LEESBURG, Fla. (March 16, 2022) – Florida rookie Christian Greico weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 5 ounces, to win the four-day Stop 2 at the Harris Chain of Lakes tournament in Leesburg, Florida. Greico edged the second-place pro Andrew Loberg of Rocklin, California, by 1-pound, 8-ounces, and earned the top payout of $100,000 – or 20 tagged bass.
“I really can’t believe how this week turned out,” Greico said. “Coming back to the ramp with only 18 pounds today – I thought for sure that someone had busted a 20+ pound bag. I was thrilled to just be in the top 10 and standing there on the final day with (MLF emcee) Chris Jones. To get it done today – man, I’ve had a blessed week. All glory to God on this one.”
After targeting offshore shell beds in Lake Harris on the first three days of competition, Greico pivoted on the final day and scrapped his shell bed pattern to run to Lake Apopka and flip a jig for the day.
“I could tell yesterday that the shell bite was deteriorating on me. I decided to start on the pattern first thing this morning, but once I drug through there for 10 to 15 minutes and didn’t get a bite, I knew it probably wasn’t going to happen in Lake Harris. So, I made the decision to run to Apopka and put the flipping stick in my hand. I knew if those fish were biting, it was only a matter of time until I caught a few big ones.
“It took me about five minutes before I got my first bite, and that’s when I knew it could happen,” the 23-year-old pro said.
Despite the fast start to his career, Greico plans to play it conservative and ensure he remains in the sport for the long haul.
“The money is great, don’t get me wrong, but I’m not out here for the money,” Greico went on to say. “I do this because I love it, and to earn these trophies. This is a huge confidence booster – this is where I’m meant to be. I can have a career as a pro bass fisherman and go toe-to-toe against the best guys. It’s an honor to even be out here competing against them. To win, in just my second event – it blows my mind.
“I’m probably going to bed early tonight, and I’m putting this money in the bank and saving it. It can get pretty expensive chasing around these bass.”
The top 10 pros at the Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 on the Harris Chain of Lakes finished:
1st: Christian Greico, Tampa, Fla., five bass, 18-5
2nd: Andrew Loberg, Rocklin, Calif., five bass, 16-13
3rd: Shonn Goodwin, Moore, Okla., five bass, 16-0
4th: Corey Neece, Bristol, Tenn., five bass, 15-1
5th: Jason Reyes, Huffman, Texas, five bass, 14-14
6th: Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., five bass, 14-14
7th: Grae Buck, Green Lane, Pa., five bass, 11-8
8th: Grant Galloway, Houlka, Miss., five bass, 10-14
9th: Jeff Reynolds, Calera, Okla., four bass, 10-11
10th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 9-12
Overall, there were 49 bass weighing 138 pounds, 12 ounces caught by the final 10 pros Wednesday. Nine of the final 10 pros weighed in a five-bass limit.
The four-day MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 on the Harris Chain of Lakes. The event will premiere on the CBS Sports Network on Saturday, July 16 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET.
https://dev.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_123/mlf-harris-chain-31622.html
MLF Pro Circuit Archive