Jones Locks Up First Automatic Big to Bass Pro Tour Championship Round
QUITMAN, Texas – Get ready for a change at the Toro Stage Two Presented by Grundéns on Lake Fork. The weather in East Texas was unpredictable during Tuesday’s Group B Qualifying Day, hinting at an even more dramatic change for Wednesday’s Knockout Round.
And while the 38 anglers fishing Wednesday will likely have to make significant adjustments to keep catching fish, Texas pro Alton Jones will be relaxing on the bank after claiming Group B’s automatic berth in the Championship Round on Thursday.
FULL RESULTS
BALLY BET AOY STANDINGS
Jones made it look easy, searching for new water for most of the day, but adding 36 pounds, 10 ounces to bring his total to 117-1 over two days. That gave him a lead of 25-10 over second-place pro Dakota Ebare and 34 pounds over third-place angler Andy Morgan.
Jones Breezes Straight to Championship Round
With a big cushion of nearly 15 pounds to start the day, Jones felt good when he launched his boat about advancing to the Championship Round and earning his second Top 10 in as many events.
Ebare closed the gap in the third period, but Jones added three bass in the last 20 minutes to seal the deal. Jones knew his berth was sealed when he caught his last bass with three minutes left in the day, but the Mercury pro still wanted to take advantage of a good bite.
“I’m done, I don’t want to catch another one,” Jones said as time was winding down. However, he continued to cast anyway, knowing he would have a day off on Wednesday.
Looking ahead, Jones is confident in his primary area and what he found later in the day on Sunday, when he was searching for new spots.
“I started (Sunday) on my best area, and I have several other places to fish,” he said. “I think the fish will replenish in those areas, and I’m ready for Championship Day. Wheeler will be tough to beat, no matter what the weather does, but I’ve tried to focus on main lake stuff that not everyone is fishing.”
Rookies In the Mix
Like Cole Floyd on Monday, Ebare and Ryan Salzman have advanced to the Knockout Round. These three new faces on the Bass Pro Tour showed they have the fishing skills based on their success on the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit.
Floyd finished his group in sixth place, easily advancing to the first Knockout Round of his career. He’ll be joined by Ebare and Salzman for another day on Lake Fork.
Ebare started the day in second place behind Jones and stayed there for the entire day. He made a push to overtake Jones late in the day but settled in the same place where he started this morning.
Salzman also had a great day and after starting the day in 19th, catching nine for 31-4 to jump to 10th place.
Moving Day
Three anglers moved into the 20-angler cut and three exited on the day. There wasn’t much for late drama on the Toro Cut Line, but some anglers had great days and will advance.
Dustin Connell had 38-3 to jump from 29th to ninth. Russ Lane moved from 27th to 18th, and Greg Vinson moved from 21st to 20th. They supplanted Adrian Avena (14th to 21st), Dean Rojas (17th to 24th), and Ott DeFoe (20th to 25th).
Daily Leaders
- The Berkley Big Bass of the Day was the 9-4 caught by Jesse Wiggins.
- Luke Clausen had the most weight on SCORETRACKER® with 43-10.
- Clausen also had the most scoreable bass with 11.
What’s Next & How to Watch
The remaining anglers from both groups will launch their boats Wednesday and try to stay warm during anticipated cold weather during the Knockout Round. It kicks off at 8 a.m. CST on Wednesday. Live coverage of the Toro Stage Two Presented by Grundéns starts at 7:45 a.m. CT on the MLF NOW! live stream. Watch for free on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF app, or the MyOutdoorTV app.
Bally Bet Angler of the Year
MLF has partnered with Bally Bet for the 2022 Bally Bet Angler of the Year award. 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.