Marc Frazier caught the Phoenix Big Bass of the Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork, a largemouth weighing 8 pounds, 12 ounces, also qualifying the catch as the Jack Link’s Hook the Beast of the tournament.
Throughout the tournament, Frazier made brief stops at a point where he discovered postspawn largemouth relating to isolated boulders. The strike zone ranged in depth from 18 to 25 feet of bottom. The quality of his catches improved each day, leaving him to believe the spot showed potential.
Without knowing it at the time, Frazier had saved the very best for last. By midday on Championship Sunday, he had a decent weight, so he spent the remainder of the day there.
Using Lowrance ActiveTarget Live Sonar, Frazier discovered that one particular area stood out.
“I saw an irregularity in the bottom with a couple of chunkier boulders, with good fish on top of both of them,” Frazier said. “I made a cast, and I think that 8-12 picked it up on the first drag of the worm.
“When I set the hook, the fish didn’t even move, and I knew it was a big one.”
Frazier caught the big bass on a magnum-sized worm, rigged on a 1/2-ounce jighead. He fished it on a 7-foot, 3-inch medium/heavy action Abu Garcia Veracity Casting Rod with an Abu Garcia Revo STX Low Profiile Reel, spooled with 16-pound Sunline Fluorocarbon.
“I would make a cast with the worm, and drag it slowly until I felt a boulder,” Frazier said. “The key was jigging it on top of the boulder and when I did, I caught the big one.”
Frazier caught the 8-12 and then another largemouth weighing 6 1/2 pounds from the spot on Championship Sunday.
“It was a game changer fish.”
Indeed, it was. Frazier finished fifth with 99-1 after four days of competition.