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.
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.
Lighter Jones Back On Top After 9-Year Drought
Tuesday, April 20, 2021
Photo: MLF/Garrick Dixon
Alton Jones easily outdistanced the rest of the Championship Round field at Heavy Hitters with his 12-fish, 45-09 haul.
By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor Alton Jones believes that the Major League Fishing format is the most difficult tour-level structure to win under, and it s particularly tough considering that he s now in his late 50s. It s not like you can just have a good start to a day and catch five good ones and then take it easy, said the Texan who ll celebrate his 58th birthday this summer. On most days you have to keep your foot on the gas the whole time and the older you get, the harder it is to do that.
Bed-Fishing Guru Jones Runs Away In Finals
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Photo: MLF/Phoenix Moore
The 12 scorable bass that Alton Jones caught in the Championship Round at Heavy Hitters were four more than anyone else in the Top-10 field managed.
By MLF Communications Staff It was a sight-fishing clinic on Shearon Harris Reservoir in Raleigh, N.C. on Wednesday, and Alton Jones was the professor. The Texas angler boated 12 bass weighing 45-09 to dominate the Championship Round and win the top prize of $100,000 at the Major League Fishing Heavy Hitters event.
Jones won by a 15-05 margin over fellow Texan Jeff Sprague, who caught eight bass totaling 30-04. Sprague, however, was not disappointed in his finish as he earned the top Big Bass Bonus of $100,000 with a 5-03 largemouth.
By Joe Balog This weeks professional fishing tours revealed an eye-catching difference among venue choices. While the Basmaster Elites struggled to catch 12-inch keepers, the BPT Heavy Hitters were reeling in hawgs at record pace. Each tournament, however, featured intense competition and memory-making moments for the fans. Such left me wondering, which scenario is better?
Lets recheck the numbers, using Sundays round of competition as an example. That day, the 10 finalists on the Elite Series all caught limits from the Sabine River system, weighing between about 7 and 11 pounds. By contrast, all 10 of the top BPT competitors caught at least one bass weighing around 6 pounds or more apiece, topped off by Fletcher Shyrocks 9-pound monster that anchored a 4-pound-plus average for all 14 of his bass. Heavy Hitters, indeed.