Davis first to win Nation title back to back

Will Davis Jr. made history Friday when he won the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship for the second consecutive year.

Not only did the 31-year-old Sylacauga, Ala., resident become the first angler to win the event in back-to-back seasons, but he started a chain reaction that helped two other anglers receive a bit of B.A.S.S. glory as well.

Davis weighed a five-bass limit of 15 pounds, 1 ounce on Day 3, giving him an overall weight of 15 bass for 45-6. That was nearly 4 pounds more than any other angler competing in the three-day derby on South Carolina's Lake Hartwell, and it guaranteed him a spot in the 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series.

Thing is, Davis had already qualified for next year’s Elite Series, so his double qualification opened the door for New Hampshire’s Tim Dube, who finished second at Hartwell, to earn a spot in the Elite Series in 2024.

Davis’ win also had a ripple effect on the 2024 Bassmaster Classic, which will be held March 22-24 on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees near Tulsa, Okla.

The Top 3 anglers in the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship earn spots in the 2024 Classic. But with Davis already having punched his ticket through the 2023 Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings, B.A.S.S. officials said his berth would go to the first Elite out in those rankings.

That lucky angler is Elite Series pro David Gaston, who ironically also hails from Sylacauga, Ala., and who now slides into the 2024 Classic courtesy of his 43rd-place finish in the AOY race and Davis’ victory at Hartwell.

“I had a feeling this week,” Davis said. “I did a lot of praying on it ... I even keep a Bible in the boat, and I’ll read a verse to calm me down.”

Unlike last year, when he had to mount a come-from-behind win on Pickwick Lake to hoist the Bryan V. Kerchal Memorial Trophy, Davis had more than 3 pounds of cushion heading into the final day on Hartwell.

Davis ended Day 1 with a 16-1 limit, only 2 ounces behind Dube for the tournament lead, and he seized it on Day 2 with a 14-4 limit to take the lead. The weather changed overnight, and intermittent rain and steady winds moved through the area Friday morning.

But Davis didn’t blink. He had the big bag of the day and collected $20,000 for the win.

Despite having already secured his spot in the Classic and Elite Series, Davis said he fishes to win every tournament.

And at one point on Friday, Davis said he felt his nerves getting shaky. He switched to a Davis Bait Company spinnerbait (in the peacock color) early, anticipating it would work better in the windy weather. But he only had 9 pounds in his livewell as morning turned to afternoon.

“At that point, I went back to the (Davis) Wood Jig and headed to a hump that was in about 40 feet of water. I hadn’t fished it before, and I could see fish down there at about 35 feet. I dropped the Wood Jig right by them and prayed they’d hit it. I was able to get three big hits in a short amount of time and those few extra pounds made the difference.”

Davis rode last year’s Nation Championship to success in the Elite Series, winning a tournament on Lay Lake in May and finishing fifth in the Rookie of the Year standings. He wasn’t necessarily expecting to repeat as the B.A.S.S. Nation champ, but he’ll certainly take the victory.

“Last year was more emotional, but every win is sweet,” he said.

Dube, who finished second with a three-day total of 41-11, was amazed by his good fortune. He knew a Bassmaster Classic berth could be in the mix, but the chance to fish the 2024 Elite Series had the 29-year-old searching for words. A $15,000 check for finishing second in the tournament, plus $16,000 to cover Elite Series entry fees should he choose to compete, added to his amazement.

“This is all a dream,” Dube said. “I don’t know if you can say no to it. I’m just a rollercoaster of emotions.”

Dube caught a 14-8 limit on Friday, opting for spinnerbaits in choppy water.

“I’d pull up and bomb a 3/4-ounce spinner as far as I could,” he said. “It was shad color with silver blades. They’d come up and knock it out of the water.”

Wisconsin’s Josh Wiesner finished third with 37 pounds. The performance secured him a Classic bid, as well as $10,000 for a podium finish.

“This is unbelievable,” he said. “I thought I was maybe seventh place. To pull off a third? Unreal.”

Wiesner caught his best bass on a Hartwell Hammer Custom Rapala Jigging Rap and a 1/4-ounce shaky head with a Bass Assassin Tapout worm (peanut butter and jelly color).

A total of 113 anglers (58 boaters, 55 nonboaters) began the tournament on the 56,000-acre fishery straddling the South Carolina-Georgia border. They hailed from 48 states and eight foreign countries, earning their way into the field with their showings at one of five B.A.S.S. Nation regionals held across the country this year.

Arizona's Hayden Spradling won the nonboater title on Thursday with 10 fish for 18 pounds. He earned $10,000 and was invited to fish in Friday’s final round, finishing with a three-day total of 29-4.

Georgia’s Chris Moody caught the Big Bass of the Tournament among boaters and earned a $1,000 prize. Kansas’ Kyle Klein had the Big Bass among nonboaters (4-8) and won a $500 prize.

The field split a total purse of $96,500.

---