LIVE BLOG: Group B Looks for Similar Success on Jordan Lake

Bradley Roy shows off his 7-2 he caught during the Shotgun Round.

March 27, 2019 • Mason Prince • Bass Pro Tour

RALEIGH, N.C. — During Group A’s Shotgun Round we watched the Major League Fishing pros pull big bass after big bass out of Jordan Lake. Today, the other 40 Bass Pro Tour anglers try their luck on the relatively unknown lake to try and position themselves inside the Top 20 before the end of Friday’s Elimination Round.

After one period, the temperatures have not affected the anglers as they have continued the success Group A experienced on Tuesday. As Period 2 begins, watch leader Ish Monroe and second-place David Walker continue to search for big bites and separate themselves from the rest of the pack.

2:28 p.m. ET – One hour remains in the Shotgun Round and while the numbers of fish caught may not catch your eye, the weights sure will. There have been 11 bass caught that have weighed in at more than 6 pounds. Ish Monroe has slowed down since his fast start in Period 1. His lead has disappeared as David Walker is the new leader with 44 pounds, 11 ounces on the day.

If you look down towards the Elimination Line, there should be plenty of drama come Friday when it comes cutting time. Mark Rose currently owns the 20th spot, but there are five anglers within 2 pounds of him, one of them being Jordan Lee.

1:27 p.m. ET – MLF NOW! analyst Marty Stone pointed out that Stephen Browning has started to make a run. The Arkansas pro has boated a 5-4 and a 3-15 back-to-back and has moved himself into the top 10.

1:19 p.m. ET – The third period is underway in Shotgun Round 2 and Ish Monroe remains at the top of the SCORETRACKER. David Walker remains close behind, just 6 ounces below Monroe’s 40-1 weight total. It was a slow second period for the group, but as Period 3 begins we will see if the sunny skies and rising water temperatures have any affect on the bite.

Bradley Roy leads the field in average-per-fish with 5-7, but he has only landed three fish in total. Casey Ashley leads the field in total number of fish with 13, but is in third place.

11:49 a.m. ET – The big fish continue to bite on Jordan Lake. So far, we have seen eight bass weighing more than 6 pounds hit the SCORETRACKER. Timmy Horton was the latest angler to add a a lunker. His 7-7 pushed him into 12th place and well-above the Elimination Line. He caught the bass using a Profound Outdoors T.H. 4-inch Crawsome in black/blue swirl.

11:10 a.m. ET – The anglers near the top of the SCORETRACKER have started to slow down in the second period. Leader Ish Monroe hasn’t landed a scoreable bass in over an hour-and-a-half while second-place David Walker hasn’t added to his weight total in nearly two hours. This lull is quite surprising considering how well both Monroe and Walker did during their morning period.

10:54 a.m. ET – MLF NOW! analyst Rob Newell just gave an update on the water conditions these anglers are dealing with on Jordan Lake today. The water temperature ranges from 56 to 58 degrees with a heavy-light stain. Since Group A finished their Shotgun Round yesterday afternoon, the water level has fallen 3 to 4 inches. In some pockets of the lake the water temperature is expected to rise 2 to 3 degrees with the sunshine that is expected throughout the afternoon. Newell predicted from that we could see some very big bites during Period 3.

10:15 a.m. ET – Period 2 is set to begin soon and an eye should stay on Brett Hite. He has consistently reeled in 3-pounders and has set himself up nicely to make a move towards the top of the SCORETRACKER. Jeff Kriet, Casey Ashley and Chris Lane are other names to look for as they prepare to try and catch Monroe and Walker.

9:37 a.m. ET – Ish Monroe has now taken the lead over David Walker and currently sits at 37-7. If you will remember, Monroe had an excellent showing during the Shotgun Round at Stage One but ultimately ended up missing the cut during the Knockout Round. He seems comfortable on Jordan Lake so far as his average sits at 4-3 per fish. He is consistently fishing shallow water with great success.

8:56 a.m. ET – Ish Monroe is living up to his “Big Fish Ish” nickname landing a 5-2 and a 7 back-to-back in just three minutes. He is fishing in about half-a-foot of water which has proven to be the right strategy. He is averaging a little over 4 pounds per fish and is only 7-2 behind David Walker for first place. But as we’ve seen, 7-2 is easily attainable with just one fish.

David Walker with his 8-6 that remains the largest fish of the day.

8:30 a.m. ET – The big ones are still around and biting. David Walker owns the biggest bass of the day at 8-6 while Chris Lane has the second-largest at 7-6. The cold front that moved through overnight is not seeming to affect the bites the pros are able to get. While the sun continues to shine, we will begin to see how the water temperature fluctuates, if at all throughout the day.

7:51 a.m. ET – The sun is shining on Jordan Lake and the 40 anglers hope it brings them some big bites. David Walker (4-2), Casey Ashley (4-2), and Ish Monroe (2-15) with the big fish of the morning so far as we wait to see if the 7-pounders from Group A’s Shotgun Round show up this morning.