James Elam figured out the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship fishery – Lake Chatuge in Georgia – in a big way. His success putting together solid limits despite the finicky spotted bass that call the lake home drove him to his first Bassmaster Elite Series victory. Elam caught 15 pounds or more each of the three days of competition and ended the event with more than 48 pounds total.
Day 1 – 16-10
Day 2 – 16-14
Day 3 – 15-0
Total – 48-8
Over his 68 tournaments with B.A.S.S., Elam has a total of 11 top 10s and now three tournament wins. His previous wins were both Bassmaster Opens tournaments in his home state of Oklahoma.
Elam came close to landing a Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship event win last season on Mille Lacs Lake in Minnesota. He caught more than 70 pounds over three days on the famed smallmouth fishery.
Elam’s strong finish on Chatuge pushed him into the top 20 in Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings and set him up to fish his fourth Bassmaster Classic. This will be his fourth year in a row to compete in the super bowl of bass fishing.