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PALATKA, Fla. — Paul Mueller’s crucial decision delivered a key fish on Championship Monday that propelled the Connecticut angler to a three-day total of 47 pounds, 6 ounces and what he described as a most unlikely victory at the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at Florida’s St. Johns River.

After grinding most of the day in Trout Creek, about 25 miles downriver from Palatka, Mueller called an audible and relocated to nearby 6-Mile Creek where he had found a key stretch of pads with 25 feet of water.

Punching this thick vegetation with a craw bait rigged on a 4/0 Strike King Hack Attack hook with a 1-ounce weight yielded a 6-11 bass — the day’s largest — that dramatically changed his outcome.

“That was the horse that brought me here, no doubt about it,” said Mueller, who earned $101,000 for his second career Elite Series victory. “A big bite is the best thing you can have on the final day. I knew I was leading, but I got off to such a bad start, throughout the entire day, I didn’t think I had enough.

“All day long, I never felt like I had a shot. It wasn’t easy today, but when it’s God’s will, everything works out.”

Mueller kept himself in contention throughout the event by remaining consistent. He placed second on Day 1 with 20-8 and took over the lead a day later by adding 16-2.

During Monday’s final round, Mueller fell short of a limit by one fish, but four bass that weighed 10-12 were enough to deliver the win by a 3-2 margin.

All three days, Mueller punched pads when he found sufficient water for prespawn staging fish to move into the cover. His punching bite consistently improved later in the day, as the week’s tide schedule brought higher water to the relatively shallow pads in the afternoon.

With wind advisories from the National Weather Service postponing the tournament’s official start by two days, B.A.S.S. officials shortened the event to three days total instead of four. The final day’s shorter schedule afforded Mueller a smaller window of the rising tide, so moving to the deep spot in 6-Mile Creek allowed him his shot at a big bass suspending beneath the cover.

He also caught fish on a 1/2-ounce green pumpkin Strike King Hack Attack swim jig with a junebug color Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw trailer.

Mueller, who finished 62nd at last year’s St. Johns Elite tournament, said he was pleased to fare better this time — particularly considering the significant difference between the mostly shallow Florida fishery and the deep, clear waters he considers his specialty.

“I don’t feel like this is a place that sets up to fish my strength,” Mueller said. “When I looked at this year’s schedule, there were tournaments where I said ‘I may have a chance to win that,’ and then there were tournaments where I thought: ‘Man, I just hope I have a good finish.’ This was one of them.

“This is not my style of fishing, so it’s amazing that I caught enough weight to win here.”

John Crews of Salem, Va., rose four spots to finish second with 44-4. Crews caught 16-13 on Day 1, 15-5 on Day 2 and finished with 12-2 on Monday. He earned $25,000.

Crews, who placed fifth at last year’s St. Johns event, caught his fish on a 1/2-ounce Z-Man Jackhammer ChatterBait trailed with a 3.5-inch Missile Baits Shockwave swimbait and a new Missile Baits Quiver worm, which he used on a drop-shot rig and wacky style. He anchored his day with a 4-13.

“Today, I could hardly get bit on anything slow; everything was on the reaction bait,” Crews said. “I used a bluegill-colored ChatterBait when it was cloudy, and then I switched over to a black and blue. I used a shrapnel-colored trailer — it’s kind of a bluegill color — with both.”

Day 1 leader Kelley Jaye of Dadeville, Ala., slipped a couple of spots to finish third with 41-10. With daily weights of 21-7, 14-3 and 6-0, Jaye earned $21,000.

The jerkbait guru mostly stuck with his signature technique, catching the majority of his fish on a Berkley Skinny Cutter. He also caught a Day 3 keeper on a Texas-rigged Berkley MaxScent General stickworm.

“Where I was fishing was like 6 to 7 feet when the water was up during practice, but it dropped down to 4 feet during the tournament,” Jaye said. “That Skinny Cutter doesn’t go very deep so it allowed me to keep off the bottom.”

Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., earned $1,000 for Phoenix Big Bass of the week with his 10-1 largemouth.

Mueller also took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and John Crews took home $2.000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

2020 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River Title Sponsor: AFTCO

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Abu Garcia, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Skeeter Boats, Talon, Triton Boats, Yamaha

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Carhartt, Garmin, HUK Performance Fishing, Mossy Oak Fishing, Rapala

2020 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River Local Hosts: Putnam County Tourist Development Council and Putnam County Chamber of Commerce

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 presented by Huk.

2020 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/8-2/11
St. Johns River, Palatka  FL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

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

1.  Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT           14  47-06  100 $101,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-08     Day 2: 5   16-02     Day 3: 4   10-12
2.  John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               15  44-04   99  $25,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 5   15-05     Day 3: 5   12-02
3.  Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL           15  41-10   98  $21,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-07     Day 2: 5   14-03     Day 3: 5   06-00
4.  Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL             15  41-06   97  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-10     Day 2: 5   14-12     Day 3: 5   16-00
5.  Jake Whitaker          Fairview, NC            14  41-01   96  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-12     Day 2: 5   16-03     Day 3: 4   08-02
6.  Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL           15  40-09   95  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-14     Day 2: 5   12-06     Day 3: 5   10-05
7.  Matt Arey              Shelby, NC              15  40-01   94  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-02     Day 2: 5   10-12     Day 3: 5   13-03
8.  Kyle Welcher           Opelika, AL             14  39-11   93  $17,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-13     Day 2: 5   20-12     Day 3: 4   07-02
9.  Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              15  39-09   92  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-01     Day 2: 5   16-11     Day 3: 5   11-13
10. Patrick Walters        Summerville, SC         15  38-13   91  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   09-09     Day 2: 5   22-15     Day 3: 5   06-05

11. Buddy Gross            Chickamauga, GA         12  36-10   90  $12,000.00
  Day 1: 5   15-05     Day 2: 5   15-14     Day 3: 2   05-07   
12. Harvey Horne           Bella Vista, AR         14  36-00   89  $12,000.00
  Day 1: 4   08-07     Day 2: 5   17-08     Day 3: 5   10-01   
13. Robbie Latuso          Gonzales, LA            15  35-11   88  $12,000.00
  Day 1: 5   17-05     Day 2: 5   08-08     Day 3: 5   09-14   
14. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY             15  34-14   87  $12,000.00
  Day 1: 5   07-14     Day 2: 5   18-05     Day 3: 5   08-11   
15. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID            15  34-13   86  $12,000.00
  Day 1: 5   10-05     Day 2: 5   15-06     Day 3: 5   09-02   
16. Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX             11  33-10   85  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   20-00     Day 2: 4   08-03     Day 3: 2   05-07   
17. Todd Auten             Lake Wylie, SC          13  32-12   84  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   17-11     Day 2: 5   09-09     Day 3: 3   05-08   
18. Drew Cook              Midway, FL              13  32-06   83  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   09-10     Day 2: 5   17-14     Day 3: 3   04-14   
19. Jay Yelas              Lincoln City, OR        13  32-02   82  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-15     Day 2: 5   14-01     Day 3: 3   04-02   
20. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               8  27-14   81  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   19-00     Day 2: 3   08-14     Day 3: 0   00-00

———————————————————————-

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1   Kelley Jaye              Dadeville, AL       09-02          $0.00
2   Kyle Welcher             Opelika, AL         10-01          $0.00
3   Paul Mueller             Naugatuck, CT       06-11      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Kyle Welcher             Opelika, AL         10-01      $1,000.00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        44       322       762-08
2        47       332       831-07
3        11        80       164-14
———————————-
102       734      1758-13

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Due to high waters, flooding conditions and a forecast calling for continued heavy rain in the region, B.A.S.S. officials announced today they will postpone the Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake originally scheduled for later this week.

The second stop of the 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series season is now scheduled to be held on the Dayton, Tenn., fishery March 19-22.

“We have been in close communication with local authorities and our hosts in Tennessee about the current flooding as well as the forecast,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “After careful discussions, it was apparent that the best decision was to postpone the tournament and festivities.”

The National Weather Service is predicting widespread severe thunderstorms across Tennessee and much of the Southeast on Wednesday with additional moderate to major river flooding over the next seven days.

“Extreme heavy rainfall and runoff is causing elevated river conditions all across the Tennessee Valley,” said James Everett from TVA River Management. “These are much higher than normal flows and flow rates coming from the dams, which can increase boating hazards.”

According to local law enforcement, much of the venue where the tournament was to be held is currently flooded and road closures are expected.

“It was smart for B.A.S.S. to postpone the tournament until conditions are better,” said Rhea Sheriff Mike Neal. “The combination of parking issues and road closures would make it unsafe for fans and everyone involved, especially if we get the additional rain forecasted.”

When the event kicks off in March, the field will launch from Dayton Boat Dock with weigh-ins and the Bassmaster Outdoors Expo being held at Point Park.

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Abu Garcia, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Skeeter Boats, Talon, Triton Boats, Yamaha

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Carhartt, Garmin, HUK Performance Fishing, Mossy Oak Fishing, Rapala

2020 Bassmaster Elite At Chickamauga Lake Local Host: Rhea Economic Development and Tourism Council

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 presented by Huk.

PALATKA, Fla. — Two days of persistence and adaptation have landed Paul Mueller in the lead at the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River heading into Championship Monday.

Paul Mueller, of Naugatuck, Conn., is leading after Day 2 of the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River with 36 pounds, 10 ounces.  Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

Mueller, the veteran Elite Series pro from Naugatuck, Conn., caught a five-bass limit that weighed 16 pounds, 2 ounces during Sunday’s second round. Added to his first-round catch of 20-8, it gave him a two-day total of 36-10.

He leads second-place angler Kelley Jaye of Dadeville, Ala., (35-10) by 1 pound.

Mueller, who earned his first Elite victory last year at Georgia’s Lake Lanier went in the opposite direction of most his competitors. While most anglers fished south of the Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp, Mueller committed his day to the same creek he fished Saturday, well north of the takeoff site.

The day began slowly, but Mueller said he believed in his area enough to keep casting the Strike King Hack Attack swim jig trailed with a Zoom Speed Craw that produced his Day 1 bag. He steadily picked up keepers before finding a day-making 6-4 largemouth.

“What a key bite; that fish anchored my weight,” he said. “I made an adjustment at the end of the day and that was it. I caught the majority of my fish earlier on the swim jig, but I just couldn’t get a big bite, so I started punching a 3-inch junebug-color craw with a 1-ounce tungsten weight.

“I felt like the fish moved under the mats. There wasn’t as much water in the place I was fishing as there was on Day 1, but I felt like if I could find a mat with enough water on it, there would be a big fish there.”

Notably, Mueller said the spot that produced his 6-4 was approximately 10 yards from where he lost an estimated 8-pounder on Day 1. Describing his kicker as a classic prespawn fish, Mueller said the positioning told him the chunky bass was staging for a shallow move.

“There was a little point in the mat next to a little piece of wood on a transition of where the creek channel swung in to the bank,” he said. “The fish could spawn anywhere left or right in those pads.”

Despite warmer conditions than Day 1, Mueller said he did not believe many fish had started recovering from the week’s cold front. One possible explanation could be that the strong winds that postponed the tournament’s start by two days had blown a lot of water out of his area.

“I thought more fish would show up today but it was tough,” he said. “I think the key was that the water level was lower than it should be. If it comes up tomorrow, a few more fish could be positioned right where I can catch them. I think some of those big fish are out deep and when it gets right, they move up.”

Jaye, who started the day in first place with a 15-ounce lead, slipped to second with 35-10.

Adding 14-3 to his Day 1 bag of 21-7, he stuck with the same game plan — throwing a jerkbait over a spring. His bag included a 4-pounder, but he lost one possibly larger on the same area that produced a 9-pounder Saturday.

“I had another place I could go catch a couple of keepers, but I’m trying to win and I knew I was where the big fish are,” Jaye said. “I figured if I caught one there, it would be equal to two I’d catch somewhere else.

“The channel bend comes around close to the reed line and it’s easy access for the fish to move right up to the reeds to feed. I lost that big one and I lost another one on a worm on a laydown. I had my opportunities and that’s all you can ask for — to stay within striking distance, and that’s where we are.”

Jake Whitaker of Fairview, N.C., proved that consistency matters, as he added 16-3 to the 16-12 he weighed on Day 1 to take third with 32-15.

Fishing a wacky-rigged green pumpkin magic Bizz Baits Sassy Stick in a protected canal, Whitaker lost a 6-pounder on camera, but later redeemed himself by catching one of equal size.

“What could have been is always in the back of your mind, but I’m happy with how the day went,” Whitaker said. “I caught my fifth fish 30 minutes before check-in. There are definitely some big fish in that area, so I’m going to go back in there tomorrow and do the exact same thing.”

Elite Series rookie Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., took the lead in the race for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the week with a 10-1 largemouth.

The Top 20 remaining anglers will fish Monday with a $100,000 first-place paycheck on the line. Takeoff is scheduled for 6:45 a.m. ET at Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at Palatka Riverfront Park at 2 p.m.

2020 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River Title Sponsor: AFTCO

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Abu Garcia, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Skeeter Boats, Talon, Triton Boats, Yamaha

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Carhartt, Garmin, HUK Performance Fishing, Mossy Oak Fishing, Rapala

2020 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River Local Hosts: Putnam County Tourist Development Council and Putnam County Chamber of Commerce

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 presented by Huk.

Day one of the 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series season was one Brandon Lester would rather forget. The even-keeled Tennessee pro failed to catch a keeper bass for only the second time in his professional career yesterday. While ending the day with a dreaded “goose egg” stung, Lester was able to put the day behind him when he weighed an impressive 19-lb 14-ounce limit on a fickle St. Johns River today.

Team Toyota’s Brandon Lester has been a model of consistency throughout his career and has typically performed extremely well on the St. Johns, but Lester explained the difference between a good day and a terrible day is razor thin on this body of water.

“Poor decision making was what bit me yesterday,“ Lester explained. “On a tidal fishery like the St. Johns River, every single decision is magnified. I got in a bad rotation (in reference to the tide) yesterday and it is already a grind out there. I literally only had one bite all day, and I lost it.”

Lester was understandably upset after such an uncharacteristically tough day, but instead of dwelling on the negative he hopped in his Tundra with his family and put the day behind him.

Finishing the first Elite Series event at the bottom of the leaderboard would have handicapped Lester’s 2020 season in a way he didn’t even want to consider. Fortunately, Lester knew Florida’s St. Johns River is the kind of fishery that could produce a big comeback.

“I had a sneaky suspicion the failing water and cold front pulled the bass out of the shallows in the canals I was fishing,” Lester grinned. “I rigged up a X-Zone Lures Muscle Back Craw on a 4/0 Mustad Flippin Hook with a ¼-ounce weight and went to work. The fish had pulled out to any hard targets (like wood, laydowns, etc.) towards the mouth of the canals.”

Lester’s big bag on day two not only helped erase a lackluster first day from his mind, but also salvaged a $10,000 check, a bunch of AOY points, and potentially his entire year.

“Today was so incredibly important for my season,” said a relieved Lester. “Two of my biggest goals are to qualify for the 2021 Bassmaster Classic, and have a shot at the Angler of the Year title at the end of this season. If I struggled again today I could have all but kissed both of those goals goodbye. I am extremely grateful.”