Patrick Walters may be a 24-year-old Elite Series rookie, but he has the confidence of a seasoned pro. He’s one of those college fishing sensations that gets the equivalent of a decade of tournament experience along with a college degree. Walters and our own “media man of the people” Gettys Brannon teamed to win the FLW College Championship in 2015 while attending the University of South Carolina.
“We fished two college tournament on the St. Johns River two years ago,” said Walters, noting his familiarity with this body of water. “I fished almost strictly in the river. But I felt like the best bag I could possible catch in the river was 15 pounds. I figured if I went to Lake George I’d have a chance at a big bite and a 20- to 30-pound bag.”
That’s exactly what Walters did yesterday – weighing 23-7 that included a 9-pound, 12-ounce largemouth. It moved him from 30th place on Day 1 to 11th on Day 2.
“I flipped reeds and buggy whips with a 3/8ths-ounce VMC tungsten weight, a VMC flipping hook and a Zoom Magnum Finesse Worm, watermelon red,” he said. “I kept it in my hands all day.”
Walters already had an adjustment in mind if the weather changed today. Whatever he’s doing, it’s working. BASSTrakk showed him with a 20-pound limit at 9:07 a.m.