A little over a year ago, Justin Patti left Callville Bay Marina on the second day of the WON Bass U.S. Open in the lead. By the end of the day, he had succumbed to the wild swings that Lake Mead’s fishing is known for.
This year has proven to be different for the Arizona pro.
After opening the event with a stellar 14.71-pound limit, Patti took last year's experience and made all the right moves to post a 13.00-pound sack that pushed his two-day weight to 27.71. His second consecutive strong day increased his lead to nearly 3 1/2 pounds over 2nd-place pro Kyle Grover of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.
Patti's performance helped him nearly match the goal weight he set for himself for the three-day event – in two days.
“I started this event hoping to catch 10 pounds a day to have a shot to win,” he said. “I didn’t expect to be catching this quality of fish. I’ve had two great triple-A partners and we’ve worked really well together to make it happen.”
Despite his lead, he said he feels a little pressure because his area is being pressured as well.
“There are a lot of boats in my area and while everyone is working well together, I can tell it is having an effect,” he said. “I’m doing a few different things and I’m ready to make an adjustment. I just hope that I can make the right adjustments to finish this off.”
Grover finished the day with a total of 24.25 after his 11.74-pound limit on day 2.
“I found something on the first day of the event that really worked out well,” he said. "I’m fishing some deep grass that I have pretty much to myself and I think if I lean on it a little, I might be able to catch a few more good ones. If that doesn’t pan out, I have a couple areas I can go to. It’s going to be interesting.”
In 3rd place was Bassmaster Elite Series pro Brett Hite, who made a second-day charge with a 14.23 stringer that brought his total to 24.13. He feels that his experience, and the fact that he is fishing his preferred way, gives him an advantage.
“I’m catching them in a way that I’m really comfortable with and I’m kind of off to myself,” he said. “I’ve been in this situation before in big events on the FLW Tour and the Elite Series and I feel like I know how to keep myself focused and deal with the pressure; I feel pretty good about my chances.”
Utah pro Travis Jewell slipped a bit, but his 9.77-pound limit brought his total weight to 22.99, good enough to sit in 4th after day 2. Rounding out the top 5 was Sean Coffey, who had 9.95 on day one, but upgraded to 12.78 to bring his total to 22.73.
Here's a look at the current top 10:
1. Justin Patti: 27,71
2. Kyle Grover: 24.25
3. Brett Hite: 24.13
4. Travis Jewell: 22.99
5. Sean Coffey: 22.73
6. Cody Murray: 22.65
7. Carl Jocumsen: 21.55
8. Steve Tosh Jr.: 21.51
9. Marvin Barellano: 21.46
10. Clayton Meyer: 21.36
For full standings, click here.
