Focus on Seams

BASSMASTER ELITE SERIES PRO Chad Pipkens of Michigan was under enormous pressure when he competed in the final Bassmaster Northern Open of 2017 on Douglas Lake, Tennessee. The regular season Elite Series tournaments were over and Pipkens was unsure if he would finish high enough in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings to rejoin the tour in 2018.

However, after the first two Northern Opens of 2017, Pipkens was tied for third place in that division’s AOY standings. If he could catch enough bass at Douglas to stay among the Top 5 in AOY points, he would earn an invitation to the Elites.

The September tournament proved so stingy that well over half the field failed to catch 10 pounds of bass in two days of fishing. Pipkens eked out 14 pounds, 10 ounces, including a 5-11 largemouth that was the biggest bass of the event. It was enough to land him in fourth place in the final Northern Open AOY points and secure