Birge Controls Day 1 at Heavy Hitters, Ehrler Connects with Biggest Bass
KISSIMMEE, Fla. –The anticipation of restarting the 2020 Bass Pro Tour season could be felt at this morning’s takeoff and nobody really knew what to expect during the first day of Toyota Heavy Hitters Presented by Venmo.
There were plenty of questions going into the first day of the event, most of it centering on the weather and how good the fishing would be on Florida’s Kissimmee Chain in June. Add in big money for big-bass prizes and there are many storylines set to unfold this week.
RELATED: Day 1 Results
Overall, the fishing was challenging for most of the field, but there were still some solid bass brought in. There were nine 5-pounders, four 6s, four 7s, and two bass over 8 pounds caught in Group A’s first Qualifying Round.
The biggest bass of the day was Brent Ehrler’s 8-pound, 6-ounce giant. If that holds up through Group A’s next Qualifying round on Tuesday, he’ll take home $25,000 for that fish alone. The big bass prize money will increase to $50,000 for the Knockout Round and $100,000 for the Championship Round.
On the leaderboard, Oklahoma’s Zack Birge took control early and never relinquished his lead as he dominated throughout the day. At 20th place, which will serve as the Elimination Line, is Cliff Pace with three bass for 12-5.
Birge in Control
Birge found himself on top of SCORETRACKER® from the start of the morning. The first two scorable bass of the event were his, and the Oklahoma pro never looked back as he continued to catch them during all three periods.
Birge easily totaled both the most bass of the day with 17 and his final weight was 17 pounds more than second-place finisher Bryan Thrift.
He expected a good day after what he found in practice, but was surprised about where he ended up catching his fish.
“I intended to catch them in one area, but two other places were the best,” Birge admitted. “I didn’t know the full potential of those other areas until today.”
Birge is targeting current-related fish, and expects the bite to continue when he heads back on the water on Tuesday.
“There were a bunch of them in there and they were busting shad. There also weren’t any other competitors in the area, which is a good thing,” he said.
Birge’s biggest was 5-8, and he doubts his area has the potential to win one of the big bass prizes. But he’s satisfied with what he’s catching, and what it will mean in the points race.
“I didn’t want to gamble and only hunt big ones this week,” he sais. “My main goal was to try to get some good points for REDCREST, so I feel pretty good about where I’m sitting.”
Thrift in Second
Thrift has made his presence felt since moving to the Bass Pro Tour this season, and finds himself in second after the first qualifying day. He totaled 12 bass for 36-7.
“It was a steady bite, but a little slower than I thought it would be,” Thrift said. “I couldn’t get them to bite a moving bait very well and I had to slow down and drag baits to get bites.”
He carried an average of just over 3 pounds per fish on the day and his biggest bass was less than 4 pounds. He admitted that the emphasis on big bass payouts is weighing on his plans for the rest of the week.
“All of my fish were about the same size and I don’t think I can get a really big one doing what I’m doing,” he said. “After Period 2 ended, I decided to try to put up as much weight as possible to hopefully give me some time to look for more areas if I feel I’m safely going to advance on Tuesday. I’ve fished all that I have today and need to find some more areas. Hopefully, something with the potential for a big one.”
Looking Ahead
Group B will get their first crack at the Kissimmee Chain for Monday’s Qualifying Round. The forecast calls for a high of 91 degrees with 10 miles per hour winds and scattered thunderstorms.
Qualifying Round Notables
- The Berkley Big Bass of the day was Brent Ehrler with his 8-6 largemouth.
- Zack Birge caught the most fish with 17 bass for the day.
- Birge also earned the Phoenix Daily Leader award with 53-7.
Qualifying Round Day 1 Top 10
- Zack Birge: 53-07
- Bryan Thrift: 36-07
- Gary Klein: 31-06
- John Murray: 29-06
- Jordan Lee: 25-05
- Justin Lucas: 20-05
- Jacob Wheeler: 19-10
- Casey Ashely: 19-06
- Kelly Jordon: 17-15
- Boyd Duckett: 17-11
How, When, Where to Watch
Watch all three periods of competition during MLF NOW! live stream June 7-12 beginning at 6:45 a.m EST. Watch for free on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF app or MyOutdoorTV. The General Tire Takeout show begins at approximately 3 p.m. EDT after each day of competition.