MDJ Powers to 84-15 on First Day at Legendary Lake Fork

Mark Daniels, Jr., slings one of his day-leading 84-15 to hand. Photo by Phoenix Moore

March 13, 2020 • Tyler Brinks • Bass Pro Tour

LAKE FORK, Texas – Ever since the 2020 Bass Pro Tour season was announced, the General Tire Stage Three Presented by TrueTimber on Lake Fork was pegged as one to watch.

Many predicted records would fall this week, and that some of the biggest bass ever seen in Major League Fishing history would be weighed and added to SCORETRACKER®.

Then in the days leading up to the event, the conditions were set up just about perfectly with a full moon and warming water temperatures. The anticipation among the anglers could be felt this morning as they launched.

Even with all of the hype and expectations, the fishing may have been even better than expected.

And, the stats for the day support that.

To give you a glimpse of what happened today, the bass fishing world saw a new MLF record for the biggest bass caught and the 20th-place weight was a staggering 40 pounds, 11 ounces.

Day 1 produced nine bass in the 7-pound class, four 8-pounders, two 9s, and the league’s first-ever 10-pounder.

It’s safe to say they caught ’em.

MDJ Takes Control

Mark Daniels, Jr., celebrates one of his chunky Lake Fork largemouth from Day 1. Photo by Phoenix Moore

Mark Daniels, Jr. started strong and, once he took the lead, he stayed there for good. His big day started right thanks to a Period 1 haul of 12 bass for 38-13.

He ended the round with a day best 24 bass for 84-15. He’ll head into his next day of fishing with a lead of just over 12 pounds.

“It was a special day, that’s the only way to put it,” Daniels said. “Everything just came together perfectly. It was crazy.”

Even with a dominating performance on the day, Daniels has a feeling things are going to change drastically before he hits the water again on Sunday.

“With the weather starting to cool down, things are going to change and I am going to have to get creative,” he said. “I’m going to go back through the area where I caught them to start the day and will go from there.”

Sprague’s Home Cooking

Jeff Sprague stacked up 72-12 on his home waters on Lake Fork. Photo by Garrick Dixon

Jeff Sprague calls Lake Fork his second home lake, after Lake Tawakoni. He used some of his prior knowledge to the tune of 20 bass for 72-12.

“I started coming here when I was old enough to drive, but this is the first pro tournament I have fished here,” Sprague said. “I can’t say for sure that it was a home-field advantage, but I tried to focus on areas that I know they traditionally spawn in.”

He was able to catch fish consistently all day, but the afternoon bite is what propelled him to second place.

“The fish here this time of year bite well in the afternoon, that’s how they like to set up,” said the Texas pro. “The lake showed out today, but I still think it could have been even better. There are a lot more fish wanting to come up.”

Christie’s Double-Digit Helps Him to Third

There have been some big bass in the young history of the Bass Pro Tour, but Jason Christie now has the biggest bass caught during one of the events. His 10-4 is also the largest fish ever weighed in during any Major League Fishing event.

That big fish was a huge help toward his total of 17 bass for 68-12, but he also scored a massive 9-2 along the way.

Christie was pleased with his day after an uncharacteristically rough start to the season, but said the day didn’t start as planned.

“The day started pretty slow and it was tough to move around where I was with all of the other fishermen in the area. Luckily, that plan didn’t work out,” he said. “I know that is weird to say, but I moved to another area and started catching them.”

Looking ahead, Christie likes how things are setting up for him and his chances at a victory.

“I like the weather forecast and the moon and like what I saw today. Today, I dialed it in and figured out how the fish wanted the bait,” the Oklahoma pro said.

Looking Ahead

Group B will head to Fork tomorrow with similar conditions to today, a predicted high of 73 degrees with rain and scattered thunderstorms. It may be hard to duplicate the success of Group A today, but it’s definitely possible here on Lake Fork.

How, When, Where to Watch

Watch all three periods of competition during the MLF NOW! live stream beginning at 9:45 a.m CST on March 13-18, 2020. Watch for free on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF app, or the MyOutdoorTV app.