The best big-bass anglers on the Bass Pro Tour will head to one of the most prolific lunker factories in the country next week for what should be a can’t-miss Kubota Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops. Orange Lake has produced more bass over 10 pounds than any other Florida fishery over the past five years, which is saying something considering the number of excellent waterways in the Sunshine State. Hopes are high that the event will live up to its name.
Not many anglers in the field have competed on Orange Lake before, however. That always makes it tricky to pick teams for Phoenix Fantasy Fishing Presented by 13 Fishing. Plus, Heavy Hitters features a different format from regular Bass Pro Tour events – namely, there are only 32 anglers in the field (split into Groups A and B), and it’s just as much about catching big bass as it is winning the title belt. The angler who catches the biggest bass will earn $10,000 during each of the four Qualifying Round days, $30,000 during the Knockout Round and $100,000 for the Championship Round.
With all that in mind, here’s a rundown of who to target as you fill out your Fantasy Fishing lineup. Make sure to submit your picks before lines in at 7:45 a.m. ET on Saturday.
Florida expertise could loom large
Florida fishing is a different beast than just about anywhere else in the country, and Orange Lake differs from the usual national tour stops in the state such as the Harris Chain and Kissimmee Chain, as it’s much smaller and not quite as diverse. So, anglers with experience fishing some of the smaller Florida lakes could be at an advantage this week.
The field includes three anglers who call the Sunshine State home – Keith Carson, Bobby Lane and Terry Scroggins. All three should be popular picks, but especially Scroggins, who lives about an hour away from Orange Lake.
Ride the wave
Drew Gill is in the field, so you should probably pick him. With anglers competing out of identical, league-issued boats, they’ll be allowed to use forward-facing sonar all day, which could be huge for Gill. The shallow, grassy fishery isn’t typical forward-facing sonar territory, but Gill has always been exceptional at using the technology in non-traditional ways.
It would be foolish not to consider Cole Floyd, too. Floyd is coming off his first Bass Pro Tour win on Beaver Lake, and there’s something about this time of year that really suits him. Look no further than last year, when he closed the season with five straight Top 10s, including at Heavy Hitters.
The heaviest hitters
Heavy Hitters requires a little bit different strategy, as anglers have to balance catching enough fish to advance from one round to the next with chasing the big bass bonuses. We’ve seen a few anglers develop a knack for Heavy Hitters success, none more so than Alton Jones Jr. The younger Jones not only routed the field to win the title belt in 2023; he took home $150,000 in big bass money the year prior. Jeff Sprague is also back in this year’s field after he won the $100,000 prize for catching big bass of the Championship Round last year for the second time in his career.
While not perfect, Heavy Hitters 2024 on the Kissimmee Chain is probably the best past guide to this event, as it took place at the same time of year. In addition to Jones, four anglers who made the Top 10 at that event are in this field – Matt Becker, Brent Ehrler, Todd Faircloth and Bryan Thrift. All seem like good options. Becker also had a good day on Orange Lake while competing in the Fishing Clash Team Series Championship in the fall of 2023. Ehrler is good everywhere. Faircloth has long been one of the best at breaking down submerged grass. And the low water on Orange could put Thrift in his wheelhouse milking offshore holes and hard spots.
Other names to know
- Takahiro Omori – It’s a non-spawn event in Florida, so a bladed jig figures to be a major player. Thus, it would make sense to pick the angler who might be the best on the Bass Pro Tour with a ChatterBait in his hand. With a win on Lake Hartwell and a runner-up finish at REDCREST, the newly minted Bass Fishing Hall of Famer is fishing great this year, too.
- Justin Cooper – On the surface, this event doesn’t scream Cooper’s name. He’s never finished in the Top 10 in a MLF event in Florida. But the Toledo Bend native’s at home targeting big bass and fishing vast fields of offshore grass, which seems like it’s going to be a big deal in this event.
My picks
Group A: Todd Faircloth, Cole Floyd, Drew Gill, Terry Scroggins, Bryan Thrift
Group B: Matt Becker, Keith Carson, Justin Cooper, Bobby Lane, Jeff Sprague