VIEWER’S GUIDE: Conditions Lining Up for Quick Sudden Death Round 2
Last week, we saw four anglers advance through Sudden Death Round 1 to the Championship Round of the Sqwincher Patriot Cup Presented by Venmo. Only four spots remain in the Championship Round, and the nine pros fishing Sudden Death Round 2 hope they can be one of the first four to hit the 14-pound Target Weight.
Back to Fort Gibson
Like the four previous rounds, Sudden Death Round 2 will take place on Fort Gibson Lake. Just like in Sudden Death Round 1, the anglers will be constrained to the lower third of Fort Gibson Lake.
However, unlike the other rounds, expect nothing but clear and sunny skies on this late-September day. Still, even with clear skies, the anglers cannot escape the rising water levels.
“Earlier in the week when we started this competition, Fort Gibson Lake was 6 1/2 feet above full pool,” MLF analyst Marty Stone said. “That has now risen to 8 1/2 feet because of all the heavy rain we have had over the past few days. There’s lots of flooded shoreline for these anglers to fish and plenty of flooded vegetation.”
Even with the high water, conditions are lining up for a good day of fishing for the nine pros.
“With the abundance of cover, the shad migrating into the shallows, and the stained water, we’ve got a lake that is stabilizing,” Stone said. “Add a south wind to all of these conditions, and I’ll be shocked if this Sudden Death Round goes a full three periods. These guys are going to catch them and catch them quick.”
The Field
The group of nine is headlined by three previous winners on the 2019 Bass Pro Tour. Jordan Lee (Stage One), Andy Morgan (Stage Three), and Aaron Martens (Stage Six) are each trying to win their first cup event of the season.
Bobby Lane is no stranger to the MLF Cup “anywhere is possible” format as a former General Tire World Champion. He will have to contend with Cody Meyer as another pro with MLF experience.
Zack Birge calls the state of Oklahoma home, but he doesn’t live near Fort Gibson. We will see if the boy from Blanchard can show he’s actually an Okie from Muskogee.
Brent Chapman, Stephen Browning and Josh Bertrand are each looking to win their first MLF event. Chapman enters having won his Elimination Round while Browning finished second in Elimination Round 1; Bertrand took home third place in Elimination Round 3.
How to Watch
The anglers will fish for three periods on Fort Gibson, attempting to be one of the first four anglers to reach the 14-pound Target Weight. Those four will move on to the Championship Round while the other five will pack up their rods and head home.
The nine competing anglers bring us Sudden Death Round 2 on Saturday, May 2 at 2 p.m. ET on Outdoor Channel.
Each new episode of MLF Cup events will be available on MyOutdoorTV two days after premiering on Outdoor Channel.