After two days on Alabama’s Smith Lake, Elite Series pro Gerald Swindle is one weigh-in away from his first BASS victory. Swindle sacked 10-15 on Day 2 for a total of 25-2. He stuck to his junk fishing pattern to retain the lead at the second Southern Open presented by Bass Pro Shops.
“I’m trying to stay out of the boat traffic, it drives me crazy. I’m running around the main lake a little bit then heading back into some pockets looking for largemouth mainly,” he said. “I’ve got some areas where largemouth live, but I kept moving. I didn’t fish anything today that I fished yesterday.”
In order to get his first win, Swindle plans on fishing “low risk” baits.
“To win here, you need a limit every day. I don’t fish high risk baits like big Spooks,” he said. “I try to keep it to where if I get bites, the odds are in my favor.”
With the check he cashed at the Lake Guntersville Elite Series event, Swindle has become the only angler to ever cross the $1 million mark without a win.
Hot on Swindle’s heels is Brian Morris, of Cullman, Ala., who moved up a spot to second. Morris changed his approach due to a tougher bite. He brought 12-5 to the scales Day 2 for a total of 24-6.
“It’s a grind for sure, I only had five keepers today,” he said. “Things change throughout the day, I found something a little different mid-morning today that worked pretty well. If I can get five again tomorrow, I have high hopes.”
In third place is Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C., with 23-5, in fourth is David Walker of Sevierville, Tenn., with 22-1 and in fifth is Todd Auten of Lake Wylie, S.C.
Robert Hatfield of Morehead, Ky., took the top co-angler spot on Day 2 with a single fish that went 2-11 for a 9-0 total. Linda Higginbotham of Palm Coast, Fla., moved up to second with the heaviest co-angler limit of 7-0. Her total is 8-7. Behind her is Miriam Donohoo of San Mateo, Fla., who’s 3-1 catch brought her total to 8-1. In fourth is Robert Dice of Perry, Fla., with 7-12, and in fifth is Rex Harris of Bargersville, Ind., with 7-9.
Co-angler Trathen Dollar of West Jefferson, N.C., hung the heaviest fish of Day 2, a 4-0 spotted bass.
Pros are competing for the first place prize of approximately $45,000, while co-anglers are fishing for a Triton/Mercury rig valued at $34,000. The field was cut to 30 today, with the 31st through 50th-place finishers receiving checks.
Fishing fans are invited to watch how it all comes down. Free and open to the public are the daily launches and weigh-ins at Smith Lake Dam, 640 Powerhouse Road, Jasper, AL 35504. Boats are scheduled to take off at 5:45 a.m. CT; weigh-ins will begin at 2 p.m. CT.
Bassmaster Open Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
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Bassmaster Supporting Sponsors: Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats and Triton Boats
About BASS
For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and its expansive tournament structure while championing efforts to connect directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.
As the flagship offering of ESPN Outdoors, the Bassmaster brand and its considerable multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer; comprehensive Web properties in Bassmaster.com, BASSInsider.com, ESPNOutdoors.com and ESPN360.com, and ESPN2 television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.
BASS oversees the prestigious Bassmaster Tournament Trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, BASS Federation Nation and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.
BASS offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.By: BASS Communications / BASS
