COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 3, 2023) – Bass Pro Tour 2023 newcomer Nick LeBrun of Bossier City, Louisiana, caught 13 scorable largemouth bass Monday, with his best five weighing 25 pounds, 10 ounces to take the early lead for the 40 anglers competing in Group B at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Stage Three tournament at Lake Murray. LeBrun will bring a 2-pound, 9-ounce advantage into Day 2 of competition Wednesday over second-place angler Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama, who weighed his best five today totaling 23-1 to end the day in second place.
The six-day bass-fishing tournament showcases 80 of the top professional anglers competing for a purse of more than $805,000, including a top payout of $100,000 and valuable Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the Heavy Hitters All-Star event and REDCREST 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship.
The 40 anglers in Group B will now have an off day on Tuesday, while the 40 anglers competing in Group A will complete their two-day Qualifying Round of competition. Group B will conclude their Qualifying Round on Wednesday.
“What a day,” said LeBrun, a former Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Champion. “To catch 25 pounds out on Lake Murray on Day 1 for Group B – I couldn’t be more excited. The Lord just blessed me today, above and beyond what I thought I could do. I’m excited to get back out there.”
LeBrun spent the majority of his day targeting largemouth feeding on blueback herring on points and humps.
“It’s not a secret, but you have to find the right areas that are holding the quality largemouth, and not the stripers,” LeBrun said. “The striped bass are everywhere. I probably caught 100 stripers today, but I caught the big bass, too.”
LeBrun said he rotated between a ½-ounce Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap and, “a couple of different swim-style baits.”
“Every fish that I weighed in today was caught on a Hayabusa TBL 930 (NRB Treble) hook,” LeBrun said. “That treble hook has the NRB coat on it, and I’ve won a couple of major events using it. It really helps you get a few more fish to the boat, especially when they’re not aggressive.
“I threw everything on a 7-foot, 3-inch medium-heavy TFO (Tackle Fork Outfitters) Resolve rod, with 16-pound (test) Sunline FC Sniper fluorocarbon, and it’s been a lot of fun. I look forward to getting back out on Wednesday for Day 2.”
The top 20 anglers in Qualifying Group B after Day 1 on Lake Murray are:
1st: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., five bass, 25-10
2nd: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., five bass, 23-1
3rd: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 21-2
4th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., five bass, 19-11
5th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 19-9
6th: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 19-6
7th: Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La., five bass, 19-6
8th: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, five bass, 19-2
9th: Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., five bass, 18-15
10th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 18-5
11th: Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 17-15
12th: Josh Butler, Hayden, Ala., five bass, 17-11
13th: Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 17-10
14th: Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala., five bass, 17-3
15th: Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa., five bass, 17-2
16th: Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., five bass, 17-2
17th: Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, five bass, 17-0
18th: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 16-15
19th: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., five bass, 16-13
20th: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., five bass, 16-12
Overall, there were 405 scorable bass weighing 630 pounds, 10 ounces caught by the 40 pros Monday, which included 10 five-pounders, four six-pounders and one seven-pounder.
LeBrun earned Monday’s $1,000 Big Bass Award with a 7-pound, 1-ounce largemouth bass that bit his swimbait in Period 2. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
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Major League Fishing (MLF) Archive