The recent Bassmaster Memorial Major in Texas featured some old, some new in terms of format. Anglers qualified through combined Angler of the Year (AOY) standings, career earnings and exemptions for awards and championship wins. That system closely mirrored the prior Bassmaster Elite 50 format.
What made the Memorial different was first, anglers fished two different lakes – Eagle Mountain on days 1 and 2, then Benbrook on days 3 and 4 – and they were permitted to use their own boats all 4 days of competition.
Plus, the event paid $250,000 for 1st place.
And since weights were zeroed after day 2, and only the Top 12 advanced to fish Benbrook, the Memorial was effectively two tournaments in one. Anglers first fought to make the cut at Eagle Mt., then started fresh at Benbrook.
The field was originally to fish Lake Worth on days 3 and 4, but low water forced the last-minute move to Benbrook. None of the Top 12 had ever fished Benbrook before, which meant everyone hit the water on nearly equal footing.
A few did have the advantage at Benbrook. Since hole choice was based on current AOY standing, Mike Iaconelli received first choice of holes.
Also, Benbrook had no docks, so anyone whose Eagle Mt. pattern didn't hinge on docks had a head start. Count Peter Thliveros among that group. He worked a riprap pattern at Eagle Mt., and it transferred beautifully to Benbrook. He caught 15 pounds on day 3 – which included a 7-pounder – then closed with 10 pounds on day 4.
He won the Memorial by a 3-pound-plus margin. Here's how he did it.
Practice
Both Memorial venues were small, and the low water at 9,000-acre Eagle Mt. meant the field was jam-packed on obvious spots.
Thliveros worked through the initial days of practice without much success. But he made a key discovery in the final hours of practice that determined his strategy for the entire event.
"Eagle Mt. was such a small lake, I felt I had to cover water and eliminate patterns more than anything else," he said. "The pattern that I wound up winning on, I discovered the last day of practice.
"It was near the end (of practice) and I had it in my mind as a last resort. I went to see if it would work."
He checked the riprap and rocky areas near the dam with a jig. But he didn't use a standard jig presentation. Instead, he stroked the jig, which involves sweeping the jig aggressively off bottom so it jumps in a vertical fashion.
That way, he could trigger otherwise inactive fish and create reaction bites.
He took that pattern into day 1 competition at Eagle Mt. and worked it all the way through day 3.
Days 1 & 2
> Day 1: 5, 8-03
> Day 2: 4, 13-12 (9, 21-15)
Thliveros didn't have a spectacular day 1. He caught 8-03 on his stroking pattern, which put him in 26th – exactly 4 pounds behind the cut.
On day 2, he worked the same pattern and it held. He whacked the day's big fish (7-00), and with 13-12, moved up to make the cut in 7th.
Thliveros stuck with his pattern 3 of the 4 days, until it disintegrated on day 4.
"I was fishing a Team Supreme Rascal Ultimate jig on the dam," he said. "I was throwing at the rocks and working the jig vigorously out to 10 feet of water.
"It was more of a reaction bite than a feeding bite. I was stroking the jig hard getting them to react to it."
Other anglers were in the area – notably Mike Wurm, Denny Brauer and Kevin VanDam – but he was the only one there who made the cut.
Days 3 & 4
> Day 3: 4, 15-03
> Day 4: 4, 10-05 (8, 25-08)
Only two of the six holes at Benbrook offered dam water where Thliveros could work his stroking pattern. But he made the most of it. He caught all four of his keepers on day 3 with the pattern. And he again weighed the day's big bass – another 7-pounder.
He led by 1-05 heading into the final day.
On day 4, his dam pattern disintegrated.
"It didn't work at all," he said. "I caught my (day-4) fish on a 3/8-ounce Team Supreme Rascal jig. It's a finesse casting jig, and I fished it on 14-pound line.
"I threw it at targets and little, flat points with rock. I caught my biggest fish off a boat ramp first thing (in the morning), and I also caught one on the big 1/2-ounce (Rascal Ultimate), flipping it by a tree."
Winning Gear Notes
> Stroking gear: 7'6" heavy-action American Rodsmiths Kicker Series Trigger rod, Okuma Nemesis casting reel, 20-pound Stren Dura Tuf line (mono), 1/2-ounce Team Supreme Ultimate Rascal jig (mud craw), Zoom Salty Pro Chunk trailer (pumpkin/chartreuse).
> Casting gear: 7' medium-action American Rodsmiths Peter T. Signature Series Carolina-Rig rod, same reel, 14-pound Dura Tuf, 3/8-ounce Team Supreme Rascal finesse jig (mud craw), Zoom Critter Craw trailer (pumpkin/chartreuse).
Notable
> Main factor in his success – "I guess just basically my decision to stick with the pattern, and the confidence that it would produce fish. And (on day 4) it was just the fact that I was able to capitalize on opportunities that presented themselves. The fish told me where they were at, and I was able to catch a few to make a difference."
> The week before his win, he dreamed he'd won a BASS event. But what was the last thing he thought about before falling asleep the night of day 3? "I thought about how I needed to get to bed," he said. "It was after midnight and I couldn't sleep. I was watching Goodfellas. I turned off the TV, rolled over and went to sleep."
> This was his sixth career BASS win, and his second in a little over 2 years.
