Yamaha Power Pay One-Two Punch
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships
Yamaha Outboards pros Bill Lowen and John Garrett headed out in first and second place on Championship Sunday of the FXR Pro Fish Bassmaster Elite at the St. Johns River. Lowen, the twenty-year Elite Series veteran, has led days two and three and is holding on to a sizable five-plus-pound lead over Garrett. But while “dollar Bill” Lowen is at peace with the way he is fishing, he is anything but comfortable with his lead over Garrett and the rest of the top ten field.
After all, this is the St. Johns River. Where the potential for double-digit bass is there on any given cast and, as Garrett proved on Saturday, where thirty-pound stringers are a very real possibility. Garrett dropped a bag of fish weighing over 31-pounds on the scales yesterday which was the biggest of the tournament and the largest limit of the 29-year-olds life.
On top of competing for their second Elite Series trophy, Lowen and Garrett are battling for the Yamaha Power Pay top spot today, along with Shane LeHew and Patrick Walters. A favorite among amateur and pro anglers alike, Power Pay rewards the highest finishing registered angler in supported tournaments with bonus payouts.
Fortunately for the pros on the St. Johns today, Power Pay honors the top two highest finishers in Elite Series competition. Lowen and Garrett are employing completely different tactics this week to find success, and they are both fishing “their way.”
“I’m fishing the way I like to fish and for the first time in my career, I’m not really nervous at all,” Lowen said. “I’m power fishing shallow cover, fishing what’s in front of me, and while each day has been different it has been a very special week. I’m not making a real long run, but even so having that Yamaha 250 V MAX SHO behind me is super comforting. Yamaha has had my back my entire career and it just gives me all the confidence in the world out on the water.”
To contrast Lowen’s old-school braided line swim jig beat down is Garrett, who caught his day three monster bag on a deep crankbait targeting a special offshore spot he found during the event on Saturday.
“I caught the biggest bag of fish of my life yesterday on the same Strike King 5XD I won the Harris Chain Elite with last year,” Garrett said. “Offshore cranking is my favorite way to fish and yesterday was just really special. I started the day in 38th place pretty much zero expectations. The worst I could fall to was 50th place, so I changed things up and went out to try and find a fresh group of fish.
“Well, I found a group and there was a whole lot of fish there (on Saturday). I caught my weight in less than an hour before making the long run, almost an hour and a half, back to Palatka. I have no idea if they’ll be there on Sunday, but if they are, they’re big and willing to bite. I’m fired up to get back down there.”
The St. Johns River has been the site for a lot of Bassmaster magic over the years and it showed out once again this week. No lead is safe here, no matter how large, but just the same, no deficit is insurmountable either. No matter how Sunday shakes out, both Lowen and Garrett find comfort via the way they are catching their fish and the outboard motor they have behind them.
