Lee grabs Stage Six trophy after his Canadian gamble pays off
HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – He got the Lake St. Clair monkey off his back. Jordan Lee is the General Tire Stage Six Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles Champion after totaling 47 pounds, 13 ounces. Lee proved to be the man to beat all week long and put on another impressive smallmouth performance on Thursday, catching a limit worth 23-4.
Lee bested second-place Alton Jones Jr. by 1-3 to get the win, the third Bass Pro Tour win of his career and his first since 2020. Here is how the Championship Round ended on St. Clair:
1. Jordan Lee – 47-13 (10)
2. Alton Jones Jr. – 46-10 (10)
3. Jacob Wheeler – 43-12 (10)
4. Jesse Wiggins – 43-4 (10)
5. Terry Scroggins – 42-14 (10)
6. Mark Daniels Jr. – 42-8 (10)
7. Mark Rose – 42-2 (10)
8. Gary Klein – 41-1 (10)
9. John Hunter – 39-9 (10)
10. Josh Bertrand – 37-11 (10)
Three for Lee, but this one is special
Lee knew he was going to have to do something drastic if he wanted to win on St. Clair. He saw a win slip away on this lake back in 2017 after taking the lead into the final day. He had no intentions of repeating that painful history on Thursday.
Lee caught every one of his five keepers in the first period, quickly building his lead and adding cushion. By the time the first period came to an end, Lee had all but locked up the win leaving too much room for Jones and the rest of the field to close.
The Alabama pro decided from the beginning of the tournament that he was either going to live or die by his decision to fish the Canadian side of St. Clair. Even without getting to drop a line in for practice — due to fishing season not beginning in Canada until the start of the tournament — Lee proved his decision was the right one.
“I gambled coming up here and it paid off,” Lee said. “When I left my house last week, I said I was going to Canada. I didn’t care if I came in last place, it’s what I was going to do. I ended up pulling out the win and it was a special week for me for sure.”
Lee was the first Bass Pro Tour angler to catch the Berkley Big Bass in three days of competition after Wednesday. He added a 5-10 smallmouth to his total today, making it a perfect four-for-four on big bass checks for the week, the only pro to ever do so on the Bass Pro Tour.
It’s been a while since Lee has held a trophy — more than three years now. That’s hard to believe considering just how dominant he’s been for the vast majority of his career. Knowing how hard it is to get a win, especially against this field, Lee couldn’t help but let his emotions flow after clinching the sixth win of his still-young pro career.
“I wasn’t planning on getting this emotional, but you can tell how much this win means to me,” Lee said, holding back appreciative tears. “These guys don’t give you anything out here, you earn everything. I look up to all these guys and they respect me. It means a lot to get a win like this against a field like this.”
What’s next
The Bass Pro Tour season wraps up at Saginaw Bay in Michigan for the Minn Kota Stage Seven Presented by Suzuki. The event will begin on Tuesday, Aug. 1 and will end on Sunday, Aug. 6. For more information and coverage on what to expect from Saginaw Bay, stay tuned to MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MLF app.