Schlapper’s solitude delivers Day 1 lead in Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River
ORANGE, Texas — Pat Schlapper had the right tool for the job and that homemade bait played a key role in delivering a 12-pound, 2-ounce limit that leads Day 1 of the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at the Sabine River.
On a day that saw 69 of 102 competitors fill their 5-bass limit, the pro from Eleva, Wis., heads into Day 2 with a 13-ounce lead over Arkansas pro Stetson Blaylock.
The Sabine holds a good population of fish, but the average size is significantly less than what anglers found during last week’s Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork. Aware of the fish he’d be targeting, and the shallow cover that typically dominates the Sabine action, Schlapper made a batch of jigs specifically for this event.
“I caught most of my fish on a little Do-it Molds compact finesse jig that I make myself and a Big Bite Baits chunk trailer,” Schlapper said. “It’s a 3/8-ounce jig, but it has a really short shank 2/0 hook. It’s really compact and I tied it with fine cut skirt material so it’s really lifelike.
“The jig is black and blue with a sapphire blue trailer. They like sapphire blue down here; I learned that the first year I fished here. The (entire bait) is not even 3 inches long. I made it specifically for this tournament.”
Schlapper said he made an hour run and caught an early limit. He then moved to his main area and caught a cluster of quality fish, including his biggest — a 4-5.
“There were other people that I think were in that area in practice, but I went there late yesterday and had a couple good bites,” Schlapper said. “I almost didn’t run there right away because I was boat 49 and I thought someone would be there, but nobody was anywhere close.
“Once the sun came up, I caught four good ones in an hour span and lost a couple other nice ones.”
Schlapper said he ran to the back of his area and targeted what he described as the last prominent habitat feature. With few options, the fish seem to be concentrated.
“I know there’s a good amount of fish there because I caught some other ones and I kinda figured out the sweet spot,” Schlapper said. “I just don’t think it’ll replenish. I think it just has resident fish.
“I know there are some other nice ones because the couple good ones I caught in practice, I didn’t catch today and I had another nice one that I shook off in practice.”
Sizing up his Day 2 outlook, Schlapper said: “Nobody was around me today, so hopefully, it stays like that tomorrow. I don’t know if I can catch what I caught today; any limit would be good.
“If I can get left alone in my area tomorrow, things could get ugly.”
Hailing from Benton, Ark. Blaylock is in second place with 11-5. Mentally prepared for a challenging event, Blaylock said he considered his 4-pounder a bonus.
“I was actually satisfied even before I caught that 4-pounder,” he said. “It wasn’t a good bag at that point, but when you have a tough practice, which most of us did, you know you’re looking for one key thing to put you over the top.”
Blaylock said he’s fishing one of the Sabine’s traditionally popular areas. He has plenty of company, but bouncing around and picking off the right bites was his formula for success.
“A big one late in the day is what puts you where you want to be,” Blaylock said of his afternoon kicker. “I don’t expect to catch another 4-pounder, but it’s possible. I saw some nice ones in practice in this area.
“A lot of guys didn’t catch any big ones; they caught a lot of keepers, but I know there are still some big ones to be caught. Who knows what’ll happen, if they’re moving up or moving out. We just have to put it together as we’re going the next couple of days.”
Blaylock fished a mix of reaction and slow baits. He attributes his big fish catch to slowing down and fishing more methodically.
“I had been moving pretty quickly and I had caught a lot of fish moving quickly, but with that particular bite came when I slowed down,” Blaylock said. “I felt like I had worked through an area that had some fish in it and I wan’t getting any bites.”
Taku Ito of Chiba, Japan is in third place with 11-1. Ito, who finished third in the 2021 Bassmaster Elite at the Sabine River, spent his day in a crowded area and had to keep moving to find fishable spots.
“It was a very tricky day, but I moved around and caught a couple good ones,” Ito said. “It was tough. I fished shallow cover, brushpiles, everything.
“At the Sabine River, current is always very important. Hopefully, tomorrow I’ll get big ones again.”
Schlapper is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 4-5.
Jay Przekurat of Plover, Wis., leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 565 points. Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., is in second with 489, followed by Will Davis Jr. of Sylacauga, Ala., with 489, Kyoya Fujita of Yamanashi, Japan with 479, and Bill Lowen of Brookville, Ind., with 466.
Paul Marks of Cumming, Ga., leads the Dakota Lithium Elite Series Rookie of the Year standings with 418 points.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. CT at City of Orange Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at the same location at 2:30 p.m.
Bassmaster LIVE coverage of the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River will be available on Bassmaster.com Days 1 and 2 starting at 8 a.m. ET and ending at 3 p.m. FS1 will carry the morning action on Days 3 and 4 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. before heading over to Bassmaster.com in the afternoon.
The MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River is being hosted by the Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce.
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 B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, 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 organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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2025 MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River 5/15-5/18
Sabine River , Orange TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 5 12-02 104 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-02
2. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 11-05 103
Day 1: 5 11-05
3. Taku Ito Dalton GA JAPAN 5 11-01 102
Day 1: 5 11-01
4. Jay Przekurat Plover, WI 5 10-12 101
Day 1: 5 10-12
5. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 5 10-05 100
Day 1: 5 10-05
6. Ben Milliken Omaha, NE 5 10-03 99
Day 1: 5 10-03
7. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 5 10-02 98
Day 1: 5 10-02
8. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 5 09-05 97
Day 1: 5 09-05
9. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 5 09-04 96
Day 1: 5 09-04
10. Dakota Ebare Brookeland, TX 5 09-02 95
Day 1: 5 09-02
10. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 09-02 95
Day 1: 5 09-02
12. Chris Zaldain Boyd, TX 5 09-01 93
Day 1: 5 09-01
13. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 5 09-00 92
Day 1: 5 09-00
14. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 5 08-14 91
Day 1: 5 08-14
14. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 08-14 91
Day 1: 5 08-14
16. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 08-13 89
Day 1: 5 08-13
17. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 08-11 88
Day 1: 5 08-11
18. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 08-08 87
Day 1: 5 08-08
18. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 08-08 87
Day 1: 5 08-08
18. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 5 08-08 87
Day 1: 5 08-08
21. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 08-07 84
Day 1: 5 08-07
22. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 5 08-06 83
Day 1: 5 08-06
23. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 5 08-03 82
Day 1: 5 08-03
23. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 5 08-03 82
Day 1: 5 08-03
25. Easton Fothergill Grand Rapids , MN 5 08-02 80
Day 1: 5 08-02
26. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 08-00 79
Day 1: 5 08-00
27. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 5 07-15 78
Day 1: 5 07-15
27. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 07-15 78
Day 1: 5 07-15
29. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 5 07-12 76
Day 1: 5 07-12
29. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 5 07-12 76
Day 1: 5 07-12
29. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 07-12 76
Day 1: 5 07-12
32. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 5 07-11 73
Day 1: 5 07-11
32. Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 5 07-11 73
Day 1: 5 07-11
34. Jeff Gustafson Kenora, ON Ontario CANA 5 07-10 71
Day 1: 5 07-10
35. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 5 07-10 70
Day 1: 5 07-10
36. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 5 07-09 69
Day 1: 5 07-09
37. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 5 07-08 68
Day 1: 5 07-08
37. Seth Feider Elko New Market, MN 5 07-08 68
Day 1: 5 07-08
37. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 5 07-08 68
Day 1: 5 07-08
40. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 4 07-07 65
Day 1: 4 07-07
41. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 5 07-06 64
Day 1: 5 07-06
42. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 5 07-04 63
Day 1: 5 07-04
42. Beau Browning Hot Springs National Pa 5 07-04 63
Day 1: 5 07-04
44. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 07-01 61
Day 1: 5 07-01
45. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 5 07-01 60
Day 1: 5 07-01
46. Cliff Pace Ovett, MS 4 07-01 59
Day 1: 4 07-01
47. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 07-00 58
Day 1: 5 07-00
47. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 07-00 58
Day 1: 5 07-00
47. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 07-00 58
Day 1: 5 07-00
47. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 5 07-00 58
Day 1: 5 07-00
47. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 5 07-00 58
Day 1: 5 07-00
52. Emil Wagner Marietta, GA 5 06-15 53
Day 1: 5 06-15
53. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 5 06-13 52
Day 1: 5 06-13
53. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 06-13 52
Day 1: 5 06-13
53. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 5 06-13 52
Day 1: 5 06-13
56. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 4 06-13 49
Day 1: 4 06-13
57. Cody Meyer Eagle, ID 5 06-12 48
Day 1: 5 06-12
58. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 3 06-11 47
Day 1: 3 06-11
59. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 06-10 46
Day 1: 5 06-10
60. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 5 06-09 45
Day 1: 5 06-09
61. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 06-08 44
Day 1: 5 06-08
61. Cody Huff Ava, MO 5 06-08 44
Day 1: 5 06-08
63. Andrew Loberg Guntersville, AL 5 06-07 42
Day 1: 5 06-07
64. John Cox Debary, FL 5 06-04 41
Day 1: 5 06-04
64. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 5 06-04 41
Day 1: 5 06-04
66. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 06-01 39
Day 1: 5 06-01
67. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 5 06-00 38
Day 1: 5 06-00
68. Kenta Kimura Osaka OK JAPAN 4 05-15 37
Day 1: 4 05-15
69. Bryan New Leesville, SC 5 05-13 36
Day 1: 5 05-13
70. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 5 05-12 35
Day 1: 5 05-12
71. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 05-11 34
Day 1: 5 05-11
72. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 5 05-08 33
Day 1: 5 05-08
73. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 05-07 32
Day 1: 5 05-07
74. Paul Marks Cumming, GA 4 05-07 31
Day 1: 4 05-07
75. John Garrett Union City, TN 4 05-04 30
Day 1: 4 05-04
76. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 5 05-00 29
Day 1: 5 05-00
77. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 4 05-00 28
Day 1: 4 05-00
78. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 4 04-14 27
Day 1: 4 04-14
79. Blake Capps Muskogee, OK 2 04-13 26
Day 1: 2 04-13
80. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 3 04-08 25
Day 1: 3 04-08
81. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 4 04-07 24
Day 1: 4 04-07
82. Cole Sands Johnson City, TN 4 04-06 23
Day 1: 4 04-06
83. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 3 04-04 22
Day 1: 3 04-04
83. Wes Logan Springville, AL 3 04-04 22
Day 1: 3 04-04
85. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 3 04-02 20
Day 1: 3 04-02
85. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 3 04-02 20
Day 1: 3 04-02
87. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 2 04-01 18
Day 1: 2 04-01
88. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 3 03-07 17
Day 1: 3 03-07
89. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 3 03-05 16
Day 1: 3 03-05
90. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 2 03-04 15
Day 1: 2 03-04
91. Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 3 03-02 14
Day 1: 3 03-02
92. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 3 03-00 13
Day 1: 3 03-00
93. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 2 03-00 12
Day 1: 2 03-00
94. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 2 02-13 11
Day 1: 2 02-13
95. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 2 02-11 10
Day 1: 2 02-11
96. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 2 02-10 9
Day 1: 2 02-10
97. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 1 01-15 8
Day 1: 1 01-15
98. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 1 01-12 7
Day 1: 1 01-12
99. Tucker Smith Birmingham, AL 1 01-11 6
Day 1: 1 01-11
100. Timothy Dube Nashua , NH 1 01-09 5
Day 1: 1 01-09
101. Jordan Lee Cullman, AL 1 01-03 4
Day 1: 1 01-03
102. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
——————————
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 04-05 $1,000.00
——————————
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 69 434 664-15
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69 434 664-15
