LEESBURG, Florida (April 17, 2024) – After four days of competition at the 2024 Bassmaster Elite at the Harris Chain of Lakes, Humminbird® and Minn Kota® ambassador John Garrett put himself in position to win his first-ever Elite series victory in only his third tournament. Carrying a 6-pound 9-ounce lead to the final day, Garrett added 21 pounds and 3 ounces with a 7-pound kicker on the final day to seal the victory.
Due to inclement weather on Thursday, the event kicked off Friday where Garrett took the lead with 24 pounds, 2 ounces. On days two and three he added 19 pounds, 13 ounces, and 19 pounds, 3 ounces before a Championship Monday effort that gave him the win by a 10-pound, 9-ounce margin.
“I am relieved to get a victory in my rookie season against this caliber of competition,” said Garrett. “I focused on my fishing career for a long time, even before college, and my progression through the sport is a testament to a lot of hard work and support from friends, family, and sponsors.”
Hailing from Union City, Tennessee, Garrett cut his teeth in collegiate fishing at Bethel University where he qualified to fish the 2017 Bassmaster Classic by winning the 2016 Bassmaster College Series Bracket. Following his accomplished college career, he fished the Bassmaster Opens for five seasons, and qualified for the Elite Series in 2023, finishing second-place in the Open EQ AOY standings.
With the victory, besting the 103-boat field on the Harris Chain of Lakes, Garrett achieved a lifelong goal of winning on the Bassmaster Elite Series, and in a dominating fashion leading wire-to-wire. But it didn’t come without adversity and a true test of his mental focus. With high winds and storms moving through Florida, he relied on his experience and practice to make good decisions each day and stuck with his game plan coming into the event.
“As the event progressed, I had to get my mind right and settle into my areas, which were a little deeper than where the rest of the field was fishing,” said Garrett. “I utilized the Humminbird MEGA Side Imaging® to locate hard spots and Minn Kota Ultrex QUEST to stay put and sneak up close to the fish. Once I was in place, I could make precise casts with MEGA 360 Imaging®. I had to endure long periods between bites, and just have the confidence that I was going to get a few key bites.”
His main area was a 75-yard-long shell bar where most of his damage was done, and the strategy to fill a limit before hunting down bigger fish with his electronics paid dividends as he was able to put several big fish in the boat each day. As conditions changed, and fishing pressure increased, he made several key bait changes to trigger some bigger bites throughout the event. He was able to maintain his boat position with MEGA 360 Imaging and make long casts to key hard-bottom areas.
Added Tim Price, Pro Staff Manager at Johnson Outdoors, “John’s performance this week at the Harris Chain is a testament to the hard work and dedication to his career. John worked with the Minn Kota and Humminbird brands throughout college at Bethel University and has been a phenomenal ambassador for our brand since. His use of Lakemaster® VX Mapping, MEGA Side Imaging, and MEGA 360 Imaging exemplifies how our advanced technologies can give anglers a competitive edge. We are proud to have him represent us and look forward to his continued success.”
