Much to his surprise, Cory Johnston won the BassTrakk Contingency Prize at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake and the $1,000 that comes with it.
The BassTrakk Prize is rewarded each Bassmaster Elite Series event to the angler whose BassTrakk estimates are closest to his official weight at the end of two days of competition. An angler must also catch a limit both days of competition to be in the running for the reward.
After two days of competition, Johnston’s estimated two-day catch was 26-13, and his actual weight was 26-5, just a difference of 8 ounces. Canada’s Cory Johnston won the reward for the first time at Pickwick without even making his own estimations.
“I haven’t even thought about winning the award,” said Johnston. “I never even told my marshals a single weight all week, so I have to thank my marshals for that one.”
Although Johnston has never specifically went out of his way to win the prize, he still believes it serves a great purpose for the angler and the fans.
“I think the prize is a great idea,” Johnston said. “Although I’m not one of the guys who thinks about it too much, I do think it’s a great thing for the fans because some guys underestimate their fish a lot.”
Here’s the BassTrakk Top 10, and how far off each was off from his official weight.
• Cory Johnston: 0-8
• Bernie Schultz: 0-9
• Cody Huff: 0-10
• Tyler Rivet: 0-11
• Jason Williamson: 1-5
• Justin Atkins: 1-6
• Brandon Cobb: 1-6
• Hunter Shryock: 1-6
• Clifford Pirch: 1-7
• KJ Queen: 1-9
