MLF Toyota Series Championship
2022 november 3-5
Lake Guntersville, Alabama, Usa.
Even in America, this deadly Latin phrase has been confirmed.
Because if you want to attribute a new homeland to Jacopo after Italy, you could not choose other than Guntersville, where he decided to take up residence in this incredible professional sports adventure. And the tournament on the home lake did not go as hoped.
A curious note, the same thing happened to Josh Butler of Hayden, Alabama, a professional and great connoisseur of the lake who did not go beyond 53rd place, with a total of 25-02 pounds and only 9 fish put in the livewell in the first two days of the competition.
More than 400 bass anglers from all over the States and numerous foreign countries, including Italy, participated in the Toyota Series final event.
The stakes were high, and the first prize was $235,000.
Already after the first tests, Jacopo had declared how difficult the fishing conditions were at this time of the year when the fish were not stationary and grouped in precise patterns but could be scattered in different situations. In fact, while the forage fish begins the transition to the inner creeks, and some important bass begin to move behind the food, others still station in the main branch of the lake and may be less disturbed and more active. Also, considering that the fishing pressure in this lake is always very high, with about 300 bass boats every day… In any case, the grass that still holds sizeable fish in this period is immense and increasingly dense, making this pattern choice very risky.
However, on Day 1, Jacopo had managed to bring 18-11 lbs with 5 fish (12th place), giving real hope for a good final placement.
On Day 2, Jacopo recounts that 20 minutes before the end, he still did not have the fifth fish and despaired of reaching a weight sufficient to make the cut.
However, by sliding a frog on a promising carpet of algae, a spectacular bite had made the grass explode without alarming the bass.
Calmly, Jacopo had insisted on the same spot, and after a while, another good bite had triggered a desperate struggle between fisherman and fish, culminating in the landing of a grass forest inside which fortunately, there was still a 2.5 kg bass.
At the last second, Jacopo closed the quota and managed to bring in 13-08 pounds, totaling a total of 32-03, unfortunately, only 3 ounces from the top 10 cut.
And once again this year, one step away from the Top 10…
Much regret for Jacopo and some discouragement for the “Curva Gallelli,” which always follows him from Italy with great enthusiasm. Still, everyone is satisfied with this excellent result, which with the final 11th place, still sees him fighting with the best fishermen in the world in this discipline.
Combo 1, from soft swimbait: 13 Fishing casting rod model Envy Black III 7’6″, power from 3/8 to 1-1/4 oz., medium-heavy xfast action, Concept C Gen II reel with a recovery speed of 8.3:1 spooled with 14 lbs Sufix Fluorocarbon.
Combo 2 from punching: 13 Fishing Envy Black III casting rod 7’9″, power from 3/8 to 1-1/2 oz., heavy fast action, Concept C Gen II reel with a recovery speed of 7.5-1 spooled with Sufix Advanced Superline 832 braided line 63 lbs, 1-1/2 oz. lead, BKK Heavy cover hook # 3.0.
