By MLF Communications Staff
Matt Becker caught a 19-09 stringer on Friday to move from 3rd place into 1st after day 2 of the lake Murray FLW Pro Circuit in South Carolina. Becker’s two-day total of 10 bass weighing 41-02 gives him a 2-12 advantage heading into day 3 of the four-day competition that features a field of 161 bass-fishing professionals from around the world competing for a top cash award of up to $135,000.
Derrick Snavely jumped from 15th place to 2nd with a five-bass limit weighing 20-15, giving him a two-day total of 38-06. The field was reduced to the Top 50 after the day-2 weigh-in and only the Top 10 will advance to Sunday's final round.
Becker has managed to turn only a few 10-minute flurries into some of the biggest bags on Lake Murray. Utilizing great timing and a schooling-fish pattern, he's caught the majority of his weigh-in fish during three flurries over two days.
“We survived another day, but boy, was it stressful and risky,” said Becker, the 2018 Pro Circuit Rookie of the Year. “I was super lucky on my timing again where I pulled up and was able to catch four of the five I weighed in within a few minutes. Otherwise, it was a struggle.”
Becker said that flurry came at 9 a.m. Before that, he hadn’t had a bite.
“I fished that spot three times today before I caught anything,” said Becker. “I knew the fish were there, but I rotated through multiple times and never had a bite. Then I came back and they were there and they were eating. I went from zero to 14 pounds in minutes.”
Becker said he originally planned to just hit the edges of the points quickly on the first morning before moving on to bed-fishing or fishing docks, but was fortunate to get a couple bites early on day 1 to point him in the right direction.
Although that timing has held out so far, a significant storm system is set to roll through the region early Saturday morning, with a 100-percent chance of severe thunderstorms most of Saturday, which could change everything for Becker, as well as the other pros.
“I say we cancel tomorrow. It’s one less day I have to hang onto the lead,” laughed Becker. “I think it’s going to be really hard and it’s going to hurt my fish. The sun has been real important, and that rain is probably going to put a damper on that tomorrow. With this weather changing, it’s anyone’s game going into the weekend.”
Zack Birge won the day's $500 Berkley Big Bass award with a 7-11 largemouth – the heaviest fish of the event thus far.
Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. ET Saturday and Sunday from Dreher Island State Park, located at 3677 State Park Road in Prosperity. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park daily at 3 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers, family, essential staff and media covering the event. Fans are encouraged to follow the action online through the MLF NOW! livestream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Day 2 Standings
1. Matt Becker -- 21-09 (5) -- 19-09 (5) -- 41-02 (10)
2. Derrick Snavely -- 17-07 (5) -- 20-15 (5) -- 38-06 (10)
3. Miles Howe -- 21-02 (5) -- 16-07 (5) -- 37-09 (10)
4. Evan Barnes -- 17-12 (5) -- 19-04 (5) -- 37-00 (10)
5. Dean Rojas -- 21-00 (5) -- 14-09 (5) -- 35-09 (10)
6. Tommy Dickerson -- 21-12 (5) -- 13-03 (5) -- 34-15 (10)
7. Skeet Reese -- 16-03 (5) -- 18-11 (5) -- 34-14 (10)
8. Clabion Johns -- 21-12 (5) -- 12-13 (5) -- 34-09 (10)
9. Matthew Stefan -- 17-10 (5) -- 16-15 (5) -- 34-09 (10)
10. Adrian Avena -- 15-09 (5) -- 18-04 (5) -- 33-13 (10)
11. Casey Ashley -- 17-09 (5) -- 16-01 (5) -- 33-10 (10)
12. Jim Tutt -- 19-08 (5) -- 13-13 (5) -- 33-05 (10)
13. Jamie Horton -- 15-10 (5) -- 17-10 (5) -- 33-04 (10)
14. David G Williams -- 17-09 (5) -- 15-10 (5) -- 33-03 (10)
15. Josh Butler -- 17-02 (5) -- 15-12 (5) -- 32-14 (10)
16. Michael Neal -- 14-10 (5) -- 18-01 (5) -- 32-11 (10)
17. Kurt Mitchell -- 16-01 (5) -- 16-09 (5) -- 32-10 (10)
18. Anthony Gagliardi -- 13-12 (5) -- 18-09 (5) -- 32-05 (10)
19. Mitch Crane -- 17-04 (5) -- 15-00 (5) -- 32-04 (10)
20. Jimmy Reese -- 17-00 (5) -- 15-01 (5) -- 32-01 (10)
21. Lance Crawford -- 18-09 (5) -- 13-02 (5) -- 31-11 (10)
22. Ryan Salzman -- 14-14 (5) -- 16-13 (5) -- 31-11 (10)
23. Cole Floyd -- 16-07 (5) -- 15-04 (5) -- 31-11 (10)
24. Tai Au -- 13-07 (5) -- 17-15 (5) -- 31-06 (10)
25. Jon Canada -- 17-03 (5) -- 14-01 (5) -- 31-04 (10)
26. Cody Nichols -- 15-06 (5) -- 15-14 (5) -- 31-04 (10)
27. Brad Knight -- 16-14 (5) -- 14-05 (5) -- 31-03 (10)
28. Bobby Lane -- 16-02 (5) -- 15-01 (5) -- 31-03 (10)
29. Kyle Hall -- 14-10 (5) -- 16-07 (5) -- 31-01 (10)
30. Jimmy Washam -- 13-07 (5) -- 17-09 (5) -- 31-00 (10)
31. Josh Bragg -- 15-15 (5) -- 15-01 (5) -- 31-00 (10)
32. Joshua Weaver -- 12-09 (5) -- 18-06 (5) -- 30-15 (10)
33. Jeremy Lawyer -- 16-12 (5) -- 14-02 (5) -- 30-14 (10)
34. Kyle Cortiana -- 15-13 (5) -- 15-01 (5) -- 30-14 (10)
35. Justin Lucas -- 15-07 (5) -- 15-04 (5) -- 30-11 (10)
36. Jason Reyes -- 15-08 (5) -- 15-01 (5) -- 30-09 (10)
37. Cody Meyer -- 18-08 (5) -- 12-00 (5) -- 30-08 (10)
38. Wesley Strader -- 14-15 (5) -- 15-06 (5) -- 30-05 (10)
39. Cody Huff -- 16-14 (5) -- 13-04 (5) -- 30-02 (10)
40. Grae Buck -- 12-05 (5) -- 17-11 (5) -- 30-00 (10)
41. Takayuki Koike -- 15-04 (5) -- 14-10 (5) -- 29-14 (10)
42. Joseph Webster -- 17-13 (5) -- 11-14 (5) -- 29-11 (10)
43. Jesse Wiggins -- 14-03 (5) -- 15-08 (5) -- 29-11 (10)
44. Larry Nixon -- 14-02 (5) -- 15-04 (5) -- 29-06 (10)
45. Laramy Strickland -- 14-00 (5) -- 15-05 (5) -- 29-05 (10)
46. Jim Moynagh -- 15-14 (5) -- 13-05 (5) -- 29-03 (10)
47. Gary Yamamoto -- 15-08 (5) -- 13-10 (5) -- 29-02 (10)
48. Kevin Martin -- 14-06 (5) -- 14-06 (5) -- 28-12 (10)
49. Mike McClelland -- 14-01 (5) -- 14-10 (5) -- 28-11 (10)
50. Lane Olson -- 16-00 (5) -- 12-10 (5) -- 28-10 (10)
The following anglers did not make the cut and will not fish on day 3.
51. Tim Frederick -- 15-08 (5) -- 13-02 (5) -- 28-10 (10) -- $10,000
52. Tyler Woolcott -- 10-13 (5) -- 17-10 (5) -- 28-07 (10) -- $10,000
53. John Voyles -- 14-02 (5) -- 14-04 (5) -- 28-06 (10) -- $10,000
54. Clayton Batts -- 12-09 (5) -- 15-10 (5) -- 28-03 (10) -- $10,000
55. Chase Serafin -- 18-04 (5) -- 9-13 (4) -- 28-01 (9) -- $10,000
56. Jason Wilson -- 16-01 (5) -- 11-15 (5) -- 28-00 (10) -- $10,000
57. Blake Smith -- 14-09 (5) -- 13-02 (5) -- 27-11 (10) -- $10,000
58. Ryan Davidson -- 14-02 (5) -- 13-08 (5) -- 27-10 (10) -- $10,000
59. Chris Lane -- 11-11 (5) -- 15-14 (5) -- 27-09 (10) -- $10,000
60. Nick Lebrun -- 16-02 (5) -- 11-06 (5) -- 27-08 (10) -- $10,000
61. Chad Grigsby -- 14-04 (5) -- 13-04 (5) -- 27-08 (10) -- $5,000
62. Aaron Britt -- 12-03 (5) -- 15-03 (5) -- 27-06 (10) -- $5,000
63. Rusty Salewske -- 15-01 (5) -- 12-05 (5) -- 27-06 (10) -- $5,000
64. Jacopo Gallelli -- 14-11 (5) -- 12-10 (5) -- 27-05 (10) -- $5,000
65. Chad Warren -- 16-04 (5) -- 10-15 (5) -- 27-03 (10) -- $5,000
66. Alex Davis -- 15-05 (5) -- 11-13 (4) -- 27-02 (9) -- $5,000
67. Cody Pike -- 13-06 (5) -- 13-12 (5) -- 27-02 (10) -- $5,000
68. Joey Cifuentes -- 13-00 (5) -- 13-14 (5) -- 26-14 (10) -- $5,000
69. Tom Redington -- 11-03 (5) -- 15-09 (5) -- 26-12 (10) -- $5,000
70. James Niggemeyer -- 16-13 (5) -- 9-14 (5) -- 26-11 (10) -- $5,000
71. Keith Poche -- 13-07 (5) -- 13-03 (5) -- 26-10 (10) -- $5,000
72. Scott Dobson -- 14-06 (5) -- 12-03 (5) -- 26-09 (10) -- $5,000
73. Bradford Beavers -- 14-02 (5) -- 12-05 (5) -- 26-07 (10) -- $5,000
74. John Hunter -- 11-04 (5) -- 15-02 (5) -- 26-06 (10) -- $5,000
75. Spencer Shuffield -- 14-01 (5) -- 12-05 (5) -- 26-06 (10) -- $5,000
76. Bradley Dortch -- 11-12 (5) -- 14-09 (5) -- 26-05 (10) -- $5,000
77. Jacob Wall -- 12-14 (5) -- 13-07 (5) -- 26-05 (10) -- $5,000
78. Dakota Ebare -- 9-08 (4) -- 16-10 (5) -- 26-02 (9) -- $5,000
79. Tom Monsoor -- 14-15 (5) -- 11-03 (5) -- 26-02 (10)
80. David Walker -- 12-13 (5) -- 13-05 (5) -- 26-02 (10)
81. Josh Douglas -- 14-11 (5) -- 11-06 (5) -- 26-01 (10)
82. Colby Miller -- 11-03 (5) -- 14-13 (5) -- 26-00 (10)
83. Troy Morrow -- 13-10 (5) -- 12-03 (5) -- 25-13 (10)
84. Kyle Gelles -- 12-12 (5) -- 13-01 (5) -- 25-13 (10)
85. Daryl Biron -- 12-03 (5) -- 13-08 (5) -- 25-11 (10)
86. Erik Luzak -- 12-14 (5) -- 12-11 (5) -- 25-09 (10)
87. Darrell Davis -- 13-14 (5) -- 11-10 (5) -- 25-08 (10)
88. Brian Latimer -- 13-14 (5) -- 11-07 (5) -- 25-05 (10)
89. Randy Despino -- 13-00 (5) -- 12-05 (5) -- 25-05 (10)
90. Greg Bohannan -- 13-06 (5) -- 11-14 (5) -- 25-04 (10)
91. Justin O'Brian Cooper -- 12-06 (5) -- 12-14 (5) -- 25-04 (10)
92. Corey Neece -- 13-09 (5) -- 11-10 (5) -- 25-03 (10)
93. Ron Nelson -- 15-08 (5) -- 9-10 (5) -- 25-02 (10)
94. Dion Hibdon -- 11-09 (5) -- 13-09 (5) -- 25-02 (10)
95. Terry Bolton -- 14-01 (5) -- 11-00 (5) -- 25-01 (10)
96. Jason Lambert -- 13-12 (5) -- 11-05 (5) -- 25-01 (10)
97. Darrel Robertson -- 14-07 (5) -- 10-09 (5) -- 25-00 (10)
98. Dylan Hays -- 10-09 (4) -- 14-06 (4) -- 24-15 (8)
99. Pete Ponds -- 12-11 (5) -- 12-04 (5) -- 24-15 (10)
100. Charlie Evans -- 13-08 (5) -- 11-05 (5) -- 24-13 (10)
101. Grant Galloway -- 12-12 (5) -- 12-00 (5) -- 24-12 (10)
102. J Todd Tucker -- 10-00 (3) -- 14-07 (5) -- 24-07 (8)
103. Trevor Fitzgerald -- 12-05 (5) -- 11-15 (5) -- 24-04 (10)
104. Nick Gainey -- 15-03 (5) -- 8-15 (4) -- 24-02 (9)
105. Cal Lane -- 10-11 (5) -- 12-15 (5) -- 23-10 (10)
106. Brandon Mosley -- 11-07 (5) -- 12-03 (4) -- 23-10 (9)
107. Jared McMillan -- 12-13 (5) -- 10-10 (5) -- 23-07 (10)
108. Jon Englund -- 10-15 (5) -- 12-08 (5) -- 23-07 (10)
109. Troy Stokes -- 11-11 (5) -- 11-09 (5) -- 23-04 (10)
110. Rusty Trancygier -- 11-13 (5) -- 11-06 (5) -- 23-03 (10)
111. Ricky Robinson -- 11-01 (5) -- 11-15 (5) -- 23-00 (10)
112. Ramie Colson Jr -- 13-02 (5) -- 9-13 (5) -- 22-15 (10)
113. Bill McDonald -- 11-12 (5) -- 11-01 (5) -- 22-13 (10)
114. Dicky Newberry -- 10-09 (5) -- 12-03 (5) -- 22-12 (10)
115. Jason Vance -- 11-10 (4) -- 11-01 (5) -- 22-11 (9)
116. Mark Fisher -- 12-13 (5) -- 9-13 (5) -- 22-10 (10)
117. Barron Adams -- 8-05 (3) -- 14-02 (5) -- 22-07 (8)
118. Joe Wieberg -- 13-09 (5) -- 8-14 (4) -- 22-07 (9)
119. Scott Wiley -- 12-12 (5) -- 9-11 (5) -- 22-07 (10)
120. Matt Reed -- 12-02 (5) -- 10-00 (5) -- 22-02 (10)
121. Clark Reehm -- 13-06 (5) -- 8-08 (3) -- 21-14 (8)
122. Robert Nakatomi -- 8-09 (5) -- 13-05 (5) -- 21-14 (10)
123. Jason Lieblong -- 10-15 (5) -- 10-15 (5) -- 21-14 (10)
124. Brandon McMillan -- 11-09 (5) -- 10-03 (5) -- 21-12 (10)
125. Scott Towry -- 12-01 (5) -- 9-10 (5) -- 21-11 (10)
126. Richard Lowitzki -- 10-08 (5) -- 11-03 (5) -- 21-11 (10)
127. Shin Fukae -- 11-01 (5) -- 9-06 (3) -- 20-07 (8)
128. Miles Burghoff -- 11-07 (5) -- 8-14 (5) -- 20-05 (10)
129. Kerry Milner -- 11-06 (5) -- 8-13 (5) -- 20-03 (10)
130. Jason Abram -- 9-07 (5) -- 10-11 (5) -- 20-02 (10)
131. Braxton Setzer -- 6-08 (4) -- 13-09 (5) -- 20-01 (9)
132. Kyle Weisenburger -- 13-02 (5) -- 6-14 (3) -- 20-00 (8)
133. Zell Rowland -- 10-01 (5) -- 9-11 (5) -- 19-12 (10)
134. Kevin Riney -- 14-15 (5) -- 4-09 (2) -- 19-08 (7)
135. Zack Birge -- 0-00 (0) -- 19-03 (5) -- 19-03 (5) -- $500
136. Steve York -- 14-02 (5) -- 5-00 (3) -- 19-02 (8)
137. Jim Neece Jr -- 8-11 (4) -- 10-06 (5) -- 19-01 (9)
138. Scott Ashmore -- 13-15 (5) -- 5-01 (2) -- 19-00 (7)
139. Randy Ramsey -- 9-12 (5) -- 9-02 (5) -- 18-14 (10)
140. Brett Hite -- 8-10 (5) -- 10-02 (5) -- 18-12 (10)
141. Todd Walters -- 6-10 (3) -- 12-01 (5) -- 18-11 (8)
142. Dave Parsons -- 9-05 (5) -- 9-04 (5) -- 18-09 (10)
143. Colby Schrumpf -- 12-06 (5) -- 6-02 (3) -- 18-08 (8)
144. Matt Greenblatt -- 10-09 (5) -- 7-14 (3) -- 18-07 (8)
145. Chris Neau -- 13-11 (5) -- 4-11 (2) -- 18-06 (7)
146. Tyler Stewart -- 10-08 (5) -- 7-14 (4) -- 18-06 (9)
147. Kurt Dove -- 10-06 (4) -- 7-12 (4) -- 18-02 (8)
148. Jordan Osborne -- 9-15 (5) -- 8-03 (5) -- 18-02 (10)
149. Casey Scanlon -- 10-04 (5) -- 7-13 (3) -- 18-01 (8)
150. Billy Hines -- 12-12 (5) -- 5-01 (2) -- 17-13 (7)
151. Mike Surman -- 11-07 (5) -- 6-03 (4) -- 17-10 (9)
152. Lawson Hibdon -- 9-12 (5) -- 6-15 (3) -- 16-11 (8)
153. Mark Blevins -- 4-03 (2) -- 11-08 (5) -- 15-11 (7)
154. Jake Ormond -- 12-04 (5) -- 2-14 (1) -- 15-02 (6)
155. Shannon Abbott -- 9-13 (5) -- 4-06 (3) -- 14-03 (8)
156. Ron Farrow -- 5-02 (2) -- 8-14 (3) -- 14-00 (5)
157. Jason Blair -- 1-05 (1) -- 10-02 (5) -- 11-07 (6)
158. Kevin Meeks -- 4-05 (2) -- 4-15 (2) -- 9-04 (4)
159. Lendell Martin Jr -- 4-14 (3) -- 3-12 (2) -- 8-10 (5)
160. Terry Luedtke -- 6-11 (3) -- 0-00 (0) -- 6-11 (3)
Danny Kirk -- 0-00 (0) -- 0-00 (0) -- 0-00 (0)
