Stephen Browning won the Red River Bassmaster Central Open for the second straight year on Saturday as his 15-11 stringer gave him a 3-day total of 44-03. He beat out day-2 leader Gerald Spohrer by about 3 1/2 pounds.
The veteran Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Arkansas started Saturday with a small limit while his co-angler partner, Keith Glasby, of Ovilla, Texas, got off to a fast start.
“Keith (who won the co-angler division) was putting it on me pretty hard and heavy, and I just kept telling myself to just breathe,” Browning said. “It was one of those deals where you have an area and a bait that you have a lot of confidence in, but if you start to scramble you are more than likely going to tank. I just kept that little plug in my hand and kept winding it around.”
Browning remained patient knowing that the sun would position his fish close to the wood cover from about 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“There was a magic moment of about 30 to 45 minutes when it all happened,” said Browning, who was able to cull all of the fish he had caught earlier.
On Thursday, Browning caught most of his fish on a 1/2-ounce chartreuse-and-white War Eagle spinnerbait when the wind was blowing. But when the skies turned sunny and calm on Friday and Saturday, Browning relied on the same lure (a sexy shad 3.5-inch square-bill crankbait) that made him a winner last year.
Full details of his winning pattern will be posted soon.
Here are the final totals for the anglers who competed on day 3:
1. Stephen Browning: 44-03
2. Gerald Spohrer: 40-12
3. Aaron Johnson: 40-02
4. Keith Combs: 37-11
5. Chad Wiley: 34-14
6. ColbyHand: 34-07
7. Jeff Kriet: 33-06
8. Kylie Sparks: 32-11
9. Marvin Ettredge: 31-14
10. Caleb Boudreaux: 31-10
11. Tommy Murray: 31-01
12. John Frye: 25-02
