Fothergill snags 29-6 bag to take commanding lead at Bassmaster Classic

FORT WORTH, Texas, March 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- All it took was 53 magical minutes on Lake Ray Roberts for Easton Fothergill to take complete control of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

The 22-year-old native of Grand Rapids, Minn., entered Day 2 of the Classic in third place, less than two pounds out of the lead. He had high hopes for Saturday morning, but it didn't start out exactly as he planned, with only one bass in his livewell at 10 a.m.

Then, what he called "the 180" started — and what a turnaround it was.

Between 10:28 a.m. and 11:31 a.m., Fothergill caught three hogs that added a whopping 19-10 to his total. He finished the day with a limit of five bass weighing 29-6, giving him a two-day total of 54-5, exactly 8 1/2 pounds more than his nearest competitor.

No lead is too big, but the Classic compass clearly points to the young ace from the North Star State. And barring a complete collapse on Championship Sunday, coupled with one of his closest competitors yanking a huge sack of bass, Fothergill is a day away from winning the Ray Scott Bassmaster Classic Trophy and the $300,000 prize that goes with it.

Fothergill used sonar electronics to pinpoint his best bass. His flurry began when a jerkbait yielded a 6-13 cruising near the water's surface. A 5-13 followed a half-hour later and 20 minutes after that, the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series rookie dropped the hammer on a 7-pound hog.

There was no doubt Fothergill realized the significance of the moment as he hoisted that fat bass for nearby spectator boats to see.

"We've got a shot to win tomorrow, boys," he told the camera operator aboard his boat, his rapid breathing and quivering voice audible through the words of confidence.

Fothergill said a key adjustment was vital to his big swing on Saturday.

"All week long it's been extremely windy and the fish I've been catching have been at the base of trees, at the bottom, on the rockpiles," he said. "Today, they were suspended. A lot of the fish I caught were about 2 feet to 6 inches under the water. They were on the surface … I caught that first one on a jerkbait, but ultimately, I've been throwing a 3/32-ounce Neko (rig) all week long and today I went to a 1/32-ounce Neko. I was basically throwing it on their heads, but the key was to throw it extremely soft. That's how high up they were. I had to make no splash, be super stealthy."

Fothergill's propensity to boat big bass was on display Friday, as well, when he caught fish weighing 6-4 and 6-8. He finished Day 1 in third place with 24-15, putting him only 1-15 behind Day 1 leader Trey McKinney.

Following with the heaviest bag of the tournament was huge, but Fothergill knows there's plenty of work to be done if he's to win the 55th edition of the world's most prestigious fishing tournament.

"I've got to do my best to block (that lead) out," he said. "We're in Texas. All I can do is go catch the five biggest ones and see what happens."

Canadian pro Cory Johnston entered the day in second place and remains there with 45-13. He said Ray Roberts' bass are preparing to spawn, which compels him to fish staging areas and target feisty bass looking to get to shallow beds.

"I think I had six bites today," he said. "Nothing was easy, but I think I figured something out today. I'm looking forward to getting back out there."

Johnston said warmer water temperatures (61.5 degrees where he was fishing mid-afternoon) could help produce big bags on Sunday.

"100 percent, they want to spawn," he said. "They're ready and they're coming … I caught all my fish shallow today, 2 feet, 3 feet. I'm just reeling moving baits. If I could see them better, I'd love to fish the spawn. But the water is still a little dingy. I think prespawn is the way to win."

Tennessee's Hunter Shryock is third with 44-13. He only had three fish for eight pounds until a switch in strategy drew him back into the championship fray. Shryock finished Day 2 with a 23-1 bag.

"I had to slow down and start flipping, which really hadn't shown itself all week," he said. "(It could have been) the water clearing up. The water may have dropped a little bit. Whatever the reason … I was able to salvage the day … I caught a 7-10 and a 6 in the last hour and a half that obviously catapulted me. I feel like I could catch five of those the way things were going."

Lee Livesay, a Longview, Texas, resident and one of the pre-tournament favorites, is in fourth place with 44-9 heading into Championship Sunday. He caught 21-9 on Friday to follow a 23-pound bag on Day 1.

His main lures on Saturday included a pink ChatterBait (with a pink trailer), as well as a 6th Sense Texas-rigged Whale he reeled through milfoil on Ray Roberts.

"I'll do about the same thing tomorrow, but I want to find a fresh group of fish," Livesay said. "You can't go doing anything crazy. I'll open up a couple new areas, try a couple new techniques. But I know the deal. I have to get lucky and have a couple of those 6-pounders eat. And a couple other guys have to stumble."

Livesay likes his chances, despite trailing Fothergill by nearly 10 pounds.

"It's Texas and it's my backyard," he said. "You never know what happens on the last day."

Florida veteran John Cox is in fifth place with 44-8. McKinney, the 20-year-old phenom from Carbondale, Ill., who led Day 1 with 26-9, dropped to sixth overall after managing a 15-13 limit on Saturday. The cutline was 28-15.

Tennessee pro John Garrett, who leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race, finished just outside the cut with 27-8 over two days. He did, however, maintain his lead on the $2,500 Mercury Big Bass prize with the 8-12 largemouth he caught Friday. Fellow Tennessean Brandon Lester won $1,000 for having the big bass (8-6) on Saturday.

The final takeoff of the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. CT from Isle du Bois at Lake Ray Roberts State Park in Pilot Point, Texas. The final weigh-in will begin at 5 p.m. at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth.

This event is being hosted by the Fort Worth Sports Commission.

Contact:
Chad Gay
[email protected]

SOURCE B.A.S.S.