[Winter]
Date: Jan. 5, 2022
Venue: Lake N, a small flatland reservoir
Water: 48 degrees, stained
Weather: Partly cloudy, windy, high 50 degrees
Pro: Bryan New, 31, Saluda, S.C. New, a former FLW competitor, was the 2020 Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year. He qualified for the Elite Series by winning the 2020 Eastern Open at the Kissimmee Chain (Florida) and won the February 2021 Elite event at the St. Johns River (Florida). He has qualified for two Bassmaster Classics.
Boat: Falcon F20 Predator with 250-horsepower Mercury outboard; Minn Kota trolling motor; Garmin, Humminbird and Lowrance electronics; and twin Power-Pole shallow-water anchors
WHEN BRYAN NEW won his very first Elite Series tournament at the St. Johns River, avid Bassmaster fans were probably wondering, “Who the heck is this guy?” Although New was new to the Elite Series, he wasn’t new to professional angling. The lanky South Carolinian had previously pocketed nearly $400,000 on the FLW tour (much of it as a co-angler!) before joining the Elites. In 2021, B.A.S.S. added a “newcomer” classification to designate first-time or returning Elite pros (like Mike Iaconelli) who had previously won $500,000 or more on those “other” tours. That financial bar technically made New a rookie, in spite of the fact that he’s been picking the pockets of his competition for years. Here’s what happened when we challenged this “veteran rookie” to unlock the secrets of a mystery lake on a blustery winter day.
◗ It’s pitch dark, 33 degrees and windy
