Big Fish Show Up In Force for Knockout Round on Lake Eufaula

Dustin Connell connected with three fish over 6 pounds en route to a Knockout Round win.

February 11, 2020 • Tyler Brinks • Bass Pro Tour

EUFAULA, Ala. – The big bass have been showing themselves all week long on Lake Eufaula for the B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented by Power-Pole.

But the heaviest fish we’ve seen all week were caught during today’s Knockout Round, and with those giant bass came some impressive weights for the top anglers.

There were 10 five-pounders weighed today, seven 6-pounders, one 7-pound bass, and two largemouth over 8 pounds. Lake Eufaula is living up to its name as the “Big Bass Capital of the World.”

Those big bass were key fish in the event, and there were big totals posted during the Knockout Round. And, once again, plenty of last-minute heroics.

Dustin Connell, Jordan Lee, and Ott DeFoe finished as the top three today. Takahiro Omori, Brent Chapman, Adrian Avena, Alton Jones Jr., and Brett Hite will join them in the Championship Round, along with automatic qualifiers Jacob Wheeler and Bryan Thrift.

Connell Figures it Out Late

The day didn’t start badly for Connell, but it was a slow bite until the afternoon. The after-lunch bite pushed the Favorite Fishing pro to the lead as he finished the day with nine bass for 40 pounds, 6 ounces. That total included three over 6 pounds: a 6-1, 6-6, and 6-12.

“I started off slow, but I completely abandoned what I was doing and switched to a new bait,” Connell said. “Then I started dialing into the right depth and cover and got a pattern going.”

Connell is confident going into tomorrow’s Championship Round.

“I feel good about it and will expand on what I did today,” Connell said. “Who knows, though? I could catch 60 pounds, or I could have 10.”

Lee’s Big Bass Parade

Lee has a way of making things look natural, and that’s what he did today. Calling an audible early on, he ran to a location he has not fished in years, going back to his days as a co-angler.

The gamble paid off big time, and Lee amassed six bass for 36 pounds. The colossal output was a surprise for Lee.

“This is the best day I’ve ever had for big fish – in a tournament or fun fishing – it was my best day ever for big ones,” Lee said. “It was a magical day, and I can’t explain it.”

Jordan Lee with a 7-pound, 14-ouncer, part of his 36-pound day.

DeFoe Cruises

Even though DeFoe ended up in third place, he was in control for the entire day after landing most of his fish during Period 1, and all of his catch before noon. He ended the day with 11 bass for 35-13.

“The morning was excellent, and it was the same place that was good to me yesterday,” DeFoe said of his morning.

With such a strong performance, he started thinking ahead during Period 1.

“I got to a point where I started judging the other weights and trying to figure out where the cut would be,” he admitted.

After laying off his best area, DeFoe feels confident in his chances.

“I’m excited and ready. I know where I am going to fish and what I am going to do,” DeFoe added.

Last-Minute Catches

Late in the day was full of suspense on SCORETRACKER® as two anglers made catches in the final 15 minutes to bump other anglers below the Top-8 cut.

Mike McClelland caught a 2-10 at 3:47 to bump Britt Myers. One minute later, Alton Jones, Jr. landed a 5-4 to knock McClelland out.

The Biggest of the Big Bass Parade

Brent Chapman landed an 8-15 today, which is the biggest bass of the event and of the young 2020 season, giving him a head start in the race to May’s Heavy Hitters Presented by Venmo.

Looking Ahead

The top eight anglers from today’s Knockout Round will join Qualifying Round winners Bryan Thrift and Jacob Wheeler to make up the final 10. The Championship Round will be again held on Lake Eufaula with a forecasted high of 77 degrees with scattered showers.

Daily Winners

The Berkley Big Bass of the day was an 8-15 largemouth caught by Brent Chapman.
The Phoenix Boats Daily Leader award went to Dustin Connell with 40-6.

How, When, Where to Watch

Watch all three periods of competition of the Championship Round during the MLF NOW! live stream beginning at 7:45 a.m CST on February 12. Watch for FREE on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF app, or the MyOutdoorTV app.

The General Tire Takeout begins at approximately 4 p.m. CST after each day of competition.