> What: Bassmaster Southern Open
> Where: Kissimmee Chain of Lakes (Kissimmee, Fla.)
> When: Thursday through Saturday (Feb. 1-3)
> At stake: Berth in Open Championship; cash and prize to winner totaling $52,000 based on 200-boat field
> Expected field size: 200-plus boats
> What they’re saying: “Everybody kind of associates Florida with flipping,” said Elite Series angler Dustin Connell, who is not competing in the Open. “But they’ve had a cold winter down there, and I really don’t think things are going to set up right for that. It’s been a while since it’s happened down there, but I think you’re going to see somebody fishing a (Rat-L-Trap) or a ChatterBait to win. I think it’s going to be won on Lake Toho. The bass probably won’t be on the beds yet. I think it’ll be won with something moving. I think if somebody looks hard enough, they can find an offshore deal — and if you do that, you won’t just be plucking one fish here and there. You’ll be able to pull up at daylight and be on a wad of them.”
> Last Southern Open at Kissimmee Chain: Jan. 28-30, 2016
> Winner: Wesley Strader (50-05)
> Click here to read about Strader's Winning Pattern.
Some of the information above was taken from an B.A.S.S. press release.
