ing up an amazing 39 pounds, 6 ounces, the heaviest single-day total in Bass Pro Tour history.
Connell, who won a Bassmaster Elite Series event at Ross Barnett Reservoir in Mississippi in 2017, improved on his fourth-place finish at REDCREST 2021, compensating for that disappointment with a memorable performance that was punctuated by a 9-1 largemouth that earned Berkley Big Bass honors. Connell’s 9-1 fish ignited the LIVE SCORETRACKER excitement and earned him an extra $1,000 bonus. Connell has now earned six figures in bonus money through five Bass Pro Tour events this season and made an impressive jump in the Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year race. Connell missed the initial cut on Day 1 of the event but climbed from 36th to 7th on Day 2, took the lead in his Knockout Round group and then put together a record-setting Championship Round performance for the win. The victory at REDCREST was Connell’s second major victory of the 2022 season after he won the inaugural Patterson Toyota Stage One Presented by Mercury last month on the Harris Chain.
Berkley Pro Jonathon VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, finished second, weighing in 33 pounds, while Cody Meyer of Auburn, California, finished third. Meyer, who finished 11th in the Bass Pro Tour event on Lay Lake in 2021, earned his fourth Top 10 finish of the season after competing in four tournaments.
Live coverage of REDCREST 2024 Powered by OPTIMA Lithium will continue on the MyOutdoorTV app from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT throughout the week leading up to the title match, which will feature the top 10 anglers based on cumulative weight after two days of Qualifying. Monday and Tuesday’s Qualifying Rounds will see Group A and Group B battling it out on Lay Lake, respectively, with Group A’s winners advancing to the Knockout Round on Thursday and the top six from there moving on to Sunday’s Championship Round. The big winner will take home $300,000 and a new shiny Dodge truck.
Next up on the MLF Bass Pro Tour is Stage Six Presented by Old Town on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma, April 21-26, where the pros will compete for another big payday and fishing fans will be treated to exciting live coverage of the action on MLF NOW! and MyOutdoorTV.
This exciting event showcased some of the best bass fishing talent in the world, with Dustin Connell emerging victorious in a history-making performance. Fans can continue to follow along with all the action on the MyOutdoorTV app and stay tuned for more thrilling competitions on the Bass Pro Tour.
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