SPRING CITY, Tenn. – The Knockout Round of the General Tire Stage Five Presented by Covercraft turned into a game of musical chairs on Watts Bar Lake with 38 anglers vying for eight spots above the Toro Cut Line on June 11.
Takahiro Omori launched from 30th to sixth to cross the Toro Cut Line, but was knocked down to ninth when Alton Jones reeled in a 1-pound, 12-ounce largemouth with less than 20 minutes left on the clock.
Ryan Salzman’s victory on Championship Sunday wouldn’t have happened had he not gotten on a five-bass heater in the final hour of the Knockout Round. The Alabama pro was 1-1 below the Toro Cut Line, but a little more than 24 hours later, he was holding the Stage Five trophy.