EUFAULA, Ala. (Feb. 25, 2021) – The fishing improved over Wednesday, but it was still not an easy day for tournament competitors Thursday on Lake Eufaula. Unless your name was Bryan Thrift. Thrift weighed in 14 bass totaling 40 pounds, 8 ounces Thursday to easily cruise to the win in the Knockout Round (Group B) on Day 4 at REDCREST 2021, the Bass Pro Tour championship at Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama. The five-day competition featured a field of 40 of the best anglers in the world from the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour competing for a top cash prize of $300,000.
Neal Catches two 3½ -Pounders in Final Six Minutes to Advance, 10 Anglers Set for Championship Friday – Final-Day Shootout for $300,000
Thrift now advances to Championship Friday, along with pros Ott DeFoe, Michael Neal, Takahiro Omori and Anthony Gagliardi.
“I’ve made it to the Championship Round of my very first REDCREST, and I am beyond excited,” Thrift said. “I feel like I’m on enough fish right now to at least have a chance. I am a little nervous – a lot of people watched me catch them this morning off of my one place, and that’s where I’ve caught most of my fish this week. So, I’m really hoping that I can still get on it tomorrow. Hopefully there are still a few there, and if they are then I think we have a chance.”
Despite four straight days of sunny skies and warmer temperatures that had many predicting the fish would be heading to the bank, Thrift has done the majority of his fishing offshore with a swimbait and a shaky-head rig.
“I know they’re headed to the bank, any time now,” Thrift said. “I went in one pocket today and seen six or seven bass cruising around – no big ones yet – but buck bass up there looking. So, I definitely think they’re coming to the bank soon, but they’re still not quite right yet. I’ll probably look again tomorrow and see what happens. I have a lot of stuff to run tomorrow. I have some stuff left that I didn’t fish today that hopefully could be good, but you never know.”
Michael Neal continued his last-minute REDCREST heroics Thursday, matching what he started earlier this week. After catching a 4-pounder with just 50 seconds left in the final period to advance from Tuesday’s Qualifying Round, Neal caught two 3½-pounders in the final six minutes Thursday to jump from sixth place to third place and advance to the final day.
“What a day. I don’t know how I keep putting myself in this position – right on the cutline, every time,” Neal said. “It’s getting kind of old. It’s fun, don’t get me wrong. But I’d like to have a strong start for once. Who knows, maybe tomorrow will be the day.
“I think I stuck with the spinnerbait a little too long today,” Neal continued. “This morning they were biting it really good, and then the sun got up and it was slick calm, I should have went to the jerkbait a lot earlier. It’s a lesson learned for tomorrow, and I’m very fortunate to make it. Everything goes back to zero, and now it’s anyone’s ballgame.”
The top five pros that made the cut and will advance to Championship Friday on Lake Eufaula are:
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