Bassmaster Elite Series pro South Carolina Bassmaster Elite Series pro Andy Montgomery overtook 2-day leader David Williams on Saturday to win the Lake Norman Bassmaster Southern Open with a 3-day total of 37-10.
Montgomery excels at skipping jigs under docks, and that tactic duped most of the fish he caught. A 1/2-ounce Shooter Elite Series Jig dressed with a Strike King Rage Bug accounted for most of his bass.
“I caught a lot of bass under the walkways of docks on flat banks,” said Montgomery, who weighed a 10-12 bag on the final day.
A white buzzbait also accounted for a portion of Montgomery’s catch. He cast it to flat, rocky banks when the sky was overcast (full details of his winning pattern will be published soon).
Montgomery knows Lake Norman well and typically has his best success in autumn.
“I thought I could outlast the field in a 3-day event this time of year,” he said.
Montgomery had already qualified for the 2015 Bassmaster Classic via the Elite Series. He did not double-qualify after winning the Open as he had not fished the previous two events in the division. The Classic berth will be awarded to the next non-qualifier in the Elite Series points – Cliff Prince.
Floridian Richard Howes claimed 2nd place with 36-02. Williams managed just three fish for 4-13 on day 3 and finished 8th.
As a consolation prize, Williams topped the final Southern Open standings with 553 points, qualifying him for the 2015 Elite Series. The rest of the anglers who qualified for an invitation to the Elites are Jesse Wiggins, Todd Auten, Matt Lee and Stephen Longobardi.
Here are the final totals for the Top 12:
1. Andy Montgomery: 37-10
2. Richard Howes: 36-02
3. Ronald Farrow: 35-01
4. Shane Lehew: 33-04
5. Drew Montgomery: 33-00
6. Shane Lineberger: 32-08
7. Chad Morgenthaler: 32-07
8. David Williams: 32-03
9. Greg Vinson: 31-14
10. Cliff Pace: 30-04
11. Hank Cherry: 28-08
12. Jordan Lee: 27-08
