TYLER, Texas – Much like Group A’s Qualifying Round in 2022 General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops on Monday, Tuesday played out with some familiar names in the two most important spots: the big bass leader stayed the same, as well as the leader and eventual winner of the group.
Brent Ehrler is taking home $25,000 for his big bass, an 8-pound, 5-ounce largemouth he caught during his group’s first day of competition on Sunday. Stephen Browning dominated the Group B field on Lake Palestine and is moving on to the Championship Round after collecting a two-day total of 27 bass for 83 pounds, 10 ounces.
Along with Ehrler, six other anglers will be advancing to Wednesday’s Knockout Round: Russ Lane, Jordan Lee, Michael Neal, Dustin Connell, Jeff Kriet and Zack Birge are all moving on to fish at least one more day on Lake Palestine.
Ehrler Earns $25,000 for 8-5 Big Bass
Ehrler wasn’t sure that his 8-5 was going to hold up as the big bass for Group B, but he got confirmation from the MLF official on his boat as soon as the round was over.
“It’s a pretty awesome feeling right now,” Ehrler said following his round. “The money is great, but you don’t get the money if you don’t catch that fish so I’m really just super thankful I was able to catch it. It gives me a chance to fish tomorrow and for $50,000.”
The biggest bass caught on Tuesday was Cliff Crochet’s 6-11, more than a pound less than Ehrler’s $25,000 8-5. Still, one can only imagine the pressure the California pro was facing as the round progressed. Not only was he trying to hold onto his big bass lead, but he was also trying to make it above the cut line.
“I was honestly more nervous last night than I was on the water today,” Ehrler said. “Today I was really just worried about catching enough fish to qualify for the Knockout Round. I really only got nervous at the end of the day when I was near the cut line and thought I might miss the cut and someone might catch a bigger fish than me at the last second.”
With $25,000 already banked, Ehrler will fish Wednesday with a chance at earning another $50,000 if he can catch the big bass during the Knockout Round. Ehrler said he’s not sure how he’ll catch it, but he hopes that a frog and a little bit of luck can make a great week even better.
“I’m just going to put my head down and try to get lucky like I did with this one,” Ehrler said. “I’m hoping I can run into another one and tack on an extra $50,000 while also moving on to the Championship Round.”
Browning Cruises to Group B Win
Browning entered Tuesday with almost a 20-pound lead over second place, so he felt somewhat confident that the top spot would be his. However, the “Puma” went nearly two hours without a scorable bass and saw his lead begin to dwindle.
He was finally able to get on SCORETRACKER® for the day towards the end of Period 1 thanks to his trusty vibrating jig. Browning ended up adding 11 bass for 32-6 to secure his spot in the Championship Round by nearly 30 pounds over second-place Russ Lane.
“I didn’t get off to a great start but when things started happening they started happening quick,” Browning said. “It was a big relief for me to increase my lead and really secure my spot in the Championship Round early on in the day.”
Browning, along with Group A winner Ott DeFoe, will have the day off Wednesday as he prepares to take on Lake Palestine one final time for potentially $200,000. The Arkansas pro has managed to catch more weight and more bass than any angler in the entire 32-man field, and he thinks he has the ability to catch a lot more come Thursday.
“I believe the area I’m in has the ability to get me another 50 to 60 pounds,” Browning said. “If someone goes into that area tomorrow and catches them really well when I’m not there, I may have my work cut out for me.”
Daily Leaders
- The Berkley Big Bass of the Day was Cliff Crochet’s 6-11.
- Michael Neal had the most weight on SCORETRACKER® with 37-15.
- Neal also had the most scoreable bass in the round with 14.
What’s Next & How to Watch
The 14 advancing anglers from Group A and Group B return to Lake Palestine on Wednesday for the Knockout Round. Those 14 anglers will have their weights reset to zero and look to position themselves on SCORETRACKER® above the cut line. The Top Eight anglers will advance to the Championship Round to meet Browning and DeFoe. The pros will also be trying to catch the big bass of the round — as the prize has been increased and that fish will earn them $50,000.
The competition kicks off at 8 a.m. CST. Live coverage of the fifth day of General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops starts at 7:45 a.m. CST on the MLF NOW! live stream. Watch for free on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF app, or the MyOutdoorTV app.