By MLF Communications Staff

Brent Chapman caught 23 bass weighing 51-12 to win the Knockout Round on Tuesday at the MLF Bass Pro Tour event at Florida's Harris Chain of Lakes. The field has now been cut to the final 10 anglers, and competition will resume Wednesday morning with the competitors departing Leesburg’s Venetian Gardens Ski Beach at 6:30 a.m.

The Top 8 pros from Tuesday’s Knockout Round who will compete in Wednesday’s Championship Round are:

1. Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., 23 bass, 51-12
2. Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 18 bass, 46-00
3. Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., 16 bass, 38-00
4. Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., 14 bass, 36-14
5. Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., 14 bass, 36-10
6. Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 16 bass, 35-07
7. Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 13 bass, 34-15
8. Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas, 14 bass, 29-02

They’ll be joined by Qualifying Round winners:

> Group A: Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz.
> Group B: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla.

“I knew it was going to be a special day for me when we had our 30-minute morning ride-around before lines in at 7 (a.m.),” Chapman said in his post-day interview. “The area where I wanted to sit down and start was an area that I had finished my day in on Sunday. When I pulled in there, there were birds everywhere feeding along the shoreline. There was a shad spawn going on, and when you see that many birds along the shore there are probably just as many bass under the water that you can’t see. It killed me to sit there and have to wait 20 minutes for lines in.

“Once we got going, it got going pretty quick,” Chapman continued. “But, the thing that was really crazy is that the birds dissipated pretty quickly and within 30 minutes the fishing went from really, really good to quite a bit tougher. It was interesting. You can learn a lot from the birds and I’m definitely going to be looking for as many more as I can possibly find tomorrow.”

Chapman said that he caught his fish Tuesday on just two key baits.

“Just like I’ve been doing all season, I’m fishing my strengths and sticking with the simple stuff,” he said. “I’m fishing a bladed jig – nothing fancy – just a shad color with chartreuse and white. And I’m throwing a big jig – 1-ounce – with a big chunk. When a good one bites, I want the upper hand so there is no sense in using anything lighter.

“Tomorrow, for me, is basically going to be that 1-2 punch,” he added. “I’ll have a couple of different colors of bladed jigs tied on and I’ll be flipping that big jig, and we’re going to go out and swing for the fences and see if we can’t bring home that big red trophy. It’s been a fantastic week. I just need it all to come together for me just one more day.”

James Elam won the $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award on Tuesday, catching an 8-14 largemouth on a squarebill crankbait in Period 3. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the biggest bass each day and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the largest bass of the tournament.

The final 10 anglers will take off from the Venetian Gardens Ski Beach Boat Ramp, located at 201 E. Lake Harris Drive, in Leesburg, at 6:30 a.m. ET Wednesday. The takeouit and Championship Moment will also be held at the Ski Beach at the Venetian Gardens beginning at 3:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend, but encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW! livestream and ScoreTracker coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLF NOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action from the final day of competition on Wednesday from 6:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CT. MLF NOW! will be live-streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.



Knockout Round

1. Brent Chapman -- 51-12 (23) -- 5-05

2. Ott DeFoe -- 46-00 (18) -- 4-06

3. Greg Vinson -- 38-00 (16) -- 3-15

4. Gerald Spohrer -- 36-14 (14) -- 5-01

5. Skeet Reese -- 36-10 (14) -- 5-01

6. Andy Montgomery -- 35-07 (16) -- 3-10

7. Michael Neal -- 34-15 (13) -- 6-04

8. Jeff Sprague -- 29-02 (14) -- 5-00

The following anglers did not make the cut and will not compete in the Championship Round.

9. Paul Elias -- 26-12 (11) -- 5-01

10. Keith Poche -- 25-03 (9) -- 5-07

11. Spencer Shuffield -- 24-12 (11) -- 3-13

12. John Murray -- 24-04 (12) -- 3-01

13. James Elam -- 24-04 (8) -- 8-14

14. Todd Faircloth -- 24-01 (9) -- 5-12

15. Jesse Wiggins -- 23-11 (10) -- 5-05

16. David Walker -- 23-05 (8) -- 6-04

17. James Watson -- 21-15 (10) -- 3-08

18. Josh Bertrand -- 21-07 (9) -- 3-06

19. Alton Jones Jr. -- 21-06 (9) -- 3-13

20. Stephen Browning -- 20-08 (9) -- 3-02

21. Jonathon VanDam -- 20-06 (9) -- 3-05

22. Dean Rojas -- 19-12 (11) -- 2-06

23. Kyle Hall -- 19-05 (10) -- 2-10

24. Brent Ehrler -- 15-12 (7) -- 2-07

25. Dustin Connell -- 15-11 (8) -- 2-08

26. Britt Myers -- 14-00 (5) -- 6-04

27. Randall Tharp -- 13-09 (6) -- 3-07

28. Mark Rose -- 13-04 (6) -- 3-07

29. Mark Davis -- 12-12 (4) -- 5-03

30. Chris Lane -- 12-04 (6) -- 2-11

31. Timmy Horton -- 12-03 (6) -- 2-11

32. John Cox -- 12-02 (4) -- 4-02

33. Fletcher Shryock -- 11-04 (5) -- 2-15

34. Boyd Duckett -- 10-09 (3) -- 4-15

35. Adrian Avena -- 10-08 (4) -- 4-05

36. Mark Daniels Jr. -- 8-13 (5) -- 2-07

37. Anthony Gagliardi -- 8-04 (4) -- 2-11

38. Wesley Strader -- 5-04 (3) -- 2-03