Fantasy Fishing: River Rattin'

Written by

Solomon Glenn

Minnesota

And just like that we are at the end of the Elite Series schedule, and it all comes down to the mighty Mississippi River. With an unpredictable AOY and ROY race what better way to end it than on the unpredictable and ever changing playing field? Not to mention, a Classic spot is up for grabs for the winner of the event.

I think most people are hoping for a topwater frog showdown, as we have seen sometimes in the past. While I too would love to see it and I’m sure there will be plenty of it, my feeling is that it will not be dominated by frogging. Increased pressure has seemed to diminish the dominant pattern that frogging used to be. The smallmouth in the river have seemed to get bigger and more plentiful; however, with the event being in August, it doesn’t make them the easiest the catch. I hope to see guys doing a little bit of everything and making key adjustments throughout the day.

Let’s get to the picks.

BUCKET A: PRZEKURAT

Yes, I’m going to stick with Jay Przekurat till the end. St. Clair was definitely a disappointing finish after taking the Open win last year. But after losing the AOY lead, Jay has less of a target on his back and can go swinging in his home state. I would love to see him make a comeback and claim AOY.

Solid secondary pick: I’m really not sure how you bet against Trey McKinney anymore. He’s proved for two years straight that he is the real deal. Haters will say this won’t be his event with scope being less of a factor, but I promise he will do just fine.

BUCKET B: FEIDER

Maybe I have a little favoritism towards the Llama from growing up in the same town. But, Seth Feider can get down with river rattin’. He almost won the event way back in 2016 and while he hasn’t made a true run at it since he has the river instincts for a solid performance.

Solid secondary pick: I’m honestly flip flopping on who to take. Caleb Kuphall, who calls the Mississippi River his home waters, is sitting at 2% owned. The two times he’s fished BASS events there, he has posted Top 30s.

BUCKET C: SHRYOCK

If there’s a guy who’s going to make flipping and frogging work, it’s going to be Hunter Shryock. He’s finished 18th and 36th the two times he’s been and knows how to grind it out if things get stingy. If he locates the right mats and laydowns, he could be dangerous.

Solid secondary pick: I feel like Dakota Ebare is finally finding his groove. He’s just way to good to be struggling for too long. He’s hot off a Top 10 and will be looking for more.

BUCKET D: BROWNING

The Mississippi River should be right up Beau Browning’s alley. While he hasn’t had the rookie season he hoped for, I’m sure he’ll be wanting to finish the year off on a high note. Beau finished 20th out of a large Open field last year and I’m looking for him to do it again.

Solid secondary pick: Greg Hackney has been to the river many, many times over his career. However, the mighty Mississippi never stops changing. Hackney seems to post a Top 35 or bomb in the 90s. Will he continue the trend?

BUCKET E: LATUSO

Bucket E is a tough one to pick once again, but I’m going with Logan Latuso. He is very good at shallow power fishing. His one Mississippi River visit was in 2019 and he finished 53rd in the Open. Latuso will be a contender if he finds fish in the thick stuff.

Solid secondary pick: Matt Robertson did say he was going to win this event to make it to the Classic. That would certainly be a nice baby gift. One thing for certain, Robertson will make a gamble to try to pull something off. His last Elite finish in the river was 30th.