Fantasy Fishing: Keep on winding

Written by

Kyle Jessie

Unlike my Rapala Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing roster, the 2023 Bassmaster Elite Series season jumped out to a hot start at Lake Okeechobee. The Elite pros, fans and Fantasy Fishing players won’t have to wait long for the next event as the Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Lake Seminole starts up just three days after Championship Sunday at Okeechobee.

Ronnie Moore and myself caught up with hometown favorite Drew Cook for the Inside Bassmaster Podcast during Day 1 of practice, and he was optimistic that the weather and water conditions were going to set up for an all-out slugfest. Lake Seminole is full of vegetation and should provide the anglers with a lot of different options. When it comes to building your Fantasy Fishing roster, look at anglers who excel when fishing moving baits and don’t overlook the possibility of some bass being on bed.

Let’s get into my picks.

BUCKET A: COOK

Bucket A is always tricky when there’s a hometown local in the Bucket. When you get this many hot anglers in one Bucket, it’s certainly possible that one of them will overcome the homefield advantage that Drew Cook has. With that said, Cook is the safe play here. Not only is this his home lake, but stylistically the timing of the event works into his favor. Look for the Georgia pro to have a few tricks up his sleeve at Seminole.

Solid secondary selection: If you’re not sold on picking Cook and his nearly 45% player percentage, look at Kyle Welcher in Bucket A. After a disappointing season in 2022, the Alabama pro got off to a hot start with a 13th-place finish at Lake Okeechobee and should be able to fish his power-fishing strengths at Lake Seminole.

BUCKET B: MOSLEY

It seems as if Brock Mosley has a breakout prespawn event every season where he finds himself inside the Top 10, and Lake Seminole sets up perfectly for the Mississippi pro to do just that. After watching his travel partner Tyler Rivet notch his first Elite Series win, Mosley should be ready to slam the door on his first win as well. Look for Mosley to lock a vibrating jig in his hands and go to work.

Solid secondary selection: At just a slightly higher player percentage, Buddy Gross could be a major player at Lake Seminole. The Tennessee pro is one of the best in the world at dissecting submerged grass, and he has a professional win under his belt at Seminole back in 2017.

BUCKET C: GASTON

While Bucket C is home to a few high percentage picks like John Cox and Brandon Lester, this event sets up perfectly for Elite Series rookie David Gaston. After making the cut at Lake Okeechobee, Gaston has some positive momentum working in his favor, and he loves throwing a vibrating jig, which should play a big role at Seminole. If you’re looking to make a sneaky pick, Gaston could pay off big time.

Solid secondary selection: Brandon Lester may not have a lot of tournament experience at Lake Seminole, but it feels like the lake was made just for him. The Tennessee pro’s strengths perfectly align with Seminole, and he’s still one of the hottest anglers on tour.

BUCKET D: BENTON

The only angler in the field that has likely fished Lake Seminole more than Drew Cook is Drew Benton. Nobody would have predicted that Benton would have found himself in Bucket D heading into the second event of the year, but this event presents a perfect opportunity for the Elite Series veteran to jump back into the top of the standings. Look for Benton to mix in a healthy amount of bed fishing in addition to prespawn winding.

Solid secondary selection: If you’re looking for a lower percentage angler in Bucket D, Bryan Schmitt may be your guy. Schmitt is another angler that surprisingly had a tough event at Lake Okeechobee, but he excels on grass fisheries, so expect him to bounce back in Georgia.

BUCKET E: AUTEN

Per usual in the second event of the season, there are several anglers that typically don’t ever find themselves in Bucket E. This creates an opportunity to take anglers like Jason Christie and Cory Johnston, but don’t overlook Todd Auten. The South Carolina pro has proven to be a factor in most all events where moving baits play a major role.

Solid secondary selection: I’m already preparing to kick myself for not taking Jason Christie in Bucket E. The 2022 Bassmaster Classic Champion excels in prespawn events, and Lake Seminole should provide him the opportunity to rely on big line, big baits and straight up power fishing.