Roy’s five bass for 26-2 may look impressive to anyone who isn’t Roy.
“Man, that was brutal,” Roy said as he awaited confirmation from his MLF Official that he did, in fact, get the win. “That third period was so rough for me. SCORETRACKER® is rough when you’re near the Cut Line, it’s even worse when you’re in first in the Championship Round and you’re not catching anything.”
“Man, that was brutal,” – Bradley Roy
Roy took over the lead in Period 2 and entered Period 3 with a 2-3 lead over Bryan Thrift thanks in large part to a 8-14 largemouth he caught late in Period 2. Roy caught all of his fish flipping a creature bait on an Ark Fishing 7-foot-6 Pitching Stick. But the Mercury pro went the final three hours without a bite, which allowed the rest of the field — led by Alton Jones — to mount a comeback.
Jones caught four bass for 20-5 in Period 3 to pull within 1-3 of Roy with only 12 minutes left. Those final minutes were agonizing and stressful for Roy, but he was able to hold onto his lead for his first-ever professional-level win. The Kentucky pro is now $100,000 richer and will bring his win home to celebrate with his wife, Danielle, and new son, Lucas.
“Everybody always says when you have a new baby, you win a tournament,” Roy said. “The baby pattern worked for me today and I have my support system to thank for that.”
The 12.14 moster in the MLF tourney- Randall Tharp Facebook page.
Howell Breaks Big Bass Record
This isn’t a typo. Randy Howell did, in fact, break his own MLF record for the biggest bass caught in competition that he set on Wednesday in the Knockout Round on Caney Creek Reservoir. Howell landed a 10-11 in the Knockout Round to break the previous record. On Thursday, the Alabama pro brought in a massive 12-14 by flipping a Yamamoto Senko.
Howell not only set the MLF record, but also the Bussey Brake record that was set in March 2021 when Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler, Tyler Stewart, landed a 12-11.
In total in the Championship Round, there were three 5-pounders caught, two 6-pounders, three 7-pounders, one 8-pounder, two 9-pounders, and Howell’s record 12-14. Bussey Brake lived up to the hype, that much is for sure.
Final Standings
- Bradley Roy 26-2
- Alton Jones 24-15
- Jordan Lee 24-9
- Bryan Thrift 23-15
- Jeff Sprague 18-13
- Randy Howell 16-3
- Mark Daniels Jr. 13-6
- Jacob Wheeler 11-4
- Shin Fukae 3-15
- Jared Lintner 0-0
