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See story and pictures at http://www.lonestaroutdoornews.comWritten by ESPN Outdoors
Photos by ESPN Outdoors
Demolishing the four-day BASS heavyweight catch record, Paul Elias of Laurel, Miss., scored his sixth BASS victory in comeback fashion at the Bassmaster Elite Series’ Lone Star Shootout on Falcon Lake besting his nearest competitor, Terry Scroggins of Palatka, Fla., by just 4 ounces.

Aided by a 37-pound, 11-ounce Sunday catch, Elias jumped from fifth to first. His four-day total of 132 pounds, 8 ounces, demolished the previous record of 122 pounds, 14 ounces, set by Alabama’s Steve Kennedy on California’s Clear Lake in 2007. The top six anglers bested Kennedy’s record.Though Elias took the victory, fish factory Falcon Lake also starred in the competition. The mainstream reservoir on the Rio Grande River with a surface area of 83,654 acres yielded catches of more than 100 pounds to all of the 12 anglers who qualified for the final day, an unprecedented accomplishment.

With the victory, Elias takes the $100,000 top prize.

“It was just one of those days,” said Elias through tears. “I was struggling early and found a way to entice those bigger bass around 1:30.”
Primarily working a deep-diving crankbait the first three days of competition, Elias, the 1982Bassmaster Classic champion, mixed in a Mann¹s worm the final day. Sunday, Elias knew he was on the right fish, but he didn’t identify the correct technique until later in the day. Switching up his presentation method, Elias threw from shallow to deeper water and was able to upgrade his weight inthe final hours of competition.

“It just seems like everything is coming together lately,” said Elias, 56. “I had the best day on the water I have experienced in 30 years of tournament fishing.”

Finishing runner-up by mere ounces was Scroggins, who totaled 132 pounds, 4 ounces. Scroggins ralliedhard on the final day, catching 44 pounds, 4 ounces, nearly an astounding 9-pound average per fish. But he came up short on two accounts; he missed out on the win and the record for BASS heaviest daily catch. That record, accomplished by Dean Rojas in 2001 on Florida’s Lake Tohopekaliga, survived the weekend.

Despite the banner day, Scroggins, 39, lamented the one he lost late in the competition. He estimated the bass weighed more than 10 pounds and would have certainly pushed him ahead of Elias.

“I just can¹t forget about that fish,” said Scroggins. “It’s a shame. But I had a great tournament and an awesome morning that I will never forget.”

Scroggins was able to capitalize on the early bite, catching the majority of his fish in the first hour of competition. The five-time BASS winner used a Yum worm and a Carolina-rig throughout the competition.

Staying in third was Byron Velvickof Del Rio, Texas, who totaled 131 pounds, 15 ounces. After leading the first three days of competition, Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., slipped to fourth, weighing only 19 pounds, 15 ounces Sunday. His four-day total was 129 pounds, 7 ounces.

Failing to score his fifth BASS victory, Martens was frustrated with his final-day performance. He was plagued by boat pressure from other competitors all week and was optimistic his areas would hold up on the final day but ultimately fell short.

Rounding out the top five was Mark Davis of Mt. Ida, Ark with 128 pounds, 15 ounces. Slipping from second, Davis was unable to match the final-day weights of the other competitors.

In sixth was Scott Rook of Little Rock, Ark., with 125 pounds, 10 ounces. Although Rook was nearly 7 pounds behind Elias, he still beat out Kennedy’s four-day heavyweight record and sits in third-place in the AOY standings, 13points behind Davis.

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