Faircloth tames Mighty Mississippi - WXOW News 19 La Crosse, WI – News, Weather and Sports |

LA CROSSE, Wisconsin (WXOW) - After four solid days of competition, Sunday meant glory for one of the top 12 Bassmaster Elite anglers in the country. They found that closely guarded spot, cast a line and prepared for a $100,000 fight.

Terry Butcher entered the day in third and looked to move up the leaderboard, but his haul of 13 lbs. 15 oz. kept him solidly in the three spot. The biggest mover on the day was Cliff Pace, who not only netted the biggest fish (3 lbs. 13 oz.) but also made that part of the days biggest catch at just over 16 lbs. Pace jumped to second.

That just wouldn't be enough to catch the guy who led since Friday. Todd Faircloth of Jasper, TX netted 14 lbs. 9 oz. for a grand total of 62 lbs. 4 oz. That gave Faircloth his first win since 2008. Afterward, the champ gave his impression of the Coulee Region.

"Of all the places I've been, I don't think I've ever fished a place where the people on the water were as courteous as they were here," said Faircloth. "That means a lot to us as professional anglers and we really appreciate that."

The win put Faircloth at the top of the standings for Bassmaster's Angler of the Year.