The first two events of the 2025 Bass Pro Tour season couldn’t have been much more different. Stage 1 on Lake Conroe was all about chasing prespawn bass offshore, and despite the new regulations limiting anglers to one period per day in which they can use forward-facing sonar, the technology still accounted for more than half of the fish caught. During Stage 2 on the Harris Chain, however, many of the top performers never even turned their transducers on as they flipped for shallow spawning fish.
So, what can we expect for PowerStop Brakes Stage 3 Presented by Strike King on Lake Murray? Probably something in the middle. With most of the bass likely in prespawn mode, forward-facing sonar should be a factor. But there will be plenty of other ways to catch them, too, meaning anglers will have to keep stacking on weight outside of the “turbo period.”
One prediction feels safe: If you’re playing Phoenix Fantasy Fishing, pick Anthony Gagliardi. Gagliardi not only lives on Lake Murray, he’s won three national-level events on the fishery, including the Bass Pro Tour’s last visit in 2023.
Now that the most obvious piece of advice of all time is out of the way, here’s some stats, tidbits and picks you might not have thought of to help you pick a winning lineup for Stage 3.
Other locals to keep an eye on
Gagliardi is the favorite for obvious reasons, but he’s not the only South Carolina native in the field who has hoisted a trophy at Murray. Casey Ashley won a 2011 Bassmaster Elite Series event on the fishery and also finished fourth in the 2014 Forrest Wood Cup. Expect him to be a popular pick this week. Fellow Palmetto State native Andy Montgomery finished in the Top 10 when the Bass Pro Tour visited Murray in 2023. Finally, even though he’s technically from North Carolina, Bryan Thrift has spent plenty of time on Murray through the years. He has two Top-10 finishes in Forrest Wood Cups on the lake plus an eighth-place showing in the 2023 event.
Past performances of note
In addition to Ashley and Gagliardi, two anglers in the field have won national events on Murray before. Matt Becker edged Gagliardi to win a Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit event on the fishery in April 2021. Coming off a third-place finish on the Harris Chain, he could be dangerous. Fred Roumbanis won a 2008 Bassmaster Elite Series event on Murray. The fishery has changed a fair bit since then, when “Boom Boom” targeted bluegill eaters up the Saluda River, but with a decent population of bass expected to be moving shallow, he could be in the mix.
Other anglers who have logged multiple Top 10s on Murray include Michael Neal and Edwin Evers. Neal finished third behind Becker and Gagliardi in 2021 and sixth in the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup. Evers finished third in the Elite Series event Roumbanis won and then eighth three years later.
Can Wheeler get revenge?
Lake Murray is the site of Jacob Wheeler’s worst finish on the Bass Pro Tour – tied for 75th. So, does that mean you should leave Wheeler off your roster this week? Probably not. The three-time Fishing Clash Angler of the Year continues to operate at the peak of his powers, making the Championship Round at each of the first two events this year. I’d guess he’ll probably have a little extra motivation this week to avenge that 2023 dud, which cost him the chance to win four straight AOY titles. Pick against him at your own peril.
Other consistent producers who deserve consideration for your lineup include Drew Gill. The 22-year-old has at least made the Knockout Round in consecutive events; clearly, he can still compete amid the new forward-facing sonar rules. Also, it might be time to start including Jacob Wall in this group. It’s admittedly early, but he’s currently leading Wheeler by one point atop this year’s AOY race.
Sneaky selections
Flight 1:
Zack Birge – Birge hardly counts as a sneaky pick at this point. Dating back to last season, he’s finished among the Top 20 in seven of his past nine events. He’s adept both at using forward-facing sonar and at fishing down the bank without it, and he should get to show off both skills on Murray.
Wesley Strader – Strader notched a couple Top 10s on Murray back in the FLW Tour days. He loves to throw skirted baits around shallow cover, which should be a big deal in this one, and he’s become pretty handy with a minnow in his hands while using forward-facing sonar, too.
Flight 2:
Marshall Robinson – Robinson has stumbled a bit to start his sophomore season, and I like him to right the ship on Murray. While he hasn’t competed with MLF on the fishery before, the South Carolina native should be plenty familiar with it. He’s another angler who has shown he can catch them both using forward-facing sonar and power fishing shallow.
Jeff Sprague – Sprague finished among the Top 10 the last time the Bass Pro Tour visited Murray. He’s a great moving-bait angler, and after narrowly missing the cut to advance to the Knockout Round at each of the past two events, I think he gets over the hump this time.