Lee, Coulter Continue To Excel With Frogs

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Photo: MLF/Tyler Brinks

Jordan Lee came within 2 ounces of reaching the 50-pound mark in the Knockout Round at Heavy Hitters.

By MLF Communications Staff

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The two anglers who dominated their respective groups during the Qualifying Round at Heavy Hitters picked up right where they left off during Wednesday’s Knockout Round.

Jordan Lee led the way with 49 pounds, 14 ounces. Trading the top spot with him throughout the day was Brandon Coulter, who wound up right behind him with 42-1. Brent Ehrler, the only angler to find a consistent bite during a grueling third period, finished third with 40-2, while Bryan Thrift’s 7-11 won him $30,000 as the Berkley Big Bass.

While it’s not often that the same bite in the same areas holds up throughout an entire Bass Pro Tour event, it sure looks like Thursday’s Championship Round is shaping up to be a slugfest between Coulter and Lee, both of whom have done their damage in matted hydrilla in Lake Toho with Berkley Swamp Lord frogs. The two anglers have been the most dialed in since competition began on the Kissimmee Chain, and both secured their spots in the Top 10 during the first period Wednesday before laying off their best water.

There will be no holding back during the Championship Round, when not only will $100,000 and the title belt be on the line for the tournament winner, but another $100,000 will be up for grabs for the angler who catches the biggest bass.

No surprise, Lee started the Knockout Round in the area that produced the bulk of his 63-4 total from his first day of qualifying – still the best day any angler has put together all week. However, he found “the grass had changed, so the fishing kind of changed with it.”

That forced Lee to adjust his location a bit. He didn’t land his first scorable bass until almost an hour after lines in. But once he relocated a school, the beatdown was on.

During a two-hour window that included a 15-minute period break, Lee stacked 12 scorable bass totaling 33-4 onto ScoreTracker, more than enough to cement his place among the Top 10.

“It was awesome,” he said. “I didn’t really know how many fish I could catch after a couple days of fishing, but I think it went really good.”

The key for Lee was covering water quickly to find sweet spots within the vast expanse of hydrilla. He explained that most of the bass seem to be congregated within small zones, the locations of which have changed a bit during the event due to grass growth and fishing pressure.

“It’s not a lot of big, giant mats with just fish everywhere,” he said. “It’s more like you find them, and they’re schooled up in one spot, and that’s where I’m catching them.”

Around 11 a.m., realizing his spot in the Championship Round was secure, Lee eased off the gas and shifted his focus to finding new hotspots and trying to catch the biggest bass of the day. He said he succeeded in the former and nearly in the latter, boating a 7-3 lunker midway through the third period.

Lee also saved a few areas that he’s discovered during the event for the Championship Round. His plan is to run from spot to spot until he finds one with a population that he thinks can earn him a second Heavy Hitters belt and a third BPT win on the Kissimmee Chain.

“I bounced around a lot,” he said, “and that’s what I’m going to do tomorrow is bounce around and try to find the area that’s most productive.”

One variable Lee and the rest of the Championship Round field will have to contend with is a boosted variable minimum weight. In a wrinkle unique to Heavy Hitters, bass will have to weigh at least 3 pounds to count toward anglers’ totals. As a result, Lee thinks the winning strategy will center less around finding numbers of fish and more on generating a handful of the right bites. Landing those bigger bites – far from a given when fishing a frog among thick mats – will also be pivotal.

“I still think you’re going to have to catch six or seven, at least – maybe a few more – to get the win, and some big ones, some of those 6- and 7-pounders,” Lee said. “You’ve always got to have your best day on the last day to win.”

The tournament features the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the ScoreTracker leaderboard.

The final 10 anglers will launch Thursday at 7:30 a.m. ET from Big Toho Marina located at 69 Lakeview Drive in Kissimmee. The takeout will be held at the park beginning at 4 p.m.

The MLFNOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on Championship Thursday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW! is livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.

Knockout Round

(Figure at far right indicates weight of angler's heaviest fish for the round)

1. Jordan Lee -- 49-14 (16) -- 7-03

2. Brandon Coulter -- 42-01 (13) -- 4-12

3. Brent Ehrler -- 40-13 (13) -- 6-03

4. Matt Becker -- 25-04 (7) -- 4-10

5. Kevin VanDam -- 21-15 (5) -- 7-07

6. Alton Jones Jr. -- 20-13 (5) -- 6-09

7. Todd Faircloth -- 20-10 (7) -- 3-13

8. Dakota Ebare -- 20-09 (7) -- 4-12

9. Bryan Thrift -- 16-06 (4) -- 7-11

10. Keith Poche -- 13-02 (4) -- 3-13