Chapman Surprises Himself With Big Day 1
Friday, April 30, 2021
By MLF Communications Staff Brent Chapman caught 21 bass totaling 46-02 to grab the early lead in Qualifying Group A on day 1 of the Lake Travis MLF Bass Pro Tour event in Texas. The six-day event, hosted by the Austin Sports Commission, features 80 of the top professional anglers from around the world competing for a purse of $805,000, including a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner.
Chapman will take a 5-06 lead into Sundays second day of competition for Group A. In 2nd place on the ScoreTracker leaderboard is Mark Rose, who has eight career victories including a Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit (then FLW Tour) win on Lake Travis in 2017 with 16 bass for 40-12. Texan Alton Jones Jr. sits in third place, 19 1/2 pounds back of Chapman with 16 bass weighing 26-10.
Just 23 minutes into Period 2, Jones caught a 3-pound, 3-ounce bass to move into the top position on the leaderboard and he never relinquished it. The tall Texan showed MLF NOW! viewers why he has long been considered one of the top sight-fishing anglers in the game.
“This feels so, so good. It’s been a while since I’ve won a Tour-level event like this, and it was a very special day,” said an emotional Jones when he came off of the water. “After my practice time, I knew that I had found several key areas that had the potential to be really special for this event, if I could just make the final rounds.
Sight-Fishing Was The Ticket In Final Round bassfan.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bassfan.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Thursday, April 22, 2021
By Joe Balog The stage was certainly set. I have to admit, I was all but giddy on the eve of the Heavy Hitters finale.
The players were perfect. Andy Morgan conquered the Knockout Round. Thrift had smashed Group B. Wheeler was there; no surprise. Lefebre, Ish and Ehrler made it. Jeff Sprague and Michael Neal two masters of the BPT format waited in the shadows. This was going to be a nail-biter.
For me, Bass Pro Tour competition has become synonymous with last-minute heroics. Regardless of venue or time of year, there always seems to be a late-day charge that overwhelmingly adds to the drama. Its my favorite aspect of the competition, providing proof of players rising to the next level of performance.
Balog: No last-minute heroics
Due to a format that allows anglers to make up ground in a hurry, dramatic late-day charges are common in Bass Pro Tour events. The Championship Round of the recent Heavy Hitters derby lacked that element, though, as most competitors switched their focus to the big-bass award once Alton Jones had established a sizable lead. And who could blame them?
To read the newest edition of Balog s Bass War,
Latest News
By B.A.S.S. Communications Staff Its been six months since Lake Fork hosted a B.A.S.S. event, but while the seasonal complexion will be significantly