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Open: Early Championship Saturday with Livesay

Catch up with Leader Lee Livesay as he tackles the final morning of the 2022 St. Croix Bassmaster Central Open at Ross Barnett presented by Mossy Oak Fishing!

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Photography by
Andy Crawford
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Lee Livesay started Championship Saturday with a 5-pound lead in the St. Croix Bassmaster Central Open presented by Mossy Oak Fishing. He headed straight for the flat that produced his first-day 25-pound limit.
Livesay said he hoped he would have much more flexibility to move around on the flat, since only 10 anglers made the final-day cut. Yesterday, there were more than 40 anglers on the flat.
He started throwing a Carolina rig, which is what produced most of his bites in the first two days of competition.
However, within 30 minutes without a bite, Livesay switched to a hollow-bodied frog and moved into the main grass flat, working his way shallower.
That produced his first bite.
It wasn’t the 5-pounder he hoped for, but it put him on the board.
However, he soon moved back outside the main grass and switched back to his Carolina rig.
It only took about 15 minutes to get his first good bite of the day. LIvesay ran to the back of the boat to set the hook on the bass.
Livesay proceeded to drag the chunky bass aorund the back of the boat.
Where the fish put up a good fight.
But the Elite pro won the battle, swinging the 4-pounder over the side of his boat.
A big alligator lurked around the edge of the flat, getting Livesay’s attention as it swam by.
Soon, however, Livesay’s attention was pulled back to fishing, and he swung another fish in the boat.
Livesay had to put this bass on the board ..
… and throw it back when it didn’t touch the 14-inch mark.
Fellow competitor Jimmy Washam was fishing down the flat, and he steadily caught bass, according to BASSTrakk. Here, he swings in another one.
Moments later, Livesay leaned into another bass.
It wasn’t a big fish, but it went into the livewell.
Livesay had had enough of the flat, and pulled up the trolling motor to make a move.
He stopped on the lee side of a point, and began flipping the reeds.
Cole Sands was a hundred yards away, working a thick mat of vegetation.
Livesay worked his way to the mat, and then switched to a frog.
A couple of casts later, he was hooked up again.
Again, it wasn’t the quality bass he hoped for …
… but it went into the livewell.
Sands was working right off the bank, and he hooked up, too.
It wasn’t a 5-pounder, but it was worth a little celebration.
After moving through the mat of vegetation, Livesay headed out again in search of new fish.

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