weight on day one . On days two and three , he changed over to a Zoom Magnum Trick Worm to weather the pressure of other competitors , and it worked like a charm .
“ I really believe it was that subtle bait change that made a difference ,” says Jenkel of his second day . “ I came up into The Glaize [ the area around Grand Glaize Recreation Area where the tournament was based ] at the end of the day and pulled up onto some docks and culled out with a 3- pounder , and it was all on that bait .”
That change to a worm proved to be critical . While others fishing his area stumbled as the fishing pressure built , Jenkel just kept catching them .
PHOTO BY MATT PACE
PreSeNtatIoN KeYS
A Magnum Trick Worm is a pretty subtle bait on its own , but Jenkel worked to get the most out of it by fishing with extra care . If you had watched him fishing , you ’ d have noticed two key things : the accuracy of his presentations and the slow speed of his retrieve .
Pitching and skipping around the docks , Jenkel only rarely hit a float or dinged off a pontoon . During the retrieve , he slowly lifted and dragged his bait over each bit of brush . The fish had ample time to make a decision and often enough that they decided to bite .
PHOTO BY MATT PACE coNdItIoNS fishery type : large reservoir in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains air temperature : low 50s to mid-70s Water temperature : mid-70s Wind : light on day one after a passing thunderstorm ; strong on day two ; light and variable on the final day Water clarity : stained up the lake ; 3 to 4 feet of visibility down the lake moon Phase : first quarter
Jenkel ’ s winning bait arsenal ( shown left ) included a Lunker Lure Limit Series Jig with a Strike King Rage Bug trailer ( both green pumpkin ), a Texas-rigged Zoom Magnum Trick Worm ( red bug and watermelon candy ) and a Texas-rigged Gambler Flipp ’ n Tube ( green pumpkin and blue ).
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1 . duKe JeNKeL PINcKNeYvILLe , ILL . Total Weight : 52-05 ( 15 fish ) Winnings : $ 35,815
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2 . marK tucKer KIrKWood , mo . Total Weight : 51-04 ( 15 fish ) Winnings : $ 14,078
3 . dIoN HIbdoN SuNrISe beacH , mo . Total Weight : 51-01 ( 15 fish ) Winnings : $ 10,745
4 . duStIN evaNS eadS , teNN . Total Weight : 48-13 ( 15 fish ) Winnings : $ 9,054
5 . marcuS SYKora oSaGe beacH , mo . Total Weight : 48-06 ( 15 fish ) Winnings : $ 8,058 co-aNGLer cHamP brad HoStetLer Jr . fraNKLIN , INd . total Weight : 37-10 ( 14 fish ) Winning Program : Through three days on Lake of the Ozarks , Hostetler made the right adjustments each day and ended up in first thanks to a big 14-pound , 15-ounce bag on day two that earned him the win via tiebreaker over Scott Parsons . They each caught 37- 10 in three days , with the tie settled by heaviest two-day weight coming into the final day .
The first day , Hostetler ended up fishing shallow around laydowns and caught his fish on a buzzbait , a tube and a homemade jig . The second day , he found himself fishing deep with a Zoom Ol ’ Monster worm . On the third day , fishing behind Brian Maloney around docks , Hostetler says the worm and a Zoom Brush Hog did the trick .
PHOTO BY MATT PACE
december 2016 I fLWfISHING . com 117