Kennesaw, GA – Rookie angler Paul Marks etched his name into Bassmaster history this weekend, securing his first Elite Series blue trophy with a determined and dynamic performance at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell.

Marks, 23, who hails from Cumming, Georgia, started strong on Day 1 with a five-fish limit weighing 19 pounds, 7 ounces — good enough for third place. He maintained momentum over the next two days with bags of 17-4 and 16-5, entering Championship Sunday in second place. A final-day limit of 15-8 pushed his four-day total to 68 pounds, 8 ounces, earning him the win by a 14-ounce margin over fellow rookie Tucker Smith and a $100,000 top prize.

“I don’t know what to think — it’ll probably take a week to set in, maybe a month,” Marks said. “I think I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a little kid. I love spotted bass; I love fishing the way I do. It’s the best thing ever in my eyes.”

Marks’ winning formula combined shallow and offshore tactics. He opened the tournament with a crucial 5-pound largemouth caught bed fishing with a white Zoom Z Craw Jr., but the bulk of his success came offshore. Targeting spotted bass around points and brush piles from the Green Pond area down to the Hartwell Dam, Marks showcased patience and adaptability, crucial traits when chasing blueback herring-spawn bass.

Each morning, Marks capitalized on the herring spawn bite, throwing a Zoom Fluke Stick Jr. and a Super Fluke rigged on a 5/0 Gamakatsu worm hook round bend to trigger early big bites. As the sun climbed, he shifted deeper, fishing 10–30 feet of water with a 3/16-ounce SPRO Skip Gap shaky head paired with the Fluke Stick Jr.

“There are fish everywhere on the bank and I knew it was going to be really hard to win with spots,” Marks said. “I got lucky on Day 1 and caught a big one on the bed. That fish made my tournament.”

Despite the challenges of tracking the fast-moving herring spawn, Marks’ relentless approach — moving constantly and trusting his instincts — ultimately paid off.

“I never let off the gas today; I ran so hard,” Marks said. “It was a long day for me. I really didn’t think I had enough. Somehow, it worked out.”

With his first career Elite Series win secured, Paul Marks’ future in professional bass fishing looks incredibly bright — and this is likely just the beginning.

 

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