ZAPATA, Texas — Falcon Lake was full of big surprises, but maybe none bigger than Paul Elias jumping from fifth place April 6 to win the Bassmaster Elite Series Lone Star Shootout with a record BASS four-day tournament total of 132 pounds, 8 ounces of largemouth bass.
The fact that Elias edged Terry Scroggins by a mere 4 ounces to win the $100,000 title made this event even more of an eye-opener. Scroggins entered the day in the 12th and final spot among the last day’s finalists — 21 pounds, 8 ounces behind Day 3 leader Aaron Martens.
Elias, who is known as a deep-structure, crankbaiting specialist, used Mann’s 20-Plus and Luhr Jensen Hot Lips crankbaits, then at times slowed down by dragging a Carolina-rigged Mann’s 12-inch Jelly Worm (watermelon red) and a one-ounce sinker up the point.
In a tournament that established Falcon Lake as “the best bass fishing lake in the world,” according to several Elite Series pros, 12 anglers eclipsed the 100-pound mark Sunday and entered the BASS “century club.”
Six anglers also shattered the previous BASS four-day, five-bass limit record of 122-14, set by Steve Kennedy at California’s Clear Lake, April 1, 2007.
Elias now owns the mark at 132-8, averaging almost 7 pounds for the 20 bass he brought to the scales during four days.
“I had the best day on the water that I’ve had in 32 years of tournament fishing,” said the 56-year-old, Laurel, Miss., resident.
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