As expected, the Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork was a full-blown slugfest. Four of the Top 10 anglers reached the 100-pound mark, and eight anglers were within 4 pounds of reaching that number.
While Lee Livesay got it done while being the highest selected angler in all of Rapala Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing, several high-percentage anglers did not get it done last week, making it difficult to pick the perfect roster.
Let’s get into the best and worst Fantasy Fishing picks from Lake Fork.
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The overall winner of the Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork was (“chilliwilly”), who selected only two of the five picks that would have made up the perfect roster. Overall Rank: No. 1, Total Points 1,372.
BUCKET A: Brandon Palaniuk
BUCKET B: Chris Johnston
BUCKET C: Kenta Kimura
BUCKET D: Lee Livesay
BUCKET E: Paul Mueller
The perfect Fantasy Fishing roster for the Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork would have been:
BUCKET A: Brandon Palaniuk
BUCKET B: Marc Frazier
BUCKET C: Bill Lowen
BUCKET D: Lee Livesay
BUCKET E: Derek Hudnall
Total: 1,462
BUCKET A: PALANIUK
Brandon Palaniuk continued his momentum at Lake Fork and eventually took over the lead in Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with his second-place finish. The six-time Bassmaster winner scored 295 points while being the second highest selected angler at 22.1%.
Second best selection: Overall, Bucket A had a slow event, but David Mullins was the second-best pick in the Bucket with his 21st-place finish. The Tennessee pro scored 233 points and was selected by 3.9% of players.
Lowest scoring angler: Despite getting off to a blazing hot start in 2022, Clifford Pirch struggled at Lake Fork. The Arizona pro scored just 117 points and was selected by 1.0% of players.
BUCKET B: FRAZIER
Marc Frazier continues to show out in his sophomore season as a Bassmaster Elite Series pro. A giant 8-12 on the final day propelled Frazier into a fifth-place finish. The Georgia pro scored 320 points while only being selected by 0.3% of players.
Second best selection: Unlike Bucket A, Bucket B showed out at Lake Fork. Three anglers in the Bucket finished in the inside the Top 10, but Gerald Swindle was the second-best pick. Swindle scored 290 points and was selected by 3.1% of players.
Lowest scoring angler: Scott Martin never got the ball rolling at Lake Fork and only scored 101 points while being selected by 4.5% of players.
BUCKET C: LOWEN
It may have been hard to predict that Bill Lowen was going to make a Top 10 at Lake Fork, fishing shallow while the rest of the field primarily fished offshore. However, Lowen was the best pick in Bucket C, scoring 268 points despite only being selected by 0.8% of players.
Second best selection: Kenta Kimura was the second-best selection in Bucket C. The Texas resident scored 248 points while being selected by 7.0% of players.
Lowest scoring angler: Chad Morgenthaler wasn’t able to get it going at Lake Fork. The Missouri pro scored 97 points and was selected by 0.8% of players.
BUCKET D: LIVESAY
For the second year in a row, Lee Livesay dominated on his home body of water, taking home the win with over an 11-pound margin. The Texan scored a whopping 315 points and was selected by 69.3% of players. Possibly the highest player percentage of all time.
Second best selection: Picking against Livesay in Bucket D was difficult, but two other anglers in the Bucket also made the final day. Shane LeHew was the second-best pick in Bucket B, scoring 285 points while being selected by just 0.3% of players.
Lowest scoring angler: Wes Logan never got a pattern rolling at Lake Fork and only scored 91 points. The Alabama pro was selected by 2.4% of players.
BUCKET E: HUDNALL
After a disappointing start to the season, Derek Hudnall got back on track at Lake Fork with a Top 10 finish. The Louisiana pro scored 264 points and was only selected by 0.6% of Fantasy players.
Second best selection: Paul Mueller just barely missed the final day cut with a 12th place finish, and ended up being the second-best pick in the Bucket. Mueller scored 264 points and was selected by 0.7% of players.
Lowest scoring angler: Justin Atkins struggled to get anything going at Lake Fork. The Alabama pro scored just 95 points while being selected by 2.0% of players.
