Ryan Armstrong is lapping the field through two days on the Kissimmee Chain. Photo by Rob Matsuura. Angler: Ryan Armstrong.
February 22, 2025 • Jody White • Invitationals
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Florida tournaments are often up-and-down affairs, with a lot of leaderboard change day to day. Take Joshua Weaver, who sat in 13th with 17 pounds, 7 ounces after Day 1 of Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 1 Presented by VOSKER on the Kissimmee Chain. Day 2 saw Weaver rocket up into second, hammering out 28-5 for the big move. Pro Alex Bradley moved even more – tallying 25-10, the young pro rolled from 75th to seventh. However, the man who mattered the most didn’t come off the pace at all – on Day 2, Ryan Armstrong put 22-9 on the scale for a 52-5 total, which has him well clear of the competition.
Hunting down Armstrong (or attempting to, at any rate), Weaver sits in second with 45-12, and Drew Gill is in third with 42-8. Banks Shaw, in fourth with 39-3, is more than 13 pounds off the pace set by the red-hot Armstrong.
This was the first day of the Invitationals season with no forward-facing sonar in play, as will be the case for every Day 2 this year. Florida is not an ideal test case, especially when fish are shallow and the weather is significantly more conducive to good fishing on Day 2, so the results are pretty inconclusive. The field as a whole brought less weight to the scales on Day 2, bagging 1,506 pounds on Day 1 and 1,452 pounds today – not much of a drop in the scheme of things. And, while some anglers like Gill had a bit tougher day, other notably young, tech-savvy pros excelled – Hayden Marbut broke down in the canal just south of the Toho lock and caught more weight than he did on Day 1, and Bradley smashed one of the biggest bags of the event.
Chasing down Armstrong tomorrow is going to be a tall task, with or without ‘Scope. Still, with 9-pounders swimming around out there and even better weather in the forecast, you can bet the field is going to give it their best shot.
Slow and steady for Armstrong
Picking apart shallow pads, basically one stem at a time, Armstrong has impressed through two days.
“It was slower, and they definitely bit a little different this morning, but it wound up working out,” he said. “This afternoon it definitely picked up. I could’ve caught more weight. It’s just a matter of trying to make the right decision whether or not you want to keep taking them out.”
Armstrong is notably fishing alone, something of a rarity in Florida, and he’s obviously reaping the benefits. Combing through pads and other shallow cover, he’s fishing very meticulously.
“It’s a combination of me being around the winning fish and maximizing every 5 feet that I go,” he explained. “I mean, whenever you’re around fish, why do you speed up?
“I’m moving 5 feet and fishing for 10 minutes and moving 5 feet and fishing 10 minutes, but the thing about it is there’s so many opportunities within that,” he added. “Every 5 feet I move up, it presents new angles, new holes, new ways I want try to attack that particular spot.”
Still, Armstrong isn’t fishing so slowly because his fish are sluggish.
“I need to be in the ballpark,” he said. “I don’t have to hit them on the head. Sometimes they bite it on the fall. Sometimes they bite it on the first hop, and I’ve even had a couple bite it swimming it out.”
The only remaining question is if Armstrong can do it again, and the odds seem to be in his favor.
“I think I have fish left, no doubt about that,” Armstrong said. “But, it’s not a very big lead on this pond. So I, by no means, feel like it’s over, that’s for sure. But, I think that if I can put the bites in the boat, I won’t lose.”
Weaver is no stranger to Florida comebacks
When Weaver won the 2023 Invitationals event on Okeechobee, he ran down Illinois pro Colby Schrumpf, blasting 31-9 on Day 2 and 26-4 on Day 3. Not to say that Armstrong, also an Illinoisan, should be panicking about the similarities, but Weaver is a scary man to have in the rearview in Florida. Raised on Lake Seminole, he’s a wizard with all the techniques that shine in the Sunshine State. On Day 2, he caught a good bag and a 9-pounder, which at least got him in the conversation.
“Today was a great day,” he said. “But, you can’t duplicate a 9-pounder, so I don’t know what tomorrow’s going to hold. But, you know, I’ve been catching probably five to seven between that 3- and 4-pound range. I had 17-10 yesterday, and every fish I weighed in was within a quarter pound of each other. So, if I’d had a big one yesterday that I lost, I would have been sitting really right.”
Winding and punching hyacinth mats, Weaver is running a classic Florida combo pattern, and he’s sticking in Toho, which accounts for a good chunk of the Top 10. As far as chasing down Armstrong, he knows it’s a tall task.
“I thought I needed to catch 30 today to even have a shot,” Weaver said. “I figured the guys that were up there yesterday, Drew Gill in particular, I figured he might struggle today with the no ‘Scope deal. I knew I needed to catch at least what he had yesterday so I would have a shot to go out and catch 25-plus again tomorrow and have a shot at winning.
“It’s Florida. We finally got some decent weather moving in, but that helps everybody,” Weaver said. “I’m just excited to have another day to go crack at them.”
Top 10 pros
1. Ryan Armstrong – 52 – 05 (10)
2. Joshua Weaver – 45 – 12 (10)
3. Drew Gill – 42 – 08 (10)
4. Banks Shaw – 39 – 03 (10)
5. Keith Poche – 36 – 14 (10)
6. Colby Miller – 36 – 13 (10)
7. Alex Bradley – 36 – 11 (10)
8. Jordan Wiggins – 36 – 10 (10)
9. Joseph Webster – 35 – 15 (10)
10. Bobby Lane – 35 – 12 (10)
