Catch up with Josh Stracner as he brings in big ones on the final day of the 2022 Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork!
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Photography by
Kyle Jessie
Josh Stracner jolted into the Top 10 headed into the final day on the heels of a 30 pound, 15 ounces Day 3.The 2021 Elite Series Rookie of the Year caught most of his Day 3 weight off of one spot, so on Championship Sunday he headed right to the same spot.
A drastic weather changes slowed the morning bite.Stracner hooks up with his first keeper of the day.Fish like this one wouldn't cut it to make it back over 30 pounds, but it's a start nontheless.
The spot was no bigger than a school bus, so rather than just fishing the spot nonstop, Stracner would fish around the creek to let the sweet spot rest.
Stracner hooks up with another early keeper.
To catch Lee Livesay, Stracner will have to cull these fish out of his limit, but catching a few keepers early is always a good thing.Like the majority of the lake, this spot had an abundance of standing timber, making it difficult to get the fish back to the boat.Stracner's third keeper gets stuck in a tree, and he goes in to get it.
After soaking his entire arm, Stracner lands the fish - his best fish of the morning.
Every time Stracner would head back to sweet spot, the fish would bite in a short window.
Keeper numeber four.A better look at the standing timber that surrounded the "sweet spot".
Stracner hooks up again, this time with a better fish.
Now he's getting there.
Stracner would go on to experience a bit of a lull. Once this happened, he fished around the area, but let the specific spot rest.
Once Stracner went back to the sweet spot, he hooks up almost immediately. This fish also got hung up in a piece of timber.
Fortunately this fish came out easier.
A really solid cull late in morning.
Just moments later, he hooks up again.
At this point in the day, it begins looking like a realistic possibility that Stracner could make it to the 100 pound mark.
Another nice, late cull for Stracner.Lee Livesay's crowd follows him down the lake.
