Feb. 8-10 @ The Columbus Fishing Expo
One of the many pros featured at the expo will be Bassmaster veteran Ish Monroe, a California angler who has competed in the Bassmaster Elite Series, Major League Fishing, and on the FLW tour. Monroe has more than 20 top-10 finishes in B.A.S.S.-sanctioned tournaments and has qualified for the Bassmaster Classic, the sport’s world championship, nine times.
Monroe Catches 16-02 To Win On The Mississippi
By Jonathan LePera Special to BassFan - Ish Monroe claimed his third Bassmaster Elite Series regular-season victory as he caught a 16-02 stringer to triumph at the Mississippi River out of La Crosse, Wis. with a 4-day total of 65-07. His winning margin over runner-up Jacob Powroznik was 11 ounces, while day-3 leader Randall Tharp ended up 3rd, another 7 ounces back.
Monroe was ecstatic and emotional as he collected his trophy from emcee Dave Mercer. He spoke of his close bond with his father and how he’d always taken him fishing as a young child and got him hooked on the sport.
“Get your children hooked on bass fishing and they won’t want to do anything else,” Monroe told the audience.
Once Powroznik took the lead, he chewed his nails short while waiting for the rest of the field to weigh in. At the end, he fished a brilliant tournament, falling short only to Monroe. His 16-11 stringer was the best of the final day and he concluded with a 64-12 aggregate.
Tharp concluded with 64-05 (14-09 on day 4). Gerald Spohrer was 4th with 64-00 (14-14) and Jacob Wheeler completed the top 5 with 62-03 (16-10).
Martens, who started the day an ounce behind leader Tharp, dropped six places as his fish decreased in both size and numbers.
The weights and numbers produced by the field of Elite anglers exceeded all expectations as changing conditions and a constant influx of rising water left competitors constantly modifying their game plan day by day and sometimes by the hour. Looking back, the Mississippi River brought the most 3-pound bass across the stage that tournament director Trip Weldon could remember, a sign that the 12-pound average that was formerly required to cash a check there was a thing of the past.
The circuit now moves directly to Lake Oahe in South Dakota. Practice gets under way Tuesday, with competition set to run Friday through Monday.
Though Monroe was confident he was on the fish to win, he took nothing for granted.
“I knew it was going to be close,” he said.
He fished calmly and stayed composed even after losing what could have been his biggest fish of the day when it was halfway back to the boat.
Ish Masters the Flood
By Thomas AllenLA CROSSE, Wis. — Notching his fifth Bassmaster victory, Ish Monroe of Hughson, Calif., produced a solid limit of largemouth bass that weighed 16 pounds, 2 ounces to win his first victoryin six years at the 2018 Bassmaster Elite at Mississippi River presented by Go RVing.
Monroe’s four-day total was 65-7, edging out Jacob Powroznik of North Prince George, Va., who produced a four-day limit of 64-12. Powroznik finished in second place.
Across the four official competition days, there were four different leaders, which kept the event very exciting until the final weigh-in.
Monroe started out in 20th place on Thursday’s opening round, moved up to sixth on Friday, third following Saturday’s semi-final round of competition and then into the top spot on ChampionshipSunday.
The impressive victory earned the 44-year-old pro valuable Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points and a $100,000 payday.
“Everybody knew that the rising river levels would affect the fish and how they positioned on the structure,” Monroe said. “I had a plan, but early on Day 1, I got stuck on a sandbar, and that was as stuck as I’ve ever been in a bass boat. I freed my boat, and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.”
Monroe said that after he got stuck, he was hesitant to run the Mississippi River backwaters too quickly, so he decided to fish his way into the area he had originally intended to start the tournament.