ATHENS, Ala. – Hunter Muncrief of Brookeland, TX, emerged victorious at the Top 150 Solo event held on Lake of the Pines, a 64-year-old reservoir in East Texas near Jefferson. The tournament was preceded by two weeks of cold fronts, making conditions challenging. However, the week leading up to the event brought spring-like temperatures in the 70s, causing rapid changes in fish patterns due to warmer weather and falling water levels.
Muncrief, who was in 8th place after day one, was 5 pounds behind the leader and understood that securing the win would require an exceptional performance. Lake of the Pines has earned a reputation for producing multiple five-fish limits exceeding 30 pounds, a trend that continued during this event with five anglers achieving this feat on day two.
Muncrief weighed in a remarkable five-fish limit totaling 39.49 pounds, nearly joining the exclusive 40-pound club. His catch included two standout fish weighing 10.67 pounds and over 9 pounds. Combined with his day one limit of 22.29 pounds, Muncrief’s two-day total reached an impressive 61.78 pounds, earning him $7,000. However, despite his extraordinary haul, he did not secure the big bass honors.
“I didn’t get to practice much,” Muncrief stated. “I got down here Thursday a little late and caught a 7-pounder on a jerk bait, a Sixth Sense Provoke, and sort of ran with that in the tournament. I used it and a chatterbait on the shallow grass in 3 to 7 feet. I caught at least 30 keepers a day, but today I know I threw back a 4.40 and a 4.01. My second bag would have been well over 20 pounds. It’s just awesome to have a fishery like this.”
Lindsay Claims Second Place with Consistency
Jace Lindsay of Beckville, TX, delivered a strong performance to secure second place. He started the tournament with a five-fish limit weighing 26.98 pounds, anchored by a 6.97-pounder, placing him second after day one. Lindsay followed up with a five-fish limit of 31.26 pounds on day two, bringing his total to 58.24 pounds and earning $2,900.
“I was on them in practice, but they were real deep and suspended over 35 feet of water,” Lindsay explained. “The water warmed up and moved all my fish, so I snuck up a little shallower, fishing isolated structure. They were staging, getting ready to push up. I didn’t have many keepers yesterday, but today I know I culled over 22 pounds. It’s amazing to throw back that much, but when they bite like they did today, you have to.”
Chris Brasher of Longview, TX, finished third with a two-day total of 55.99 pounds, earning $2,500 plus an additional $420 for the big bass honors. Brasher’s day two catch included the tournament’s biggest bass, an impressive 11.00-pounder, and a five-fish limit of 32.18 pounds. As a member of the Ultimate Angler program, Brasher’s third-place finish also qualified him for the Ultimate Angler Championship at Lake Guntersville, where he will compete for a chance to win $500,000.
“I caught all my fish on a Sixth Sense Provoke jerk bait in 3 to 7 feet of water around standing timber,” Brasher said. “I caught the 11-pounder fairly early this morning. There were two phases to the bite: a little bit early and then a lull before it turned on again. I probably culled 10 to 15 fish a day fishing one main area.”
Zack Fogle secured fourth place with impressive limits of 24.04 pounds and 31.84 pounds, totaling 55.88 pounds and earning $2,000. Meanwhile, Brandon McDonald of Longview, TX, finished fifth with consecutive five-fish limits of 27.21 pounds and 28.09 pounds, totaling 55.30 pounds and earning $1,000. McDonald’s day-one limit was highlighted by an 8.15-pound bass, which initially held the big bass honors before being surpassed on day two.
A Historic Day on Lake of the Pines
“This event was a special one for me,” said tournament director Chris Wayand. “I’ve been running tournaments for 14 years and up until today, I had not seen a weigh-in like this. I’ve seen plenty of heavy bags, but seeing five of them over 30 pounds in one afternoon is something special. I had anglers coming to the scales with 18 to 24-pound limits who were disappointed. That’s a great day in my book! On a lake like this, when you time it right, though, it’s just not enough. I’ve known this lake can produce bags like this for a couple of years and tried to time it just right, and this weekend proves that we did. What makes me very excited is knowing we are coming back to Lake of the Pines two more times this year with the ABA Pro League. The Texas division has a single-day event here on May 24th and the two-day Championship in September. It’s going to be exciting.”
At the conclusion of the season, the Angler of the Year in this division will be crowned, and the top 15 anglers by points will receive invitations to fish the 2025 Top 150 Solo Championship.
For more information on upcoming tournaments call Chris Wayand, tournament manager, at 256-230-5627 or ABA at 256-232-0406. Online, see www.americanbassanglers.com
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 Professional League, all presented by Caymas Boats, please visit www.americanbassanglers.com or call (256) 232-0406.
American Bass Anglers is proud to be sponsored by Caymas Boats, Mercury Marine, T-H Marine, Power Pole, WattCycle Batteries, Hotel Planner.com, and LurePartsOnline.com.
For more information, visit www.americanbassanglers.com or call (256) 232-0406
