Dean Rojas was off to a rough start after his first day of competition at General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops. During his first Qualifying Day on Jordan Lake, Rojas put just 5 pounds, 10 ounces on SCORETRACKER® which left him in last place out of the 20 MLF pros in Group A.
When his second Qualifying Day rolled around, Rojas was on the way to the ramp when he got a call from his friend and roommate for the week, Boyd Duckett. It turns out Duckett accidentally hooked both of his hands with a single crankbait and was unable to remove the hooks himself since his hands were stuck together. Rojas had to rush back to their rental house to help Duckett out before they could head to the ramp at Jordan Lake.
After arriving late to the ramp, both pros were able to move above the Toro Cut Line and advance to the Knockout Round. In fact, Rojas caught a total of 57-11 during his second Qualifying Day, which included an 8-11.
However, it was a 2-pound, 7-ounce bass that ended up being the most memorable catch of Rojas’ day because he ended up burying hooks deep in his hand while landing the fish. After releasing the bass, Rojas had to return to the ramp and put the boat on the trailer so MLF Event Operations officials could help him remove the hooks.