Ish Monroe was in 33rd place after day 1 of last week's West Point Bassmaster Elite Series in Georgia. After day 2, that first 3 was out of the picture.
The Californian caught a 21-00 sack that catapulted him 30 places up the standings sheet and into contention for the win. He took over the lead the following day and eventually finished 3rd.
He said he started day 2 in a different area than where he began the previous day, but one with similar features (a creek arm dotted by laydowns). He immediately boated three keepers, the best of which was a near-3-pounder.
"Then I ran to an area where I'd practiced because I thought I could catch a couple of keepers to fill out my limit," he said. "I didn't catch any there, but I hadn't gone all the way down the bank before, so I did that and I caught a 5-pounder (on a Team Daiwa crankbait).
"That gave me four in the boat, so I was thinking I needed to run to my spotted-bass spot that had a couple of deep brushpiles, but my Navionics chart showed there was one arm of the creek I didn't practice in. I went there and found a 2 1/2-pounder on a bed."
He pitched a Zoom Brush Hog in there, and then saw something he hadn't expected.
"I watched a 6-pound female come out from underneath the tree, go past the bed, and then back underneath the tree. I could still see her, and on my first pitch to her she ate it."
He subsequently caught the male to cull his smallest early keeper, and on his way back out he picked up a 5-pounder on the crankbait from a brushpile at the mouth of the creek.
"That was at 2:30, and I spent the last 45 minutes looking for new fish for the next day. I never found any."
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