By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor

Ryan Salzman considers his victory in last week's MFL Pro Circuit event at Watts Bar Lake so improbable that he invoked the most famous account of an underdog triumph ever written.

"It was a David and Goliath story where David won," said the first-year BPT competitor. "I don't think there's a better parable for it than that. Let's face it – (Jacob) Wheeler is Goliath and I'm the new guy.

"I knew the fish were there and if it was God's will, it was going to happen. It ended up happening."

The 34-year-old Salzman outdueled Wheeler – the reigning BPT Angler of the Year, a three-time winner in 2021 and the longtime No. 1 angler in the BassFan World Rankings – by 11 ounces in the Championship Round. It was his first tour-level victory and just his third Top-10 finish; he was 8th at both the 2019 FLW Cup at Lake Hamilton in Arkansas and in a Pro Circuit event last year at Florida's Lake Okeechobee.

"It just kind of solidifies what I've always believed about myself – that I could win," he said. "It's a dream come true."

It was All About the Wall

Salzman had never competed on Watts Bar before, but he's highly familiar with the Tennessee River chain as he guides on several lakes farther downstream. He loves fishing near the dams and nearly always explores their vicinity on practice days.

He caught the majority of his fish over his four competition days from a wall above the Watts Bar Dam. The bass were periodically schooling there – pinning small minnows against the concrete and feasting on them.

"I could see hundreds of bass, both with my eyes and (his Lowrance ActiveTarget live sonar). I knew there were enough there to win and I just had to figure out how to catch them. I had to keep figuring it out each day."

There was at least 100 feet of water up against the wall, but the bass were only using the top 20 feet or so. When they were active, he could catch them on a swimbait. When they weren't, he could get an occasional bite on a dropshot rig.

There were three fellow competitors in there with him when his initial Qualifying Round day got under way – Randy Howell, Cody Meyer and Anthony Gagliardi. Keith Poche arrived a bit later and found there was no room left.

The action was slow and all but Gagliardi were gone by the end of the first period. Gagliardi stayed until midway through the second stanza before departing.

Salzman had no company during the Knockout and Championship rounds. He said the experience he's gained guiding on the system and fishing so much around dams were the keys to his success.

"I had to have the confidence to stay put once I'd found them. With things the way they were a lot of the time, any rational person was going to leave.

"All the glory goes to God. I've had tournaments before where I had the fish on to win and didn't land them. In this one I was losing fish every day and I still won. It was just my time."

Gear and Pattern Notes

Salzman said he likely could've caught the vast majority of his fish without the use of electronics, but the ActiveTarget was a benefit when the fish weren't school and were suspended farther off the wall.

He employed two different dropshot rigs – one with an open hook and the other with a guard that he used around some metal grates.

> Open-hook dropshot gear: 7' medium-action Dobyns Champion rod, size 300 Abu Garcia Ike Series spinning reel, 10-pound Yo-Zuri Superbraid High Vis Yellow (main line), 10-pound Yo-Zuri T7 fluorocarbon (leader), 1/8- or 3/16-ounce weight, size 1 Gamakatsu Aaron Martens G-Finesse dropshot hook, 4.5-inch Roboworm (morning dawn).

> Guard-hook dropshot gear: 7'3" medium-action Dobyns Champion rod, same reel, line, weight and bait, 2/0 Owner Weedless Wacky hook.

> Swimbait gear: 7' medium-action Dobyns Champion rod, size 300 Abu Garcia Revo Rocket spinning reel, same line, 1/8-ounce Megabass Okashira jighead, 2.8-inch Keitech or 3.5-inch True Swimbaits Minner (shad colors).