Connell Credits ‘PawPaw’ Fishing for Third Straight Knockout Round Berth
LAKE FORK, Texas – Dustin Connell coined a new term during Qualifying Day 4 of the General Tire Stage Three Presented by TrueTimber. The Alabama pro credits his run of nine bass for 38 pounds, 1 ounce to one thing: PawPaw fishing.
“My main key today was to slow down,” Connell explained. “I went into full ‘PawPaw’ mode. I mean I put the trolling motor on the lowest setting and just crept around. I started doing that because the other day I was going too fast. I would catch the buck but I wouldn’t be patient enough for the female. Today was a completely different story.”
Perfecting the ‘PawPaw’ Persona
Connell’s “PawPaw” patience led to a seventh-place finish in Group B and he will be moving on to his third straight Knockout Round to begin the 2020 Bass Pro Tour season. After starting the day in 24th place with 24-1, Connell knew he was going to have to be a little more methodical with his fishing process if he wanted to crack into the Top 20.
“I was catching a lot of spawning bucks but I couldn’t catch a big female on the first day,” Connell said. “But here on Lake Fork, if you’re catching bucks, then you’re in the right area. I rolled into the right pocket at the right time, and just slowed down.”
Finally Finding a Big Female
The Favorite Rods pro’s PawPaw mode worked out immediately, netting him nine of his 10 bass of the day in the first period alone. Connell hooked into a 4-pound male near the start of Period 1. Instead of quickly moving on to the next area, he deliberately took his time, betting that a big female was right there waiting.
“I had just caught a male, so I threw my Googan Baits Lunker Log right back in there to catch the female,” Connell recapped. “I hooked her on 15-pound Seaguar, which was great because she wrapped me around a stump. She jumped up like four different times while she was wrapped up and I was trying to get to her. I ran to the back of the boat, lipped her, and then boom. It was a 9-pounder.”
The Texas-sized, pre-spawn female rocketed Connell up SCORETRACKER® and into the Top 20, where he stayed for the rest of the day. The Triton pro added an impressive 7-8 female to his tally towards the end of Period 1, pretty much securing his place in tomorrow’s Knockout Round.
Lone Star State Slow Down
While the area he was in and the bait he used were obviously crucial to his 9-pound catch, Connell credits PawPaw fishing for his successful day.
“I may get me a butt seat and put it on the front of the boat for tomorrow,” Connell joked. “When I say I was creeping around, I mean I put the trolling motor on one and didn’t even move. Everyone wants to speed down the bank but if you slow down, they’re going to be there.”
Connell has quickly adjusted to the MLF format in his short time on the Bass Pro Tour. He finished last season eighth in the Race for the Points Championship and has already managed a fifth-place finish during Stage One this year. While he admits it wasn’t easy at first, he credits the MLF format for turning PawPaw fishing into an integral part of his success.
“I used to just burn down the bank and go super fast for the majority of my career,” Connell said. “Now, I know I have to slow down, and it’s actually helped me become a better fisherman. You can’t afford to run around in MLF because when you’re moving, someone else is catching them. If I could give advice to these high school anglers trying to come up through the ranks, it would be to slow down. Everyone is trying to rip down the bank because they’re excited and pumped to go fishing in the morning. This time of the year, just slow down. Slowing down is the new ‘getting dialed in.’”
Connell and the other qualifiers from Group B will fish in the Knockout Round on Lake Fork beginning tomorrow at 10 a.m. CT. You can watch the Knockout Round live all day long on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF app and on My Outdoor TV.