By BassFan Staff


The consensus entering the Winyah Bay Elite Series was that the winning fish would be caught in the Cooper River, one of a handful of rivers that make up the coastal delta near Georgetown, S.C. While the Cooper has certainly produced as expected, the Santee River has proven to be just as prolific.

Sunday will decide which one gets the bragging rights.

Brett Hite made the long run to the Cooper for the third straight day and caught 18-00 to become the only angler to crack the 50-pound mark through 3 days as he took over the lead with 50-02. He’ll leave the dock in the morning with a 1-02 lead over fellow veteran Kelly Jordon, who’s done his damage in the Santee.

Hite, who missed the money cut at the season opener by 7 ounces, has put himself in position to post his second Elite Series win (and fifth overall) by fishing a technique he’s known for – a vibrating jig.

“I’m in my comfort zone,” Hite said. “I like the way I’m fishing. I understand the tidal fishery from all the time I’ve spent on similar places. I’m just real comfortable here. I understand what the fish are doing and I know where the big ones are posting up, and that somewhere along the way I’m going to get a bite near there.”

Meanwhile, Jordon has somehow kept himself in contention – he’s chasing his first win since 2006 – after catching just one fish on day 1. He caught 16-04 and shaved 4 pounds off his deficit to the lead entering the final day. His 3-day total of 49-00 works out to nearly a 4 1/2-pound average for the 11 fish he’s weighed in.

“It would be real special (to win) because this is such a seat-of-your-pants event,” Jordon said.

Day-2 leader Britt Myers is the lone South Carolina pro to make the Top-12 cut. He managed 8-15, his smallest bag of the week, and slipped to 3rd with 46-14 and will have to hope he has something left in the Cooper River to make up a 3-plus pound deficit to Hite.

Rookie John Hunter, Jr., who's also in the Cooper, bagged an impressive 22-03, the second-best stringer of the event, to move up 32 spots to 4th with 40-14. He'll have a 9-pound gap to make up tomorrow. Brent Chapman used a 16-09 bag to jump up four places to 5th with 38-07. Regardless of how Sunday goes, Chapman will leave South Carolina with the lead in the race for Angler of the Year.

Here's a look at the Top 12 entering the final day of competition, with each angler’s deficit margin from Hite indicated by red numbers in parentheses:

1. Brett Hite: 50-02
2. Kelly Jordon: 49-00 (1-02)
3. Britt Myers: 46-14 (3-04)
4. John Hunter, Jr.: 40-14 (9-04)
5. Brent Chapman: 38-07 (11-11)
6. Jacob Powroznik: 37-09 (12-09)
7. Keith Combs: 36-06 (13-12)
8. Randy Howell: 36-01 (14-01)
9. Mark Menendez: 35-12 (14-06)
10. Boyd Duckett: 35-05 (14-13)
11. Chris Zaldain: 35-00 (15-02)
12. Gerald Swindle: 34-13 (15-5)

Randy Howell made a sizable move up to 8th from 24th with a 16-05 bag that gave him 36-01. Boyd Duckett advanced three spots to 10th with 35-05 while Chris Zaldain improved four positions to 11th. Dropping out of the Top 12 were: Randall Tharp (5th to 16th), Bradley Roy (7th to 18th), Marty Robinson (11th to 48th) and Justin Lucas (12th to 27th).

What many competitors billed as a tournament they merely wanted to survive due to the innumerable variables that were out of their control will likely be decided by which angler at the top of the standings can trigger a big bite or multiple big bites on Sunday. The Cooper and Santee have produced the biggest fish of the tournament and there’s no reason to think that’ll change on the final day.

A cold front and stiff north wind settled in Saturday, making the tide situation challenging – the north wind intensified the outgoing flow and blunted the incoming tide later in the day. Temperatures are due to drop into the low 30s overnight with a high of only 60 expected on Sunday. Clear skies will be accompanied by a light wind out of the east-northeast at 5 to 10 mph.



B.A.S.S./Gary Tramontina
Photo: B.A.S.S./Gary Tramontina

Hite snatches his line as he lands a good keeper on Saturday.

Hite Dialed In

> Day 3: 5, 18-00 (15, 50-02)

Hite said the fishing in his area of the Cooper was slower today due to the strong wind pushing the water out at a much faster rate, then not allowing it to flow back in at a normal pace.

“It took a little longer to get enough water in there for the fish to actually bite,” he said.

On his way to his first spot, he briefly got hung up on a berm because of the low tide and had to power his boat through inches of water before it finally slipped off the impediment. Once he settled into his area, he deployed his shallow-water anchors and got to work.

“About 40 minutes in, I just put my Talons down and stayed in the spot I know they’re filtering into,” he said. “I caught a 13-incher and then a 4-pounder. The area has fish filtering in all the time.”

His go-to presentation all week has been a 3/8- or 1/2-ounce EverGreen Jackhammer bladed jig – it’s available only in Japan. It’s a technique he’s extremely proficient at – some consider him the best at it amongst all pros – and it’s gotten him into position for another win. He knows he needs to execute again Sunday to make it happen.

“Being in the lead doesn’t add really any more pressure,” he said. “If you were in 1st, 2nd or 3rd, you still have to go catch them. I still have to execute. The good thing about tidal fisheries is you know at some point during the day there will be flurries so you’ll have those opportunities, and if I capitalize on those flurries, I’m going to catch some big ones.”

Today, he mixed in a Texas-rigged Senko and a dropshot to give the fish some different looks. He also has several other spots within eyesight of where he’s been fishing that he hasn’t had to go to yet. He’s hoping he won’t need them.

“You don’t get this opportunity that often,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate to win four major tour events and having won that many times, you know how much work goes into it. It’s always real special and you have to be grateful to have that opportunity to fish against this class of fishermen I’m fishing against with a chance to close it out. I know I have to be flawless.”

2nd: Jordon Ready to End Drought

> Day 3: 5, 16-04 (11, 49-00)

For Jordon, being in position to win at this particular event is a neat experience for many reasons.

For one, he hadn’t made a 12-cut since 2011. His last win also came at a tidal fishery – the Potomac River Elite Series in 2006 – so having a shot to hoist another trophy 10 years later on a fishery that was mostly foreign to him and his competitors would be a great way to mark his return after missing most of the 2015 season with a wrist injury.

“It feels awesome,” he said. “It’s been a crazy event. Everybody at the ramp all week was like, ‘I just want to get through it.’ This tournament was such an X-factor. There are so many crazy things happening with the tides and the long runs. Guys just wanted to survive. A lot of people were hoping to not ruin their seasons. All that being said, to have a Top-12 finish is awesome and to have a shot to win is really special, especially considering I’ve been catching big fish, which is what I love to do.”

He’s confident he’s still around plenty of big fish in the stretch of the Santee he’s working on, but the fish were not committing to his baits today like they had been. He missed a good fish right off the bat this morning, but followed up with a 5-06 a few casts later. He added another 5-pounder later in the day to anchor his bag with two quality fish.

B.A.S.S./Gary Tramontina
Photo: B.A.S.S./Gary Tramontina

Kelly Jordon hoists a fish into his boat on Saturday.

“There are big fish around, but the water’s falling out in that river,” he said, noting it was about 2 feet lower than it was Friday. “It was a lot different today. I know the zip code they’re in. It’s just a matter of if I can adjust. I’m around the fish to win, but so are several guys. It comes down to if I can figure them out and put them in the boat.”

3rd: Myers Not Out Of It

> Day 3: 5, 8-15 (15, 46-14)

Myers knows today didn’t go his way and that had a lot to do with the conditions. The wind pushed the tide out so hard that he never had the chance to effectively fish his primary area. He’s pleased he did enough to stay in the hunt and with different conditions on tap for Sunday, anything’s possible.

“I’ll be really happy with 16 pounds tomorrow, but if you catch 20, I think you could lock it up,” he said. “Today, I was in the area where it’s the widest part of the river where most of the fish live and the wind was just ripping. The tide was extremely low when we got there and obviously I didn’t make the best decisions.”

Still, he was grateful the limit he caught, despite it being his smallest stringer of the event by far.

“That could be the best 8-15 of my life,” he joked. “I know I didn’t damage the fish because I didn’t catch that many. Things are changing, though, and fish are moving up. The wind is supposed to lie down and I have some baits I haven’t been able to throw yet because we have yet to have slick conditions.

“All I have to do is put together one big day of fishing. Today, I left an hour on the table. We had those hard winds, but it didn’t affect the drive back. I know if I have 10 pounds tomorrow, I will fish until the last second.”

4th: Hunter Anxious to Get Back Out

> Day 3: 5, 22-03 (13, 40-14)

Hunter says he’s a bit concerned about how the plummeting temperatures overnight are going to affect the fish where he’s fishing in the Cooper River. The water’s very shallow and he expects the tide to be lower due to the sustained winds today. Still, he has confidence that the big fish will remain in the area and he’s anxious to get another chance at them.

“It’s awesome,” he said when asked about qualifying for the final day in just his second Elite Series event. “You always dream of making the final day and having a camera in the boat. I’m excited to go catch them.”

He’s been fortunate to have an area mostly to himself and there seem to be only quality fish around.

“The big ones live there,” he added. “I’m not getting any small bites. The smallest ones are 3-pounders. It sucks that I didn’t run there the first day. Obviously I should have, but I didn’t know how good this area would be.”

He caught a 5- and 7-pounder there Friday and it got better today.

“I felt like I had more coming to me today and yesterday,” he added. “I don’t know what the cold night will do to them. The tide will be even lower when we get there, too. Hopefully, it holds up. There are definitely big ones in there. I know there’s more to be caught, too. I need to have a monstrous day.”

B.A.S.S./Gary Tramontina
Photo: B.A.S.S./Gary Tramontina

Britt Myers likes his chances to win if he can catch 20 pounds Sunday.

5th: Chapman Pumped

> Day 3: 5, 16-09 (14, 38-07)

Chapman is elated to have made it to the final day considering the struggles he had in practice. The 2012 Angler of the Year has put together two solid tournaments to start the year and he’ll find himself atop the points standings as he heads to Bull Shoals and Norfork lakes in two weeks.

“Who’d have thought it after practice,” he said. “I’d have been tickled with a 49th-place finish. It’s amazing what a couple bites can do to figuring something out.”

He’s committed to the Cooper and is starting to understand the nuances of the area he’s in.

“I feel like I’m getting dialed in,” he said. “I found an area and had enough bites there in practice to let me know there were a lot of fish in that area. The more I fish it the more I get dialed in to how they’re setting up.”

He said a high tide is ideal for him to have success, but he knows he’ll likely have a low and incoming scenario tomorrow. He’s hoping the wind will subside and he can do more exploring.

“We’ve all seen what can happen in these deals,” he said. “The big ones live where we’re at. It could change. We’re supposed to have bluebird skies and a cold morning and no wind. I know I’m around a lot of fish. Things are liable to change.”

25th: No Regrets for Coulter

> Day 3: 4, 11-06 (12, 30-02)

Brandon Coulter came to Winyah Bay with the mindset to go for the win, not settle for another middling finish.

“I’d been fishing safe,” he said. “I haven’t been in contention, even going back to last year. When I’d get a check, I was in the 20s or 30s, which were all good finishes, but I didn’t contend.”

He tried to put himself in position to catch the biggest stringer he could each day and he had his opportunities, but fell one fish short of a limit each day and wound up 25th.

“This 25th feels better than the 20th I had at the Sabine River last year,” he said. “I was never in contention there. Here, a little better execution along the way and I’m right there.”

He’d gotten a few bites in practice closer to Georgetown, but he conceded that those fish wouldn’t fit his game plan.

“I knew the potential was there in the Cooper,” he said. “I never had a chance at a big bag, but I was punching gator grass and you’re never going to be 100 percent doing that with a 1 1/2-ounce weight. If I’d have caught a limit each day, I don’t know if I’d be contending, but I was looking 15 to 17 pounds in the face every day. I don’t think I’d do anything different if I had the chance.”

Notable

> Day 3 stats – 51 anglers, 41 limits, 4 fours, 3 threes, 2 twos, 1 one.

Weather Forecast

> Sun., April 10 – Clear - 61°/42°
- Wind: From the W at 10 to 15 mph

Day 3 Standings

1. Brett Hite -- Phoenix, AZ -- 15, 50-02 -- 110
Day 1: 5, 12-07 -- Day 2: 5, 19-11 -- Day 3: 5, 18-00

2. Kelly Jordon -- Flint, TX -- 11, 49-00 -- 109
Day 1: 1, 08-05 -- Day 2: 5, 24-07 -- Day 3: 5, 16-04

3. Britt Myers -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 15, 46-14 -- 108 -- $500
Day 1: 5, 16-08 -- Day 2: 5, 21-07 -- Day 3: 5, 08-15

4. John Hunter Jr -- Shelbyville, KY -- 13, 40-14 -- 107
Day 1: 5, 06-10 -- Day 2: 3, 12-01 -- Day 3: 5, 22-03

5. Brent Chapman -- Lake Quivira, KS -- 14, 38-07 -- 106
Day 1: 4, 07-01 -- Day 2: 5, 14-13 -- Day 3: 5, 16-09

6. Jacob Powroznik -- Port Haywood, VA -- 15, 37-09 -- 105
Day 1: 5, 09-13 -- Day 2: 5, 12-03 -- Day 3: 5, 15-09

7. Keith Combs -- Huntington, TX -- 15, 36-06 -- 104
Day 1: 5, 13-13 -- Day 2: 5, 12-04 -- Day 3: 5, 10-05

8. Randy Howell -- Guntersville, AL -- 15, 36-01 -- 103
Day 1: 5, 10-11 -- Day 2: 5, 09-01 -- Day 3: 5, 16-05

9. Mark Menendez -- Paducah, KY -- 15, 35-12 -- 102
Day 1: 5, 10-13 -- Day 2: 5, 11-10 -- Day 3: 5, 13-05

10. Boyd Duckett -- Guntersville, AL -- 15, 35-05 -- 101
Day 1: 5, 07-03 -- Day 2: 5, 14-05 -- Day 3: 5, 13-13

11. Chris Zaldain -- Laughlin, NV -- 15, 35-00 -- 100
Day 1: 5, 08-15 -- Day 2: 5, 12-06 -- Day 3: 5, 13-11

12. Gerald Swindle -- Warrior, AL -- 15, 34-13 -- 99
Day 1: 5, 10-05 -- Day 2: 5, 11-09 -- Day 3: 5, 12-15

The following anglers did not make the cut and will not fish on day 4.

13. James Elam -- Tulsa, OK -- 12, 34-06 -- 98 -- $10,000
Day 1: 2, 02-09 -- Day 2: 5, 16-02 -- Day 3: 5, 15-11

14. Stephen Browning -- Hot Springs, AR -- 15, 34-00 -- 97 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 09-04 -- Day 2: 5, 09-14 -- Day 3: 5, 14-14

15. Dave Lefebre -- Erie, PA -- 15, 33-15 -- 96 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 12-05 -- Day 2: 5, 08-03 -- Day 3: 5, 13-07

16. Randall Tharp -- Port St. Joe, FL -- 15, 33-09 -- 95 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 13-11 -- Day 2: 5, 11-13 -- Day 3: 5, 08-01

17. Takahiro Omori -- Emory, TX -- 15, 33-07 -- 94 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 09-07 -- Day 2: 5, 11-03 -- Day 3: 5, 12-13

18. Bradley Roy -- Lancaster, KY -- 15, 32-15 -- 93 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 11-11 -- Day 2: 5, 10-10 -- Day 3: 5, 10-10

19. David Mullins -- Mt Carmel, TN -- 15, 32-14 -- 92 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 08-10 -- Day 2: 5, 11-05 -- Day 3: 5, 12-15

20. Adrian Avena -- Vineland, NJ -- 15, 32-08 -- 91 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 07-09 -- Day 2: 5, 10-10 -- Day 3: 5, 14-05

21. Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 15, 32-00 -- 90 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 08-07 -- Day 2: 5, 13-01 -- Day 3: 5, 10-08

22. Matt Herren -- Ashville, AL -- 15, 31-05 -- 89 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 14-06 -- Day 2: 5, 06-02 -- Day 3: 5, 10-13

23. John Crews Jr -- Salem, VA -- 14, 31-03 -- 88 -- $10,000
Day 1: 4, 06-10 -- Day 2: 5, 12-14 -- Day 3: 5, 11-11

24. Cliff Pace -- Petal, MS -- 15, 30-13 -- 87 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 09-01 -- Day 2: 5, 11-03 -- Day 3: 5, 10-09

25. Brandon Coulter -- Knoxville, TN -- 12, 30-02 -- 86 -- $10,000
Day 1: 4, 10-11 -- Day 2: 4, 08-01 -- Day 3: 4, 11-06

26. Ish Monroe -- Hughson, CA -- 15, 29-13 -- 85 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 08-00 -- Day 2: 5, 10-14 -- Day 3: 5, 10-15

27. Justin Lucas -- Guntersville, AL -- 13, 29-02 -- 84 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 13-00 -- Day 2: 5, 08-10 -- Day 3: 3, 07-08

28. Tim Horton -- Muscle Shoals, AL -- 12, 28-15 -- 83 -- $10,000
Day 1: 3, 07-14 -- Day 2: 5, 10-02 -- Day 3: 4, 10-15

29. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA -- 15, 28-12 -- 82 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 08-10 -- Day 2: 5, 09-05 -- Day 3: 5, 10-13

30. Hank Cherry Jr -- Maiden, NC -- 15, 28-12 -- 81 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 09-00 -- Day 2: 5, 10-10 -- Day 3: 5, 09-02

31. Aaron Martens -- Leeds, AL -- 14, 28-06 -- 80 -- $10,000
Day 1: 4, 08-11 -- Day 2: 5, 08-06 -- Day 3: 5, 11-05

32. Brent Ehrler -- Newport Beach, CA -- 15, 28-05 -- 79 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 11-06 -- Day 2: 5, 08-04 -- Day 3: 5, 08-11

33. David Williams -- Newton, NC -- 15, 28-02 -- 78 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 08-02 -- Day 2: 5, 10-12 -- Day 3: 5, 09-04

34. Bill Lowen -- Brookville, IN -- 15, 27-14 -- 77 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 07-01 -- Day 2: 5, 10-02 -- Day 3: 5, 10-11

35. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL -- 15, 27-13 -- 76 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 08-05 -- Day 2: 5, 09-10 -- Day 3: 5, 09-14

36. Carl Jocumsen -- Queensland, Australia -- 11, 27-10 -- 75 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 19-11 -- Day 2: 1, 01-08 -- Day 3: 5, 06-07

37. Cliff Crochet -- Pierre Part, LA -- 15, 27-05 -- 74 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 08-12 -- Day 2: 5, 10-01 -- Day 3: 5, 08-08

38. Cliff Prince -- Palatka, FL -- 14, 27-04 -- 73 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 10-10 -- Day 2: 5, 10-00 -- Day 3: 4, 06-10

39. Edwin Evers -- Talala, OK -- 15, 27-00 -- 72 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 10-02 -- Day 2: 5, 09-04 -- Day 3: 5, 07-10

40. J Todd Tucker -- Moultrie, GA -- 14, 26-14 -- 71 -- $10,000
Day 1: 4, 08-11 -- Day 2: 5, 09-10 -- Day 3: 5, 08-09

41. Brock Mosley -- Collinsville, MS -- 13, 26-03 -- 70 -- $10,000
Day 1: 3, 08-04 -- Day 2: 5, 09-12 -- Day 3: 5, 08-03

42. Mike McClelland -- Bella Vista, AR -- 15, 26-01 -- 69 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 08-10 -- Day 2: 5, 10-00 -- Day 3: 5, 07-07

43. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, AZ -- 15, 25-14 -- 68 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 07-11 -- Day 2: 5, 09-05 -- Day 3: 5, 08-14

44. Drew Benton -- Panama City, FL -- 12, 25-05 -- 67 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 09-13 -- Day 2: 4, 11-01 -- Day 3: 3, 04-07

45. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL -- 15, 24-14 -- 66 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 09-04 -- Day 2: 5, 08-11 -- Day 3: 5, 06-15

46. Micah Frazier -- Newnan, GA -- 14, 24-10 -- 65 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 09-05 -- Day 2: 5, 09-03 -- Day 3: 4, 06-02

47. Casey Scanlon -- Rocky Mount, MO -- 15, 24-08 -- 64 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 08-08 -- Day 2: 5, 08-10 -- Day 3: 5, 07-06

48. Marty Robinson -- Lyman, SC -- 11, 23-12 -- 63 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 10-09 -- Day 2: 5, 11-05 -- Day 3: 1, 01-14

49. Matt Reed Jr -- Madisonville, TX -- 8, 22-13 -- 62 -- $10,000
Day 1: 1, 03-09 -- Day 2: 5, 14-12 -- Day 3: 2, 04-08

50. Randy Allen -- Shreveport, LA -- 13, 22-10 -- 61 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 10-02 -- Day 2: 5, 08-05 -- Day 3: 3, 04-03

51. Terry Scroggins -- San Mateo, FL -- 12, 22-09 -- 60 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 10-03 -- Day 2: 5, 08-13 -- Day 3: 2, 03-09