Mega sack gives Gross the Day 1 lead in Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork
YANTIS, Texas — Buddy Gross knew he had enough for at least one day of competition and his determination to maximize that potential rewarded the Chattanooga, Tenn., pro with a whopping limit of 33 pounds, 9 ounces which leads Day 1 of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.
On a day that saw the Top 6 anglers reach the “Dirty 30,” Gross notched a lead of 1-4 over Trey McKinney.
“God is good; he always shows up for me when I need it,” Gross said. “We weren’t catching quantity, we were catching quality. We’re just going to have to do it again and try to back it up.
“I did this on the first day of practice and I zeroed the second day, so we’re going to have to work hard and make sure we get a lot of fish in the boat.”
Anchoring his day with a 9-11, Gross got the action going early with a couple of quality fish and ended with a 6-11 at 1:14 p.m. Leaving nothing to chance, he squeezed all he could out of his areas.
“In practice, I caught some quality and today, I went to those areas and really soaked them up,” Gross said. “I fished hard in those areas. I don’t know what to expect the rest of the week, but I knew I needed a good bag today to stay in contention, so I just bore down and fished those areas.”
Gross held his cards low, but he described his areas as postspawn staging spots. He clearly found the right size fish, but he’s aware that his opportunities are limited.
“I just don’t have a lot of it,” Gross said. “I thought I could run some history here and still catch them, but I didn’t. I did find a little offshore stuff but it just wasn’t helping, so I quit that. I hope I have enough left to do well tomorrow.”
Gross said Fork’s water level — currently full pool — has the fish widely dispersed. While low water periods gather fish in tighter areas, a full lake makes it harder to dial in consistency.
“The water being high has them moved around a little bit,” Gross said. “I think timing is not the problem, I think it’s the high water. I think it has spread them out. I just got blessed and found one place that’s kinda loading up.”
Gross said he had to fish a broad spectrum of baits today.
“I had to throw everything — I used (Garmin LiveScope), I used Humminbird 360,” Gross said. “When I got the first five, I didn’t catch any of the fish on the same bait. I had five different baits. It was work.
“I needed that last one (6-11); that’s the one that pushed us over the edge. I caught it doing the same kind of stuff, just a way different location.”
Looking ahead to Day 2, Gross said he’ll return to some of his Day 1 waters, but he suspects continued success will require additional prospecting.
“I’m going to run the same stuff and just hope they’re there,” Gross said. “If they’re not, we’re just going to have to run new water. I ran new water today and caught some. Where I caught that 6-11, I hadn’t fished at all.
“There’s just not a lot of what I’m doing. I’m only going to catch one or two here and there. I’m not going to run into a school of them.”
McKinney, who won last year’s Lake Fork event with a 4-day record-setting total of 130-15, is in second place with 32-5. Hailing from Carbondale, Ill., McKinney made a key upgrade with a 7-2 that bit a little after 2 p.m.
“I love this place, but the fish are educated and smart and tough to catch,” McKinney said. “They’ve been beat on for (many years) so they’re probably the smartest bass anywhere in the country.
“Instead of looking for numbers and throwing at everyone, you’re looking for five.”
McKinney fished a variety of scenarios, including schools, roaming fish and timber. He found his best action with the schoolers.
“I caught 30 pounds off schools and then I caught that 7-2 roaming,” McKinney said. “I caught most of my fish, including that 7-2, on a (jighead minnow). Most of these fish are so smart, I really can’t get them to bite much else. I caught one a big glidebait.”
Jay Przekurat of Plover, Wis., is in third place with 31-2. Despite a slow start, the 2022 Rookie of the Year put together a solid day. Doing so, he said, required perseverance.
“I had a terrible practice; I had one place I was excited to go to, but I got there this morning and never had a bite,” Przekurat said. “I was pretty discouraged about that so I scrambled around the rest of the day and I only caught six or seven fish.”
Przekurat caught his fish on a dropshot with a Strike King KVD Filler Worm and a Strike King 6XD. He cemented his performance with a late-day kicker that exemplified Lake Fork’s nationwide appeal.
“Late in the day, I caught a 9-14,” Przekurat said. “That was the catch of my life so far. That was my personal best and I caught it in a tournament.”
Przekurat is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 9-14.
Przekurat leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 470 points. Will Davis Jr. of Sylacauga, Ala., is in second with 423, followed by McKinney with 412, Kyoya Fujita of Lake Forest, Calif., with 392, and Bill Lowen of Brookville, Ind., with 389.
Georgia’s Paul Marks leads the Dakota Lithium Elite Series Rookie of the Year standings with 384 points.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. CT at Caney Point Recreation Area. The weigh-in will be held at the same area at 2:30 p.m.
Bassmaster LIVE coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork will be available on Bassmaster.com on Days 1 and 2 starting at 8 a.m. ET and ending at 3 p.m. and also on Roku from 8 to 11 a.m. FS1 will carry the morning action on Day 3 from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. before moving to Bassmaster.com in the afternoon. Championship Sunday coverage will be broadcast on FS1 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and FOX from noon to 3 p.m.
The Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork is being hosted by Wood County.
2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew’s, Lowrance, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama
About Tackle Warehouse
Tackle Warehouse was launched online in 2003 with the goal of meeting the fishing tackle needs of the casual and professional bass angler alike. As a tackle shop run by anglers for anglers, the requirements were evident, and the mission remains the same: provide bass anglers with the widest selection of great products, fast and reliable shipping and excellent customer service, while offering support and education for anglers of all levels and abilities. Tackle Warehouse relies upon its tackle shop roots and a passion for fishing to best serve our customers, as well as the bass fishing community as a whole
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2025 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork 5/8-5/11
Lake Fork, Yantis TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 5 33-09 104
Day 1: 5 33-09
2. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 5 32-05 103
Day 1: 5 32-05
3. Jay Przekurat Plover, WI 5 31-02 102
Day 1: 5 31-02
4. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 5 31-00 101
Day 1: 5 31-00
5. Paul Marks Cumming, GA 5 30-13 100
Day 1: 5 30-13
6. Dakota Ebare Brookeland, TX 5 30-01 99
Day 1: 5 30-01
7. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 29-06 98
Day 1: 5 29-06
8. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 29-05 97
Day 1: 5 29-05
9. Easton Fothergill Grand Rapids , MN 5 29-03 96
Day 1: 5 29-03
10. John Garrett Union City, TN 5 28-12 95
Day 1: 5 28-12
11. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 28-04 94
Day 1: 5 28-04
12. Seth Feider Elko New Market, MN 5 27-10 93
Day 1: 5 27-10
13. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 5 27-09 92
Day 1: 5 27-09
14. Emil Wagner Marietta, GA 5 27-04 91
Day 1: 5 27-04
15. Cody Huff Ava, MO 5 26-01 90
Day 1: 5 26-01
16. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 5 25-15 89
Day 1: 5 25-15
17. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 25-10 88
Day 1: 5 25-10
18. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 5 25-06 87
Day 1: 5 25-06
19. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 25-05 86
Day 1: 5 25-05
20. Tucker Smith Birmingham, AL 5 25-04 85
Day 1: 5 25-04
21. Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 5 24-06 84
Day 1: 5 24-06
22. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 5 23-15 83
Day 1: 5 23-15
23. Chris Zaldain Boyd, TX 5 23-11 82
Day 1: 5 23-11
24. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 5 23-04 81
Day 1: 5 23-04
25. Taku Ito Dalton GA JAPAN 5 23-02 80
Day 1: 5 23-02
25. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 23-02 80
Day 1: 5 23-02
27. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 5 23-01 78
Day 1: 5 23-01
28. Andrew Loberg Guntersville, AL 5 23-00 77
Day 1: 5 23-00
29. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 22-14 76
Day 1: 5 22-14
30. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 5 22-10 75
Day 1: 5 22-10
31. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 22-08 74
Day 1: 5 22-08
32. Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 5 22-06 73
Day 1: 5 22-06
33. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 5 22-05 72
Day 1: 5 22-05
34. Bryan New Leesville, SC 5 22-04 71
Day 1: 5 22-04
35. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 5 22-01 70
Day 1: 5 22-01
36. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 5 21-14 69
Day 1: 5 21-14
37. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 5 21-07 68
Day 1: 5 21-07
38. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 21-06 67
Day 1: 5 21-06
39. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 5 21-01 66
Day 1: 5 21-01
40. Ben Milliken Omaha, NE 4 21-00 65
Day 1: 4 21-00
41. Wes Logan Springville, AL 5 20-11 64
Day 1: 5 20-11
41. Cody Meyer Eagle, ID 5 20-11 64
Day 1: 5 20-11
43. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 5 20-07 62
Day 1: 5 20-07
44. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 5 20-05 61
Day 1: 5 20-05
45. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 5 20-03 60
Day 1: 5 20-03
45. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 20-03 60
Day 1: 5 20-03
47. Beau Browning Hot Springs National Pa 5 20-02 58
Day 1: 5 20-02
47. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 5 20-02 58
Day 1: 5 20-02
47. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 5 20-02 58
Day 1: 5 20-02
50. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 20-01 55
Day 1: 5 20-01
51. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 5 19-15 54
Day 1: 5 19-15
52. Cliff Pace Ovett, MS 5 19-14 53
Day 1: 5 19-14
53. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 5 19-11 52
Day 1: 5 19-11
54. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 5 19-07 51
Day 1: 5 19-07
55. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 5 19-06 50
Day 1: 5 19-06
56. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 5 19-04 49
Day 1: 5 19-04
57. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 19-02 48
Day 1: 5 19-02
58. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 18-10 47
Day 1: 5 18-10
59. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 18-06 46
Day 1: 5 18-06
59. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 5 18-06 46
Day 1: 5 18-06
61. Cole Sands Johnson City, TN 5 18-03 44
Day 1: 5 18-03
62. John Cox Debary, FL 5 18-02 43
Day 1: 5 18-02
63. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 5 18-00 42
Day 1: 5 18-00
64. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 17-13 41
Day 1: 5 17-13
65. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 5 17-08 40
Day 1: 5 17-08
66. Jordan Lee Cullman, AL 5 17-00 39
Day 1: 5 17-00
67. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 5 16-12 38
Day 1: 5 16-12
67. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 5 16-12 38
Day 1: 5 16-12
69. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 15-14 36
Day 1: 5 15-14
70. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 15-11 35
Day 1: 5 15-11
71. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 5 15-09 34
Day 1: 5 15-09
71. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 5 15-09 34
Day 1: 5 15-09
73. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 15-07 32
Day 1: 5 15-07
74. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 5 15-04 31
Day 1: 5 15-04
75. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 5 14-14 30
Day 1: 5 14-14
75. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 5 14-14 30
Day 1: 5 14-14
77. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 5 14-13 28
Day 1: 5 14-13
78. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 4 14-11 27
Day 1: 4 14-11
79. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 5 14-09 26
Day 1: 5 14-09
79. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 5 14-09 26
Day 1: 5 14-09
81. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 5 14-08 24
Day 1: 5 14-08
82. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 14-07 23
Day 1: 5 14-07
83. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 14-05 22
Day 1: 5 14-05
84. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 4 14-01 21
Day 1: 4 14-01
85. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 5 13-13 20
Day 1: 5 13-13
86. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 5 13-09 19
Day 1: 5 13-09
87. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 5 13-07 18
Day 1: 5 13-07
88. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 12-12 17
Day 1: 5 12-12
89. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 4 11-14 16
Day 1: 4 11-14
90. Jeff Gustafson Kenora, ON Ontario CANA 4 11-13 15
Day 1: 4 11-13
91. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 11-09 14
Day 1: 5 11-09
92. Blake Capps Muskogee, OK 5 11-05 13
Day 1: 5 11-05
93. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 10-10 12
Day 1: 5 10-10
94. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 10-08 11
Day 1: 5 10-08
95. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 09-01 10
Day 1: 5 09-01
96. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 2 07-13 9
Day 1: 2 07-13
97. Timothy Dube Nashua , NH 2 07-09 8
Day 1: 2 07-09
98. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 2 04-14 7
Day 1: 2 04-14
99. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 3 04-08 6
Day 1: 3 04-08
100. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 3 04-01 5
Day 1: 3 04-01
101. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 2 04-00 4
Day 1: 2 04-00
102. Kenta Kimura Osaka OK JAPAN 1 03-04 3
Day 1: 1 03-04
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 90 485 1961-10
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90 485 1961-10
