LEESBURG, Fla. — The stage is set for an explosive Championship Monday at the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at the Harris Chain. That’s because of what showed up Sunday – the two biggest bass of the week.
After a pair of 7-pound, 14-ounce bass on Day 1 and an 8-7 on Day 2 took big bass honors over the first two days, John Cox topped it midway through Sunday’s Day 3 weigh-in with a 9-3, then Jacob Powroznik beat that with a 10-8.
It seems the effects of the storm that brought rain, high winds and a postponement of the original Thursday start of this tournament have finally settled out.
“We had that big wind and it blew all the water out (of Lake Griffin),” Powroznik said. “It kind of jacked up the fish. There were a bunch on the (spawning) bed. Today the light switch went on.
“Things got back to normal. We’re in Florida. The fish like to be warm. The wind quit blowing. They came out and wanted to play around.”
The temperature reached a high of 84 degrees and with no wind it felt even warmer.
Powroznik would have loved to be in Monday’s top 10 finale. His 21-pound, 5-ounce big bag of the day vaulted him from 37th place Saturday to 11th place Sunday, one pound out of 10th.
Powrozik caught the 10-8 around 1 o’clock. It bit on his first pitch of a Yamamoto Flappin’ Hog. It was the biggest bass the 45-year-old North Prince George, Va., pro has weighed in an Elite Series tournament.
Powroznik had to be back at the lock at 1:45 to make his check-in time. The lack of time was a heartbreaker for him.
“They were swimming around everywhere,” he said. “Just before I left I saw a 4-pounder and one about 10. It was incredible. This lake is just absolutely incredible. It’s got giants in it.”
Even though leader John Garrett has a 6-pound, 9-ounce lead over second place JT Thompkins and 10th place Joseph Webster is 15-4 back, no lead is safe when giant bass are biting in Florida.
No one knows that better than John Cox, who caught an 11-pounder to take big bass honors the last time the Elite Series was at the Harris Chain in 2022. He thought he might have taken that prize again this year, until Powroznik weighed-in.
“When we were doing guide trips here, when Griffin fires off you can catch 40 pounds over there, especially on calm, flat days like this.”
