On the water with Bobby Ferguson at the Bass Pro Shops Southern Open #3

Spectator boats gather to watch tournament leader Bobby Ferguson on the final day of the Bass Pro Shops Southern Open on Douglas Lake. 

Ferguson started on the same spot that has held several of the fish weighed on the first two days of competition. 

Spectators kept a respectable distance from Ferguson’s waypoint. 

Young and old got up early to watch Ferguson try to win the tournament. 

A small flotilla of boats followed Ferguson’s every move on Douglas Lake. 

Ferguson makes a cast with the swimbait he has used every day. 

Ferguson hooks up with his first fish of the morning. 

Ferguson’s co-angler, Kibbee McCoy nets the fish. 

Ferguson fires another cast as the sun begins to rise over the Great Smoky Mountains. 

Kibbee McCoy would prove he was a good net man, while fishing the final day with Bobby Ferguson. 

Ferguson places his second fish into the live well. 

After making a short move up the lake, Ferguson is once again hooked up with a Douglas Lake bass. 

The fish dives under the net as it fights near the boat. 

The angry smallmouth jumps near the boat, as McCoy reaches with the dip net. 

McCoy raises the net to meet the jumping smallmouth. 

The fish settles safely into the bottom of the net. 

Smallmouth on Douglas Lake must measure 20-inches, and Ferguson reaches for his measuring board. 

Ferguson worked with the fish for several moments, turning it several times, hoping it would touch the 20-inch mark on the measuring board. 

McCoy looks on as Ferguson disgustingly tosses the smallmouth back into the water. 

Ferguson makes a move down the lake and again catches a short smallmouth. 

Ferguson knows immediately the fish is short and throws it back. 

On the next cast Ferguson was dragging another fish towards the net. 

McCoy secures the fish and Ferguson begins to build a limit of fish. 

Ferguson makes another trip to the live well. 

Ferguson was on a fish catch flurry, keeping Kibbee McCoy busy with the netting duties. 

Yet another trip to the live well. 

Next cast, another keeper. 

Ferguson now has a limit of fish in the live well. 

Ferguson takes the time to sit down and weigh each of his fish. 

After each fish’s weight recorded, Ferguson gets back to work. 

Ferguson boats his best fish of the morning. 

Ferguson pulls the fish he will cull from the live well. 

Ferguson releases the smaller fish and continues his attempt to win the tournament wire-to-wire.