Paul Marks, of Cumming, thought the bass he lost late in the day Friday would come back to haunt him in the season-opening Professional Anglers of America event on Lake Lanier.

But the four he weighed were pretty stout, and Marks brought in a limit Saturday weighing 13.92 pounds to win the tournament with a three-day total of 44.44 pounds.

He won $5,000 and a new Nitro Z-8 with a Mercury 225 and T-H Marine Atlas jackplate, along with valuable points toward the 2012 PAA All-Star Series and 2011 Toyota Texas Bass Classic.

"I don't think there's a happier person in the world," Marks said. "To do this at home with all my family and friends here is just great."

Marks doesn't live far from the lake but doesn't fish as much as he used to. He said during the tournament he hit old familiar spots that had yielded fish over the years, but on the final day kind of ran by instinct.

"I caught three off of old places where I put out brush years ago and haven't fished in a long time," he said.

"Then, I had two others on back-to-back casts on one point."