GALLERY: The gloves are off and the rain jackets are on for Stage One’s Knockout Round

MANY, La. – Not even Mother Nature could rain on the bass-catching parade that Toledo Bend delivered for the Knockout Round at B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented by Power-Pole. 

The 20 anglers faced a slightly different challenge than Knockout Rounds last season since the slate will be wiped clean with a zero-weight start for the Top 10 anglers who advance to the Champion Round. So, for today it’s a bit of a chess match – do well enough to make the cut while saving some spots for Sunday.

With that in mind, Dustin Connell held nothing back in the morning run and ascended to the top of SCORETRACKER® with 18 bass weighing 45 pounds, 2 ounces to his name by the end of Period 1, more than triple the weight needed to make 10th place.

Take a look at some of the Knockout Round action, and be sure to tune in to the MLFNOW! livestream on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app today and tomorrow from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT.