By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor

Despite posting a Top-10 finish in each of his first three seasons on the MLF Pro Circuit, Matt Becker questioned his ability to win at that level. The 2018 Rookie of the Year had established himself as a check-casher and points-compiler, but concluding an event at the very top of the standings sheet was something that he feared might forever elude him.

"This is my fourth season and I've consistently been in the top third of the points standings, but I hadn't really been in contention to win except for one time," said the 29-year-old from Pennsylvania. "I wasn't sure if it fit with my fishing style – I've always gone for consistency rather than swinging for the fence and trying to win."

He rid himself of that doubt over the weekend at Lake Murray in South Carolina as he led after the last three days of the four-day derby and held off a charge by home-lake standout Anthony Gagliardi in the final round to close out the victory. With the Phoenix Boats contingency prize factored in, his haul was $137,500.

"It still hasn't sunk in," he said a day later while on his way home to the Keystone State. "I feel like I'm dreaming.

"This is definitely a huge boost for my confidence. It's not going to change my style per se, I'm still going to fish for checks and be consistent, but now I know I can win when it's my time."

Plan Change Paid Off

Becker's 76-05 total thwarted Gagliardi by a pound and a half after the latter boxed a tournament-best 22-09 on the final day. He had a mediocre practice that left him feeling he could catch fish on several different patterns, but he was uncertain that he could excel with any of them.

His initial plan was to spend the first few hours of day 1 throwing a soft-plastic jerkbait on points, where bass were periodically feeding up on spawning blueback herring. That produced the majority of his 21 1/2-pound sack that day. When he caught 19 1/2 pounds before noon the following day, he opted stick with it for the duration and abandon notions about docks, sight-fishing and other strategies.

It was a program based entirely on timing. There were short windows when the bass would move up to feed – which couldn't be predicted with any certainty and thus required multiple visits throughout the day. The remainder of the time they sat in slightly deeper water and refused to bite anything he showed them.

"I tried dragging a jig, a shaky-head, a Carolina rig and even a dropshot, but they weren't interested," he said.

He'd left home with almost no experience catching blueback-oriented bass – a nomadic type known to stay with the baitfish wherever they go and thus become highly unpredictable as to their location. He spent the three days prior to the start of practice at Clarks Hill Reservoir and dramatically increased his knowledge base.

"I learned that it was a timing thing and how they liked to set up with the sun got up," he said. "I also learned the technique I used to win the tournament there.

"I'd give the soft jerkbait a pull – sweeping the rod and moving the bait 3 or 4 feet. Then I'd pause and give it two or three twitches, then another pull. That imitated the herring that were trying to get away. The pause after the pull gave the bass a second to grab it and when I pulled again, they'd load up."

His fish came from depths ranging from 6 inches to 5 feet. He had about a dozen prime points in his rotation configured in small clusters all over the lake.

"I just had to keep re-checking them – there was no rhyme or reason to it. It did seem to get better once the sun got up, but there was still no way to know. I'd show up and make two or three casts and if they were up there, one would eat. If they weren't, I wouldn't get a bite and I'd move on."

Winning Gear Notes

> Soft jerkbait gear: 7'5" medium-heavy Favorite Fishing Hex rod, Favorite Fishing Soleus XCS casting reel (7.3:1 ratio), 15-pound Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon line, 2/0 TroKar TK 180 hook, TroKar TK 300 treble (stinger hook), Googan Baits Dart (green gizzard shad).