Howell Rockets to Early Lead, Holds on for Knockout Round Win at Smith Lake
Ehrler sneaks in on last-second fish, locals Wiggins, Lee advance
CULLMAN, Ala. – In four years of action on the MLF Bass Pro Tour, the Knockout Round has proven to be one of the most interesting days in the tournament bass fishing world, thanks to the “catch or go home” urgency of the format.
Sunday’s Knockout Round at Smith Lake for the Favorite Fishing Stage Three Presented by Mercury proved to be more of the same. There were several big moves in the final 2 ½ hours of the day, highlighted by Brent Ehrler’s catch with less than 10 seconds to go to bump Shin Fukae for the eighth and final spot in Monday’s Championship Round.
FULL RESULTS
BALLY BET AOY STTANDINGS
Aside from the afternoon drama, Smith Lake hosted some impressive individual performances, led by Randy Howell’s 18 bass for 41 pounds. He’ll lead a star-studded crew that joins Jacob Wheeler and Michael Neal on the event’s final day.
Howell Leads the Pack
Howell got off to a fast start and led most of the day before being briefly overtaken by Edwin Evers in the third period. The Alabama pro seized the lead for good with 20 minutes to go.
“It feels good to have a day like today, but I wish it would have been tomorrow,” Howell said. “I caught a lot of fish, didn’t lose any, it was a perfect day. I beat 37 guys today and have to beat nine tomorrow.”
Howell acknowledged that the weather will be vastly different on Monday, but still feels good about his areas and pattern of fishing moving baits.
“The rain and storms are coming, but the water is falling fast right now,” he said. “I feel good about what I found and will be giving it everything I’ve got when we get back out here.”
Ehrler the Last Man In
Mercury pro Ehrler was running out of time when he hooked a fish on a wacky rig with seconds to go in Period 3. He got it across the gunwale with less than 10 seconds to spare: a spotted bass that weighed 1-11, barely enough to edge out Fukae by 4 ounces to jump into eighth place.
“Right at the buzzer!” Ehrler said in disbelief.
Local Favorites Will Fish Final Day
Local pros Jesse Wiggins, Matt Lee and Jordan Lee were on everyone’s radar heading into Stage Three, all three made it to the Knockout Round. Two of them – Wiggins and Jordan Lee – will now fish the Championship Round.
Wiggins made it to the Knockout Round with a clutch catch to earn his group’s final spot, and his lifetime of knowledge on Smith paid off Sunday with 15 bass for 34-8, putting him fourth.
Lee also had a strong day, finishing seventh with 31-10.
While not a local, Dustin Connell is an Alabama angler with plenty of spotted bass experience. He made the final day thanks to an impressive third period and ended the day in fifth with 17 bass for 34-4.
The Championship Round will include these three along with Howell to add plenty of “Yellowhammer State” flair.
Championship Round time change
Weather forecasts for Monday’s Championship Round call for very different weather conditions after five days of pleasant sunshine. Monday will bring rain, wind, and lightning throughout the region, which could drastically affect the game plans of some anglers and could prove to be a much different bite.
The threat of inclement weather has changed tomorrow’s tournament hours and MLF officials have moved up the start of fishing by one hour. “Lines in” will now be 7:00 a.m. CT instead of 8 a.m.
Daily Leaders
- The Berkley Big Bass of the Day was Clabion Johns‘ 5-12 largemouth.
- Howell had the most weight on SCORETRACKER® with 41-0.
- Howell also had the most scoreable bass with 18.
What’s Next & How to Watch
The final 10 anglers will begin their pursuit of the Stage Three trophy earlier than usual Monday morning on Smith Lake. Championship Round takeoff from Smith Lake Park will be at 6:30 a.m. CT; the MLF NOW! live streams begins coverage at 6:45 a.m., and competition starts at 7 a.m. CT. Watch for free on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF app, or the MyOutdoorTV app.
Bally Bet Angler of the Year
Alton Jones entered Stage Three atop the Bally Bet Angler of the Year standings with 155 points, trailed close behind with Wheeler (151), Jeff Sprague (148), Jordan Lee (147) and Bryan Thrift (144).
MLF has partnered with online sports gaming titan Bally Bet for the 2022 Bally Bet AOY. Bally’s is MLF’s exclusive sports betting, daily fantasy sports, and free-to-play partner for all MLF tournament circuits. The 2022 Bally Bet Angler of the Year will take home a $100,000 prize at the end of the 2022 Bass Pro Tour season. Follow the Bally Bet AOY standings all year long as the Bass Pro Tour season continues.