Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open
Alton Jones Jr. of Lorena, Texas, weighed one bass shy of a limit Friday, but his four fish included a difference-maker.
He had a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass that will make up for most shortcomings this week on the Red River, where bass fishing is extremely tough.
Jones goes into the final day of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open with a two-day total of 22 pounds. He has a 2-ounce lead over Tommy Murray of Bedford, Texas. Murray also had a difference-maker — a 6-pound, 2-ounce largemouth bass that is the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the tournament so far.
Less than 4 pounds separates the Top 12 entering Saturday.
“That’s what this tournament will come down to — someone catching a 4- or 5-pounder tomorrow,” said Billy McCaghren of Mayflower, Ark., who is in 6th place with 20-1. “When you get to fish on Saturday, you’ve got a chance to win.”
That’s especially true this week on the Red River, which has been ravaged by floods twice this year, most recently in August. Here’s how difficult it has been to catch five bass a day measuring at least 12 inches long: Only 41 of the 179 pros caught limits Friday, and only six of the Top 12 have weighed a limit both days.
But Jones, the son of Bassmaster Elite Series veteran Alton Jones, couldn’t be happier. He’s been working out some frustrations this week after missing a 2017 Elite Series invitation by one point last Friday at the final Bass Pro Shops Northern Open on Lake Champlain.
“That was an emotional, emotional deal,” Jones said of his near miss last week. “The last guy that weighed in bumped me out. I needed to finish second, and I wound up finishing third. I idled my boat into the marina and shed a few tears. It’s hard to get that close to a lifelong dream and not make it.”
Jones will have a good chance to make that dream come true no matter where he finishes Saturday. He was 15th in the first Central Open this season on the Arkansas River at Muskogee, Okla. The final Central Open is set for later this month at the Atchafalaya Basin in Morgan City, La., and Jones will be among the point leaders. The Top 5 from each of the Northern, Southern and Central Open three-tournament series receive Elite Series invitations.
Jones was originally supposed to be part of his longtime friend Chris Weatherly’s wedding tonight in Dallas, but Jones expressed his regrets when the Central Open schedule was announced.
“I talked to him on the phone last night,” Jones said. “I told him I’d catch a big one for him tomorrow. Sure enough, I caught Chris his fish today.
“It was a community hole deal. It was just my time. Probably 100 boats have fished that place over the last seven days. I hadn’t been able to get on it before. There was always a boat sitting on it.”
In addition to catching the big bass of the tournament so far, Murray’s 13 pounds Friday is the big bag of the tournament as well. Luke Estel of Murphysboro, Ill., is third with 21-9, only 7 ounces out of the lead. Luke Palmer of Coalgate, Okla., is fourth with 21-2. Rounding out the Top 5, which is separated by exactly 1 pound, is Todd Murray of Prairieville, La., with 21-0.
On the co-angler side, Marvin Delong of Colfax, La., caught a three-bass limit weighing 6 pounds to lead with a two-day total of 12-15. Charlie Hewitt of Prairieville, La., is second with 11-5. Nathaniel “Rudy” Rudisill of Bossier City, La., is third with 10-13, closely followed by Robert Parkison of Marshall, Texas, with 10-12, and Robert Fortner of Conway, Ark., with 10-4.
Saturday’s 7 a.m. CT takeoff will take place at the Red River South Marina. The weigh-in will be held at the Bass Pro Shops, 100 Bass Pro Drive, in Bossier City beginning at 4 p.m.
2016 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2016 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2016 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Premier Sponsors: Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha, Berkley, GoPro, Huk, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota
2016 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: Rapala, Shell Rotella, Shimano, A.R.E. Truck Caps, Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Power-Pole
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines, Bassmaster website, television show (The Bassmasters), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, B.A.S.S. Nation, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
By: JamieDay Matthews
