Nitro WV – The home water advantage gave Winfield’s Wyatt Gabehart and partner Eli Ward the win in the third stop of the BASS Nation of West Virginia High School trail!

Gabehart and Ward reeled in a five-bass limit of 7.64 to take the top spot on the Kanawha River out of Nitro, West Virginia. The duo leaned heavily on largemouth to take the win but also mixed in a smallmouth in their bag.

“We had a really tough practice,” Ward said. “We didn’t even catch a legal keeper practicing this weekend. At the last minute this morning, we decided to make a run towards Charleston and it paid off.”

“We never even went to a backwater today,” Gabehart said. “We stuck it out on the main river where we have confidence and it was definitely the right decision.”

Wyatt mentioned that it was memorable for him as he got to win in front of his family on his home water.

“Winning on my home water in front of my family means a lot,” Gabehart said. “My family has never been to a weigh-in and for them to be there when we won meant a lot.”

With no official TOY update as of now, the duo definitely will close in on the Team of The Year race going into the State Championship. 

“This a huge sigh of relief for us,” Ward said. “Getting to be up there in the points on my home lake and my favorite time of year has me excited for the next one.”

Devin Fowler finished in the runner-up spot with a total of 7.31 anchored by a 4.77 smallmouth he reeled in by himself. The 4.77 smallmouth was big enough for the big fish of the tournament.