pardon my reach
I t ’ s been almost a year to the day since Alabama pro Dustin Connell claimed the biggest win of his career at REDCREST 2021 on Lake Eufaula in Alabama . But as the final dayand-a-half at Favorite Fishing Stage Two Presented by Mercury unfolded on Lewis Smith Lake in northern Alabama , it seemed that Connell was positioned for yet another ‘ Bama beatdown .
One of the most accomplished spotted bass fishermen on the planet , Connell had spent the first few days of the early March tournament grinding his way through 2 1 / 2 days of spotted bass fishing that was good enough to advance past the cutdown from 80 anglers to 40 , but probably not good enough to sneak into the Top 10 and a Championship Round berth .
But history has a way of repeating itself . And in Connell ’ s case , literally : The Favorite Fishing pro made a move late in the Knockout Round to a location near the Smith Lake Dam that he had fished several years prior and promptly put eight spots on SCORETRACKER™ for nearly 17 pounds . That was enough to propel him into the final round , where Connell leaned hard on that same area ( as well as his Lowrance ActiveTarget and a drop-shot ) to the tune of 33 spotted bass for 71-2 – a runaway win by 15 pounds over Jordan Lee in second .
If his REDCREST win wasn ’ t proof , Connell ’ s win at Smith Lake proved that he ’ s on the leading edge of the forwardfacing sonar revolution , and a spotted bass fishermen of the highest caliber . And that ’ s no reach !
PHOTO BY GARRICK DIXON
APRIL-MAY 2022 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 71