Jesse Wiggins won the first Bassmaster Southern Open of 2017 at the Harris Chain of Lakes. Now he's threatening to win the last on his home water.
The 27-year-old Bassmaster Elite Series pro weighed an 11-05 bag Friday to give him a 2-day total of 26-07. He has an advantage of nearly 2 1/2 pounds over Rick Morris, who also won an Open earlier this year.
“I’ve already qualified for the Classic, but I’m greedy," Wiggins said. "I always want to win, especially if there’s money on the line.
“Hopefully I’m in position to win. It’s going to be close, but I’ve got a chance.”
While some other leading anglers are fishing suspended bass offshore, Wiggins said he’s fishing structure along shorelines. He said he’s labored for every catch he’s had, as unseasonably warm temperatures have made getting bites difficult.
Wiggins said he had only four bass with an hour left to fish, but he changed locations and hooked two keepers in the final minutes of Friday’s competition. He likely would have survived the top-12 cut without those catches, but the extra weight propelled him into the top spot.
Wiggins is used to winning on Smith. He’s been a force in local tournaments for years, and he proved his mettle against other pros last year when he won a Southern Open on the lake to qualify for the 2017 Bassmaster Classic.
“We had a cool snap in August and the water temperature dropped about 5 degrees then,” Wiggins said. “They started biting, but then it warmed up again and they stopped. But I tell people the main reason they stop biting on Smith Lake is because of all of this boat pressure. That’s why I fish for fish that people can’t buzz over.”
Here are the totals for the 12 anglers who advanced to the final day:
1. Jesse Wiggins: 26-07
2. Rick Morris: 24-00
3. Will Davis Jr.: 23-07
4. Shin Fukae: 23-05
5. Greg Pugh: 23-02
6. Justin Lucas: 22-13
7. David Kilgore: 22-02
8. Kyle Monti: 21-10
9. Todd Auten: 21-07
10. Jordan Lee: 21-04
11. John Hunter Jr.: 21-00
12. Brandon Lester: 20-15
