No Place Like Home for Matt Lee in Elimination Round 1
CULLMAN, Ala. – It was a special day for MLF pro Matt Lee during Elimination Round 1 of the Bass Pro Tour Phoenix Boats Stage Five Presented by Mercury. Clinching his spot in the Top 20 and advancing to Saturday’s Knockout Round was sweet, but it was made even sweeter by sharing the day with his friends and family.
“It’s surreal to be here at home and to have a good tournament,” Lee said after his eighth-place Elimination finish on Smith Lake. “I was on my way to the ramp and my mother-in-law was there at Big Bridge when I was idling through, cheering me on and congratulating me. My phone is blowing up with text messages. I had a buddy I grew up with, Jacob Gable, follow me on the water all day today and that was really cool. It’s awesome to be this close to home and to be doing so well.”
Figuring Out the Morning Bite
Lee’s friends and family have had plenty to cheer about over his first two days of fishing. The Alabama pro caught, weighed and released 38 bass for 62 pounds, 9 ounces through the first two rounds of competition, setting him up for just his second Knockout Round qualification of the season. Those who watched Lee work were probably impressed with what they saw, but he is well-aware of improvements he needs to make.
“Both days this week I’ve struggled with the early morning bite,” Lee said of his game. “Luckily, I’ve been able to catch up to everyone in the afternoon with some bites. That afternoon bite is so huge for me, and it’s a big part of my gameplan, but I have got to figure something out for the morning on Saturday if I want a chance to win.”
Lee was only able to catch 3-9 during Period 1 in the Shotgun Round while his Elimination Round wasn’t much better, only adding 6-10. Though he has labored in the first period, his experience growing up and fishing Smith Lake has helped him more than make up for it.
“Knowing my way around this lake helps me out a lot,” Lee admitted. “This lake has about 400 miles of shoreline and with only a day-and-a-half of practice, it’s hard to dissect this lake. Knowing areas that are productive and areas that aren’t when you start practice, that really gives you an upper hand.”
Notes for Knockout Round
Though he’s spent plenty of time on the water of Smith Lake over his career, that doesn’t mean it still can’t surprise Lee.
“There’s some algae bloom going on around the lake, so I’ve had to adjust to fishing some more stained water than I was prepared for,” Lee explained. “I have a bait, I won’t say what it is, but it’s the best thing to throw where I’m currently fishing so I feel ok.”
As he prepares for his second Knockout Round and what he hopes is his first Championship Round qualification, there are plenty of scenarios running through Lee’s head. Some parts of his plan for Saturday are fluid, but one thing is for certain: he knows he must take advantage of the morning bite.
“I’m going to spend tomorrow creating a gameplan since we have some weather coming in that may change things,” Lee detailed. “I think the biggest thing for me is going to be a shad-colored Strike King swim jig. I had some bites on that bait this morning and I think there’s an area that if I find it, I can really catch some fish quickly. That morning bite is just going to be so important for me if I want to make it to the Championship Round.”
Lee and the rest of the Top 20 from Group A move on to Saturday’s Knockout Round where they will face off with the Top 20 anglers from Group B. Elimination Round 2 gets started on Friday at 6:30 a.m. CT. You can follow along with the action on SCORETRACKER® all day long and theMLF NOW! live stream begins at 9 a.m. CT.