Hudson takes home New Year's tournament crown

Anglers from all across the country rang in the new year the best way we know how, by hauling in lots of fish and winning cash.

Connect Outdoors hosted the 2021 New Year Bass Tournament over the weekend. It was a public tournament with two ways to win. The first way to win was to have the five best total length and the second way was to catch the biggest bass by weight.

Karl Hudson took home first place by having a combined length of 93 inches. He started his tournament on Friday, Jan. 2 and hauled in five catches. He started his morning catching a 19.50-inch bass and followed it up a minute later with an 18.75-inch bass. He brought in three more catches that day measuring 18-inches, 16.25-inches, and 16.75-inches respectively.

Karl would get back on the water the next day and haul in two more catches. He snagged an 18.25-inch bass in the morning and finished his tournament with an 18.50-inch catch. Karl, a Connect Fishing League member, would also take home the prize for biggest bass with his largest fish weighing 4.17-pounds.

"I fished a crankbait over grass beds in 4-6’ water,” he said. “The surface temperature ranged from 45 to 48 degrees. The bass became active as the temperature increased during the late afternoon."

Fishing report:

Chris Griffin came in a close second with his five best fish measuring 83.25 inches. Chris got started on New Year’s Day and started catching fish early. He hauled in a 14.75-inch bass in the morning and followed that up a few minutes later with a 15-inch bass. He would end his first day with two more catches of 15.50-inches and 12.50-inches.

He hit the water again the next day and brought in a 21.50-inch bass. That would be his only catch for Jan. 2 but he would get on the water and bring in two more fish on Jan. 3. He ended his tournament with catches of 14-inches and 16.50-inches.

Johnny Albritton would come in third with his five best fish measuring 80.25 inches. He would bring in six scoreable catches during the tournament. Those measured 16-inches, 17-inches, 12-inches, 18.25-inches, 14-inches, and 15-inches.

Be on the lookout for more tournaments and be sure to sign up for your Connect Fishing League membership today.