By B.A.S.S. Communications Staff
ORANGE, Texas — Pat Schlapper had the right tool for the job and that homemade bait played a key role in delivering a 12-pound, 2-ounce limit that led Day 1 of the Bassmaster Elite Series event at the Sabine River.
On a day that saw 69 of 102 competitors fill their 5-bass limit, the pro from Eleva, Wis., heads into Day 2 with a 13-ounce lead over Arkansas pro Stetson Blaylock.
The Sabine holds a good population of fish, but the average size is significantly less than what anglers found during last week’s derby at Lake Fork. Aware of the fish he’d be targeting, and the shallow cover that typically dominates the Sabine action, Schlapper made a batch of jigs specifically for this event.
“I caught most of my fish on a little Do-it Molds compact finesse jig that I make myself and a Big Bite Baits chunk trailer,” Schlapper said. “It’s a 3/8-ounce jig, but it has a really short shank 2/0 hook. It’s really compact and I tied it with fine cut skirt material so it’s really lifelike.
“The jig is black and blue with a sapphire blue trailer. They like sapphire blue down here; I learned that the first year I fished here. The (entire bait) is not even 3 inches long. I made it specifically for this tournament.”
Schlapper said he made an hour run and caught an early limit. He then moved to his main area and caught a cluster of quality fish, including his biggest — a 4-5.
“There were other people that I think were in that area in practice, but I went there late yesterday and had a couple good bites,” Schlapper said. “I almost didn’t run there right away because I was boat 49 and I thought someone would be there, but nobody was anywhere close.
“Once the sun came up, I caught four good ones in an hour span and lost a couple other nice ones.”
Schlapper said he ran to the back of his area and targeted what he described as the last prominent habitat feature. With few options, the fish seem to be concentrated.
“I know there’s a good amount of fish there because I caught some other ones and I kinda figured out the sweet spot,” Schlapper said. “I just don’t think it’ll replenish. I think it just has resident fish.
“I know there are some other nice ones because the couple good ones I caught in practice, I didn’t catch today and I had another nice one that I shook off in practice.”
Sizing up his Day-2 outlook, Schlapper said: “Nobody was around me today, so hopefully, it stays like that tomorrow. I don’t know if I can catch what I caught today; any limit would be good.
“If I can get left alone in my area tomorrow, things could get ugly.”
Hailing from Benton, Ark. Blaylock is in second place with 11-5. Mentally prepared for a challenging event, Blaylock said he considered his 4-pounder a bonus.
“I was actually satisfied even before I caught that 4-pounder,” he said. “It wasn’t a good bag at that point, but when you have a tough practice, which most of us did, you know you’re looking for one key thing to put you over the top.”
Blaylock said he’s fishing one of the Sabine’s traditionally popular areas. He has plenty of company, but bouncing around and picking off the right bites was his formula for success.
“A big one late in the day is what puts you where you want to be,” Blaylock said of his afternoon kicker. “I don’t expect to catch another 4-pounder, but it’s possible. I saw some nice ones in practice in this area.
“A lot of guys didn’t catch any big ones; they caught a lot of keepers, but I know there are still some big ones to be caught. Who knows what’ll happen, if they’re moving up or moving out. We just have to put it together as we’re going the next couple of days.”
Blaylock fished a mix of reaction and slow baits. He attributes his big fish catch to slowing down and fishing more methodically.
“I had been moving pretty quickly and I had caught a lot of fish moving quickly, but that particular bite came when I slowed down,” Blaylock said. “I felt like I had worked through an area that had some fish in it and I wasn’t getting any bites.”
Taku Ito of Chiba, Japan is in third place with 11-1. Ito, who finished third in the 2021 event at the Sabine River, spent his day in a crowded area and had to keep moving to find fishable spots.
“It was a very tricky day, but I moved around and caught a couple good ones,” Ito said. “It was tough. I fished shallow cover, brushpiles, everything.
“At the Sabine River, current is always very important. Hopefully, tomorrow I’ll get big ones again.”
Schlapper is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 4-5.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. CT at City of Orange Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at the same location at 2:30 p.m.
Day 1 Standings
1. Pat Schlapper -- Eleva, WI -- 5, 12-02 -- 104 -- $1,000.00
Day 1: 5, 12-02
2. Stetson Blaylock -- Benton, AR -- 5, 11-05 -- 103
Day 1: 5, 11-05
3. Taku Ito -- Dalton GA -- 5, 11-01 -- 102
Day 1: 5, 11-01
4. Jay Przekurat -- Plover, WI -- 5, 10-12 -- 101
Day 1: 5, 10-12
5. Justin Hamner -- Northport, AL -- 5, 10-05 -- 100
Day 1: 5, 10-05
6. Ben Milliken -- Omaha, NE -- 5, 10-03 -- 99
Day 1: 5, 10-03
7. Cooper Gallant -- Bowmanville, ON -- 5, 10-02 -- 98
Day 1: 5, 10-02
8. Joey Cifuentes III -- Clinton, AR -- 5, 09-05 -- 97
Day 1: 5, 09-05
9. Carl Jocumsen -- Queensland, AUS -- 5, 09-04 -- 96
Day 1: 5, 09-04
10. Dakota Ebare -- Brookeland, TX -- 5, 09-02 -- 95
Day 1: 5, 09-02
10. JT Thompkins -- Myrtle Beach, SC -- 5, 09-02 -- 95
Day 1: 5, 09-02
12. Chris Zaldain -- Boyd, TX -- 5, 09-01 -- 93
Day 1: 5, 09-01
13. Tyler Williams -- Belgrade, ME -- 5, 09-00 -- 92
Day 1: 5, 09-00
14. Brandon Card -- Salisbury, NC -- 5, 08-14 -- 91
Day 1: 5, 08-14
14. Bernie Schultz -- Gainesville, FL -- 5, 08-14 -- 91
Day 1: 5, 08-14
16. Brandon Lester -- Fayetteville, TN -- 5, 08-13 -- 89
Day 1: 5, 08-13
17. Brandon Cobb -- Greenwood, SC -- 5, 08-11 -- 88
Day 1: 5, 08-11
18. Scott Canterbury -- Odenville, AL -- 5, 08-08 -- 87
Day 1: 5, 08-08
18. Austin Felix -- Eden Prairie, MN -- 5, 08-08 -- 87
Day 1: 5, 08-08
18. Kyoya Fujita -- Yamanashi, JAPAN -- 5, 08-08 -- 87
Day 1: 5, 08-08
21. Bill Lowen -- Brookville, IN -- 5, 08-07 -- 84
Day 1: 5, 08-07
22. Hunter Shryock -- Ooltewah, TN -- 5, 08-06 -- 83
Day 1: 5, 08-06
23. Buddy Gross -- Chattanooga, TN -- 5, 08-03 -- 82
Day 1: 5, 08-03
23. Matt Robertson -- Kuttawa, KY -- 5, 08-03 -- 82
Day 1: 5, 08-03
25. Easton Fothergill -- Grand Rapids , MN -- 5, 08-02 -- 80
Day 1: 5, 08-02
26. Luke Palmer -- Coalgate, OK -- 5, 08-00 -- 79
Day 1: 5, 08-00
27. Trey McKinney -- Carbondale, IL -- 5, 07-15 -- 78
Day 1: 5, 07-15
27. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, AZ -- 5, 07-15 -- 78
Day 1: 5, 07-15
29. Drew Cook -- Cairo, GA -- 5, 07-12 -- 76
Day 1: 5, 07-12
29. David Gaston -- Sylacauga, AL -- 5, 07-12 -- 76
Day 1: 5, 07-12
29. Lee Livesay -- Longview, TX -- 5, 07-12 -- 76
Day 1: 5, 07-12
32. Randy Howell -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 07-11 -- 73
Day 1: 5, 07-11
32. Kyle Welcher -- Valley, AL -- 5, 07-11 -- 73
Day 1: 5, 07-11
34. Jeff Gustafson -- Kenora, ON -- 5, 07-10 -- 71
Day 1: 5, 07-10
35. Will Davis Jr -- Sylacauga, AL -- 5, 07-10 -- 70
Day 1: 5, 07-10
36. Alex Wetherell -- Middletown, CT -- 5, 07-09 -- 69
Day 1: 5, 07-09
37. Bob Downey -- Detroit Lakes, MN -- 5, 07-08 -- 68
Day 1: 5, 07-08
37. Seth Feider -- Elko New Market, MN -- 5, 07-08 -- 68
Day 1: 5, 07-08
37. Evan Kung -- Pickering, ON -- 5, 07-08 -- 68
Day 1: 5, 07-08
40. Gregory DiPalma -- Millville, NJ -- 4, 07-07 -- 65
Day 1: 4, 07-07
41. Patrick Walters -- Eutawville, SC -- 5, 07-06 -- 64
Day 1: 5, 07-06
42. Justin Atkins -- Florence, AL -- 5, 07-04 -- 63
Day 1: 5, 07-04
42. Beau Browning -- Hot Springs National Pa -- 5, 07-04 -- 63
Day 1: 5, 07-04
44. Caleb Sumrall -- New Iberia, LA -- 5, 07-01 -- 61
Day 1: 5, 07-01
45. Alex Redwine -- Blue Ash, OH -- 5, 07-01 -- 60
Day 1: 5, 07-01
46. Cliff Pace -- Ovett, MS -- 4, 07-01 -- 59
Day 1: 4, 07-01
47. Matt Arey -- Shelby, NC -- 5, 07-00 -- 58
Day 1: 5, 07-00
47. Ray Hanselman Jr -- Del Rio, TX -- 5, 07-00 -- 58
Day 1: 5, 07-00
47. Logan Latuso -- Gonzales, LA -- 5, 07-00 -- 58
Day 1: 5, 07-00
47. Bryan Schmitt -- Deale, MD -- 5, 07-00 -- 58
Day 1: 5, 07-00
47. Matty Wong -- Honolulu, HI -- 5, 07-00 -- 58
Day 1: 5, 07-00
52. Emil Wagner -- Marietta, GA -- 5, 06-15 -- 53
Day 1: 5, 06-15
53. Chris Johnston -- Otonabee, ON -- 5, 06-13 -- 52
Day 1: 5, 06-13
53. David Mullins -- Mt Carmel, TN -- 5, 06-13 -- 52
Day 1: 5, 06-13
53. Kyle Patrick -- Cooperstown, NY -- 5, 06-13 -- 52
Day 1: 5, 06-13
56. Logan Parks -- Auburn, AL -- 4, 06-13 -- 49
Day 1: 4, 06-13
57. Cody Meyer -- Eagle, ID -- 5, 06-12 -- 48
Day 1: 5, 06-12
58. Wesley Gore -- Clanton, AL -- 3, 06-11 -- 47
Day 1: 3, 06-11
59. Jamie Hartman -- Newport, NY -- 5, 06-10 -- 46
Day 1: 5, 06-10
60. Michael Iaconelli -- Pitts Grove, NJ -- 5, 06-09 -- 45
Day 1: 5, 06-09
61. Hank Cherry Jr -- Lincolnton, NC -- 5, 06-08 -- 44
Day 1: 5, 06-08
61. Cody Huff -- Ava, MO -- 5, 06-08 -- 44
Day 1: 5, 06-08
63. Andrew Loberg -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 06-07 -- 42
Day 1: 5, 06-07
64. John Cox -- Debary, FL -- 5, 06-04 -- 41
Day 1: 5, 06-04
64. Shane LeHew -- Catawba, NC -- 5, 06-04 -- 41
Day 1: 5, 06-04
66. Mark Menendez -- Paducah, KY -- 5, 06-01 -- 39
Day 1: 5, 06-01
67. Robert Gee -- Knoxville, TN -- 5, 06-00 -- 38
Day 1: 5, 06-00
68. Kenta Kimura -- Osaka, JAPAN -- 4, 05-15 -- 37
Day 1: 4, 05-15
69. Bryan New -- Leesville, SC -- 5, 05-13 -- 36
Day 1: 5, 05-13
70. Cory Johnston -- Otonabee, ON -- 5, 05-12 -- 35
Day 1: 5, 05-12
71. Brock Mosley -- Collinsville, MS -- 5, 05-11 -- 34
Day 1: 5, 05-11
72. KJ Queen -- Catawba, NC -- 5, 05-08 -- 33
Day 1: 5, 05-08
73. John Crews Jr -- Salem, VA -- 5, 05-07 -- 32
Day 1: 5, 05-07
74. Paul Marks -- Cumming, GA -- 4, 05-07 -- 31
Day 1: 4, 05-07
75. John Garrett -- Union City, TN -- 4, 05-04 -- 30
Day 1: 4, 05-04
76. Jacob Powroznik -- North Prince George, VA -- 5, 05-00 -- 29
Day 1: 5, 05-00
77. Marc Frazier -- Newnan, GA -- 4, 05-00 -- 28
Day 1: 4, 05-00
78. Brad Whatley -- Bivins, TX -- 4, 04-14 -- 27
Day 1: 4, 04-14
79. Blake Capps -- Muskogee, OK -- 2, 04-13 -- 26
Day 1: 2, 04-13
80. Bryant Smith -- Roseville, CA -- 3, 04-08 -- 25
Day 1: 3, 04-08
81. Jonathan Kelley -- Old Forge, PA -- 4, 04-07 -- 24
Day 1: 4, 04-07
82. Cole Sands -- Johnson City, TN -- 4, 04-06 -- 23
Day 1: 4, 04-06
83. Jacob Foutz -- Charleston, TN -- 3, 04-04 -- 22
Day 1: 3, 04-04
83. Wes Logan -- Springville, AL -- 3, 04-04 -- 22
Day 1: 3, 04-04
85. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL -- 3, 04-02 -- 20
Day 1: 3, 04-02
85. Jason Williamson -- Aiken, SC -- 3, 04-02 -- 20
Day 1: 3, 04-02
87. Paul Mueller -- Naugatuck, CT -- 2, 04-01 -- 18
Day 1: 2, 04-01
88. Ed Loughran III -- Richmond, VA -- 3, 03-07 -- 17
Day 1: 3, 03-07
89. Chad Pipkens -- Dewitt, MI -- 3, 03-05 -- 16
Day 1: 3, 03-05
90. Keith Combs -- Huntington, TX -- 2, 03-04 -- 15
Day 1: 2, 03-04
91. Jake Whitaker -- Hendersonville, NC -- 3, 03-02 -- 14
Day 1: 3, 03-02
92. Gerald Swindle -- Guntersville, AL -- 3, 03-00 -- 13
Day 1: 3, 03-00
93. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA -- 2, 03-00 -- 12
Day 1: 2, 03-00
94. Kyle Norsetter -- Cottage Grove, WI -- 2, 02-13 -- 11
Day 1: 2, 02-13
95. Jason Christie -- Dry Creek, OK -- 2, 02-11 -- 10
Day 1: 2, 02-11
96. Caleb Kuphall -- Mukwonago, WI -- 2, 02-10 -- 9
Day 1: 2, 02-10
97. Drew Benton -- Panama City, FL -- 1, 01-15 -- 8
Day 1: 1, 01-15
98. Tyler Rivet -- Raceland, LA -- 1, 01-12 -- 7
Day 1: 1, 01-12
99. Tucker Smith -- Birmingham, AL -- 1, 01-11 -- 6
Day 1: 1, 01-11
100. Timothy Dube -- Nashua , NH -- 1, 01-09 -- 5
Day 1: 1, 01-09
101. Jordan Lee -- Cullman, AL -- 1, 01-03 -- 4
Day 1: 1, 01-03
102. Brandon Palaniuk -- Rathdrum, ID -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
