Browning, Connell a Perfect Three-for-Three on Cup Event Qualifications
TULSA, Okla. – When the MLF Bass Pro Tour season began back in January, I can guarantee you that all of the anglers had a goal to qualify for all four Cup events. Why wouldn’t they? It seems like a logical benchmark to gauge a successful season. However, with only two events left and only one more Cup event left to qualify for, just six pros—Jeff Sprague, Edwin Evers, Mark Rose, Michael Neal, Stephen Browning and Dustin Connell—have been able to secure a spot in the fields of the Challenge, Heritage and Patriot Cups.
Connell’s Consistency
Dustin Connell has amassed two Top-10 finishes and has made the Knockout Round in four out of the first six Stages on the Bass Pro Tour. He currently sits in 14th place in the REDCREST point standings and just clinched his spot in the Patriot Cup.
“I’m pretty happy with my year so far,” Connell said. “My goal to start the year was to make all four Cups and make the REDCREST. I just thought if I got Top 10’s in the process, or a win, then that’s just icing on the cake.”
The Alabama pro is a fairly new face to the MLF scene, fishing an entirely new format for the first time this year. While Connell has made the transition to MLF look easy, he says it has taken a lot of work.
“This MLF format is harder than a traditional five-fish format,” Connell stated. “You could be on a really good pattern and having a good day, but if you have a lull where you don’t catch in fish for about an hour, you’re falling behind. These other 79 guys are so good that they are catching them nonstop.”
Browning Beating the Best
Stephen Browning is another one of those six pros to qualify for the Challenge, Heritage and Patriot Cups. While he only has one Top-10 finish, he has made the Knockout Round in five straight Stages. Browning is still searching for a win on the Bass Pro Tour, but he also has his eyes on a bigger prize.
“I really want to qualify for the World Championship,” Browning stated. “The odds are in your favor depending on how many Cup events you can qualify for, so I’m really glad that I’ve been able to make it to the first three. I hope to make it four over these last two Stages.”
Like Connell, Browning is also a newcomer to MLF, but that hasn’t seemed to hinder his success this year. The Arkansas pro is not only showing he can handle the new format, but showing that he can do it against the best anglers in the world.
“The talent on the Bass Pro Tour is just astronomically great,” Browning complimented. “All 80 guys have a proven track record. The fact that I have been able to come into a new format and excel, it gives me a lot of confidence in my decision-making ability. I’ve made a lot of quick adjustments this season and they’ve been the right ones.”
Major League Adjustments
Qualifying for all three Cup events is an impressive feat in-and-of itself. What is even more remarkable about Connell’s season thus far is that he has been able to qualify for the first three Cup events while not fishing where he feels most comfortable.
“I’ve been able to fish the bank a lot better than I thought I would coming into the season,” Connell said of his game. “Most of the events we’ve had 90 percent of the guys catching their fish in shallow water near the banks. I prefer to fish offshore but I haven’t gotten to do it yet because I’ve had to go shallow to catch fish just to keep up with some of these guys. I know that if I can connect to some fish out deep I can get a win. I’ve really just had to slow down this season and fish shallow, and luckily it’s worked out so far.”
Browning agrees with Connell that there is definitely a need to adapt to your surroundings and the field if you want to keep up with the rest of the field.
“If you’re complacent and just going through the motions during these events, you’re not going to have a very good tournament,” Browning warned. “I’ve watched enough MLF on TV over the years to know that if you’re not catching them, then you have to change something that you’re doing immediately.”
Connell, Browning and the rest of the Bass Pro Tour field return to action on Friday, May 31 for the Bad Boy Mowers Stage Seven Presented by Covercraft on Table Rock Lake in Missouri.