LEESBURG, Fla. – It was a battle for the top spot on SCORETRACKER® all day long on the Harris Chain for the Favorite Fishing Stage Three Presented by Bass Cat Boats, but it ended with Bobby Lane pulling away from Keith Poche and David Walker. Lane used a strong third period to propel himself ahead of Poche for the outright lead heading into Group B’s second day of competition on Monday.
Lane ended the first period in second place behind Poche, but he quickly made his move to the top in Period 2 and never looked back. Lane finished the day with 25 bass for 68 pounds, 4 ounces, beating out Walker by 24 pounds for the lead heading into Group B’s second day of fishing on the Harris Chain. Lane never went more than an hour without registering a scorable bass on SCORETRACKER®, and that consistency is what propelled him to a decisive lead after his first day of fishing.
“That was quite the day right there,” Lane said. “That was a lot of hook-setting and a lot of fun. I caught some big ‘ol Lake Harris bass and a lot of things went right for me today. I had basically the entire south side of Lake Harris to myself, focused on those grass clumps, and was really successful.”
The Florida pro caught almost all of his bass flipping a Berkley PowerBait Power Hawg with a ½-ounce weight and a 4/0 Berkley Fusion hook along grass lines. Lane’s first period consisted of eight bass for 21-2, then he added eight more bass for 23-4 in Period 2 before finishing up his consistent day with nine bass for 23-14 in Period 3. Lane’s day also included two 6-pounders: a 6-0 and a 6-7.
Lane mentioned how the stiff wind that helped the anglers in Group A catch fish on vibrating jigs Friday was still in play on Saturday. While he wasn’t using a vibrating jig, that wind was a massive contributing factor to Lane’s success.
“This was one of the best days of flipping that I’ve had in a while, and the wind was a massive part of that,” Lane explained. “The Berkley Power Hawg is definitely the right bait for this situation in the grass that I’m fishing. I had a Berkley General tied on as well if my Power Hawg was getting caught up. Still, the wind helped me so much today.”
Lane entered Stage Three with a one-point advantage over Jacob Wheeler in the Angler of the Year race, but a guaranteed spot in the Top 10 would certainly help Lane’s chances at his first Bass Pro Tour AOY title. After finishing second to Wheeler during Stage Two just a couple of weeks ago, Lane has his sights set on yet another Championship Round.
“The goal is obviously to get back to that Championship Round and I’m going to do all I can to make it happen,” Lane expressed. “I know the wind is probably going to die down by the time I’m back out here on Monday, so it’s really going to be about finding the really thick clumps of grass where those fish are hiding to find shade.”
Group A returns to the Harris Chain tomorrow for their second and final Qualifying Day. The 40 anglers’ weights will carry over from their first day of fishing as they will battle for a spot in the top 20 on SCORETRACKER®. Brett Hite holds a commanding lead of more than 40 pounds over second-place Brent Chapman, and it looks as though Hite has the best chance to secure an automatic berth into the Championship Round with a Group A win. Coverage begins with the MLF NOW! live stream on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MLF app beginning at 6:45 a.m. ET. Lines go in at 7 a.m. ET.