Bill Lowen Dominates Day 2 at St. Johns River Elite Tournament

PALATKA, Fla. — Bill Lowen of Brookville, Indiana, delivered an impressive performance on Day 2 of the FXR Pro Fish Bassmaster Elite tournament at the St. Johns River, showcasing his skills with a 24-4 limit that propelled him to the lead, bringing his two-day total to 45 pounds, 9 ounces.

The unseasonably cold weather continued to challenge many anglers, making quality bites scarce. However, Lowen managed to back up his solid Day 1 bag of 21-5 with another strong catch, creating a nearly eight-pound cushion over his closest competitor heading into the Semifinal Saturday.

“It was an amazing day; you just can’t explain it when it happens,” Lowen said. “You look for those days all the time, and I had one of those days today.”

Lowen attributed his success to fishing in a creek just north of Palatka, where he found deeper, more stable water conditions that may have protected his catch from the cold. “I worked the creek’s shallow wood cover with a flipping jig and swim jig, carefully picking apart my area,” he explained.

The defining moment of Lowen’s day came around noon when he hooked a significant bass that became entangled in a tree. “I could feel her pulling, so I knew she was still there, but I couldn’t gain on her,” he recalled. “After what felt like an eternity, I just put a lot of pressure on her. I thought the line was gonna break, but the branch broke, and she just floated to the top. I got really lucky.”

In contrast, Day 1 leader Jay Przekurat faced a tougher competition on Day 2. While he added 12-12 to his previous haul of 24-15, he finished in second place with a two-day total of 37-11. “I had to scramble,” Przekurat admitted. “Hopefully, tomorrow, I can step it up and stay in the Top 10.”

Seth Feider of Minnesota made significant strides, jumping from tenth to third place with a total of 37-7. Feider credited his consistency to using a Texas-rigged Bang StickZ.

John Cox from Debary, Florida, continued to hold the Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his Day 1 catch of 8-13. As the competition advances, the field has narrowed to the top 50 anglers for Saturday, with rising temperatures expected to create a more favorable fishing environment.

The forecast predicts daily highs reaching approximately 70 degrees this weekend. Despite his commanding lead, Lowen remains cautious, stating, “In Florida, anything can happen.” The tournament’s excitement continues to build as anglers anticipate potential big bites and shifts on the leaderboard.