Miss. River: Pros pick three

When asked who will do well at the Elite Series Mississippi River Rumble, the pros believe it’s important to choose according to the body of water and the fishing strengths of the angler, with an eye to who is in the hunt for the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.

LA CROSSE, Wis. – Some of the picks for the Bassmaster Elite Series Mississippi River Rumble will be closely aligned with Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year leaderboard. But don’t bet on consistency alone, because some anglers are more adapt to this type of fishery than others. The pros believe that it’s important to choose according to the body of water and the style of fishing of the angler, with an eye to who is in the hunt for the AOY title.

Here is a sampling of Elite pros followed by the three anglers they picked to do well on the Mississippi River and why:

Alton Jones

  1. Brent Chapman: “He’s on fire and coming off a great win on Toledo Bend.”
  2. Bill Lowen: “He’s a river junkie.”
  3. Dean Rojas: “He’s the frog master.”

Jeff Kriet

  1. Dean Rojas: “He’s going to be able to throw his frog the whole time.”
  2. Bill Lowen: “He’s a great river fisherman.”
  3. Greg Hackney: “It’s his style of fishing out there.”

Chris Zaldain

  1. Greg Hackney: “Hackney is a shallow water guy and knows how to read current.”
  2. Ish Monroe: “It’s a frog bite.”
  3. Skeet Reese: “He grew up on the Delta and understands current, as well.”

Dean Rojas

  1. Kevin Vandam: “He catches them everywhere he goes.”
  2. Brent Chapman: “He’s been on a roll.”
  3. Cliff Pace: “I think he’s going to catch ‘em this week.”

Greg Hackney

  1. Tommy Biffle: “It’s going to be a flippin’ type of tournament.”
  2. Mark Davis: “I honestly think he’s one of the best river fishermen here.”
  3. Myself: “I never bet against myself.”

Jared Miller

  1. Greg Hackney: “He likes to flip like crazy.”
  2. Denny Brauer: “Another great shallow cover angler who likes to flip.”
  3. Tommy Biffle: “I think it’s going to be a flippin’ dominated tournament so he should fair well.”

Ott Defoe

  1. Kevin Short: “He’s going to be comfortable fishing here.”
  2. Bill Lowen: “He’s a river oriented angler.”
  3. Edwin Evers: “He’s a good shallow water angler and likes to junk fish, and that’s the only way I’m catching any.”

Marty Robinson

  1. Denny Brauer: “He generally fairs well on rivers.”
  2. Bill Lowen: “He should do well here; he likes to fish a jig shallow.”
  3. Jared Linter: “He’s a pretty good flipper.”

Bill Lowen:

  1. Ish Monroe: “It’s going to take better than average fish and he’s pretty good at sniffing those out.”
  2. Myself: “It’s a river system, and I feel really comfortable here.”
  3. Denny Brauer: “There is a pretty decent flippin’ bite, and he catches them when it’s that type of bite.”

Kelly Jordon

  1. Brody Broderick: “He’s due.”
  2. Brent Chapman: “He won the last tournament.”
  3. David Walker: “He’s chasing the AOY, who is currently Brent Chapman.”

Keith Poche

  1. Dean Rojas: “There’s a shallow water deal going on, and I think he can bust a good bag.”
  2. Greg Hackney: “He fishes shallow really well so I look for him to be up there.”
  3. Bill Lowen: “Another great shallow water angler, and he’s going to be tough out there.”

Brandon Palaniuk

  1. Ish Monroe: “He’s a Delta guy, and he’ll have one rod – it’ll be a frog.”
  2. Myself: “I’m in it to win it…not to lose.”
  3. Britt Myers: “He’s fishing well right now and has a lot of confidence.”