up having to fish his area out, as a fellow competitor was showing interest. He’s hopeful that a few quality fish remain, so he’ll explore it again on Day 2.

“I hit it pretty hard, I don’t think there’s much left there,” he said. “I’m going to give it a go tomorrow and hopefully get a few bites off of it.

“It’s not something that’s going to hold up for multiple days. It’s pretty much a one-and-done deal.”

In second place, Auten sacked up a limit that weighed 21-3. His morning also started quickly, but it took a few hours for him to dial in the quality bites.

“About 9:30, I had one fish — a 7-pounder — but I pulled into a little place and caught a couple of good ones, messed around and caught another good one,” Auten said. “That was about it on the big fish and then I caught a couple more 2-pounders.

“I struggled, really. I just got lucky and got a couple of good bites. It might be the area. I’ll have to go back in there tomorrow and see.”

Auten described his most productive area as a windblown point where prespawn and postspawn fish were staging. A crankbait and spinnerbait produced all of his weight, with the 7-pounder biting the latter.

Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, is in third with 20-12. One week after winning the Basspro.com Bassmaster Northern Open at James River, Palaniuk took a mobile approach to tracking down Guntersville’s transitioning bass.

Having gone through about 35 baits Thursday, Palaniuk said he caught all of his weight on two reaction baits. One of them was a Storm Arashi Glide Bait in the black silver shad color.

“I saw a piece of cover and said, ‘I have to stop and throw a glide on that,’” he said. “I caught a 3-pounder and one that was about 5 1/2.

“I was just trying to cover water. I feel like these fish are moving so much, you have to stay on top of them.”

Caleb Sumrall of New Iberia, La., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 7-6.

Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., maintained his lead in the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 602 points. Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., is in second with 574, followed by Palaniuk with 560, Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., with 552 and Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Canada, with 545.

KJ Queen of Catawba, N.C., leads the Rookie of the Year standings with 451 points.

Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 5:30 a.m. CT from Goose Pond Landing. The weigh-in will be held at Goose Pond at 2 p.m. Only the Top 48 anglers will advance after Friday’s weigh-in to fish the semifinal round on Saturday.

Live coverage of the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms.

The tournament is being hosted by the City of Scottsboro.

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Bass Pro Shops, Garmin, Huk Performance Fishing, Marathon, Rapala

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Conservation Partner: AFTCO

2021 Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville Local Host: City of Scottsboro

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship, Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.

2021 Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville  5/20-5/23
Lake Guntersville, Scottsboro  AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Caleb Kuphall          Mukwonago, WI            5  27-10  100
Day 1: 5   27-10
2.  Todd Auten             Lake Wylie, SC           5  21-03   99
Day 1: 5   21-03
3.  Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID             5  20-12   98
Day 1: 5   20-12
4.  Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               5  19-05   97
Day 1: 5   19-05
5.  Chris Johnston         Otonabee Ontario CANADA  5  19-01   96
Day 1: 5   19-01
6.  Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK            5  18-12   95
Day 1: 5   18-12
7.  Brett Preuett          Monroe, LA               5  18-06   94
Day 1: 5   18-06
8.  Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK             5  17-12   93
Day 1: 5   17-12
9.  Lee Livesay            Longview, TX             5  17-10   92
Day 1: 5   17-10
10. Cory Johnston          Cavan CANADA             5  17-06   91
Day 1: 5   17-06
11. Patrick Walters        Summerville, SC          5  17-00   90
Day 1: 5   17-00
12. Marc Frazier           Newnan, GA               5  16-14   89
Day 1: 5   16-14
13. KJ Queen               Catawba, NC              5  16-13   88
Day 1: 5   16-13
14. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR               5  16-12   87
Day 1: 5   16-12
15. Derek Hudnall          Denham Springs, LA       5  16-05   86
Day 1: 5   16-05
16. Drew Benton            Blakely, GA              5  16-02   85
Day 1: 5   16-02
16. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA             5  16-02   85
Day 1: 5   16-02
16. Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC              5  16-02   85
Day 1: 5   16-02
16. Pat Schlapper          Eleva, WI                5  16-02   85
Day 1: 5   16-02
20. Kyle Welcher           Opelika, AL              5  16-00   81
Day 1: 5   16-00
20. Jake Whitaker          Fairview, NC             5  16-00   81
Day 1: 5   16-00
22. Gregory DiPalma        Millville, NJ            5  15-15   79
Day 1: 5   15-15
22. Hunter Shryock         Ooltewah, TN             5  15-15   79
Day 1: 5   15-15
24. Seth Feider            New Market, MN           5  15-12   77
Day 1: 5   15-12
25. Shane Lineberger       Lincolnton, NC           5  15-10   76
Day 1: 5   15-10
26. Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN         5  15-07   75
Day 1: 5   15-07
26. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL             5  15-07   75
Day 1: 5   15-07
28. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN            5  15-06   73
Day 1: 5   15-06
29. Matt Arey              Shelby, NC               5  15-04   72
Day 1: 5   15-04
30. Bryan Schmitt          Deale, MD                5  15-03   71
Day 1: 5   15-03
31. Skylar Hamilton        Dandridge, TN            5  14-15   70
Day 1: 5   14-15
31. Bryan New              Belmont, NC              5  14-15   70
Day 1: 5   14-15
33. Bob Downey             Hudson, WI               5  14-13   68
Day 1: 5   14-13
34. John Cox               Debary, FL               5  14-10   67
Day 1: 5   14-10
34. Matt Robertson         Kuttawa, KY              5  14-10   67
Day 1: 5   14-10
36. Yusuke Miyazaki        Forney, TX               5  14-09   65
Day 1: 5   14-09
37. Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL            5  14-05   64
Day 1: 5   14-05
37. Buddy Gross            Chickamauga, GA          5  14-05   64
Day 1: 5   14-05
37. Randy Pierson          Oakdale, CA              5  14-05   64
Day 1: 5   14-05
40. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland AUSTRALIA     5  14-04   61
Day 1: 5   14-04
41. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA           4  14-04   60   $1,000.00
Day 1: 4   14-04
42. Jay Yelas              Lincoln City, OR         5  14-02   59
Day 1: 5   14-02
43. Wes Logan              Springville, AL          5  14-01   58
Day 1: 5   14-01
43. Chad Morgenthaler      Reeds Spring, MO         5  14-01   58
Day 1: 5   14-01
45. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY              5  14-00   56
Day 1: 5   14-00
46. Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC            5  13-15   55
Day 1: 5   13-15
47. Drew Cook              Cairo, GA                5  13-15   54
Day 1: 5   13-15
48. Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX              5  13-14   53
Day 1: 5   13-14
49. Garrett Paquette       Canton, MI               5  13-12   52
Day 1: 5   13-12
50. Taku Ito               Chiba JAPAN              5  13-11   51
Day 1: 5   13-11
51. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN         5  13-07   50
Day 1: 5   13-07
51. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN           5  13-07   50
Day 1: 5   13-07
53. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC           5  13-06   48
Day 1: 5   13-06
54. Harvey Horne           Bella Vista, AR          5  13-05   47
Day 1: 5   13-05
55. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ               5  13-03   46
Day 1: 5   13-03
56. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY              5  13-01   45
Day 1: 5   13-01
57. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA                5  12-15   44
Day 1: 5   12-15
57. Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL            5  12-15   44
Day 1: 5   12-15
57. Joshua Stracner        Vandiver, AL             5  12-15   44
Day 1: 5   12-15
60. Mike Huff              Corbin, KY               5  12-14   41
Day 1: 5   12-14
60. Bill Weidler           Helena, AL               5  12-14   41
Day 1: 5   12-14
62. Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC              5  12-09   39
Day 1: 5   12-09
63. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL         5  12-08   38
Day 1: 5   12-08
64. Koby Kreiger           Alva, FL                 5  12-06   37
Day 1: 5   12-06
65. Frank Talley           Temple, TX               5  12-05   36
Day 1: 5   12-05
66. Destin DeMarion        Grove City, PA           5  12-03   35
Day 1: 5   12-03
67. Darold Gleason         Many, LA                 5  12-02   34
Day 1: 5   12-02
67. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO         5  12-02   34
Day 1: 5   12-02
69. Tyler Rivet            Raceland, LA             5  11-14   32
Day 1: 5   11-14
69. Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX              5  11-14   32
Day 1: 5   11-14
71. Jeff Gustafson         Keewatin Ontario CANADA  5  11-12   30
Day 1: 5   11-12
72. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  5  11-08   29
Day 1: 5   11-08
72. Cody Hollen            Beaverton, OR            5  11-08   29
Day 1: 5   11-08
72. Brad Whatley           Bivins, TX               5  11-08   29
Day 1: 5   11-08
75. Randy Sullivan         Breckenridge, TX         5  11-08   26
Day 1: 5   11-08
76. Robbie Latuso          Gonzales, LA             5  11-02   25
Day 1: 5   11-02
77. Justin Atkins          Florence, AL             5  11-01   24
Day 1: 5   11-01
78. Dale Hightower         Mannford, OK             5  10-12   23
Day 1: 5   10-12
79. Chad Pipkens           Dewitt, MI               5  10-12   22
Day 1: 5   10-12
80. Scott Martin           Clewiston, FL            5  10-09   21
Day 1: 5   10-09
81. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX           5  10-09   20
Day 1: 5   10-09
82. Justin Hamner          Northport, AL            5  10-06   19
Day 1: 5   10-06
83. Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS         5  10-04   18
Day 1: 5   10-04
83. Chris Zaldain          Fort Worth, TX           5  10-04   18
Day 1: 5   10-04
85. Clent Davis            Montevallo, AL           4  10-03   16
Day 1: 4   10-03
86. Chris Groh             Spring Grove, IL         5  10-00   15
Day 1: 5   10-00
87. Kenta Kimura           Osaka JAPAN              5  09-09   14
Day 1: 5   09-09
88. Ed Loughran III        Richmond, VA             4  08-08   13
Day 1: 4   08-08
89. Quentin Cappo          Prairieville, LA         4  08-06   12
Day 1: 4   08-06
90. Rob Digh               Denver, NC               3  08-00   11
Day 1: 3   08-00
91. David Fritts           Lexington, NC            4  07-15   10
Day 1: 4   07-15
92. Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA               4  07-13    9
Day 1: 4   07-13
93. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL              4  07-12    8
Day 1: 4   07-12
94. Brandon Card           Salisbury, NC            3  07-03    7
Day 1: 3   07-03
95. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT            3  07-01    6
Day 1: 3   07-01
96. Kyle Monti             Okeechobee, FL           2  06-07    5
Day 1: 2   06-07
97. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          3  05-13    4
Day 1: 3   05-13
98. Rick Morris            Lake Gaston, VA          2  03-15    3
Day 1: 2   03-15
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1   Caleb Sumrall            New Iberia, LA      07-06      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        85       469      1319-11
———————————-
85       469      1319-11

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