OXFORD, Ala. (Major League Fishing) — A slow start turned into a furious finish for Team Ferguson’s Takahiro Omori and Dean Rojas, who surged from below the cut line with a late third-period flurry to win Knockout Round Match 1 of the Folds of Honor Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches.
The veteran duo – dubbed “Team TakoRojas” by MLF broadcaster Chad McKee – tallied 17 bass for 32 pounds, 7 ounces, sealing their comeback with 13 scorable bass in the final two hours on Lake Weiss, an impoundment of the Coosa River. Omori and Rojas now advance to Monday’s Championship Round alongside Team O’Reilly Auto Parts’ Dustin Connell and Jacob Wheeler, who finished second with 17 bass for 29-9.
“We just had a great day on Lake Weiss,” Omori said. “They brought us here, we (don’t) have practice, no information, and it’s really tough fishing in this format. Even catching a 1-pounder is hard. But at the end of the day, it all worked out really good, and I’m really happy they took us here.”
Key decision boosted Omori and Rojas to win
Omori and Rojas’ late surge was sparked by a crucial decision during the second break.
“It was slow in the beginning – the first two periods were tough,” Rojas said. “I think Tak had only caught one. But I told him, during the break, ‘Let’s go way back, as far as we can go, where nobody else is fishing.’ We got in the backs of those creeks and bam-bam-bam, it was on. We caught up to second place, passed them, caught the leaders, and then sealed the deal. It was just a great day, and more importantly, we made the final round.”
Omori and Rojas relied on a combination of power-fishing tactics – squarebill crankbaits and vibrating jigs – targeting isolated wood and dilapidated bridge pilings where shad were stacked in just 2 to 3 feet of water.
“All my fish today came on a small 1.5 squarebill crankbait or a 3/8-ounce white-and-chartreuse (Z-Man) ChatterBait,” Omori said. “I flipped a little, to the exact same spots, but never had a bite. Staying with moving baits was really the key.”
Rojas mirrored the approach.
“For me, it was a small squarebill and a (Z-Man EverGreen) JackHammer with a Big Bite Baits Swimon trailer,” Rojas said. “We covered a ton of water, and once we got into the right area, everything lined up – the bait, the shad, the cover. It was slow at first, but when it happened, it happened fast. It all worked out great for us to win the Knockout Round and move on.”
Omori also earned the Berkley Big Bass of the Day with a 3-pound, 15-ounce largemouth that anchored the team’s comeback – one of four fish caught off the same stretch of old bridge structure.
Connell, Wheeler keep it steady for second
Connell and Wheeler maintained a steady lead through much of the day, using vibrating jigs and soft plastics around boat docks before shifting to the backs of pockets and culverts as the bite moved shallow. Their effort was enough to secure a comfortable second-place finish and a return to the Championship Round.
Team Lucas Oil’s Luke Clausen and Michael Neal led after the first period but couldn’t locate a consistent bite in the later frames, finishing third with 13-10 and bowing out of the competition.
Two more Championship Round spots up for grabs
The remaining three teams will take the water in the second Knockout Match Sunday, with the top two finishers advancing to Monday’s winner-take-all Championship Round. Team Knighten Industries (Jake Lawrence and Alton Jones Jr.) will face off with Team 7Brew Coffee (Edwin Evers and Jesse Wiggins) and Team Fishing Clash (Bradley Roy and Greg Vinson).
