Throughout the three days, Buddy Gross managed to haul in 11 bass with a combined weight of 64 pounds.
For some, landing a couple of bass makes for a good day out on the lake. For Buddy Gross of Chickamauga, winning $50,000 by hauling in nearly a dozen bass isn’t even his best day.
The professional fisherman recently took home first place at a Costa Fishing League Worldwide tournament on Lake Seminole, earning him key tour points and $50,000 in prize money. If he scores enough points, he’ll get to compete in the championship later this summer.
Gross caught over 60 pounds of fish across the three days of the Lake Seminole tournament, edging out the next-highest competitor by around 6 pounds. One particular grassy spot Gross had scoped out before the tournament graced him with all the bites he needed to bring home first place. While there were three other locations he thought would be similarly prosperous, he never had to really move. The fish just kept coming to him, he said.
This was Gross’ second tour win. Last year, his first-place finish at Lake Pickwick earned him $100,000, his largest win ever.
Although this is just his second win, he’s placed high in other tournaments throughout last year, he said, and he has his eyes set on the championship.