Gainesville, GA (April 3, 2024) – Forty-seven top level anglers continued to battle it out on Lake Lanier for thenewly formed Touring Anglers Association (TAA) inaugural tournament. Sight fishing dominated the event on Day1, but Mother Nature made it tougher on most of the field on Day 2. Although overnight storms, and strong winds
affected a good portion of the lake on Wednesday; Bassmaster Elite Series Pro, Chris Johnston, was able to widen his lead with 24.13 lbs.According to Johnston, “It was another great day on Lanier, but today I was able to get a BIG fish to go with myothers.” The big fish he referred to was actually the Big Bass of the tournament, at 8.11 lbs., netting him a $5,000 bonus for the largest bass caught by the full field of competitors. Johnston’s total is now 48.88 lbs., giving him over a six and half pound lead on fellow Elite Series Pro, Drew Cook of Georgia.
Photo Credit: Shane Durrance
Cook was able to climb from 6 th place, to second, with the day’s second heaviest bag at 21.59 lbs. and a total of 42.33 lbs. Drew, like many of his competitors spent the day shallow and using his eyes to his advantage. “I was able to cover a lot of water looking specifically for those big females and I was able to run into a few today. I’ve also found a few more for tomorrow, so I’m looking forward to getting back out there,” added Cook.
Major League Fishing Pro, Jared Lintner had a tougher Day 2, dropping a spot to third place, but still within ounces of Cook and well within reach of the top, with a total of 42 lbs. According to Lintner, “My fish moved in behind a lot of bushes and I had a blast cracking those big fish and dragging them out of all that cover!”
The Top 12 fish tomorrow and the list includes:
1. Chris Johnston 48.88 lbs. 7. Rob Jordan 38.84 lbs.
2. Drew Cook 42.33 lbs. 8. Corey Johnston 38.34 lbs.
3. Jared Lintner 42.00 lbs. 9. Caswell Anderson 36.86 lbs.
4. Emil Wagner 40.26 lbs. 10. Jeff Gustafson 36.69 lbs.
5. David Williams 39.15 lbs. 11. William Fletcher 35.87 lbs.
6. Joey Cifuentes 39.13 lbs. 12. Jimmy Millsaps 35.53 lbs.
Full results of Day 2 can be found at: https://touringanglersassociation.com/leaderboard/
Everyone fishing the Final Day is guaranteed at least $10,000 in prize money, but big catches can earn big bucks in the 100% payout format. The winning angler will take home $65,000. Full payouts can be found at:
https://touringanglersassociation.com/
Anglers will take off at 7 am EST and they are due to check in at 3 pm EST, with the weigh-in and live stream to follow, courtesy of Bass365. They have also collaborated with key industry media partners to make sure fans can
see the weigh-ins of this historic event. Fans can tune in by following any of the platforms below on Facebook.
Bass365: https://www.facebook.com/basseast1
AnglersChannel.com: https://www.facebook.com/anglerschannel
AdvancedAngler.com: https://www.facebook.com/AdvancedAngler
Fish North Georgia: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fishnorthgeorgia
About TAA:
TAA is focused on a limited technology, high-stakes event, with low overhead and 100% payback, similar to the
local “derbies” many fans of fishing are longing for. The entry fee is $5,000 and the competition is stout, with
many Bassmaster and Major League Fishing touring pros, as well as local aces, going head-to-head for a big
payday. More details can be found at: https://touringanglersassociation.com/
