Dale Hightower has increased his lead early today with a couple of two-pounders. Early fish are always a confidence builder, especially for the tournament leader on the last day. But the main thing the 46-year-old Elite Series pro from nearby Mannford, Okla., has going for him is experience.
This marks Hightower’s 41st B.A.S.S. tournament and, notably, his sixth on the Arkansas River at Muskogee. He’s been remarkably consistent here, finishing sixth in 2011, 10th in 2013, 15th in 2014, 22nd in 2016 and 13th in 2018.