KISSIMMEE, Fla. – It was a scorching hot day in central Florida: That was one of the first things that both Randy Howell and Dustin Connell mentioned once they got off the water and into some air conditioning.
While the heat made the two anglers uncomfortable for most of the day, it was only amplified by their proximity to the Elimination Line (and each other) throughout Group B’s Qualifying Day 2 of Toyota Heavy Hitters Presented by Venmo.
“I really need to rehydrate,” Connell said as he scarfed down a much-needed postgame meal with a side of water. “I really need to get some rest and drink some water so I can prepare for that heat on Thursday because it was no joke.”
Howell and Connell both finished inside the Top 20, both just over 3 pounds above the Elimination Line. It’s quite the feat for both of them to be moving on to the Knockout Round considering where they started on SCORETRACKER® in the morning. Both pros registered only one scorable bass their first day—Howell a 3-10 and Connell a 2-10. Even though they started in a tough spot, they both knew that anything is possible in this MLF format.
“What’s so great about this format is your ability to move from the bottom of the pack to the top of the pack in no time,” Howell said. “It’s happened so many times before, today was just mine and Dustin’s turn to do it.”
Both of the anglers call Alabama home, so it should be no surprise that they both like to fish current. There was plenty of current flowing through the Kissimmee Chain today, but that wasn’t really the case on their first day, hence the struggles.
“The first day I was fishing current down below the lock because that what I had success with in practice,” Connell explained. “On Day 1, we had this major south wind and zero current flowing through that area I was in so I left and tried to run around. I just ran around too much and spent too much time chasing fish that weren’t there.”
Howell echoed the same sentiments as Connell. The Daiwa pro knew he needed to not only find an area with some current, but also be a little more trusting of himself on Day 2.
“This game we’re in is all about decisions,” Howell put succinctly. “I haven’t made a lot of good decisions this year, but I made a good one today. I stuck to my gut and I rode it out in that spot and it paid off. It’s a great feeling when something works out like that.”
The area that Howell and Connell fished had not only current, but an abundance of small bait fish. Howell said the bait looked no bigger than an inch long, so that’s what he tried to match. Howell had multiple bites throughout the afternoon, but the majority were non-scorable.
Finally, he made the switch to a Livingston Lures Walking Boss Jr. which proved to be the right bait that the bigger, scorable bass were looking for.
“I saw that the bigger fish were there and breaking the surface feeding,” Howell explained. “I knew if I stayed consistently in that area and just kept making casts that I was eventually going to catch bigger ones. Once that third period hit, I knew that’s when the big ones were going to start really feeding. I picked up that topwater and got a 4-3 and a 4-13 to bite.”
That 4-13 came for Howell with only 30 minutes left in the round, pushing him into the Top 20, where he would stay until time expired. Howell finished with eight bass for 24-11 for the Qualifying Rounds.
While Howell was on one end of the area, Connell was respectfully on the other, keeping his distance. This wasn’t the first time two had shared this patch of current in a Bass Pro Tour event. Back during Stage One in 2019, the two shared the same area on their exact same ends and it was enough to carry them both to the Championship Round.
Connell knew from experience that if he was patient and consistent like Howell, they could both find enough fish to move on. In Period 2, after catching five scorable bass, the Favorite Fishing pro landed his biggest fish of the tournament – a 5-8 – using a Googan Baits Mondo Worm on 20-pound Seaguar InvizX with a Favorite Fishing 7-foot-3 Pro Series heavy rod.
The Alabama pro added only one more bass for the rest of the round, but it was still enough to give him 24-5 and a 19th-place finish.
“I didn’t feel safe until the last couple of minutes, honestly,” Connell recalled. “With five minutes left I was begging my official to not tell me if anyone had passed me. I got really fortunate to make it through with only a 3-pound lead.”
This will be Howell’s second Knockout Round appearance of the season—the first was on Lake Fork during Stage Three. As for Connell, he has yet to miss a Knockout Round this season and is trying to secure his spot in REDCREST 2021.
Both pros will have their work cut out for them Thursday, but don’t be surprised if you see the two buddied up once again, searching for bass in the creek’s current.