November 5, 2022
Okeechobee, FL- Chris Maxwell and Michael Porter found themselves atop the leaderboard on day one of the 2022 Blazer Boats Xtreme Bass Series Classic presented by Mercury Marine with a fairly comfortable lead. Maxwell and Porter qualified through the Kissimmee Division and were closely in the hunt for the divisional points race in that division this season. They lead the second largest championship field since 2005 with a 5 bass limit of 25.22 pounds.
“I told my partner [Mike] we were going to go catch some two pounders and have about 12 pounds, then go run around the lake,” said Maxwell about the start of their morning. “Our second fish I had chase a spinnerbait all the way to the boat, my partner caught it, it was that 6.87. It was just our time to shine.”
“We’re gonna skip those little two pounders tomorrow, and just go grind it out”, said Porter. “We went hours without a bite, then all of a sudden you’d get two good bites.”
Maxwell and Porter lead the 145 boat field by an almost 5 pound margin. Nathan Beasley and Tommy Beasley sit in second place with 20.99 pounds. The Beasley’s qualified through the Orange Lake division and are no strangers to catching big bass. Nathan is fishing his first season with Xtreme Bass Series and has had a fantastic year, catching the Big Bass of the Year with a 12.50 pound Orange Lake giant. That fish netted the Beasley’s $6,320.00 from the trail wide Big Bass side pot.
Jim Folks and Jeremy Smith are no strangers to being atop the leaderboard in Xtreme Bass Series Championship events. They are 3 time champions, winning the in event back to back years in 2015 and 2016, and again in 2019. The Lake Toho divisional points champions sit in third place with 19.98 pounds and are still within shot of taking home boat number four.
Rodney Hunter and Steve Griffing from the Kissimmee division ended day one in fourth place with 19.23 pounds, followed by Raymond Galler and Chico Barnett from the Suwannee River division in fifth place with 19.08 pounds.
Big Bass honor on day 1 went to the team of John Stambaugh and Jim Elsessor with a 7.71 pound kicker. That fish earned the Kissimmee division team $1,000.00. Rodney Hunter and Steve Griffing earned 2nd Big Bass honors with a 7.04 pound kicker that netted them $450.00. 1st and 2nd Big Bass is paid out each day of competition.
The event is still anyone’s tournament to win, as Lake Okeechobee is known for it’s big fish. If a team runs across the right area at the right time, it can shoot them up the leaderboard very quickly. The winner of this weekend’s championship will earn a new Blazer Boats 595 Pro Elite powered by a 200 HP Mercury Pro XS, anchored by twin 8 ft Power Pole Blades valued at $55,000.00.
The Xtreme Bass Series is the largest grassroots bass tournament trail across Florida, featuring 12 divisions and 108 events throughout the season. Anglers can compete in close-to-home events on local bodies of water, keeping costs down and affording them the opportunity to compete in the end of season championship.
For complete details and updated information, visit www.XtremeBassSeries.com. For continuous updates, results, photos, information, tournament news, and more, follow Xtreme Bass Series social media on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
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Photo Credit: Cindy Joint, Reel Deal with Cindy
