2. Matthee slings a blade but makes key adjustments every day

South Africa’s Michael Matthee may still be learning how to fish American lakes, but he certainly knows how to throw a spinnerbait.

“That’s something I grew up doing,” Matthee admits. “So, when I figured out they were biting that the first day of the tournament, it fit me just dandy.”

Hunkering down in Horse Creek, Matthee used a white-and-chartreuse spinnerbait with a Keitech Swing Impact FAT 3.8-inch trailer to constantly adjust and find his fish every day as they repositioned with the falling water. On day one, Matthee says he caught all of his fish on timber. Day two, it was docks. It was all about chunk rock on day three. 

He saved his best for last, though, as Matthee nearly pulled off the victory when he figured out his fish had moved super shallow with the bright sunshine.

“I had to wait for the sun to come up, but once it did, I caught a lot of fish,” says Matthee, who mentioned one of the biggest keys for him was making sure to fish his spinnerbait slower than everyone else.