Messer adjusts and takes Bassmaster Open lead at Harris Chain of Lakes

Matt Messer of Warfield, Ky., is leading after Day 1 of the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Harris Chain of Lakes with 24 pounds, 6 ounces. 

Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.

October 13, 2023

Messer adjusts and takes Bassmaster Open lead at Harris Chain of Lakes

LEESBURG, Fla. — Most folks love it when a plan comes together.

But Matt Messer is actually pretty stoked that his did not initially work.

As much as it pained Messer to shift gears from his starting area and technique, doing so delivered a limit of 24 pounds, 6 ounces, which leads Day 1 of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Harris Chain of Lakes.

Hailing from Warfield, Ky., Messer heads into Championship Saturday — the event was shortened to two days due to inclement weather on Thursday — with a lead of 3-9 over Ben Milliken of New Caney, Texas.

“I had something I was going to run, but I only had two keepers at almost 11 o’clock. I had to completely switch everything,” Messer said. “I have a way that I can catch a limit pretty easily, but I knew I wasn’t going to win doing it, so I completely scrapped that.

“I’ve fished this place a bunch. I love this place and it ended up working out. I got a couple of the right bites.”

Anchoring his bag with a 7-14 largemouth, Messer also had a 7-2.

No stranger to these waters, Messer and his brother, Kentucky Christian University teammate Lafe Messer, won the Bassmaster College Series event at Harris Chain in 2022 with a two-day total of 61 pounds, 13 ounces that included monster bags of 25-6 and 36-7, a College Series single-day record.

After severe weather prompted the postponement of Day 1, the full field is now fishing both Friday and Saturday instead of the traditional format of trimming the field to the Top 10 for the third and final day.

With the heavy rains and strong winds roiling the Harris Chain, Messer found much of his success flipping a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Creature Hawg. While many chose to flip hydrilla and Kissimmee grass, Messer opted to target pads, eelgrass and shellbars.

“This is the dirtiest I’ve seen this water,” Messer said. “I think I could have caught ‘em on some of the stuff I started on this morning. I’m glad I didn’t because I ended up finding good ones elsewhere.”

In addition to his creature bait, Messer caught keepers on a Zoom Speed Worm and a buzzbait.

“I started catching them early, and I junk fished my way to a limit,” he said. “The two big ones came between noon and 1. Both of them were pretty close.

“I fished Lake Harris, Eustis and Griffin. I have a lot of history on this place, so I was just running around checking stuff. I wasn’t really on anything (solid).”

Milliken, who won the Bassmaster Open at Toledo Bend in mid-April, is in second place with 20-13. Stating that he was committed to his areas regardless of weather, Milliken said he was pleasantly surprised with the quality he encountered.

“I was just fortunate to find a spot with a big group of fish on Day 2 of practice,” Milliken said. “I never went back there in practice, so I had no idea what it was going to be like when I got there this morning.

“I fished multiple lakes today, but I’m going to narrow it down tomorrow because I know what I’m doing. One lake had all of them — one spot.”

Fishing in what he described as a mid-depth range, Milliken said he caught his bass on a mixture of dragging baits, cranking and a big glidebait.

Bassmaster Elite Series pro John Soukup of Sapulpa, Okla., is in third place with 19-10. Parking in one lake all day, Soukup put his faith in an offshore grass area he had located during practice.

“It was a whole day of figuring out what the bass were going to do — was (Thursday’s weather) going to pack them into their areas really tight, or was it going to loosen them up because the weather started getting good and they started feeling good,” Soukup pondered. “It was a little bit of both.

“I think the weather drew more fish into the cover, and they started biting early and kept going and going and going.”

Noting he threw mostly reaction baits, Soukup said he had several other boats in close proximity, but none seemed to fare as well as he did. The key, he said, was stepping on the gas.

“It was speed, weight, bait,” Soukup said. “I was being way more aggressive than everyone else.

“When other guys came through my area, I could see they were struggling. When people are struggling, they usually think they have to slow down. But sometimes to trigger fish in Florida, you need a heavier weight and a faster presentation.”

Messer is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 7-14.

Pic Dieffenbauch Jr. of Hundred, W.Va., leads the co-angler division with 13-4. With a 6-15 anchoring his limit, Dieffenbauch established a margin of 3-6 over Yukinori Kusabuka of Ibaraki, Japan.

“I threw some moving baits and I did some flipping,” Dieffenbauch said. “I caught the big one on a flipping bait in the afternoon.

“It kind of surprised me because it was later in the day. It wasn’t even in the cover. It was just out in the open water.”

Dieffenbauch holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead among co-anglers with his 6-15.

JT Thompkins of Myrtle Beach, S.C., leads the Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifiers standings with 1667 points. The EQ season standings will be decided after Saturday’s rounds, with the top nine finishers earning invitations to fish the 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series.

Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7:15 a.m. ET at Ski Beach and the weigh-in will be held back at the launch site at 3:15 p.m. FS1 will broadcast live with the leaders beginning at 8 a.m. with continuing coverage on Bassmaster.com. 

The tournament is being hosted by Visit Lake, the City of Leesburg and the Greater Orlando Sports Commission.

2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Harris Chain 10/13-10/15Harris Chain Of Lakes, Leesburg  FL.(BOATER) Standings Day 1

   Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Matt Messer            Warfield, KY             5  24-06  200  Day 1: 5   24-06   2.  Ben Milliken           New Caney, TX            5  20-13  199  Day 1: 5   20-13   3.  John Soukup            Sapulpa, OK              5  19-10  198  Day 1: 5   19-10   4.  Wesley Gore            Clanton, AL              5  18-15  197  Day 1: 5   18-15   5.  Tyler Lubbat           Wheeling, IL             5  18-02  196  Day 1: 5   18-02   6.  Chad Prough            Chipley, FL              5  17-05  195  Day 1: 5   17-05   7.  Takayuki Koike         Otsu-City JAPAN          5  16-13  194  Day 1: 5   16-13   7.  Mike Mayo              Athens, TX               5  16-13  194  Day 1: 5   16-13   9.  Trevor McKinney        Benton, IL               5  16-12  192  Day 1: 5   16-12   10. Ish Monroe             Oakdale, CA              5  16-11  191  Day 1: 5   16-11   11. Blake Sylvester        Plaquemine, LA           5  15-14  190  Day 1: 5   15-14   11. Alex Wetherell         Middletown, CT           5  15-14  190  Day 1: 5   15-14   13. Teb Jones              Yalaha, MS               5  15-13  188  Day 1: 5   15-13   14. JT Thompkins           Myrtle Beach, SC         5  15-11  187  Day 1: 5   15-11   15. Louis Monetti          Brielle, NJ              5  15-04  186  Day 1: 5   15-04   16. Tyler Williams         Belgrade, ME             5  15-03  185  Day 1: 5   15-03   17. Brady Vernon           Sterrett, AL             5  14-07  184  Day 1: 5   14-07   18. Billy McDonald         Greenwood, IN            5  14-05  183  Day 1: 5   14-05   19. Zack Smith             Starke, FL               5  14-02  182  Day 1: 5   14-02   20. JT Russell             Mc Calla, AL             5  14-00  181  Day 1: 5   14-00   21. Griffin Phillips       Mount Olive, AL          5  13-15  180  Day 1: 5   13-15   22. Miles Burghoff         Dayton, TN               5  13-12  179  Day 1: 5   13-12   22. Craig Chambers         Midland, NC              5  13-12  179  Day 1: 5   13-12   22. D.J. Ellis             Leesburg, FL             5  13-12  179  Day 1: 5   13-12   22. James Niggemeyer       Van, TX                  5  13-12  179  Day 1: 5   13-12   26. Bryan New              Saluda, SC               5  13-10  175  Day 1: 5   13-10   27. Keith Tuma             Brainerd, MN             5  13-09  174  Day 1: 5   13-09   28. Keith Bardolf          Abbeville, AL            5  13-07  173  Day 1: 5   13-07   29. Dave Turner            Citrus Springs, FL       5  13-07  172  Day 1: 5   13-07   30. Billy Charland         Lakeland, FL             5  13-05  171  Day 1: 5   13-05   31. Andrew Hargrove        Moody, TX                5  13-02  170  Day 1: 5   13-02   31. Dale Hightower         Mannford, OK             5  13-02  170  Day 1: 5   13-02   31. Alex Murray            Lake Charles, LA         5  13-02  170  Day 1: 5   13-02   31. Daniel Valois Gomez    Caracas FL VENEZUELA     5  13-02  170  Day 1: 5   13-02   35. Ron Ryals Jr           Live Oak, FL             5  12-14  166  Day 1: 5   12-14   35. Terry Segraves         Kissimmee, FL            5  12-14  166  Day 1: 5   12-14   37. Chris Blanchette       Edisto Island, SC        5  12-13  164  Day 1: 5   12-13   37. Jack York              Emory, TX                5  12-13  164  Day 1: 5   12-13   39. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN         5  12-12  162  Day 1: 5   12-12   39. Kurt Mitchell          Milford, DE              5  12-12  162  Day 1: 5   12-12   39. Chad Warren            Sand Springs, OK         5  12-12  162  Day 1: 5   12-12   42. Shaine Campbell        Brookeland, TX           5  12-10  159  Day 1: 5   12-10   42. Allen Johnson          Trinity, AL              5  12-10  159  Day 1: 5   12-10   44. Drew Cook              Cairo, GA                5  12-07  157  Day 1: 5   12-07   45. Frank Talley           Temple, TX               5  12-05  156  Day 1: 5   12-05   46. Trey McKinney          Carbondale, IL           5  12-03  155  Day 1: 5   12-03   46. David Wootton          Collierville, TN         5  12-03  155  Day 1: 5   12-03   48. Bo Thomas              Edwardsburg, MI          5  12-03  153  Day 1: 5   12-03   49. Justin Kimmel          Athens, GA               5  12-03  152  Day 1: 5   12-03   50. Jack Tindel III        Orange, TX               5  12-02  151  Day 1: 5   12-02   51. Kyle Austin            Ridgeville, SC           5  12-01  150  Day 1: 5   12-01   51. Brian Post             Janesville, WI           5  12-01  150  Day 1: 5   12-01   53. Robert Gee             Knoxville, TN            5  12-01  148  Day 1: 5   12-01   53. Parker Mott            Winter Garden, FL        5  12-01  148  Day 1: 5   12-01   55. Brett Cannon           Kiln, MS                 5  12-00  146  Day 1: 5   12-00   56. Colby Robertson        Summerfield, FL          5  11-15  145  Day 1: 5   11-15   57. Bobby Lane Jr.         Lakeland, FL             5  11-12  144  Day 1: 5   11-12   58. Mike Surman            Boca Raton, FL           5  11-11  143  Day 1: 5   11-11   58. Jimmy Washam           Stantonville, TN         5  11-11  143  Day 1: 5   11-11   60. Hunter Bland           Williston, FL            5  11-10  141  Day 1: 5   11-10   61. Matt Henry             Milledgeville, GA        5  11-09  140  Day 1: 5   11-09   61. Keith Nemcek           St Charles, IL           5  11-09  140  Day 1: 5   11-09   63. Chase Clarke           Virginia Beach, VA       5  11-08  138  Day 1: 5   11-08   63. Tim Frederick          Leesburg, FL             5  11-08  138  Day 1: 5   11-08   65. Destin DeMarion        Harborcreek, PA          4  11-07  136  Day 1: 4   11-07   66. Kenta Kimura           Osaka JAPAN              5  11-06  135  Day 1: 5   11-06   67. Wil Dieffenbauch III   Hundred, WV              5  11-05  134  Day 1: 5   11-05   68. Cole Drummond          Effingham, SC            5  11-04  133  Day 1: 5   11-04   68. John Garrett           Union City, TN           5  11-04  133  Day 1: 5   11-04   68. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA             5  11-04  133  Day 1: 5   11-04   71. David Kilgore          Jasper, AL               5  11-03  130  Day 1: 5   11-03   71. Kyle Patrick           Cooperstown, NY          5  11-03  130  Day 1: 5   11-03   73. Scout Echols           Monticello, AR           5  11-02  128  Day 1: 5   11-02   73. Tripp Noojin           Bryant, AL               5  11-02  128  Day 1: 5   11-02   75. Danny Ramsey           Trinidad, TX             5  11-01  126  Day 1: 5   11-01   76. Cody Detweiler         Guntersville, AL         5  10-14  125  Day 1: 5   10-14   76. Logan Johnson          Jasper, AL               5  10-14  125  Day 1: 5   10-14   76. Briana Tucker          Trinity, AL              5  10-14  125  Day 1: 5   10-14   79. Greg Bohannan          Bentonville, AR          5  10-14  122  Day 1: 5   10-14   80. Scott Gibbs            Rome, GA                 5  10-13  121  Day 1: 5   10-13   81. Chris Kingree          Inverness, FL            5  10-11  120  Day 1: 5   10-11   82. Scott Kerslake         Okeechobee, FL           5  10-10  119  Day 1: 5   10-10   83. Josh Hubbard           Dunnellon, FL            5  10-09  118  Day 1: 5   10-09   84. Cody Stahl             Barnsville, GA           5  10-08  117  Day 1: 5   10-08   85. Josh Bragg             Fayetteville, GA         5  10-05  116  Day 1: 5   10-05   86. Lafe Messer            Warfield, KY             5  10-02  115  Day 1: 5   10-02   87. Casey Scanlon          Eldon, MO                5  10-01  114  Day 1: 5   10-01   88. Jeffrey Fosdyck        Umatilla, FL             5  09-15  113  Day 1: 5   09-15   88. Daisuke Kita           Ostu Shiga JAPAN         5  09-15  113  Day 1: 5   09-15   88. Lance Owen             Greer, SC                5  09-15  113  Day 1: 5   09-15   88. Brandon Tallhamer      Parkersburg, WV          5  09-15  113  Day 1: 5   09-15   92. Trey Swindle           Cleveland, AL            5  09-14  109  Day 1: 5   09-14   93. Jason Meninger         Yulee, FL                5  09-13  108  Day 1: 5   09-13   94. Jacob Bigelow          Cecil, WI                5  09-13  107  Day 1: 5   09-13   94. Bryan Jones            Zephyrhills, FL          5  09-13  107  Day 1: 5   09-13   96. Kyle Monti             Okeechobee, FL           5  09-12  105  Day 1: 5   09-12   97. Harvey Horne           Bella Vista, AR          5  09-11  104  Day 1: 5   09-11   97. Derek Lehtonen         Woodruff, SC             5  09-11  104  Day 1: 5   09-11   99. Hunter Sales           Blaine, TN               5  09-10  102  Day 1: 5   09-10   100. Jason Carpenter        Castle Pines, CO         5  09-09  101  Day 1: 5   09-09   100. Scott Isaacs           Ladonia, TX              5  09-09  101  Day 1: 5   09-09   102. Jack Dice              Lynchburg, VA            5  09-08   99  Day 1: 5   09-08   103. Tim Arnold             Crane Hill, AL           5  09-08   98  Day 1: 5   09-08   104. Austin Cranford        Norman, OK               5  09-07   97  Day 1: 5   09-07   105. Justin Barnes          Ellaville, GA            5  09-06   96  Day 1: 5   09-06   105. Caleb Gibson           Locust Grove, OK         5  09-06   96  Day 1: 5   09-06   107. Logan Parks            Auburn, AL               5  09-05   94  Day 1: 5   09-05   108. Chris Beaudrie         Princeton, KY            5  09-04   93  Day 1: 5   09-04   108. Cody Bertrand          Dyer, IN                 5  09-04   93  Day 1: 5   09-04   108. Blake Smith            Lakeland, FL             5  09-04   93  Day 1: 5   09-04   111. Chad Grigsby           Maple Grove, MN          5  09-04   90  Day 1: 5   09-04   112. Allan Nail             Sand Springs, OK         5  09-02   89  Day 1: 5   09-02   112. Jacob Thompkins        Myrtle Beach, SC         5  09-02   89  Day 1: 5   09-02   114. Christian Greico       Tampa, FL                5  09-01   87  Day 1: 5   09-01   115. Michael Wooten         White House, TN          4  09-00   86  Day 1: 4   09-00   116. Allen Brooks           Canton, GA               5  08-14   85  Day 1: 5   08-14   116. Kyle Goltz             Cornell, WI              5  08-14   85  Day 1: 5   08-14   118. Ryan Clark             Whitby Ontario CANADA    5  08-13   83  Day 1: 5   08-13   119. Clayton Batts          Butler, GA               5  08-12   82  Day 1: 5   08-12   119. Randall Carter         Maplesville, AL          5  08-12   82  Day 1: 5   08-12   121. Andrew Harp            Linden, TX               5  08-11   80  Day 1: 5   08-11   122. Jason Lambert          Savannah, TN             5  08-10   79  Day 1: 5   08-10   123. Chancy Walters         West Des Moines, IA      5  08-09   78  Day 1: 5   08-09   124. Joey Bloom             Winter Springs, FL       5  08-08   77  Day 1: 5   08-08   124. Clark Reehm            Elm Grove, LA            5  08-08   77  Day 1: 5   08-08   126. Jamie Bruce            Kenora Ontario CANADA    5  08-07   75  Day 1: 5   08-07   127. Jonathan Dietz         Corry, PA                5  08-06   74  Day 1: 5   08-06   128. Dustin Neat            Dunnville, KY            5  08-05   73  Day 1: 5   08-05   129. Joey Hanna             Corsicana, TX            5  08-05   72  Day 1: 5   08-05   130. Jason Tibbetts         Centreville, VA          5  08-04   71  Day 1: 5   08-04   130. B.J. Usie              Bourg, LA                5  08-04   71  Day 1: 5   08-04   132. Jess Beihoffer         Soddy Daisy, TN          5  08-03   69  Day 1: 5   08-03   133. Evan Kung              Pickering Ontario CANAD  5  08-02   68  Day 1: 5   08-02   134. Christian Shoda        Homosassa, FL            3  08-02   67  Day 1: 3   08-02   135. Keith Brumfield        Vicksburg, MS            5  08-01   66  Day 1: 5   08-01   136. Bobby Lanham           Eddyville, KY            5  08-00   65  Day 1: 5   08-00   137. Yusuke Miyazaki        Forney, TX               5  07-15   64  Day 1: 5   07-15   138. Cole Thompson          Saint Cloud, FL          5  07-14   63  Day 1: 5   07-14   139. Brayden Rakes          Winston Salem, NC        5  07-12   62  Day 1: 5   07-12   140. Warren Gensel          Brooksville, FL          3  07-10   61  Day 1: 3   07-10   141. Sam George             Athens, AL               5  07-07   60  Day 1: 5   07-07   141. Jake Maddux            Birmingham, AL           5  07-07   60  Day 1: 5   07-07   143. Shane Lineberger       Lincolnton, NC           4  07-07   58  Day 1: 4   07-07   144. Erik Brztowski         Lemont, IL               5  07-04   57  Day 1: 5   07-04   144. Brandon McMillan       Clewiston, FL            5  07-04   57  Day 1: 5   07-04   146. Frank Ramsey           Spring Grove, IL         4  07-02   55  Day 1: 4   07-02   147. Daniel Rogers          Morriston, FL            5  07-00   54  Day 1: 5   07-00   148. Joey Nania             Cropwell, AL             5  06-13   53  Day 1: 5   06-13   149. Adam Rasmussen         Sturgeon Bay, WI         4  06-11   52  Day 1: 4   06-11   150. Clayton Wiggins        Sorrento, FL             5  06-07   51  Day 1: 5   06-07   151. Mike Oncale            Port Allen, LA           4  06-07   50  Day 1: 4   06-07   152. Paul Bouvier           Kingston CANADA          5  06-02   49  Day 1: 5   06-02   153. Darrell Davis          Dover, FL                4  06-02   48  Day 1: 4   06-02   154. Harry Peyton           Guntersville, AL         5  06-01   47  Day 1: 5   06-01   155. Denny Fiedler          Wabasha, MN              4  05-15   46  Day 1: 4   05-15   156. Jerry Riddle Jr        Summit, MS               4  05-14   45  Day 1: 4   05-14   157. David Perdue           Wirtz, VA                3  05-13   44  Day 1: 3   05-13   158. Ty Faber               Pagosa Springs, CO       4  05-11   43  Day 1: 4   05-11   159. Guy Eaker              Cherryville, NC          5  05-09   42  Day 1: 5   05-09   160. Charlie Hartley        Grove City, OH           4  05-09   41  Day 1: 4   05-09   161. Julius Mazy            Phoenix, AZ              5  05-07   40  Day 1: 5   05-07   162. Taylor Watkins         Clinton, TN              4  05-06   39  Day 1: 4   05-06   163. Frank Williams         Mountain Home, AR        4  05-01   38  Day 1: 4   05-01   164. Scott Allgood          Fair Play, SC            2  04-13   37  Day 1: 2   04-13   165. Lee Young              Orlando, FL              3  04-09   36  Day 1: 3   04-09   166. Gary Caruso            Baton Rouge, LA          3  04-07   35  Day 1: 3   04-07   167. Brad Leuthner          Victoria, MN             2  04-07   34  Day 1: 2   04-07   168. Dalton Dowdy           Newberry, SC             4  04-06   33  Day 1: 4   04-06   169. Paul Browning          Pecos, TX                2  04-03   32  Day 1: 2   04-03   170. Mike Greenwell         Alva, FL                 3  04-02   31  Day 1: 3   04-02   171. Tony Dumitras          Winston, GA              2  04-01   30  Day 1: 2   04-01   172. Roland Stevens         Prairieville, LA         3  04-00   29  Day 1: 3   04-00   173. Phil Killian           Solomon, AZ              2  03-15   28  Day 1: 2   03-15   174. Destry Ford            Tuscaloosa, AL           3  03-03   27  Day 1: 3   03-03   175. Kenji Yamada           Hixson, TN               2  02-09   26  Day 1: 2   02-09   176. A.J. Menssen           Bloomington, IL          3  02-07   25  Day 1: 3   02-07   177. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               1  02-01   24  Day 1: 1   02-01   178. Gary Ogden             Sumrall, MS              1  01-12   23  Day 1: 1   01-12   179. Clay Dyer              Fayetteville, TN         0  00-00    0  Day 1: 0   00-00   179. Danny Hardy            Cantonment, FL           0  00-00    0  Day 1: 0   00-00   179. Koby Kreiger           Alva, FL                 0  00-00    0  Day 1: 0   00-00   179. Harry Moore            Valley, AL               0  00-00    0  Day 1: 0   00-00   ———————————————————————–TotalsDay   #Limits    #Fish      Weight 1       147       832      1818-02———————————-         147       832      1818-02 

2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Harris Chain 10/13-10/15Harris Chain Of Lakes, Leesburg  FL.(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 1

   Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Pic Dieffenbauch Jr    Hundred, WV              3  13-14  200  Day 1: 3   13-14   2.  Yukinori Kusabuka      Ibaraki JAPAN            3  10-08  199  Day 1: 3   10-08   3.  Riku Hayashi           Ritto Shiga JAPAN        3  10-08  198  Day 1: 3   10-08   4.  Ronald Miller          Attalla, AL              3  09-04  197  Day 1: 3   09-04   5.  Ralph Gibson           Locust Grove, OK         3  08-15  196  Day 1: 3   08-15   6.  Chandler Howell        Guntown, MS              3  08-11  195  Day 1: 3   08-11   7.  Marrell Deering        Rome, GA                 3  08-08  194  Day 1: 3   08-08   7.  Larry Mullikin         Jacksonville, FL         3  08-08  194  Day 1: 3   08-08   7.  Avery Williams         Murrells Inlt, SC        3  08-08  194  Day 1: 3   08-08   10. Frank Lauria           Wesley Chapel, FL        3  08-05  191  Day 1: 3   08-05   11. John Lewis             Centreville, VA          3  08-03  190  Day 1: 3   08-03   12. Bobby Williams         Salisbury, NC            3  08-00  189  Day 1: 3   08-00   13. Ron Causey             Spring Hill, FL          3  07-13  188  Day 1: 3   07-13   13. Landon Parrish         Trenton, FL              3  07-13  188  Day 1: 3   07-13   15. Thomas Crosswhite      Hartwell, GA             3  07-10  186  Day 1: 3   07-10   15. David Dimauro          Longwood, FL             3  07-10  186  Day 1: 3   07-10   15. Ronald Young           New Braunfels, TX        3  07-10  186  Day 1: 3   07-10   18. Nathan Bloom           Winter Springs, FL       3  07-07  183  Day 1: 3   07-07   18. Clayton Ellis          Saltillo, MS             3  07-07  183  Day 1: 3   07-07   20. Mark Moore             Freeport, FL             3  07-05  181  Day 1: 3   07-05   21. Mark Wethington        Liberty, KY              3  07-03  180  Day 1: 3   07-03   22. Byong Lee              Stedman, NC              3  07-01  179  Day 1: 3   07-01   22. Clyde Roberts          Marshall, NC             3  07-01  179  Day 1: 3   07-01   24. Kevin Edwards          Ruskin, FL               3  06-11  177  Day 1: 3   06-11   25. Larry Davis            Gladewater, TX           2  06-09  176  Day 1: 2   06-09   26. George Malcolm         Gainesville, FL          3  06-06  175  Day 1: 3   06-06   27. Ray Hill               Lake City, FL            3  06-05  174  Day 1: 3   06-05   28. Blake Campbell         Bremen, AL               3  06-04  173  Day 1: 3   06-04   28. Ronnie Davidson        Leesburg, FL             3  06-04  173  Day 1: 3   06-04   28. Perry See              Rochester, MN            3  06-04  173  Day 1: 3   06-04   31. Mike Spears            Jasper, AL               3  06-02  170  Day 1: 3   06-02   32. Gary Haraguchi         Murfreesboro, TN         3  06-01  169  Day 1: 3   06-01   33. Keir Sexton            Clermont, FL             3  06-00  168  Day 1: 3   06-00   34. Robbie Anderson        Crystal River, FL        3  05-14  167  Day 1: 3   05-14   34. Jon Brown              Brandon, FL              3  05-14  167  Day 1: 3   05-14   34. Noah Reville           Orlando, FL              3  05-14  167  Day 1: 3   05-14   37. Skyler Anderson        Harlem, GA               3  05-13  164  Day 1: 3   05-13   37. Kyle Graham            Flagler Beach, FL        3  05-13  164  Day 1: 3   05-13   37. Ashton Smith           Lake Helen, FL           3  05-13  164  Day 1: 3   05-13   40. Satoshi Egawa          Fort Lee, NJ             3  05-12  161  Day 1: 3   05-12   40. Ray Larson             Springfield, IL          3  05-12  161  Day 1: 3   05-12   42. Michael Hill           Daytona Beach Shores, F  3  05-10  159  Day 1: 3   05-10   43. Scott Waters           Saint Cloud, FL          3  05-09  158  Day 1: 3   05-09   44. Dylan Johnson          Longwood, FL             3  05-08  157  Day 1: 3   05-08   45. Eric Camarote          The Villages, FL         3  05-03  156  Day 1: 3   05-03   46. Chris Timmons          Apopka, FL               3  05-02  155  Day 1: 3   05-02   46. Chris Westhelle        Sanford, FL              3  05-02  155  Day 1: 3   05-02   48. Jackie Flack           Cullman, AL              3  05-00  153  Day 1: 3   05-00   49. Dawson Wisner          Palatka, FL              3  04-15  152  Day 1: 3   04-15   50. Jon Jezierski          Troy, MI                 3  04-14  151  Day 1: 3   04-14   50. Michael Murphy         Umatilla, FL             3  04-14  151  Day 1: 3   04-14   52. Dylan Mayo             Athens, TX               2  04-14  149  Day 1: 2   04-14   52. Mike Tenda             Casselberry, FL          2  04-14  149  Day 1: 2   04-14   54. Tim Rasmussen          Orlando, FL              3  04-12  147  Day 1: 3   04-12   54. Sakae Ushio            Tonawanda, NY            3  04-12  147  Day 1: 3   04-12   56. Rick Cheatham          Carterville, IL          3  04-11  145  Day 1: 3   04-11   57. Nick Richey            Aledo, TX                3  04-10  144  Day 1: 3   04-10   58. Craig Cavanna          Spring Hill, FL          3  04-09  143  Day 1: 3   04-09   58. Cody Richardson        Gautier, MS              3  04-09  143  Day 1: 3   04-09   58. Frankie Spicer         Brandon, FL              3  04-09  143  Day 1: 3   04-09   58. Dusty Wood             Belton, SC               3  04-09  143  Day 1: 3   04-09   58. Corey Yaden            Grovetown, GA            3  04-09  143  Day 1: 3   04-09   63. David Petrisko         Jacksonville, FL         3  04-08  138  Day 1: 3   04-08   64. Jordan McDonald        Jackson, GA              3  04-07  137  Day 1: 3   04-07   65. Cal Teneyck            Shakopee, MN             2  04-07  136  Day 1: 2   04-07   66. John Higginbotham      Slaughter, LA            3  04-06  135  Day 1: 3   04-06   66. Matthew Rogers         Chiefland, FL            3  04-06  135  Day 1: 3   04-06   66. Buddy Rohn             Jacksonville, FL         3  04-06  135  Day 1: 3   04-06   69. James Cornell          Longwood, FL             3  04-04  132  Day 1: 3   04-04   70. Fred Rigdon            Belleview, FL            3  04-03  131  Day 1: 3   04-03   70. Adam Sangster          Sanford, FL              3  04-03  131  Day 1: 3   04-03   72. Jimmy Brumfield        Madison, MS              3  04-02  129  Day 1: 3   04-02   73. Jerry Gonzalez Rivero  Torreon Coah MEXICO      3  04-01  128  Day 1: 3   04-01   74. Chad Stahl             Barnesville, GA          3  04-00  127  Day 1: 3   04-00   75. James Cottingham       Panama City, FL          2  03-15  126  Day 1: 2   03-15   76. Philip Morris Jr       Raleigh, NC              3  03-14  125  Day 1: 3   03-14   76. Jack Taft              Winter Garden, FL        3  03-14  125  Day 1: 3   03-14   78. Todd Boyd              Lynn Haven, FL           2  03-14  123  Day 1: 2   03-14   78. Jeff Fellows           Orlando, FL              2  03-14  123  Day 1: 2   03-14   80. Bailey Rothrock        Milan, MI                2  03-14  121  Day 1: 2   03-14   81. Troy Mims              Suwanee, GA              3  03-13  120  Day 1: 3   03-13   81. Steven Obester         Palatka, FL              3  03-13  120  Day 1: 3   03-13   83. Jeffery Davis          Palm Bay, FL             3  03-13  118  Day 1: 3   03-13   84. Austin Nelson          Apopka, FL               3  03-12  117  Day 1: 3   03-12   85. Alvin Jenkins          Savannah, GA             3  03-11  116  Day 1: 3   03-11   85. Michael Leach          Shenandoah, TX           3  03-11  116  Day 1: 3   03-11   87. Jacob Altman           Edgewood, TX             3  03-09  114  Day 1: 3   03-09   88. John Searles Jr.       Townville, SC            3  03-08  113  Day 1: 3   03-08   89. Shane Davis            Jacksonville, FL         2  03-08  112  Day 1: 2   03-08   90. Sho Egawa              Osaka JAPAN              3  03-05  111  Day 1: 3   03-05   91. Jay  Kamensky          Plantation, FL           2  03-05  110  Day 1: 2   03-05   92. Carl Hunter            Snellville, GA           3  03-04  109  Day 1: 3   03-04   92. Randy Tallhamer        Brandenton, FL           3  03-04  109  Day 1: 3   03-04   94. Bill Hutchison Jr.     Bessemer, AL             2  03-03  107  Day 1: 2   03-03   94. Rick Ivy               Ponder, TX               2  03-03  107  Day 1: 2   03-03   96. AJ Jones               Lutz, FL                 3  03-02  105  Day 1: 3   03-02   96. Johnny Ward Jr         Ludowici, GA             3  03-02  105  Day 1: 3   03-02   98. Michael Ryan           Mount Dora , FL          3  03-01  103  Day 1: 3   03-01   99. Jim Bland              Ocala, FL                3  03-00  102  Day 1: 3   03-00   100. Jonathan Barnette      Jasper, AL               3  02-15  101  Day 1: 3   02-15   101. Antoni Bicy            Ocklawaha, FL            1  02-15  100  Day 1: 1   02-15   102. Stephen Mcpherson      Minneola, FL             3  02-14   99  Day 1: 3   02-14   103. Phillip Easterling     Clanton, AL              2  02-13   98  Day 1: 2   02-13   103. Brian Rothrock         Monticello, IN           2  02-13   98  Day 1: 2   02-13   105. Johnnie Garrett        Union City, TN           2  02-12   96  Day 1: 2   02-12   106. Josh Roberts           Ocala, FL                1  02-08   95  Day 1: 1   02-08   107. David Booth            Erin, TN                 1  02-05   94  Day 1: 1   02-05   107. Satoshi Yaguchi        Ibaraki JAPAN            1  02-05   94  Day 1: 1   02-05   109. Wil Flack              Smithers BC CANADA       2  02-03   92  Day 1: 2   02-03   109. Zachery Kuhn           Summerfield, FL          2  02-03   92  Day 1: 2   02-03   111. Chris Earles           Lady Lake, FL            2  02-02   90  Day 1: 2   02-02   112. Zach Pringle           Newton, NC               1  02-02   89  Day 1: 1   02-02   113. Emiliano Zucchi        Port Orange, FL          1  01-15   88  Day 1: 1   01-15   114. Greg Fernandez         Palm Harbor, FL          2  01-14   87  Day 1: 2   01-14   115. Jeff Baffa             Estero, FL               1  01-14   86  Day 1: 1   01-14   116. Jimmy Bass             Ocala, FL                2  01-13   85  Day 1: 2   01-13   117. Cody Koehler           Acworth, GA              1  01-13   84  Day 1: 1   01-13   118. Steven Smith           Logan, OH                1  01-11   83  Day 1: 1   01-11   119. Rick Adams             Lake Wales, FL           1  01-10   82  Day 1: 1   01-10   119. Matthew Ball           Groveland, FL            1  01-10   82  Day 1: 1   01-10   119. JW Battle Jr.          Orlando, FL              1  01-10   82  Day 1: 1   01-10   122. William Carrasquillo   Clermont, FL             1  01-07   79  Day 1: 1   01-07   122. Eddie Kidd             Fort Benning, GA         1  01-07   79  Day 1: 1   01-07   124. Brian Jones            Meridianville, AL        1  01-03   77  Day 1: 1   01-03   125. Tristan Bramblett      Tiger, GA                1  01-02   76  Day 1: 1   01-02   126. Thomas Abraham         Winchester, TN           1  01-01   75  Day 1: 1   01-01   126. Glenn Bailey           Temple Terrace, FL       1  01-01   75  Day 1: 1   01-01   126. Gary Saxarra           Tavares, FL              1  01-01   75  Day 1: 1   01-01   129. Michael Robel          Bradenton, FL            1  01-00   72  Day 1: 1   01-00   129. Brian Strickland       Yantis, TX               1  01-00   72  Day 1: 1   01-00   131. Randy Lawrence         Pensacola, FL            1  00-15   70  Day 1: 1   00-15   132. Stephen Toth           Alachua, FL              1  00-14   69  Day 1: 1   00-14   133. Akeem Marsh            Wildwood, FL             1  00-12   68  Day 1: 1   00-12   133. Jim Williams           Winter Springs, GA       1  00-12   68  Day 1: 1   00-12   135. Zach Burell            Gainesville, FL          1  00-11   66  Day 1: 1   00-11   135. Alonzo Evans Jr        Topeka, KS               1  00-11   66  Day 1: 1   00-11   137. Steve Deyton           Forest City, NC          0  00-00    0  Day 1: 0   00-00   137. Dehn Ganey             Bonneau, SC              0  00-00    0  Day 1: 0   00-00   137. Daniel Hart            Orlando, FL              0  00-00    0  Day 1: 0   00-00   137. John Haynes            Gainesville, FL          0  00-00    0  Day 1: 0   00-00   137. Allen Heston           Pittsburg, TX            0  00-00    0  Day 1: 0   00-00   137. Darrell Hille          Springfield, TN          0  00-00    0  Day 1: 0   00-00   137. Kevin Mallow           Kansas, OK               0  00-00    0  Day 1: 0   00-00   137. Kyle Mckinney          Cedartown, GA            0  00-00    0  Day 1: 0   00-00   137. Bob Morin              Seymour, TN              0  00-00    0  Day 1: 0   00-00   137. John Mortimer          Mount Pleasant, SC       0  00-00    0  Day 1: 0   00-00   137. David Patterson        Flowood, MS              0  00-00    0  Day 1: 0   00-00   137. Ben Shuler             Nokomis, FL              0  00-00    0  Day 1: 0   00-00   137. Greg Sloan             Chipley, FL              0  00-00    0  Day 1: 0   00-00   137. Jeffery Strong         Sharpsburg, GA           0  00-00    0  Day 1: 0   00-00   ———————————————————————–TotalsDay   #Limits    #Fish      Weight 1        89       334       609-12———————————-          89       334       609-12

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