LEESBURG, Fla. (Feb. 24, 2018) – Canadian pro angler Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Ontario, held his lead after Day Three of the FLW Tournament at the Harris Chain of Lakes after bringing a five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds, 12 ounces, to the scale. Johnston brings a slim 14-ounce advantage over second-place pro Tony Dumitras of Winston, Georgia, heading into championship Sunday when the final 10 anglers will compete for the top prize of up to $125,000.
Johnston started his day in the same area he caught the bulk of his weight Friday – a 12-foot-deep weed edge with a long indentation on Lake Harris. He said he used two baits to catch the majority of his fish – a jerkbait and a lipless crankbait.
“It started out with a bang. By 8:15 (a.m.) I pretty much had all of my weight,” said Johnston, who is seeking his first career win on the FLW Tour. “The fish were right where they were supposed to be.”
Between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., it was a different story. Johnston said he stayed on Lake Harris, but managed to catch only a few short fish in other hydrilla-filled areas.
“With 20 minutes left in the day I got into some fish and upgraded my weight by a quarter-pound,” said Johnston. “There were a lot of fish and some shad in the area, and they were chewing. I wish I’d had another half hour out there because I think I could’ve gotten a big one.”
Johnston said his game plan for Sunday will be similar to what he’s done for the past two days.
“After the morning spot I’m hoping they will be where I left them biting today,” said Johnston. “If fish aren’t in my starting spot, I’m going to be in some trouble.”
The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition at the Harris Chain of Lakes are:
1st: Chris Johnston, Peterborough, Ontario, 15 bass, 62-0
2nd: Tony Dumitras, Winston, Ga., 15 bass, 61-2
3rd: Glenn Browne, Ocala, Fla., 15 bass, 58-15
4th: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 15 bass, 57-13
5th: Jeff Gustafson, Keewatin, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 55-13
6th: Buddy Gross, Chickamauga, Ga., 15 bass, 55-6
7th: Jared McMillan, Belle Glade, Fla., 15 bass, 55-4
8th: Matt Greenblatt, Port St. Lucie, Fla., 15 bass, 55-0
9th: Kurt Dove, Del Rio, Texas, 15 bass, 54-15
10th: John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 15 bass, 54-2
Finishing 11th through 30th are:
11th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 15 bass, 53-11, $12,000
12th: Koby Kreiger, Bokeelia, Fla., 15 bass, 52-5, $12,000
13th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 52-3, $12,000
14th: Randy Haynes, Counce, Tenn., 15 bass, 51-13, $12,000
15th: Larry Nixon, Bee Branch, Ark., 15 bass, 49-1, $12,000
16th: Ronald Young, Lake Wales, Fla., 15 bass, 48-14, $12,000
17th: Shawn Murphy, Nicholasville, Ky., 15 bass, 48-5, $12,000
18th: Braxton Setzer, Montgomery, Ala., 15 bass, 48-3, $12,000
19th: Bob Morin, Seymour, Tenn., 14 bass, 47-14, $12,000
20th: Boo Woods, London, Ky., 15 bass, 47-8, $12,000
21st: Jamie Horton, Centreville, Ala., 15 bass, 44-12, $10,000
22nd: John Devere, Berea, Ky., 15 bass, 44-11, $10,500
23rd: Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., 15 bass, 44-11, $10,000
24th: Jordan Osborne, Longview, Texas, 15 bass, 44-7, $10,000
25th: Matt Reed, Madisonville, Texas, 15 bass, 44-0, $10,000
26th: Johnny McCombs, Morris, Ala., 15 bass, 43-0, $10,000
27th: Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C., 15 bass, 42-12, $10,000
28th: Josh Douglas, Isle, Minn., 15 bass, 41-4, $10,000
29th: Greg Bohannan, Bentonville, Ark., 15 bass, 38-1, $10,000
30th: Harry Moore, Valley, Ala., 11 bass, 35-7, $10,000
Overall there were 145 bass weighing 427 pounds, 8 ounces, caught by the 30 pros Saturday. The catch included 28 five-bass limits.