Aaron Martens saved the best for last today, catching a 13-06 stringer to beat Edwin Evers and win the Bassmaster Elite Series Toyota Trucks All-Star championship at Decatur Lake in Illinois.
Martens’ catch was the heaviest bag of the 4-day event which played out across two lakes in central Illinois. It’s the second straight All-Star runner-up finish for Evers, who lost to Ott DeFoe in last year’s final.
Martens, one of four anglers voted into the 12-man All-Star field by fans, caught his fish today pitching and flipping near stumps and laydowns and throwing crankbaits around riprap banks.
“I really want to thank everyone who voted for me,” Martens said. “It’s an honor, and I’m glad I was able to vindicate that support.
“I caught most of my fish on a Bagley Balsa B – chartreuse-and-blue – and a black-and-blue jig with a blue sapphire (Netbait) Paca Chunk trailer,” he added. “I covered a lot of water and focused on riprap and shallow cover with good access to deeper water.”
He fished the crankbait on a prototype Megabass cranking rod, a Shimano Metanium reel (7:1 gear ratio) and 14- and 16-pound-test Sunline FC Sniper fluorocarbon line.
Evers, who finished with 12-04, had a tough day getting around. He had a tricky run up the Sangamon River just to get to his best area as dropping water following Saturday’s semifinal round forced him to plow through a silted-in stretch of water today as part of an hour-long trip up the river.
In an effort to lighten his boat as much as possible, he did not top off his fuel tank today and had to request a backup boat later in the day today after running out of gas while trying to exit the river.
