By MLF Communications Staff
Matt Becker caught a 17-11 stringer on Sunday to hold off a massive charge from local favorite Anthony Gagliardi and win the four-day Lake Murray MLF Pro Circuit in South Carolina. Becker’s four-day total of 20 bass weighing 76-05 earned him the victory by a 2 1/2-pound margin over Gagliardi and garnered him the top prize of $137,500, including the $35,000 MLF Phoenix BIG5 Bonus.
“This has been years and years in the making,” said an emotional Becker on stage after the final weigh-in. “I was really beginning to think that I couldn’t win. I’ve always been consistent, near the top of the standings. But I was really starting to doubt that I could win.
"Just to make a top 10 against this group of hammers is unbelievable. They always say when it’s your time, it’s your time. And man, did I live that this week.”
The 2018 Pro Circuit Rookie of the Year started day 1 of the event with a plan to target docks and sight-fish spawning bass. But, before doing that, he slotted in a little time to try a risky timing/herring-spawn pattern, and he ended up never changing. He kept hitting, and re-hitting, as many points as possible, knowing that eventually the schools of bass would move shallow to feed.
“The spot I caught them day 2, I had fished three times before I caught them,” 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 his key baits throughout the week were a couple of different soft-plastic jerkbaits, with the Googan Baits Dart (green gizzard shad) being his best option. He rigged the Dart on on a TroKar TK 180 hook with a TroKar TK 300 treble hook as a stinger. He threw that on a 7-foot, 5-inch medium-heavy Favorite Fishing Hex rod, Favorite Fishing Soleus XCS reel and 15-pound-test Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon line.
“All week, the little things just always lined up,” Becker said. “Today, I pulled into a cove and I got this overwhelming feeling I was going to go to the first point and catch a 3 1/2-pounder, and then I’d go to the second point and catch another 3 1/2-pounder. And that’s exactly what happened. That pretty much got me the win.”
The four top performers who now qualify to compete in the MLF Bass Pro Tour Stage Four at Lake Chickamauga in Tennessee, June 4-9, are Becker, David Williams, Tai Au and Evan Barnes.
The next event for Pro Circuit anglers will be at Lake Eufaula in Alabama May 13-16.
Day 4 (Final) Standings
1. Matt Becker -- 21-09 (5) -- 19-09 (5) -- 17-08 (5) -- 17-11 (5) -- 76-05 (20) -- $137,500
2. Anthony Gagliardi -- 13-12 (5) -- 18-09 (5) -- 18-15 (5) -- 22-09 (5) -- 73-13 (20) -- $30,000
3. Michael Neal -- 14-10 (5) -- 18-01 (5) -- 18-11 (5) -- 20-02 (5) -- 71-08 (20) -- $25,000
4. Adrian Avena -- 15-09 (5) -- 18-04 (5) -- 16-03 (5) -- 18-02 (5) -- 68-02 (20) -- $20,000
5. David G Williams -- 17-09 (5) -- 15-10 (5) -- 16-08 (5) -- 15-02 (5) -- 64-13 (20) -- $19,000
6. Tai Au -- 13-07 (5) -- 17-15 (5) -- 17-11 (5) -- 15-08 (5) -- 64-09 (20) -- $18,500
7. Evan Barnes -- 17-12 (5) -- 19-04 (5) -- 13-09 (5) -- 13-01 (5) -- 63-10 (20) -- $17,000
8. Cody Huff -- 16-14 (5) -- 13-04 (5) -- 18-15 (5) -- 13-15 (5) -- 63-00 (20) -- $16,000
9. Derrick Snavely -- 17-07 (5) -- 20-15 (5) -- 13-00 (4) -- 8-12 (4) -- 60-02 (18) -- $15,000
10. Skeet Reese -- 16-03 (5) -- 18-11 (5) -- 16-04 (5) -- 6-07 (2) -- 57-09 (17) -- $14,000
