News
Thank You!
Most of you have probably heard by now that Jimmye Sue and I were involved in a bad accident while traveling to Lake St. Clair. Jimmye Sue has a broken sternum, but thankfully has been released from the hospital. I’m mostly just sore. I’ll be fishing stage 6 from a borrowed boat, but I’m just grateful to be back out on the water after missing the first day of practice! I’ve got to admit, my heads not fully in the game this week. I just keep thinking about how easily this could have turned out much differently. God truly had his hand of protection on us. I also want to say a huge thank you to everyone for all of your prayers and support! We are both overwhelmed by your care and your kindness.
Alton Jones explains how and why a punch skirt works well in Florida
Mercury Pro Team angler Alton Jones rolls with the punches when it comes to fishing conditions, which is why he’ll simulate fishing with a jig by pitching or flipping a punch skirt rig while in Florida.
In this video, the Texas titan shows how to set up a punch skirt that allows him to fish a plastic through heavy vegetation while maintaining the weightlessness of a Texas rig. A punch skirt provides the larger profile that’s needed for scoring big bites while also showing the Sunshine State’s bass something they don’t frequently see.
Alton Jones Zeroes in on Suspended Bass, Schoolers for Success in Fall Transition
Garmin LiveScope is key to locating and staying on fish suspended in deep water
Jones Advances to Championship Round
BASS PRO TOUR ONAMIA, Minn. Photo - Moore – It was moving day for Group B at the Bally Bet Stage Seven Presented by Minn Kota on Minnesota’s Mille Lacs Lake. There was plenty of movement, including from Alton Jones, who will advance to the Championship Round, his third straight and fifth of the 2022 Bass Pro Tour season.
Jones entered the day with a commanding lead of 27 pounds over Dustin Connell and ended up winning the group by nearly 36 pounds after tacking on 12 bass for 47-15 today.
Coming into this event, Jones’ fourth-place standing in the Bally Bet Angler of the Year race was overshadowed by the excellent year of Jacob Wheeler and others. The Championship Round appearance will move Jones up the standings in that race, with a chance to take home another Bass Pro Tour win.
“The goal coming into this event was to win the round and get to the final day,” Jones said. “I worked hard on this one, pre-practicing before the lake went off limits and then spending all of practice doing one thing. I put all my eggs in one basket and spent my time idling and looking for isolated boulders; the bigger, the better.”
With a sizable lead entering the day, Jones knew that the anglers trailing him would have to make a big run to catch him, but he paid close attention to what they were catching throughout the first two periods.
“If they’d add a fish, I’d go and catch one,” he said. “I knew they would come after me if I slowed down, so I wanted to show them I was still catching fish. I didn’t feel comfortable until the final period and was then able to start looking for more areas.”
So far, the weather on Mille Lacs has been pleasant with light winds. However, the lake has a reputation for getting rough with high winds and conditions are expected to change in the coming days with increased winds.
Jones has considered this and has areas that will be protected based on the forecasted wind direction.
“I scanned and looked for areas that would be out of the wind,” he said. “I also have another 15 to 20 areas that I haven’t fished yet this week that should be protected when I come back on Thursday with what’s supposed to be a south wind. I feel like I have areas to fish, regardless of the wind direction and even if the wind doesn’t blow. I’m thankful to be able to advance to the Championship Round, and I’ll have as good of a shot as anyone to win it.”
Jones Leads Group B By 27 Pounds
BassFan.com - Although widely regarded as a shallow-water, sight-fishing expert, Texas pro Alton Jones, Sr., demonstrated Sunday that he also knows a thing or two about catching northern smallmouth. Jones caught 25 scorable smallmouth bass weighing 92 pounds, 13 ounces, to pace the field by 27 pounds after Day 1 for Group B at the MLF Bass Pro Tour regular-season finale at Mille Lacs Lake in Minnesota.
Jones will bring a comfortable lead over second-place Dustin Connell of Clanton, Ala., into Tuesday’s second day of competition in the Qualifying Round for Group B. Connell landed 17 scorable bass – all smallmouth – weighing 65-13, while reigning Angler of the Year and 2022 points leader Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, rounds out Top 3 with 17 scorable bass weighing 58-13.
The 40 anglers in Group B will now have a day off on Monday, while the 40 anglers from Group A will wrap up their two-day Qualifying Round. Group B will finish their Qualifying Round on Tuesday.
“It’s humbling when you have a day like this,” Jones said in his post-game interview. “It was a great day – better than the other 39 guys today, and better than everyone that was on the water yesterday, too. So, I’m very pleased, and very thankful.
“I had a good practice, but that doesn’t always translate into a good tournament. This week it has so far,” Jones continued. “I was able to move around to a lot of different places today and get bit, so I’m feeling really good with how my day went.”
With a 27-pound lead heading into the second day of Qualifying Round competition, Jones is already eyeing the automatic qualification to the Championship Round.
“I think I’ve got a strong enough lead that I can really try to go for it and win the round on Tuesday,” Jones went on to say. “The negative part is that if you go for it and someone passes you and you don’t win the round, you end up burning a lot of fish that you’ll need in the Knockout Round. We’ll see.
"If someone catches up real quick Tuesday and passes me and I’m struggling, I’ll back off and just start practicing. There is so much strategy that goes into this game. We’ll see how it goes.”
