Packing a one-two punch strategy has South Carolina angler Patrick Walters in the lead going into the final day of the Douglas Lake Bassmaster Eastern Open. He has a 2-day total of 34-13.
I’m catching schooling fish, and when they shut down I can slow down and catch them in the same area,” he said. “I’m just having fun up there
“They feed sporadically on shallow shoals and then back off. There is no way to time when the feeding happens, so it takes staying focused and on the same area all day.”
Ott DeFoe is 2nd with 31-15, followed by John Cox with 30-03, David Williams with 27-04 and Brandon Lester with 26-11.
DeFoe, winner of the 2017 Open on Douglas, is fishing the upper reaches of the French Broad River. Cooler water temperatures and swift current support a healthy, prolific population of smallmouth and largemouth in his area.
Day-1 leader Jeff Lugar weighed a paltry 5-11 stringer and dropped to 12th.
Here are the totals for the 12 anglers who advanced to the final day:
1. Patrick Walters: 34-13
2. Ott DeFoe: 31-15
3. John Cox: 30-03
4. David Williams: 27-04
5. Brandon Lester: 26-11
6. Garrett Paquette: 26-11
7. Jon Canada: 25-07
8, Allen Brooks: 24-11
9. Toshinari Namiki: 24-10
10. Derek Cummings: 24-00
11. Bobby Lane: 23-13
12. Jeff Lugar: 23-04
