East Texas native Pake South wins second consecutive Bassmaster Open, sets record at Lake Eufaula
East Texas angler Pake South claimed his second consecutive Turtlebox Bassmaster Open victory Friday in Alabama. The performance marks the third-heaviest winning weight in Bassmaster Opens history, trailing only South’s own record-setting win at Sam Rayburn Lake and Scott Martin’s 2024 triumph at Lake Okeechobee. “It was one of those weeks where it all just kind of happened,” South said.
Bassmaster East Texas angler Pake South claimed his second consecutive Turtlebox Bassmaster Open victory Friday in Alabama. South, a Winnsboro native, finished with a dominant three-day total of 84 pounds, 1 ounce. The performance marks the third-heaviest winning weight in Bassmaster Opens history, trailing only South’s own record-setting win at Sam Rayburn Lake and Scott Martin’s 2024 triumph at Lake Okeechobee.
South, just 21 years old, entered the Eufaula event at the last minute and admitted he knew little about the fishery going in. “It was one of those weeks where it all just kind of happened,” South said. “I just showed up.
The feeling of winning like this will never get old. ” After opening the tournament in second place with 28 pounds, South surged into the lead on Day 2 and slammed the door with a massive 31-pound, 7-ounce limit on the final day — the biggest bag local Elite Series pro Kyle Welcher has ever seen at Lake Eufaula. South’s smallest bass in that final-day limit weighed nearly six pounds.
With the win, South becomes only the fourth angler in history to win multiple Bassmaster Opens in a single season. In just 10 Opens and Elite Qualifier events, he now boasts two wins, six Top 10 finishes and eight Top 25s. South did most of his damage close to takeoff, targeting postspawn largemouth on flats and drains in 6 to 12 feet of water.