COLUMBIA, S.C. (March 15, 2003) - Rookie angler Chris Elliott, 27, of Gloucester, N.C., landed three bass weighing 14 pounds, 8 ounces Saturday on the Lake Murray bass fishing tournament to win $100,000 with a final round total of eight bass weighing 30 pounds, 9 ounces.
The lucrative catch came as cool temperatures and rain blanketed the productive fishery, forcing some competitors to change tactics at the last minute. For Elliot, however, the rain was just what he needed to catch the fish he'd found positioned in a small grass bed.
"I caught two in the first 10 to 15 casts, but then I lost three fish," said Elliot, who was using a Rat-L-Trap. "At that point, I thought it was out of reach. I thought I was fishing for second place."
Elliott, a newcomer to the FLW Tour this season, had previously earned just three top-10 finishes in the Bass Fishing League and amassed just $5,043. With this victory, he increased his FLW Outdoors earning by 20 fold.
On Wednesday he landed five bass weighing 16 pounds, 4 ounces to place 32nd. He then added five bass weighing 20 pounds, 8 ounces Thursday to enter the finals as the No. 7 seed with an opening round total of 10 bass weighing 36 pounds, 12 ounces. Weights were cleared for Friday's action, and Elliot caught five bass weighing 16 pounds, 1 ounce to secure third heading into Saturday.
"This has been what I've been striving for since I was just 12-13 years old," Elliot said. "I've wanted to get into this position for a long time. I'm glad to get a national win under my belt."
Stanley Mitchell of Fitzgerald, Ga., finished just 1 pound, 6 ounces behind Elliott after catching four bass weighing 13 pounds, 4 ounces on a spinner bait Saturday to climb from fourth into second with a final round total of nine bass weighing 29 pounds, 3 ounces. The catch earned Mitchell $35,000.
Rounding out the top five pros are John Crews of Jetersville, Va. (10 bass, 27 pounds, 2 ounces, $20,000); Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo. (10 bass, 25 pounds, 14 ounces, $16,000); and Jody Cordell of Flowery Branch, Ga. (eight bass, 24 pounds, 10 ounces, $14,000).
Dan Morehead of Paducah, Ky., who entered the tournament ranked second in the Angler-of-the-Year standings, unseated Gary Klein of Weatherford, Texas, with an eighth-place performance while Klein finished in 73rd place. Morehead landed eight bass weighing 20 pounds, 4 ounces in the final round using a lipless crankbait to earn $9,000.
"Kevin VanDam would have had a hard time keeping up with me," Morehead said. "I had the trolling motor on high and really covered some water."
Robertson won a $500 Wal-Mart gift card plus a selection of Stanley tools as the winner of the Stanley Accuracy Cast Award, which goes to the angler who pitches a jig closest to a specified target.
Lonnie Fuller Jr., 73, of Hemphill, Texas, turned in a dominating catch of four bass weighing 16 pounds Friday to win the Co-angler Division and pocket $15,000 cash plus a $500 Wal-Mart gift card from Castrol and $500 worth of Castrol products. He caught his bass using a half-ounce, red Rat-L-Trap while fishing with pro John Crews of Jetersville, Va.