Elite

Early action with Ito

Head out early with Taku Ito as he gets started on the final day of the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Oahe!

Posted on
Photography by
Andy Crawford
Championship Sunday began with the flotilla of competitors heading down the lake to their starting locations.
Taku Ito headed straight for a stretch of Lake Oahe just south of Moreau, from which he’s plucked smallmouth throughout the event.
Ito was glued to his forward-facing sonar, looking for targets. He bagan on a main-lake point.
He wasn’t making random casts; instead, Ito was only making casts when he identified a fish on his electronics.
Less than 30 minutes after blastoff, Ito sank the hook on his first bass of the day.
He quickly swung the bass in the boat.
It wasn’t a huge bass, being logged into BASSTrakk at 1 pounds, 5 ounces. But it broke the ice.
Ito went right back to the front of the boat and searched for the next traget swimming around the point.
A few minutes later, Ito found and connected with another smallie.
This one pulled like it had some shoulders on it, and Ito began carefully playing the bass.
Ito tried to get an early scoop, but the smallmouth wasn’t ready to quit the fight.
The fish tailwalked next to the boat …
… as if it was going to give Ito a kiss.
But the angler finally had the bass in hand and pulled it over the gunnel.
The 3-10 was cause for celebration before he put it in the livewell.
Ito’s early bait was a wacky rig, which he pitched to targets identified on his electronics.
Five minutes later, another big hookset.
Ito gets his first look at the fish …
… as it breaks the surface.
It was another 3-pounder that demanded Ito carefully work it on the light tackle.
This smallie also wasn’t ready when Ito wanted to grab it, jumping at the gunnel …
… twice.
Finally, Ito gets a good scoop and drags the bass into the boat.
Bite No. 4 comes 20 minutes later.
This one wasn’t quite the size he was looking for, but it went in the box.
Ito began searching for another target, but it appeared the school he was working had broken up.
After another 20 minutes of zigzagging in an attempt to locate more bass, Ito pulled up his trolling motor …
… and headed to his next location.

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