, /PRNewswire/ -- The Bassmaster Elite Series Media Guide notes that Smith Lake is favorite U.S. fishery.
On Sunday, at the , he showed the world why. Ito, a 38-year-old pro from , led a field of 98 Elites with a four-day total of 20 bass totaling 58 pounds. That was 4-1 more than , who finished second with 53-15, and 4-2 more than , who placed third with 53-14.
Ito claimed for finishing first in the derby, which was the second Bassmaster Elite Series win of his career. He snagged more for having the Monster Bag (he caught 16-9 on Championship Sunday) and separate prizes for the 5-12 spotted bass that anchored the bag. That fish was both the Big Bass of the day and of the tournament.
It was a wild finish to what had been a difficult tournament for many of the Elites. The heat made Smith's fabled spotted bass bite go slack at times, and most bass caught ranged from 1 to 2 pounds. The heat index, which climbed into triple digits during the final three days of the tournament, made the sluggish bite that much more grueling.
But Ito had the right mix on Smith. He caught his best bass using a 14-millimeter OSP Saikoro Dice Rubber Magnum bait. The magnum-sized lure, which is not yet in distribution, was the difference maker, he said, with the bigger size sparking Smith's spots into biting in the broiling heat.
Ito said he was drop-shotting the lure rigged with a 3/16-ounce weight. He also credited a thunderstorm that threatened north-central Sunday afternoon for changing his fortune.