ATHENS, Ala. – Despite another cold front sweeping in on Friday night, Ryan Lloyd of Brandon, MS, managed to clinch victory in the Professional League held on Saturday, March 9th, at Ross Barnett Lake in Mississippi. Heavy rain pushed the Pearl River near Pearl, MS, to its limits, but lake levels remained steady. Saturday saw temperatures hovering around 60 degrees as 52 anglers set out from Tommy’s Trading Post near Hwy 43 for the season’s second event, facing unpredictable winds.
In the previous event, Ryan Lloyd, coming off a second-place finish, had high hopes but was unsure due to the fickle weather. Nevertheless, he emerged victorious, pocketing $3,800 with a five-fish limit weighing 20.13 lbs.
Ryan shared his strategy: “I stuck to the typical spring pattern at Barnett Lake, focusing on shallow waters. My big catch came on the first cast of the day—a hefty 9.78lb female. I mainly used soft plastics in shallow areas, despite the water temperature dropping due to rain and a cold front.”
In second place was Ed Dunnaway of Flowood, MS, who secured $2,000 with his five-fish limit weighing 18.83 lbs. Ed’s tactic involved switching to an old-school bait, the 6-inch Zoom Lizard, which proved successful despite the challenging conditions.
“I practiced one day this week, and then we got the cold front. I went down to the Big Lake to a community hole, and there were 15 boats already there. I spent about an hour and a half there to start the day, but I got run off by a few folks. I made a move about 9:00-9:30 to a spot that I found Thursday, and right off the bat, I caught my biggest fish. I knew that’s where I needed to be, and I got my limit right there. I left the thing and went to another spot, and then came back to it after clearing my head and realizing I had made the wrong move. I used a bait that most people don’t use anymore: a 6-inch Zoom Lizard. I started off with a Carolina rig and it got messed up, so I switched to a Texas rig and slowly moved it across the bottom. The fish didn’t seem to care, and they kept biting. It was a fun day.”
During the weigh-in, the lead shifted multiple times, with four of the top five anglers hitting the 18 lb. mark, separated by only 5 ounces. Paul Crabtree of Columbia, MS, locked in third place with a five-fish limit for 18.67 lbs.
Paul shared his experience: “I got on a pattern during practice. I ran to the South end and pretty much fished windblown rip rap all day. I stayed in the same area and just kept after it. I only had five keeper bites and landed all of them. I caught all five of them on a chatterbait. I started the day with a spinner bait and lost the first fish I hooked. I saw it at the side of the boat, and she was close to 7 lbs. After that, I picked up a chatter bait and stayed with the chatter bait. I lost confidence in the spinnerbait and was fearful of losing another fish. It was slow between bites, too. About an hour for each one. The last keeper came around 12:30, and that was it. I never caught one after that.”
Finishing fourth, Ivy Bradshaw, MS, had five fish for 18.55 lbs, just ounces behind the others, earning him $1100. Bradley Sartain of Madison, with a 5-fish limit weighing 18.38 lbs, finished in fifth place, earning $900.00.
Don’t think you are out of the hunt if you missed this tournament. The points you earn to qualify for the Ray Scott can come from any division in the country, and you only need to fish one event to be eligible for the two-day event in the fall at the Rez. Tournament #3 will be back at Tommy’s in just a few weeks on May 4th. Fishing patterns and conditions will be completely different by then.
At the end of the season, we will crown the Angler of the Year in this division, and the top 200 anglers by points in the Nation will receive an invitation to fish at the 2025 Ray Scott Championship.
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About American Bass Anglers: American Bass Anglers is dedicated to organizing affordable, local tournaments for weekend anglers while offering opportunities for individual angler advancement. To learn more about American Bass Anglers, including the Team Series, American Fishing Tour, American Couples Series, annual Military Team Bass Tournament, ABA Team Series, Top 150 Solo Tour, and Pro League, all presented by Caymas Boats, please visit www.americanbassanglers.com or call (256) 232-0406.
