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After two complete fishing days, with one postponed in between, the top three teams split into six individuals, and battled it out Saturday on Lake Guntersville for the final Bassmaster Classic spot.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Nickolas LeBrun and Randy Deaver weighed the biggest bag of the event on Day 2 with over 28 pounds, so we decided to follow these anglers as they began the first session of competition.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Soon after arriving, LeBrun hooked up.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
The Louisiana angler gets this fish to ski across the water until it reaches the boat.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
LeBrun knows he is going to need some better size, but it's a start.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
This is actually keeper number two for LeBrun, both of which were on the small side. Immediately both anglers notice the currently is significantly less than on Friday when they bagged their giant weight.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Deaver tunes his electronics and makes sure everything is situated. Electronics are key, especially when fishing off-shore like these anglers were.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Deaver makes a cast with a swimbait. These two anglers caught a lot of fish on a football jig throughout the event, but a swimbait played a role as well.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
LeBrun also heaves out a cast as both anglers get situated on their spot.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
LeBrun hooks up, and it looks like a big one from how he was fighting it.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Oh yea, it's a big one. LeBrun and Deaver fished a pinch-point trough where the current swept through. The fish positioned in different areas each day making slight adjustments necessary.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Some days they were in the 14-foot region, while other times they were in 20 feet or so.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
LeBrun reaches for the big fish.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
LeBrun locks his hand on the giants bottom lip as he begins to hoist him into the boat.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
That's keeper number three ... and it's the right size. What a toad.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
LeBrun knows how big of a fish catch that was ... a game changer per se.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
He puts it on the big side for now. Culling that thing would be difficult considering the tough Saturday bite on Guntersville.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Deaver gets a bass to sniff his jig, but he swings and misses. Hook sets are free, after all.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
They keep chunking and winding in the Honeycomb area of Lake Guntersville.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Both anglers said they hoped that their teammate made it, which shows an immense amount of respect between both guys.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
We leave those two and find Tim Eaton who is half of the Team Championship winning duo from Michigan.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Nothing but short fish so far this morning for Eaton.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
He probed the shallow grass point with a wide-wobbling squarebill crankbait.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
They believe this spot was also current based. When the TVA was ripping current, the fish positioned in a ditch right near the grassy point.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
After no action with Eaton, we left and headed to the Browns Creek bridge, which has been a major player this week. We found a big bass that had choked on a small freshwater drum.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Our camera boat driver, Scott Dobbins, saved this bass from imminent death. For now, anyway.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
No wonder big swimbaits work so well on Lake Guntersville. Big bait equals big fish, and some with eyes bigger than their mouths.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
We hung around the team from Texas, Dean Alexander and Thomas Martens.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Martens hooked up for a second, but the fish came unbuttoned
Photo: Ronnie Moore
He isn't sure why that happened, but it doesn't make his situation any better because he is sitting on zero at the moment.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
His partner Dean Alexander was fishing just on the other side of the bridge.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Alexander did a lot of damage this week with a Carolina-rig and a swimbait.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Alexander decides to make a change and he heads to find some active fish, so we leave as well.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
We find the other angler from the winning team, Chris Risner.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Risner was delayed about 15 minutes this morning because he needed to show proof of updated insurance, but after he got on the water he put two fish in the boat quickly. He relied on a crankbait for much of the week.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
He decides he has had enough of this spot, and heads out to find more fish.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
We ease closer to the takeoff ramp where we find Randy Deaver, who left his starting spot to his partner LeBrun.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Deaver fished the rock wall in Town Creek as the time for session one was winding down.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Deaver had company on every possible place on the rock wall and bridge.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
He hooks up with his first keeper of the day.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
It's putting up quite a fight after Deaver thumped it with a jig.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Deaver swings the keeper in the boat, and he is on the board.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
With Guntersville being stingy this morning, every little bit of weight helps.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
After the session one weigh-in, Nickolas LeBrun was the leader with 12 pounds, 14 ounces, so we followed him to start session two.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
The day was split into two "sessions." The first session was from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. They came in and weighed their fish and was able to see how they stacked up and could regroup for the rest of the day. Then they headed out at 11 a.m. and fished until 3 p.m. when the final champion would be crowned.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
LeBrun started in North Sauty creek to start session two.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
He figured he was more in survival mode because he had a lead. He went to an area that he figured he could get a limit from and protect his lead.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
LeBrun hooked up with his first keeper of the second session.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
He punched some dying grass mats to hook up with his keeper, something he did back before Thanksgiving when he came here for pre-practice.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
LeBrun swings aboard number one.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
The Louisiana angler stuck with something that he felt comfortable doing and adjusted throughout the day.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
He stayed poised and made some great decisions even during some dry spells.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
LeBrun shifts his attention to the other side of the bridge where some dying grass gathered along the rip-rap.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
And he hooked up again. He knew he could catch a limit, but he wasn't sure if this pattern could produce a giant, or just two- or three-pounders.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
He gets the largemouth to the surface.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
And brings it aboard.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
He punched with a 1-ounce weight, a punch skirt and a small craw on the business end.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
He threw back this non-keeper as it was just shy of the necessary 15 inch-minimum.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Sitting on one keeper, LeBrun kept his eyes fixed on the targets ahead and stayed calm.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Here is some of the thick stuff that he was flipping.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
LeBrun decides to make a move to another part of North Sauty where there was similar grass.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
He drops his presentation in the first patch he sees...
Photo: Ronnie Moore
And hooks up quickly.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Not knowing what other anglers were catching, every fish had equal importance.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
He swings aboard this fish, and continues adjusting as this bass was caught on another bait entirely.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
He picked up a vibrating jig with a swimbait trailer to catch that fish.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
But it wasn't long enough so it goes back into Guntersville to grow.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Another fisherman makes a move as LeBrun and this blue heron cross paths.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
About 15 minutes later, the Louisiana angler hooks up.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
This one seems to be long enough at the moment, but it's too soon to tell.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
LeBrun eyes it up to see.
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Relief as it keeps. Another one in the box for Nick.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
Solid fish. If he can catch a limit of those he may very well survive and punch a ticket to the Bassmaster Classic.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
LeBrun flips the next patch of grass and gets bit.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
He swings aboard another keeper and gets back to fishing very quickly.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
And he bows up his fishing rod again on another fish.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
This one struggles to get free, but LeBrun keeps it buttoned up and brings it to the boat.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
He swings this one in and now he has a limit.
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He fist pumps because he knows a limit will be important, but LeBrun finishes second as Thomas Martens
Photo: Ronnie Moore
In the end, Thomas Martens from Texas brought in an impressive afternoon catch. His total for the second session was 22-12.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
In March of 2016, Martens will cross the Bassmaster Classic stage and represent B.A.S.S.'s sanctioned team trail.
Photo: Ronnie Moore
