By MLF Communications Staff

Despite a 2-hour, 15-minute lightning delay, rainy conditions throughout the day and a field of stellar pros nipping at his heels, David Walker of Sevierville, Tenn., caught 11 bass weighing 23 pounds, 10-ounces Tuesday to cruise to a Group B Qualifying Round win at the MLF Bass Pro Tour event on Watts Bar Lake in Spring City, Tenn. Walker’s two-day total of 21 bass weighing 45-11 advances him directly to Thursday’s Championship Round – marking his first automatic berth to the Championship Round on the BPT – as the competition continues for the top award of $100,000.

Clabion Johns of Social Circle, Ga. caught a 2-07 buzzer-beater in the final minute to finish the day in second place with a two-day total of 21 bass, weighing 39-06, while Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C. finished in third, with a two-day total of 19 bass weighing 38-06. Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tenn. caught a two-day total of 21 bass weighing 37 pounds even to end in fourth, while Scott Suggs of Alexander, Ark. advanced to the Knockout Round in fifth place with a two-day total of 18 bass weighing 34-09.

“I don’t know what to say,” said a Walker. “You talk about a day where you just end up making the right choices, all day long – it’s just unbelievable. I caught those fish on so many different rods and baits today, but I couldn’t be happier.”

Walker began the second day of his Qualifying Round in fifth place, with a solid 22-01 footing, but steadily moved up the ScoreTracker throughout the day. He rallied to take the lead only seven minutes into the third period with a 2-03 largemouth and despite hard charges by Thrift and DeFoe, who both caught scorable bass in the final period to take over the lead, Walker managed to hold onto the top spot by the end of the competition day.

“This has been a tough season, and to have a day like this – let alone two back-to-back good days – is just amazing,” Walker said. “I’ve usually got some pretty good comebacks or statements and I just don’t have anything at all today.”

Although the win looks good "on paper" with the automatic advancement to the Championship Round, it was certainly a fight to the finish, with Walker catching 10 pounds in the last period alone to end the day on top.

“It’s just one of those things – in tournament fishing the highs are so high and the lows are really low, so it can be tough to try to keep everything on an even keel and not let it get to you,” Walker said. “You go out there and do the same things repeatedly, but you don’t get results like this very often, so you start to question yourself.

“One good day makes up for a whole lot of bad ones though, and we managed to put together two back-to-back good days,” Walker continued. “I am so excited about this finish.”

The remaining 38 anglers – 19 from each group – now advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round, where weights are zeroed, and the anglers compete to finish in the Top 8 to advance to the Championship Round on Thursday. The Championship Round will feature Group A winner Kevin VanDam, Group B winner Walker and the eight survivors from the Knockout Round, competing in a final-day shootout for the top prize of $100,000.

Brent Chapman of Quivira, Kansas caught a 5-09 largemouth throwing a bladed swim jig in the first period to earn the fourth $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award of the event. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.

The 38 anglers competing in Wednesday’s Knockout Round will launch at 7:30 a.m. ET from the Spring City Boat Ramp, located at 417 Toestring Valley Road in Spring City. The takeout will be held at the ramp beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome and encouraged to attend all launch and takeout events and to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW! livestream and ScoreTracker coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The tournament features anglers competing with a 1 1/2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

The MLF NOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney breaks down the extended action on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLF NOW! is livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.



Group B Qualifying Round – Day 2

(Figure at far right indicates weight of angler's heaviest fish for the day)

1. David Walker -- 22-01 (10) -- 23-10 (11) -- 45-11 (21) -- 4-05

2. Clabion Johns -- 12-10 (7) -- 26-12 (14) -- 39-06 (21) -- 2-11

3. Bryan Thrift -- 23-13 (12) -- 14-09 (7) -- 38-06 (19) -- 2-14

4. Ott DeFoe -- 14-00 (8) -- 23-00 (13) -- 37-00 (21) -- 2-14

5. Scott Suggs -- 11-06 (6) -- 23-03 (12) -- 34-09 (18) -- 3-00

6. Ish Monroe -- 23-07 (8) -- 8-14 (4) -- 32-05 (12) -- 3-02

7. Dustin Connell -- 21-10 (11) -- 9-15 (6) -- 31-09 (17) -- 1-14

8. Josh Bertrand -- 17-03 (7) -- 13-13 (7) -- 31-00 (14) -- 2-09

9. Justin Lucas -- 20-03 (11) -- 10-11 (5) -- 30-14 (16) -- 2-06

10. Chris Lane -- 23-06 (10) -- 7-02 (4) -- 30-08 (14) -- 2-09

11. Jeff Sprague -- 22-02 (11) -- 7-09 (4) -- 29-11 (15) -- 2-08

12. Gerald Spohrer -- 8-08 (5) -- 20-00 (10) -- 28-08 (15) -- 2-09

13. Dave Lefebre -- 12-05 (7) -- 15-13 (8) -- 28-02 (15) -- 2-13

14. Jacob Wheeler -- 19-10 (9) -- 7-13 (4) -- 27-07 (13) -- 2-10

15. Jeremy Lawyer -- 10-00 (5) -- 16-08 (8) -- 26-08 (13) -- 2-15

16. Casey Ashley -- 9-14 (5) -- 14-04 (7) -- 24-02 (12) -- 3-05

17. Zack Birge -- 10-02 (4) -- 13-12 (7) -- 23-14 (11) -- 3-04

18. Fletcher Shryock -- 8-06 (4) -- 13-15 (5) -- 22-05 (9) -- 5-02

19. Kelly Jordon -- 5-04 (3) -- 16-11 (6) -- 21-15 (9) -- 4-06

20. Adrian Avena -- 15-09 (8) -- 6-01 (3) -- 21-10 (11) -- 2-05

The following anglers did not make the cut and will not advance to the Knockout Round

21. Stephen Browning -- 13-01 (7) -- 7-05 (4) -- 20-06 (11) -- 2-03

22. Brett Hite -- 9-03 (6) -- 10-15 (6) -- 20-02 (12) -- 2-03

23. Todd Faircloth -- 15-12 (6) -- 3-14 (1) -- 19-10 (7) -- 3-14

24. Skeet Reese -- 3-07 (1) -- 15-15 (7) -- 19-06 (8) -- 3-05

25. Jesse Wiggins -- 8-14 (4) -- 10-03 (5) -- 19-01 (9) -- 3-03

26. Russ Lane -- 9-15 (5) -- 9-01 (4) -- 19-00 (9) -- 3-10

27. Cliff Pace -- 11-05 (6) -- 7-03 (3) -- 18-08 (9) -- 3-10

28. Alton Jones Jr. -- 11-00 (5) -- 7-03 (4) -- 18-03 (9) -- 2-01

29. Roy Hawk -- 7-12 (4) -- 10-06 (5) -- 18-02 (9) -- 3-06

30. Dylan Hays -- 8-11 (4) -- 8-01 (4) -- 16-12 (8) -- 2-11

31. Bradley Roy -- 3-11 (2) -- 12-13 (6) -- 16-08 (8) -- 2-12

32. Jeff Kriet -- 4-06 (2) -- 11-15 (5) -- 16-05 (7) -- 4-09

33. Jonathon VanDam -- 7-06 (4) -- 8-12 (4) -- 16-02 (8) -- 2-13

34. Matt Lee -- 8-00 (4) -- 6-10 (4) -- 14-10 (8) -- 1-12

35. Cole Floyd -- 3-06 (2) -- 10-14 (5) -- 14-04 (7) -- 3-07

36. Jason Lambert -- 6-12 (4) -- 6-15 (4) -- 13-11 (8) -- 2-02

37. Tommy Biffle -- 4-02 (2) -- 8-12 (3) -- 12-14 (5) -- 3-13

38. Brent Chapman -- 6-14 (4) -- 5-09 (1) -- 12-07 (5) -- 5-09

39. Luke Clausen -- 4-06 (2) -- 5-14 (3) -- 10-04 (5) -- 2-06

40. Terry Scroggins -- 7-00 (3) -- 3-03 (2) -- 10-03 (5) -- 1-10