LA CROSSE, Wis. — Often considered one of the finest jewels in the crown of the Bassmaster Elite Series, the Upper Mississippi River — pools 7, 8 and 9 — offer some of the finest bass fishing in the country.
Each time the top bass anglers in the world visit this scenic destination, they all seem to love it, especially for those who enjoy catching bass on a frog. Such was the case yet again at the 2018 Bassmaster Elite at Mississippi River presented by Go RVing.
California pro Ish Monroe notched his fifth Bassmaster title doing what he does best, throwing a frog. He was the highest scoring Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing selection, and if you didn’t pick him, you’re probably kicking yourself now.
As the season continues with several northern fisheries to close out the 2018 season, leaders in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Leaderboard have emerged, and our AOY champion is likely in the Top 10.
But who that will be is still to be determined.
Here are the results for stop No. 7.
Mississippi River Fantasy Winner: “ffemt1271” with 7,309 total points
Rank: No. 499
Bucket A: Ott Defoe, 251 points
B: Casey Ashley, 304
C: Keith Poche, 276
D: Ish Monroe, 305
E: Hunter Shryock, 239
Total: 1,375
Fantasy Points Leader: “Jay3000” with 7,944 total points
Rank: No. 1
Bucket A: Bradley Roy, 223 points
B: Jacob Wheeler, 280
C: James Elam, 187
D: Matt Lee, 201
E: Dave Lefebre, 235
Total: 1,126
Mississippi River’s Perfect Team:
Bucket A: Jacob Powroznik, 295 points
B: Casey Ashley, 304
C: Randall Tharp, 295
D: Ish Monroe, 305
E: Hunter Shryock, 239
Total: 1,438
BUCKET A: POWROZNIK
Jacob Powroznik found a very unique location to catch is four-day limit of bass. He’s a master at catching bass with finesse techniques north to south, but he’s also one of the best when it comes to topwater frog fishing. He proved that yet again with a solid second place finish at La Crosse where he caught his fish from a flooded oak flat in the Mississippi River backwaters. He earned his 0.8-percent ownership 295 points.
Second-best choice: Gerald Spohrer enjoyed a great tournament by finishing in fourth place earning his 0.1-percent ownership 285 points.
Worst choice: Skylar Hamilton was the lowest scoring angler in Bucket A having earned his 0.1-percent ownership 75 points after a 100th-place finish.
BUCKET B: ASHLEY
South Carolina angler Casey Ashley enjoyed a solid tournament finishing in ninth place. He produced 304 points overall for his 3.3-percent ownership, 264 for his place, and 40 bonus points for weighing the derby’s heaviest limit: 18 pounds, 4 ounces.
Second-best choice: Jacob Wheeler had another fine finish. He earned his 18.2-percent ownership 280 points for an impressive fifth-place finish.
Worst choice: Adrian Avena was the lowest scoring angler in this bucket having produced only 67 points for his 0.5-percent ownership after a tough 104th-place finish.
BUCKET C: THARP
Randall Tharp made a strong run for the title, but came up just a little bit short. He finished in third place, which produced 295 points for his 2-percent ownership.
Second-best choice: Keith Poche was the second best selection in this bucket. He finished in sixth place, which earned his 4.6-percent ownership 276 points.
Worst choice: The lowest scoring angler in this bucket was Hank Cherry who finished in an uncharacteristic 99th place having earned his 1-percent ownership 77 points.
BUCKET D: MONROE
Ish Monroe won the tournament and was the best Fantasy Fishing selection overall. He scored 300 points for the win, and 5 bonus points for leading on the final day. He earned his 8.3-percent ownership 305 total points.
Second-best choice: Gary Klein was the second highest scoring angler in this bucket. He earned his 0.6-percent ownership 260 points for a solid 10th-place finish.
Worst choice: Kelly Jordan was the lowest scoring angler in this bucket having earned his 0.5-percent ownership only 63 points after a 106th-place finish.
BUCKET E: H. SHRYOCK
Bassmaster Rookie Hunter Shryock earned his first paycheck as a top-level touring pro angler. He earned his 12.8-percent ownership 239 points after an 18th-place finish.
Second-best choice: Dave Lefebre was the second best choice having earned his 22.9-percent ownership 235 points after a 20th-place finish.
Worst choice: Rick Clunn was the lowest scoring angler in this bucket having earned his 1.6-percent ownership 61 points after a difficult 107th-place finish.