oh to be a fly on the wall
O ne of our favorite games to play in the airport while traveling to tournaments is “ Who ’ s saying what ?” You know how it goes : two people talking animatedly at a distance ( out of earshot ), you make up the conversation for them . Such was definitely the case when we spied Bass Pro Tour anglers Jordan Lee and Alton Jones Jr . chatting in the parking lot immediately after Lee had been awarded the big red-and-silver trophy for winning General Tire Stage Six Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles on Lake St . Clair in Michigan .
Lee had just earned his fourth big MLF trophy to go along with his 2020 Angler of the Year award , his Heavy Hitters 2020 belt and his Stage One win at the first-ever BPT event ( in 2019 ). Jones had just finished second to Lee at St . Clair but owns a BPT trophy of his own ( from Stage Two in 2021 ), along with his own Heavy Hitters belt ( from earlier in the 2023 season ) and $ 165,000 in “ Happy Gilmore ” big-fish checks from Heavy Hitters 2022 .
Maybe they were talking about their Heavy Hitters belts ( Lee : “ Mine is heavier ;” Jones : “ Mine is shinier ”). Maybe they were talking about their kids . Or maybe they were just two bass heads chattering about the piles of smallmouth they had just finished catching . Whatever the subject , we ’ re sorry we missed out !
PHOTO BY GARRICK DIXON
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2023 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 83