PREVIEW: 2018 Summit Select – Sudden Death Comes to the Selects
Sudden Death – it is without a doubt one of the most popular rounds in the MLF Cups. And now, for the first time, MLF Select anglers will get to experience Sudden Death, thanks to the Selects now assuming the Cup format.
The format for Sudden Death is simple, yet stressful: Six pros race towards a predetermined cut weight and the first three pros to reach the cut weight advance to the Championship Round while the other three head home.
Today, that cut weight has been set at 16 pounds. But getting to that 16-pound mark might be a little bit more challenging since MLF has also implemented a new rule where a scorable bass must weigh at least a pound to be counted. Gone are the days when pros could catch 12-inch keepers and scratch their way to the cut weight 13 and 14 ounces at a time. Now a bass must be 16 ounces or heavier to be deemed scorable.
Another wrinkle that is often thrown into Sudden Death is a change in lakes, which is exactly what has happened today. The six pros facing Sudden Death qualified from various zones on Lake Ouachita but now find themselves at Hill Wheatley Park ramp on upper Lake Hamilton for their sprint to 16 pounds. The exact zone for day one of Sudden Death is confined by the Albert Pike Road Bridge (Hwy. 270) to the north and Hwy 7 Bridge to the south, giving anglers the run of some 10 miles of the Ouachita River.
Wesley Strader, who dominated his Elimination Round on Ouachita with a shad spawn pattern, said he would be looking for the same thing to get to 16 pounds on Hamilton.
“I have fished on this lake before,” Strader confirmed. “I fished a Forrest Wood Cup here a long time ago. It’s a residential lake with a lot of houses on it. Because of that, the water level here stays pretty consistent and it does not fluctuate like it does up on Ouachita. This lake has a bunch of docks and seawalls so there is plenty of stuff to fish.”
The stained water and debris mats floating out on the river indicated that the water was still being trucked through Hamilton pretty heavily.
“If I had to guess, I’d say there is probably quite a bit of current being pulled through this lake right now,” Strader added. “I’m probably going to head to the back of a creek and see if I can find a shad spawn going on somewhere.”
Fletcher Shryock of Ohio also won his Elimination Round but he did it flipping bushes, something that might be pretty hard to find on such a residential lake where so many of the banks have been cleared.
“I was kind of hoping we would return to Ouachita, but whatever,” Shryock said. “I’ve never been on this lake, either. I’m sure since it’s so developed, there won’t be a whole lot of bushes to fish. A lot of times these developed lakes in a chain are kept at a pretty steady level. This is probably going to be a dock deal.”
MLF Select rookie Michael Neal of Tennessee finished second in his first Elimination Round attempt on Lake Ouachita, which earned him a ticket to Hamilton for Sudden Death. His pattern on Ouachita was throwing a shaky head to isolated pole timber, something he will likely not be able to duplicate on Hamilton either.
“I see a lot of docks,” Neal said. “That’s not good for me. Dock fishing is not exactly my strength. And 16 pounds sounds like a pretty tall order based on what we caught at Ouachita – so maybe this is a better lake. I’ve never been here before so I’m just going to wing it and see what happens.”
After hearing the 16-pound cut weight announced, Ott Defoe was a little surprised.
“That might be a little tougher to reach with that new one-pound rule in place,” Defoe said. “If a guy catches four or five 12-inch keepers that only weigh 14 or 15 ounces, that’s an easy three or four pounds he doesn’t get to count towards his weight.”
“I mean it’s the same for everybody, but it just might draw out the process a little longer, that’s all,” Defoe added.