Bait change lifts Nania to Pickwick Open win
Sunday, May 2, 2021
An astute observation led Joey Nania to a strategic bait change that delivered a five-bass limit of 18-10 and sealed his first B.A.S.S. win at the Pickwick Lake Bassmaster Central Open out of Counce, Tenn.
After placing 3rd on day 1 with 21-11, the Cropwell, Ala. resident added 17-13 and held his position in the second round. With his final-day weight, Nania tallied a 58-02 total and edged day-22 leader Lonnie Cochran by a pound.
Nania won $53,750 and a berth in the 2022 Bassmaster Classic at Lake Hartwell.
All week, Nania had been fishing main-river bars between Koger Island and Seven Mile Island, where he focused on a mix of grass and stumps. The latter became an increasingly important element of his game plan and Saturday, he used a forage-appropriate bait to target the hard cover.