Tommy Floyd Jr., right, and James Gibbons of South Florence High School won Saturday’s Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods on Lake Keowee with five bass that weighed 8 pounds, 13 ounces.
Photo by Laurie Tisdale/B.A.S.S.
March 17, 2018 GREENVILLE, S.C. — Staying with the deep game and capitalizing on random moments of opportunity led Tommy Floyd Jr. and James Gibbons to victory with a five-fish limit of 8 pounds, 13 ounces in the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods on Lake Keowee. The clear Savannah River impoundment presented tough conditions compounded by morning rain. The winners tried fishing shallow, but when they determined they couldn’t find any prespawn staging bass, they committed to fishing in about 35 feet of water. Even there, their action was inconsistent. “The fish bit in flurries and we could catch two or three,” Gibbons said. Floyd and Gibbons relied on traditional deep-finesse presentations. They caught their fish on 1/4- and 3/8-ounce shaky heads fitted with watermelon candy finesse worms and drop shots with 1/4-ounce weights and finesse worms in the morning dawn color. Floyd said finding the right type of bottom structure — mostly chunk rock boulders on the upper end of the lake — was essential to his team’s success. Using their Humminbird side-imaging and down-imaging unit helped them dial in the right targets. “We hit three spots today,” Floyd said. “We rotated them all through the day.” Also, Gibbons said that recognizing the fish’s noncommittal behavior allowed them to make a necessary adjustment that allowed the fish second and third chances. Throughout the day, the fish would nip at their baits. Looking past the frustration, Floyd and Gibbons recognized that the situation was ripe for persistence. “You had to let the fish eat it,” he said. “You had to let them swim around with it for a long time because they were short-striking it. We could throw back to a fish to a fish three times and he would bite it each time.”
The Carhartt Bassmaster College Classic presented by Bass Pro Shops will take place Sunday on Lake Keowee with weigh-ins being held in the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville at 3:15 p.m. ET prior to the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
2018 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series Title Sponsor: Mossy Oak Fishing
2018 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series Presenting Sponsor: DICK’S Sporting Goods
2018 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2018 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series Premier Sponsors: ABU Garcia, Berkley, Huk, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha
2018 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series Supporting Sponsors: Academy Sports + Outdoors, Carhartt, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats
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 and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For 50 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, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation presented by Magellan Outdoors, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
