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Walters Takes Dominant Win On Lake Fork
QUITMAN, Texas — A late-day decision turned victory into a double-dip of tournament stardom, as Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., notched a dominant win at the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks & Wildlife Department with a four-day total weight of 104 pounds, 12 ounces.
Walters placed second on Day 1 with 25-14 and took over the Day 2 lead by adding 26-14. On Semifinal Saturday, his limit of 29-6 — the event’s biggest catch — sent him into Championship Sunday with a 25-pound lead.
Today’s limit of 22-10 allowed him to surge across the finish line and secure his spot in the Century Club, which recognizes an angler for catching 100 pounds of fish in a four-day event. Walters won with an all-time Bassmaster Elite record margin of 29-10.
“What a week; it doesn’t seem real,” Walters said. “Everyone wants to catch 100 pounds, and it feels good.”
While his victory was never in serious jeopardy today, Walters found himself a couple pounds shy of his second objective with time running out. A 15-minute flurry in his last hour of fishing delivered three fish that elevated him well past the century mark.
Walters attributes his closing success to a gutsy relocation. All week, he had been targeting suspended bass amid main-lake standing timber in 10 to 20 feet. When he realized his spots weren’t firing, he moved to a small pocket and caught his final three fish around stumps in less than 5 feet of water.
“On Day 2, I caught a 4- and a 5-pounder in there, but I didn’t go back in there on Day 3; I said, ‘I’m going to save it,’” Walters said. “I think it was the wind. We’ve had the same direction wind the last three days and it has blown directly into that pocket.
“All the bait is in there and every single day, it has gotten more loaded. Today, my fish in the treetops would not eat my bait. They’d chase it for 40 to 50 feet and wouldn’t commit.”
Walters’ analysis was more than speculation. All week, he relied heavily on his Garmin LiveScope to monitor fish positioning and adjust his retrieves in an effort to trigger bites.
“I could tell something was not right; they were not eating it,” Walters said. “I said, ‘I gotta leave. I gotta go shallow.’
“I knew I needed 10 pounds to safely win, but I knew I needed 18 pounds to get to the Century Club and that was the goal today; to go get that belt.”
Walters caught his fish on a trio of jerkbaits; a Rapala Shadow Rap, a Megabass Vision 110+1 and a Duo Realis bait. Varying the selection and trying different colors was essential to bite generation.
Walters said he was very particular about the standing timber he targeted. Recognizing when and where fish were positioning to feed was the cornerstone of his pattern. Realizing that the plan was starting to fizzle proved stressful today, but Walters said he focused on maintaining faith in Lake Fork’s potential.
“All year long, it’s been about staying calm and know that it can happen in five casts. Don’t spin out. Stay calm, keep your head in the game and fish 8 hours.”
Keith Combs of Huntington, Texas, finished second with 75-2. A limit of 11-7 on Day 1 left him in 39th place, but Combs added 23-14 on Day 2 and rose to 11th. Catching 21-12 on Saturday, he moved up to third before finishing with 18-1 today.
Most of the week, Combs has fished big ridges with a chartreuse/blue Strike King 6XD. Today, that pattern produced three of his best fish and the other two he caught on a shad color shallow running crankbait fished over a shallow bar.
“Another angler had been starting on that shallow spot; I would start on another spot and then hit that spot second but I’d never catch them,” Combs said. “Today, he didn’t make the cut, so I went there first.”
Jay Yelas of Lincoln City, Ore., placed third with 69-14. Sticking with the pattern that has served him all week, he ran upriver and caught limits of 19-2, 19-2, 14-7 and 17-3 around shallow wood.
“I had a few different special spots; some were docks, some were stumps, one was an isolated laydown,” Yelas said. “Every day, I’d go back and fish these same targets. I cycled through them all four days.
“Today, I started on that laydown and caught one. I came back at noon and caught one, came back at 2:30 and caught a 6-pounder. I’d caught six or seven fish off that tree the first three days.”
Noting that this spot had a large amount of shad, Yelas said he quickly realized he could leverage this feeding spot each day. He caught his fish on an MGC Tackle spinnerbait with a chartreuse/white skirt and a 3/8-ounce white/chartreuse Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammer with a white Yamamoto Zako trailer.
Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, won the Bassmaster Elite Series Angler of the Year title with 680 points, while David Mullins of Mt. Carmel, Tenn., finished second with 677. Walters was third with 669, Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., was fourth with 669 and Jake Whitaker of Fairview, N.C., was fifth with 663.
Austin Felix of Eden Prairie, Minn., won the Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year title.
Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., won the Toyota Tundra Big Bass award of a Toyota Tundra with his 9-9.
Combs also took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and Mosley earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
The tournament was hosted by the Sabine River Authority and Wood County Economic Development Commission.
2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Abu Garcia, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Skeeter Boats, Talon, Yamaha
2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Carhartt, Garmin, Huk Performance Fishing, Mossy Oak Fishing, Rapala
2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Conservation Partners: AFTCO, Huk
2020 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest Local Hosts: Sabine River Authority, Wood County Economic Development Commission
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. 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), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2 and The Pursuit Channel), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), 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, new Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic.
2020 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks & Wildlife Department 11/5-11/8
Lake Fork, Emory TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 20 104-12 100 $125,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-14 Day 2: 5 26-14 Day 3: 5 29-06 Day 4: 5 22-10
2. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 20 75-02 99 $40,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 23-14 Day 3: 5 21-12 Day 4: 5 18-01
3. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 20 69-14 98 $30,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 19-02 Day 3: 5 14-07 Day 4: 5 17-03
4. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 18 69-05 97 $22,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 24-12 Day 3: 3 12-11 Day 4: 5 15-11
5. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 20 68-09 96 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 5 19-07 Day 4: 5 16-03
6. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 18 66-13 95 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-13 Day 2: 5 19-12 Day 3: 5 15-09 Day 4: 3 09-11
7. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 19 64-03 94 $20,000.00
Day 1: 4 09-01 Day 2: 5 14-07 Day 3: 5 26-02 Day 4: 5 14-09
8. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 17 61-09 93 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-08 Day 2: 2 05-03 Day 3: 5 24-15 Day 4: 5 11-15
9. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 16 60-04 92 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 3 16-07 Day 3: 5 21-09 Day 4: 3 08-04
10. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 17 54-04 91 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 16-00 Day 3: 5 14-00 Day 4: 2 04-07
———————————————————————–
BIG BASS OF TOURNAMENT
Seth Feider New Market, MN 09-09 $0.00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 46 323 957-09
2 36 288 866-01
3 24 161 511-03
4 7 43 138-10
———————————-
113 815 2473-07
The post Walters Takes Dominant Win On Lake Fork appeared first on Bass365.com.
Walters Builds Huge Lake Fork Lead
QUITMAN, Texas — Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., was worried all day that he was falling behind, but his massive Day 3 limit of 29 pounds, 6 ounces extended his lead at the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks & Wildlife Department with a tournament total of 82-2.
Patrick Walters, of Summerville, S.C., is leading after Day 3 of the 2020 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks & Wildlife Department on Lake Fork with a three-day total of 82 pounds, 2 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
“I feel like I started dragging after about 12 o’clock or 1:30; I start catching squeakers, everybody starts leaving and I’m thinking, ‘Somebody has 40 pounds,’” Walters said. “That’s the feeling here at Lake Fork; that you can never catch enough fish because (big ones) live here and you have to catch as much and as fast as you possibly can.
“Honestly, I thought the tournament was slipping away from me. I’m not kidding; that feeling was in the back of my mind. I was fishing as hard as I could until I had to leave around 2:53.”
After placing second on Day 1 with 25-14, Walters took over the Day 2 lead by adding 26-14. Today’s limit — the event’s biggest catch — sends him into Championship Sunday with a 25-pound lead over Ed Loughran of Richmond, Va.
Walters started his day with a 9-pound, 1-ounce fish at 7 a.m. A trio of fish in the 5-pound range and one just under 5 completed his bag.
“Words cannot describe how this week has been,” Walters said. “You can’t explain it. When it’s your time, it’s your time. I had a decent practice, but the biggest I caught was 3 1/2 pounds.
“When I went back to my main area (on competition days), they just kept getting bigger. God has truly blessed me this week.”
Committed to a pattern he identified in practice, Walters is targeting standing timber. That, alone, is nothing revolutionary, but he’s fishing specific scenarios in which fish position in certain depths for feeding.
“When they get in that right depth, they’re catchable,” Walters said.
Using a trio of jerkbaits from Rapala, Duo Realis and Megabass, Walters varied his offerings to show the fish different looks. Each bait had a different action, but he also varied his colors.
“I’m starting out with an opaque color — a shad looking one — and as the sun gets up, I’m going to a shinier color,” Walters said. “When they stop hitting that, I switch back over. Staying in tune with the fish is probably the biggest thing.”
Walters noted that he struggled with short strikes — noncommittal bites. He remedied this by removing his bait’s center treble and replacing the stock size 6 trebles on the front and rear with larger size 4 hooks.
Massive Lake Fork weights are expected in spring events, as spawning movements bring the giants into the more accessible shallows. Fall fish are usually more scattered, so fourth-quarter events offer less concentrated opportunities.
Nevertheless, with one day of competition remaining, Walters is flirting with the Century Club — 100 pounds in a 4-day event. Statistically, he’s on track to easily reach that mark, but he said he is going to spend Day 4 specifically targeting Lake Fork giants.
“I’ve been moving around and leaving the big fish spots and trying to find where they’re biting, but I’m going to stay on them as hard as I can tomorrow,” Walters said. “We’re definitely going out there with maximum pressure tomorrow.
“That is the goal; Century Club Belt and an Elite Series win — those two side by side. We’re not letting up tomorrow. If it bites, we’re gonna set the hook on it.”
Loughran remains in second place with 57-2. On Day 1, he placed fifth with 21-13 and moved into second yesterday with 19-12. Loughran added 15-9 today.
“I caught a limit fishing docks and about noon, I went to an area with timber on a creek channel edge that (fellow Elite) Derek Hudnall suggested I go to,” Loughran said. “I caught a 3 1/2-pounder and that gave me 10 1/2 pounds.
“I said to my cameraman, ‘This just looks like the kind of place where I should catch a big one.’ A couple of casts later, I caught a 7-pounder.”
Loughran caught his fish on a 3/8-ounce ChatterBait with a Missile Baits Shockwave trailer and a drop shot with a Missile Baits Fuse and Quiver worm.
Keith Combs of Huntington, Texas is in third with 57-1. Consistently fishing big ridges with a chartreuse/blue Strike King 6XD, Combs placed 39th on Day 1 with 11-7, and followed with limits of 23-14 and 21-12.
“I did the same thing (each day); I fished the same spots and spent the same amount of time on them,” Combs said. “I don’t know what went wrong the first day. In practice, I wasn’t getting many bites, but they were quality.
“Somehow I timed it wrong the first day. Since then, it’s still been tough. I caught 11 today, 11 yesterday and 10 the first day.”
Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., is in the lead for Toyota Tundra Big Bass honors with his 9-9.
Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas won the Bassmaster Elite Series Angler of the Year title with 680 points, while David Mullins of Mt. Carmel, Tenn., finished second with 677. Walters is currently in third with 669, Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., is fourth with 667 and Jake Whitaker of Fairview, N.C., is fifth with 663.
Austin Felix of Eden Prairie, Minn., won the Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year title.
Sunday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:40 a.m. CT at Sabine River Authority (SRA) — Lake Fork. The weigh-in will be held back at the SRA — Lake Fork at 3 p.m.
Live coverage of the event will start at 8 a.m. on Bassmaster.com and ESPN3. Additional live coverage of Championship Sunday will also be aired live on ESPN2. Check local listings for details.
The tournament is being hosted by the Sabine River Authority and Wood County Economic Development Commission.
2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Abu Garcia, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Skeeter Boats, Talon, Yamaha
2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Carhartt, Garmin, Huk Performance Fishing, Mossy Oak Fishing, Rapala
2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Conservation Partners: AFTCO, Huk
2020 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest Local Hosts: Sabine River Authority, Wood County Economic Development Commission
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. 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), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2 and The Pursuit Channel), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), 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, new Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic.
2020 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks & Wildlife Department 11/5-11/8
Lake Fork, Emory TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 15 82-02 100
Day 1: 5 25-14 Day 2: 5 26-14 Day 3: 5 29-06
2. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 15 57-02 99
Day 1: 5 21-13 Day 2: 5 19-12 Day 3: 5 15-09
3. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 15 57-01 98
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 23-14 Day 3: 5 21-12
4. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 13 53-10 97
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 24-12 Day 3: 3 12-11
5. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 15 52-11 96
Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 19-02 Day 3: 5 14-07
6. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 15 52-06 95
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 5 19-07
7. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 13 52-00 94
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 3 16-07 Day 3: 5 21-09
8. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 15 49-13 93
Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 16-00 Day 3: 5 14-00
9. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 14 49-10 92
Day 1: 4 09-01 Day 2: 5 14-07 Day 3: 5 26-02
10. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 12 49-10 91
Day 1: 5 19-08 Day 2: 2 05-03 Day 3: 5 24-15
11. Seth Feider New Market, MN 14 48-04 90 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 5 13-15 Day 3: 4 11-01
12. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 48-04 89 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 20-07 Day 3: 5 15-08
13. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 14 47-11 88 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-15 Day 2: 4 13-09 Day 3: 5 16-03
14. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 14 47-09 87 $15,000.00
Day 1: 4 09-08 Day 2: 5 25-03 Day 3: 5 12-14
15. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 15 47-06 86 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-03 Day 2: 5 15-01 Day 3: 5 12-02
16. John Cox Debary, FL 15 46-12 85 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-14 Day 2: 5 15-13 Day 3: 5 10-01
17. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 11 46-06 84 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 29-04 Day 2: 3 07-00 Day 3: 3 10-02
18. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 12 45-14 83 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 23-07 Day 3: 2 04-12
19. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 14 44-07 82 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 17-00 Day 3: 4 11-10
20. Rob Digh Denver, NC 14 43-14 81 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 4 12-06 Day 3: 5 14-03
21. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 15 43-10 80 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 14-12 Day 3: 5 13-06
22. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 15 43-08 79 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 11-11 Day 3: 5 18-06
23. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 12 41-11 78 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 2 10-03 Day 3: 5 17-14
24. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 15 41-08 77 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 10-12 Day 3: 5 15-15
25. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 15 41-02 76 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 12-12 Day 3: 5 11-04
26. Greg DiPalma Millville, NJ 11 41-01 75 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-09 Day 2: 5 16-00 Day 3: 1 02-08
27. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 11 38-09 74 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 4 12-01 Day 3: 2 06-07
28. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 14 38-05 73 $112,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 5 14-06 Day 3: 4 07-04
29. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 13 37-13 72 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 3 06-00 Day 3: 5 14-09
30. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 15 37-07 71 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 16-00 Day 3: 5 10-12
31. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 12 34-13 70 $11,000.00
Day 1: 2 06-04 Day 2: 5 17-05 Day 3: 5 11-04
32. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 14 34-10 69 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 12-02 Day 3: 4 09-07
33. Wes Logan Springville, AL 13 34-10 68 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 3 09-02 Day 3: 5 12-13
34. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 12 31-10 67 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 3 08-10 Day 3: 4 10-12
35. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 12 30-12 66 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 12-00 Day 3: 2 09-01
36. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 30-00 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 14-13 Day 3: 0 00-00
37. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 13 29-02 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-12 Day 2: 5 13-08 Day 3: 3 06-14
38. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 27-11 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 04-09 Day 2: 5 17-03 Day 3: 3 05-15
39. Frank Talley Temple, TX 7 27-01 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 05-02 Day 2: 4 15-02 Day 3: 1 06-13
40. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 9 23-13 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 3 07-06 Day 3: 1 01-09
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 46 323 957-09
2 36 288 866-01
3 24 161 511-03
———————————-
106 772 2334-13
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End of the Season Clean Up
Josh Bertrand and Cody Meyer wrap up their 2020 season. Cody and Josh always have the cleanest rigs on tour thanks to Boat Bling! Take their advise to keep your rig looking new!
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Walters Targets Timber For Lake Fork Lead
QUITMAN, Texas — Patrick Walters said he believes there are fish on every piece of standing timber in Lake Fork, but dialing in the right scenario allowed him to take the Day 2 lead at the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department with a total of 52 pounds, 12 ounces.
Patrick Walters, of Summerville, S.C., is leading after Day 2 of the 2020 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks & Wildlife Department on Lake Fork with a two-day total of 52 pounds, 12 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
Walters positioned himself well on Day 1 with a second-place limit of 25-14 and trailed Rick Clunn by 3-6. Adding 26-14 today, the Summerville, S.C., angler carries a lead of 11-3 into Semifinal Saturday.
Returning to the standing timber he fished on Day 1, Walters enjoyed a fast start with a limit of 18-15 by about 8:30. His second catch, a 6-1, got his day going in the right direction.
“That made me feel pretty good, catching that 6-1 first thing; it was like, ‘Okay, they’re still here and they’ll still bite,’” Walters said. “I was worried that the big fish just bit yesterday because of weather or something, so I had no idea what I was going to be able to catch.
“It was good to know they would bite again today. Yesterday, I caught a 4-pounder off that same tree where I caught the 6-1 today.”
Walters said that amid the fields of standing timber, he’s looking for a particular type of structure. He declined to elaborate but noted that the right spots also held bait schools. Finding the fish positioned at the right feeding depth meant it was game-on.
“I also checked some of my other areas that I found in practice,” Walters said. “Everywhere on this entire lake has fish. When you set the boat down, there are fish there. You just have to figure out how to catch them.
“I just needed to expand to make sure I wasn’t missing a better area. You don’t know where the bite’s at, so you have to keep putting your feelers out.”
Walters caught his fish on a Rapala Shadow Rap, complemented by Duo Realis and Megabass jerkbaits. Each one had a role to play, based on bait action, depth and sky conditions.
“You have to show them the buffet,” Walters said. “These fish in Texas like to eat, but they’re very picky at the hog trough.
“You have to let the fish do the talking. When that bait’s right, they’re going to eat it. When it’s not right, they’ll just follow it.”
Walters noted that a lot of his fish weren’t eating the bait well; they were just swatting at it. Around 1 o’clock, this noncommittal behavior created a tense moment when a lengthy fight ended with Walters boating a 5-10 that was skin-hooked on the top of the head by a single treble hook barb.
“At that point, I really needed a good cull, so I went into the back of a pocket where I had some good ones follow my bait in practice,” Walters said. “I saw that fish (on my electronics) and she started chasing my bait. Today, they’d chase the bait for 30 feet and then they’d just turn down.
“I was just working it, working it, working it and at the last minute she grabbed it. I saw it was skin-hooked — and I’ve lost several fish on treble hooks — so it had me worried.”
Ed Loughran of Richmond, Va., is in second place with 41-9. Improving from fifth, he added 19-12 to his Day 1 weight of 21-13. Loughran said he did most of his work after noon.
“I had one fish for 1 1/2 pounds at 12:30 and I was going down a row of docks where another angler had just left,” Loughran said. “I know what the other angler does, so I went over to a dock where I had a fish in practice and threw something a little different and caught a 5-pounder about 3 minutes after he left.”
Knowing he had likely made the Top-40 cut, Loughran decided to finish out his day in an area where he’d caught several big fish. A 30-minute flurry produced a 6-pounder, a 5 and a 3.
Loughran caught his fish on a 3/8-ounce Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammer with a Missile Baits Shockwave Trailer, as well as a drop shot with a Missile Baits Fuse.
Chad Pipkens of Lansing, Mich., is in third place with 41-2. After placing 13th on Day 1 with 17-11, Pipkens landed 23-7 today. Starting on a large timber flat in 14 to 17 feet that he called a “feeding place,” Pipkens caught a 6-8 on his third cast.
“Yesterday, I went to this place with about an hour left and in 10 casts caught a 2-pounder, a 4-pounder, a 5-pounder and lost one over 6,” Pipkens said. “Today, I started there and then went shallow. I came back later in the day, but nothing. I came back 40 minutes later and caught three big ones.”
Pipkens caught one of his fish flipping shallow cover. The rest, he caught on crankbaits.
Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., is in the lead for Toyota Tundra Big Bass honors with his 9-9 caught on Day 1.
Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, leads the Bassmaster Elite Series Angler of the Year standings with 689 points, while David Mullins of Mt. Carmel, Tenn., follows in second with 677. Walters is third with 669, Jake Whitaker of Fairview, N.C., is fourth with 668 and Austin Felix of Eden Prairie, Minn., is fifth with 651.
Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:40 a.m. CT at Sabine River Authority (SRA) — Lake Fork. The weigh-in will be held back at the SRA — Lake Fork at 3 p.m.
Live coverage of the event will start at 8 a.m. on Bassmaster.com and ESPN3.
The tournament is being hosted by the Sabine River Authority and Wood County Economic Development Commission.
2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Abu Garcia, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Skeeter Boats, Talon, Yamaha
2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Carhartt, Garmin, Huk Performance Fishing, Mossy Oak Fishing, Rapala
2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Conservation Partners: AFTCO, Huk
2020 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest Local Hosts: Sabine River Authority, Wood County Economic Development Commission
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. 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), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2 and The Pursuit Channel), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), 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, new Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic.
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Daiwa DIGIGEAR Technology Promises the Ultimate in Reel Performance
Perfectly cut and meshed gears bring about increased sensitivity, strength, and long life
Cypress, CA (November 6, 2020) – Daiwa is renowned for technological achievements that set industry standards for reel performance. One of Daiwa’s biggest advancements comes in the form DIGIGEAR technology.
In a nutshell, DIGIGEAR is the process by which Daiwa’s machined, digitally developed gearing creates maximum performance and endurance. Embedded in Daiwa’s lightweight reel bodies, DIGIGEAR transmits smoothly and efficiently the power of the reel directly to the angler.
New Daiwa BG MQ with DIGIGEAR
“DIGIGEAR is digitally-cut gearing that’s very precise and allows for perfect meshing of the main gear and the pinion gear. The result is extreme smoothness and promises even longer gear durability, so the better the gears are meshed together, the longer the gearing will feel good on the reel,” says Daiwa Field Marketing Manager, Marc Mills.
“We do this out of several different materials. Once a gear is stamped out or machined, it’s then digitally cut and polished to perfection in the next process before it’s put into circulation for being put in a reel. We do this in our zinc gears in our entry- to midrange reels, as well as cold-forged aluminum and brass you’ll find in the LT reels. In those reels you’ll find a cold-forged aluminum main gear and brass pinion gear. Besides being cut in a machine they are then digitally laser cut to fit perfectly together,” continues Mills.
DIGIGEAR delivers smoothness and fluidity to the gearing, letting you feel the lure and bites better. For many anglers, just that silky feel can make all the difference between sensing a strike and not sensing a strike. If you can feel tiny gear grooves along with your crankbait vibrating, it can throw things off. With DIGIGEAR, the angler senses any small change to the lure movement, from a fish taking the bait to a fish simply knocking the bait.
“It’s not just an improvement in how the reel feels for reeling the fish in,” says Mills. “That’s a portion of it, and what every angler wants to feel. Advanced anglers can tell when there’s just a little vibration in the reel. You don’t want to be in a position where you’re wondering if the vibration was the reel or the bait. Sometimes fish won’t eat the bait, they’ll just knock it. That little movement when a fish knocks the crankbait an inch is something you sense with DIGIGEAR,” adds Mills.
DIGIGEAR is a technological improvement found in our entry-level zinc spinning reels and some entry baitcasters, all the way to Daiwa’s upper-end, high performance reels. Some of the reels’ gearing is manufactured out of bronze, which is really hard, while others are made of aluminum. Some gears are made of brass and others are made of zinc. All are digitally cut and polished, so there’s perfect meshing between the main gear and the pinion gear.
“DIGIGEAR means a lot to our reels. The biggest result is the smoothness and durability of the gears, which is unparalleled in the industry. You can have reels that feel great in the store but the first day you fish them their performance suffers. Our DIGIGEAR process has created perfectly cut and meshed gearing, resulting in increased sensitivity and smoothness as well as strength and long life,” remarks Mills.
Looking for the ultimate in reel smoothness and high performance? Look no further than Daiwa’s extensive family of reels with DIGIGEAR technology. You won’t be disappointed.
New DAIWA KAGE with DIGIGEAR
For Daiwa’s latest color catalog and/or information on Daiwa dealers in your area, call Daiwa’s Customer Service Department at 562-375-6800 or e-mail inquiries to CSR@daiwa.com. The URL for Daiwa’s web site is http://www.daiwa.com/us/
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