LIVE BLOG: Jacob Powroznik Wins Stage Three

Jacob Powroznik is working to catch up with Jacob Wheeler as the final period begins. Photo by Phoenix Moore

March 31, 2019 • Joel Shangle • Bass Pro Tour

RALEIGH, N.C. – We’re down to the final 2 1/2 hours of competition on Shearon Harris Reservoir, and it’s about as tight around the top of SCORETRACKER as you can imagine.

Jacob Wheeler just dropped an 8-pound, 5-ounce hawg on SCORETRACKER in the final 30 seconds of the second period, and as we settle into the 15-minute period break, Wheeler owns a 9-11 lead over Jacob Powroznik for the trophy.

You can follow live, official scoring on SCORETRACKER, and tune in to the MLF NOW! live stream through the final period for on-the-water coverage and analysis by the mighty crew of Chad McKee, JT Kenney, Marty Stone and Natalie Dillon.

3:30 p.m. ET – It is official: Jacob Powroznik is the Favorite Fishing Stage Three Presented by Evinrude Champion. Powroznik was able to hold off Jacob Wheeler with a final total weight of 63 pounds, 4 ounces. Wheeler finished with 59-10, 3-10 behind Powroznik. It is Powroznik’s first win of the Bass Pro Tour and his first Top-10 finish.

2:53 p.m. ET – Your new leader is Jacob Powroznik thanks to two big bass he caught within three minutes of each other. Powroznik caught a 4-pounder that he followed up with a 6-4 to push him past Jacob Wheeler and into the top spot. Thirty minutes remain in this wild Championship Round and it seems to be a battle between Jacob Powroznik, Jacob Wheeler and Takahiro Omori.

2:10 p.m. ET – Takahiro Omori is starting to make a move near the top of SCORETRACKER thanks to some bites from a swimbait. A run of three 2-pound bass in just under five minutes has Omori within striking distance of Wheeler, just 6-15 is the difference. But, as we’ve seen all week long, that is easily attainable in North Carolina.

12:36 p.m. ET – Less than two hours to go on this Championship Sunday. Jacob Wheeler holds a 13-pound, 4-ounce lead over Jacob Powroznik. The Indiana pro just continues to not only catch fish, but sizable fish. Wheeler’s smallest bass of the day is 2-5, his biggest 8-5.

Jacob Wheeler was pumped up after this 8-5 largemouth that pushed his lead to 9-11 as we head to the final period.

12:56 p.m. ET – Jacob Wheeler has not only taken the lead, but taken a commanding lead in the Championship Round. With one minute remaining in the second period, Wheeler landed an 8-5 lunker. Here’s a look at the standings as Period 3 is about to get underway:

Jacob Wheeler 40-03
Jacob Powroznik 30-08
Takahiro Omori 26-00
OttDeFoe 23-06
Edwin Evers 20-08
Jeff Sprague 19-05
Alton Jones 18-09
Mark Daniels 17-10
Jared Lintner 9-05
Russ Lane 4-09

Jacob Powroznik grins after a second-period fish. Photo by Phoenix Moore

12:29 a.m. ET – Powroznik is up to 27-11, thanks to three quick fish: 1-12, 1-12 and 3-2 caught in a 19-minute stretch. Powroznik has also put the most fish on SCORETRACKER (10).

12:18 p.m. ET – Less than 30 minutes remain in Period 2 and Takahiro Omori is standing firm atop SCORETRACKER. Omori has snagged seven bass for 18-15 in this period. The pro came into today not knowing what to expect from Shearon Harris, calling it “kind of boring” during his ride around. It has been anything but boring for him today.

11:44 a.m. ET – Jacob Wheeler just leapt from 8th place to second, thanks to a 5-8. That, combined with a 4-11 that he put on SCORETRACKER 15 minutes earlier, gives him 19-10, just 1-0 behind Omori for the lead.

Wheeler caught both of those fish on a frog, and as MLF NOW! analyst Marty Stone pointed out, “Wheeler is fishing the current conditions.”

Meaning, Wheeler is throwing a topwater bait under cloudy conditions. That frog’s silhouette is very visible, and it’s clearly paying dividends for Wheeler.

Takahiro Omori is hovering in the Top 3 in the second period. Photo by Garrick Dixon

11:37 a.m. ET – This just goes to show how quickly things can change on the Bass Pro Tour. As soon as I hit “Update”, Takahiro Omori took over the lead from Alton Jones thanks to a 3-4. The lead will most likely continue to change hands throughout the day because the difference between first and seventh place is 4 pounds, 2 ounces. One fish can easily be the difference today.

11:35 a.m. ET – There’s a new leader, and it’s Texas pro Alton Jones. Two 3-pounders in the last 25 minutes have allowed Jones to move past Edwin Evers and Mark Daniels, Jr. to take the top spot. Jones has spent his morning in pockets and creeks along the banks of Shearon Harris.

11:16 a.m. ET – If you’re watching MLF NOW!, you’ve just witnessed a defining moment of this morning on Shearon Harris Reservoir. On a quick cut to Jacob Powroznik, J-Proz’s comment to his cameraman (who had just asked him a question) was “I’m fishing, damn.” Powroznik went on to explain that he has his eyes on three fish on a bed, and that “one of them is locked down.” In other words, Powrozink is poised with a hair trigger, in case one of those mercurial bed fish decide to nip at his V&M J-Bug.

Powroznik is one to pay close attention to this afternoon. He’s one of the most accomplished bed-fishermen in the world, and he’s clearly located something that he wants to focus on.

10:55 a.m. ET – Look out, here comes Mark Daniels, Jr. The Alabama pro has moved into second place and is just 10 ounces behind leader Edwin Evers. He has boated a 3-2 and a 3-5 over a five minute span to rocket him up SCORETRACKER. Read how Daniels used an impressive Period 3 yesterday to advance to today’s Championship Round.

10:25 a.m. ET – Edwin Evers is maintaining his lead of 1 pound, 10 ounces over Jacob Powroznik. We have yet to see a monster fish like Jordan and Falls Lakes gave us, but we have seen multiple fish over 4 pounds (six in total) hit SCORETRACKER.

Ott DeFoe working the Shearon Harris Reservoir shoreline. Photo by Garrick Dixon

10:00 a.m. ET – The first period is finished and we are five-and-a-half hours away from naming a Stage Three Champion. Here is where we stand after two-and-a-half hours of fishing:

Edwin Evers 18-04
Jacob Powroznik 14-01
Alton Jones 11-14
Mark Daniels, Jr. 11-03
Jeff Sprague 11-01
Takahiro Omori 7-01
Ott DeFoe 5-07
Jacob Wheeler 5-01
Jared Lintner 4-06
Russ Lane 0-0

9:30 a.m. ET – Just has I was about to write that Jacob Powroznik has a firm hold of the lead, Edwin Evers makes a move. The Oklahoma pro and Stage Two champ just landed a 4-15 for his largest catch of the day, vaulting him above Powroznik by 1-4.

Something to keep an eye on: we have seen the morning bite prove quite fruitful over the course of Stage Three, but the anglers who take advantage of the afternoon bite are the ones who make the biggest moves (Alton Jones, Takahiro Omori, Mark Daniels, Jr. were some from the Knockout Round). The high air temperature is predicted around 66 degrees with partly cloudy to mostly cloudy skies throughout the day. How will that affect the afternoon bite? We will find out in a few hours.

8:49 a.m. ET – Jacob Powroznik is on the 3-pounder train. The Virginia pro just added his third 3 of the day to SCORETRACKER, and is now up to 9-12, just 1-5 shy of Sprague’s lead.

Jeff Sprague casts on Shearon Harris. Photo by Joe Branch

8:26 a.m. ET – We have a new leader on top of SCORETRACKER. Jeff Sprague used a topwater bait to land a 3-15, moving him past Edwin Evers by 3-6. Seven of the 10 anglers have caught a scoreable bass to start the morning, none of which have been smaller than 2 pounds.

8:18 a.m. ET – It’s the “Parade of 3-plus-pounders”: of the eight fish caught in the first 45 minutes, five are over 3. Ott Defoe has the first 5: a 5-7 caught on a jerkbait.

7:44 a.m. ET – Two fish in, and Shearon Harris Reservoir is already solid: Jeff Sprague is on SCORETRACKER with a 4-pound, 15-ounce fish, and Edwin Evers has a 3-10. Obviously, we’ll keep a close eye on these two: Sprague and Evers are the only two anglers who have qualified for all three Championship Rounds of the young Bass Pro Tour season.