Connell started in his Day 1 spot , where half the anglers in the Championship Round field milled within sight of one another . But when all he could garner during the opening 30 minutes were short strikes , Connell realized that the school had finally scattered . And this time , it was an angler fishing below the Logan Martin dam , Ron Nelson , lighting up SCORETRACKER ® to start the day .
Before committing to the 35- mile trek up the river , Connell decided to check a couple more offshore holes . The first got him on the board with a few scorable bass . When he arrived at the second — the bay where he ’ d caught the 4-pounder on Day 2 — he knew he ’ d found something special before even making a cast .
“ I set the boat down , and I saw on my 2D ( sonar ) immediately , there was just a wall of shad right there ,” Connell said . “ And I said , ‘ oh boy .’ And all the clouds and the rain had all the bait pushed up , and I said , ‘ It ’ s about to go down .’ And it did , big time .”
Connell started the second period 6-7 behind Nelson . It took him all of 12 minutes to erase that deficit with consecutive 4-pounders . Over the next hour , he seemed to reel fish in at will , boating eight more weighing 31-2 , each addition further deflating his competition .
In all , Connell piled on 41-12 during Period 2 . That extended his total to 63-2 and his lead to more than 20 pounds , all but cementing his victory . He caught all that weight on a Mooch Minnow — a new , soft-plastic bait from CrushCity set to be unveiled at ICAST this summer — affixed to a 3 / 16- ounce VMC jighead .
“ I didn ’ t plan on this happening ,” Connell said . “ It was just a collision with those big spots . And it was one of the funnest days I ’ ve ever had on Lay Lake . Magical day .”
a special addition to a fast-growing trophy collection
While he ’ s never won a tournament there before , Connell had caught fish from his winning spot in the past . Thousands of hours spent on Lay prompted him to check it out during the Qualifying Round , just like his experience helped him know how the lake ’ s baitfish and bass would behave amid the changing conditions and the best ways to trigger the latter into biting .
34
Just 34 years old , Dustin Connell has now racked up six Bass Pro Tour trophies .
PHOTO BY ROB MATSUURA PHOTO BY GARRICK DIXON
But it wasn ’ t his local knowledge nearly as much as his intuitive approach and savvy strategy that produced Connell ’ s finalday domination . He embraces a “ fish to win ” mindset , focusing on finding the winning fish during an event rather than just getting to the Knockout or Championship Rounds . He ’ s also unafraid to buck the old fishing axiom “ never leave fish to find fish ” if he believes he can find more fish .
That approach has become Connell ’ s biggest strength — the reason he ’ s not just bested but buried the rest of the Top 10 in two of the first three events of 2024 and worked his way onto a short list of the most accomplished tournament anglers ever .
“ I ’ ve always tried to be real instinctual with my fishing and let the fish tell me what to do ,” he said . “ I don ’ t try to force stuff . I know they ’ re biting somewhere , and I move around a lot . And when I move around a lot , I know what I ’ m looking for , and when I find the right recipe , then I ’ ll settle . So , it ’ s all about making good decisions .”
In the minutes after his RED- CREST triumph became official , Connell had no interest in talking about his place among bass fishing ’ s all-time greats . He still gets starstruck when he sees the likes of Kevin VanDam and Edwin Evers at tournaments , he said . It ’ s easier to think of himself as the 12-year-old kid in the aluminum boat than one of their peers .
Age 34 now , Connell ’ s list of career accolades is far from written . But not only did he make history as the first two-time REDCREST winner , he joined an elite group in tournament angling annals . Connell is now one of eight pros all time — along with two of his heroes , VanDam and Evers — to win multiple national-tour championships and at least seven total tour events .
Given the rate at which he ’ s won lately ( five victories in his past 21 events ), it seems a safe bet that Connell will continue to climb the all-time list . But no matter how many trophies he accumulates , earning one on Lay Lake and hoisting it in front of family and friends will always hold special meaning .
“ It ’ s been a dream for me ,” he said . “ I live my dream every day . ... And it ’ s just all the support , that ’ s what helps me . My wife , my family being there this morning , it just means a lot to me .”
MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | APRIL-MAY 2024