2nd: Letdown for Rojas
Photo: B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito > Day 4: 1, 4-06 (16, 42-12) It’s hard to be upset with a runner-up finish on a tough fishery to open the season, but after holding the lead after days 1 and 3, Rojas was bummed he couldn’t close out his third Elite Series win.
“I really felt with the clouds coming in and the wind that they were going to bite really good,” he said. “I felt like I was ready to go and just didn’t get it done today.”
His lone fish was a 4-pounder and once he swung it into the boat, he thought he’d be able to get on a roll.
“I thought I was going to wreck ‘em,” he said. “I caught a big one yesterday about the same time I caught that big one today. The tide was getting high and the water was moving and it was the time of day when it was warm and I thought it was going to be the deal.” Read More
What was the biggest key to success this week on the Sabine River?
“I thought that this weather was going to really help me out and key me in on what I needed to do, but they just didn’t bite today. I really don’t know what happened. It could have been the fishing pressure and the result of unsportsmanlike conduct by one other angler.
“That one area was all that I had going, so I did the best that I could do to manage the area. I did the right thing; I just didn’t get the bites today.”
What was your primary pattern throughout the week?
“I had a 50/50 deal going on all week. I was catching some fish pitching a Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog in and around the wood, and I was also catching them on a squarebill crankbait.
“I got the quality bites on the squarebill. That’s one thing that the other guys weren’t throwing in the area, and that was what separated me. The fish that I caught on that bait were good ones. You could catch a lot of 14-inchers on a worm or soft plastic, but I wanted to win, so I thought that the crankbait was what I needed to be throwing.”
What were your primary baits and tactics?
“I was using a Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog in Sapphire Blue. I Texas-rigged the Fighting Frog on a 4/0 Gamakatsu SuperLine hook, 20-pound-test Sunline, and a medium/heavy Quantum Exo rod and Quantum Exo reel. I also caught some of my better ones on a squarebill crankbait.” Read More
Orange, TX – After leading the first day of the Bassmaster Elite Series stop on the Sabine River, Arizona’s Dean Rojas dropped to 2nd place on Friday as Todd Faircloth took over the top spot on the leaderboard. On Saturday, Rojas regained his position at the top in front of an impressive crowd gathered to watch the weigh-in in Orange, Texas.
With a limit weighing 11-14, Rojas pushed his three day total weight to 38-6, and will enter championship Sunday with a lead of 3 pounds, 9 ounces over Todd Faircloth, who dropped to 2nd after only managing four keepers on Saturday weighing 7-14 for a total weight of 34-13.
Eight of the 50 remaining anglers blanked on Saturday, including Cliff Crochet, who entered the day in 3rd place. Not a single angler was able to break the 12-pound mark even though 16 anglers crossed the stage with a five bass limit. Read Complete Story
Just when they thought the fishing couldn’t get much tougher, the Sabine River system clamped down a little tighter today, giving up just five stringers of more than 10 pounds.
Dean Rojas was among that select group as he caught an 11-14 bag (tied for the heaviest of the day) that propelled him back into the lead with 1 day remaining in the Elite Series season opener. His 38-06 total is a shade over 2 1/2 pounds better than Todd Faircloth, the day-2 leader whose four fish today weighed 7-14 and gave him 34-13.
Rojas is chasing his third career Elite Series win while Faircloth is after his fourth victory.
Ish Monroe, who also owns two Elite Series trophies, continued his steady surge up the standings as he jumped from 6th to 3rd with a 9-15 effort that ran his weight to 31-11. Terry Scroggins caught 7-01 (three fish) and held onto 4th with 31-06 while Jeff Kriet jumped into the Top 5 with a 9-pound limit that gave him 30-06 Read Complete Story
