SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER CITY, La. (Major League Fishing) — Team B&W Trailer Hitches delivered a historic performance Wednesday on Louisiana’s Cypress Bayou, posting a jaw-dropping total of 139 pounds, 15 ounces on 77 scorable bass to win Knockout Match 1 of the Bass Pro Shops Summit Cup Presented by Zenni.
Hometown favorite Nick LeBrun and Texas veteran Todd Faircloth erupted for the single most dominant period in Fishing Clash Team Series history – boating a staggering 91-13 on 55 scorable bass in Period 1 alone. They easily maintained the top spot from there, cementing their place in Friday’s Championship Round. Their final tally surpassed the previous one-day record of 114-4 in the two-man Team Series competition.
“All I can say is, ‘Praise Jesus,’” LeBrun said in his post-match interview. “There’s nothing better than two friends, spot-locked down with the Lowrance Ghost, reeling in a fish on every cast. It’s been an amazing day.”
Drew Gill and Marshall Robinson of Team Lucas Oil earned the other Championship Round berth. For the second day in a row, the defending Summit Cup champions relied on forward-facing sonar mastery and a commitment to the drop-shot rig to finish second with 45 pounds even on 21 scorable bass.
Team Star brite’s Bobby Lane and Jacob Wall started hot, catching fish early around boat docks with a drop-shot before switching to the same crankbait pattern that carried them through Tuesday’s Elimination Match 3 on Caddo Lake. But, after midday, their bite collapsed, leaving the duo with 16 bass for 22-11 and ending their Summit Cup run.
LeBrun, Faircloth Put on Cranking Clinic
Working a pair of current-swept hard spots – rare gems amid Cypress Bayou’s typically soft bottom – LeBrun and Faircloth triggered schools of fired-up bass with a two-crankbait assault. LeBrun leaned heavily on a chartreuse-and-blue colored Bill Lewis MR-12 crankbait with Hayabusa TBL930 treble hooks, while Faircloth threw a Strike King 3XD. When the school slowed, the duo mixed in a Buckeye Mini Mop Jig, a Yamamoto Baits Shad Shape Swimmer and a Strike King KVD Perfect Plastics Ocho to clean up stragglers.
“We caught a lot of fish today a lot of different ways, but that first-period crankfest was unbelievable,” LeBrun said.
As the day wound down, the pair shifted gears in Period 3, trading the blistering crankbait pace for a slower search around docks and nearby brush in hopes of connecting with a kicker. That produced a 4-12 for LeBrun, which tied him with Gill for Berkley Big Bass honors.
“We spent some of the third period just fishing docks and a few little brush piles outside the docks. We weren’t catching a whole lot, but just spent some time hunting a big one,” LeBrun explained. “We’re super thankful for how the day went. It’s been very special getting to know Todd this week and growing our friendship – and it’s really easy to grow a friendship when you’re anchored down catching one on every cast.”
Faircloth echoed the sentiment, crediting LeBrun’s deep local knowledge for the runaway win.
“Nick pretty much called his shots today. He knows when those fish are going to fire, and he made it look easy,” Faircloth said. “It was just a fun, stress-free day. We don’t get many like this, and we’re excited to be moving on to the Championship Round.”
Two More Championship Round Spots Up For Grabs
Three more teams will take the water in Thursday’s Knockout Match to duke it out for the last two spots in Friday’s Championship Round. Fresh off a win Tuesday, Ron Nelson and Keith Carson of Team Fishing Clash will face off with Brent Ehrler and Justin Lucas of Team Ferguson, as well as Cole Floyd and Nick Hatfield of Team Kubota.
Catch the final round of each day’s competition LIVE from 2-5 PM ET on RFD-TV.
Stream all the action on RFD-TV Now from 10 AM - 5 PM ET each day through Nov. 21 or at MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps, Game & Fish TV, and the Major League Fishing channel on Rumble.
