Elite

Johnston’s ferocious Day 2 flurry

Catch up with Chris Johnston as he gets started fast on the second day of the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Mississippi River!

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Photography by
Andy Crawford
Canada’s Chris Johnston took over the unofficial lead early on the second day of the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Mississippi River. We found him fishing a flat off the main river channel.
As I was getting into position, Johnston set the hook.
His body language told the tale of a fish that might help widen his lead.
The smallmouth bass did all it could to break free, including launching itself into the air.
However, Johnston wrestled the bass to the boat and flipped it over the gunnel.
Johnston put his latest catch on a balance beam to determine whether it would help him or not …
… and then did a visual comparison …
… before releasing his smallest bass. The bass he had just caught, which was logged into BASSTrakk as weighing 2-11, went into the livewell., went into the livewell.
Johnston had an audience watching his performance.
The very next cast resulted in yet another hookset …
… that put a smile on the angler’s face.
Johnston boat flipped the struggling bass.
Johnston weighed the bass, but it didn’t join the team.
Johnston quickly rerigged his soft-plastic …
… and then repositioned to another section of the flat.
And the move worked, allowing him to hook up with another Mississippi River bass.
This fish was of the green variety, but wasn’t big enough to cull up.
The flat was filled with bass, and Johnston kept connecting.
He lipped this nearly 3-pound largemouth.
Shortly after this cast Johnston headed out to new water.

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