PROSPERITY, S.C., May 14, 2024 — Yamaha pro angler Patrick Walters captured the Bassmaster Elite Series win on Monday, May 13, after catching a four-day total of 98 pounds, 15 ounces on Lake Murray.
Following a postponed event start due to weather, Walters kicked off Day 1 with a catch of 25 pounds, 8 ounces to establish a lead of 3 pounds, 3 ounces. Adding a second-round limit of 19 pounds, 13 ounces kept Walters on top and expanded his margin to 4 pounds, 15 ounces. With 21 pounds, 14 ounces on Day 3, Walters carried a margin of 8 pounds, 4 ounces into the final round.
“What an amazing week; I don’t even know where to start,” said Walters. “Today, I would have been happy with 17 pounds. Every single spot we went to today, we caught ’em.”
Saving the best for last, he dominated Championship Monday with 26 pounds, 12 ounces, earning the Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag of the Tournament worth a $2,000 bonus. Besting the second-place pro by 12 pounds, 11 ounces, Walters won his third blue trophy and the $102,000 top prize.
“I did not think I was going to catch 25 or 26 pounds this week,” Walters said. “To do that on the final day — that’s how you do it. That’s how you get it done.
“It was truly a great week and all my equipment performed well, but the number one performer was that Yamaha. I ran around from spot to spot this week and I had to make a lot of decisions, but I never had to think about my motor – it just got me where I needed to be every time,” he continued. “The Yamaha team gives fishing a family feel – everyone is there behind you and when you have that kind of support, it allows you to be on the water longer and catch more fish.”
Notably, Walters, who also won Elite titles at Lake Fork (2020) and the St. Lawrence River (2023), set the Bassmaster Elite record for the largest winning margin of 29-10 during his Lake Fork win. This was the third Elite event in a row won by a double-digit margin and the sixth in Elite Series history.
Yamaha Pros took five of the top 10 spots in the four-day tournament. In addition to Walters’ first place finish, JT Thompkins placed third with 77 pounds, 13 ounces; Lee Livesay placed fourth with 76 pounds, 13 ounces; Trey McKinney placed sixth with 76 pounds, 9 ounces; and John Garrett placed eighth with 71 pounds, 5 ounces. McKinney is currently in the lead for Angler of the Year and Rookie of the year with 478 points. Yamaha pro Jordan Lee is also in the running for Angler of the Year with 448 points, while Thompkins is in second for Rookie of the Year with 378 points.
As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Walters earned an additional $4,000 while McKinney claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
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