By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor

It's looking more and more like John Cox will be fishing blind on his first day of competition at next week's FLW TITLE Championship at Michigan's Sturgeon Bay. He's in Group B for that Bass Pro Tour-style event, which means he won't be on the water until Tuesday, but the 2-day practice period wraps up on Sunday and there's a good chance he'll still be doing business more than 500 miles away.

That prospect – like most other things in life – doesn't faze him a bit.

"If I have to, I'll just go there and wing it," he said.

He caught a 20-10 stringer on day 2 of the Lake St. Clair Bassmaster Elite Series to keep himself atop the standings headed into the weekend. With a 45-06 total, he'll begin the second half of the derby with a 1-01 advantage.

A couple of celebrated veterans occupy the Nos. 2 and 3 positions. Clark Wendlandt caught a day-best 24-05 to climb from 18th to 2nd with a 44-05 total and Jay Yelas sacked 22-14 to jump from 10th to 3rd with a 43-15 aggregate.

Shane LeHew held steady in the 4th position with a 21-12 stringer for a 43-09 total. David Mullins slipped from 2nd to 5th as his 19-04 bag left him with 43-06.

The Johnston brothers head up the lower half of the Top 10 – Cory with 43-00 (21-05 on day 2) and Chris with 42-14 (21-03). They're joined by rookies Cody Hollen with 42-11 (22-15) and Takumi Ito with 42-06 (20-11) and 2nd-year pro Frank Talley with 42-04 (22-10).

At least a couple dozen competitors still have a shot at the win as the Top 25 are separated by less than 7 pounds. The 85-angler field has been reduced to the Top 40 and 30 of those will be eliminated following the day-3 weigh-in, with the winner crowned Sunday based on highest cumulative weight.

The sun and moderate breezes – ideal conditions for catching big smallmouth – will continue through the weekend. The WeatherChannel.com forecasts predicts high temperatures in the 80s and southerly winds in the 10-mph range.

After splitting day 1 between the lake and the St. Clair River, Cox fished the channel exclusively on day 2. He went through about 25 keepers, the majority enticed with a dropshot rig, and weighed five that were all within a few ounces of the 4-pound mark.



B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito
Photo: B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito

Clark Wendlandt's day-best bag was topped by this 5 3/4-pounder.

"I just feel so good in (the river) – I feel like I'm going to catch a big one on every throw or pitch," he said. "I don't really know how to explain it.

"I found one area in practice that had fish, but no current. Today the current changed and it was on it and I stopped there at the end of the day and caught a 4-something that culled a 3.5 and there was a whole bunch of other ones with it. I decided to catch one more and that gave me a few more ounces."

He's not fishing around many other competitors, but said that locals are pounding his spots once he departs.

"I actually had a yacht following me and I didn't think I had to worry about them fishing, but then I caught a 4-pounder and it backed right in next to me and two kids started chunking and winding off the deck."

Wendlandt said better execution was the reason his stringer was exactly 4 pounds heavier than the one he weighed on day 1.

"I didn't think I fished very well yesterday, but I got the bigger ones in today and you've got to have those," he said. "It might seem trivial, but especially here, there's a big difference between a 3-14 and a 4-10. You need those bigger ones to get any weight."

He handled about a dozen keepers, including a 5 3/4-pounder. He's dropshotting and also throwing some moving baits and thinks he has plenty of fish left.

"I really only fished my main area for about an hour and I never went back – I never got close. Still, I was able to cull a couple of times."

Yelas is taking an old-school approach, winding moving baits rapidly in shallow water. One of his throws with a bladed jig resulted in the capture of a muskie that measured well over 4 feet.

"I got my bait back, but those things have fangs that are like a half-inch long," he said. "I'm going to break it off next time; dealing with them isn't worth it."

He caught 15 to 20 keepers and his bag was topped by a 5-pounder. Other offerings he's using include a spinnerbait and a spybait, along with a dropshot as a follow-up lure for missed strikes.

"I've always fished this way here and I haven't done well in years because the big ones haven't been up on the grass flats. They're there this time and winding those baits real fast and watching them come up and grab them is just so much fun."

Notable

> Day 2 stats – 85 anglers, 78 limits (2 fewer than day 1), 4 fours, 1 three, 1 zero (1 more than day 1).

> Ed Loughran III, who made the cut in 38th, took over the big-bass lead for the tournament with a 6-05.

Weather Forecast

> Sat., Aug. 22 – Sunny - 87°/67°
- Wind: From the SW at 6 mph

> Sun., Aug. 23 – Mostly Sunny - 87°/69°
- Wind: From the SSW at 9 mph

Day 2 Standings

1. John Cox -- Debary, FL -- 10, 45-06 -- 100
Day 1: 5, 24-12 -- Day 2: 5, 20-10

2. Clark Wendlandt -- Leander, TX -- 10, 44-05 -- 99
Day 1: 5, 20-00 -- Day 2: 5, 24-05

3. Jay Yelas -- Lincoln City, OR -- 10, 43-15 -- 98
Day 1: 5, 21-01 -- Day 2: 5, 22-14

4. Shane LeHew -- Catawba, NC -- 10, 43-09 -- 97
Day 1: 5, 21-13 -- Day 2: 5, 21-12

5. David Mullins -- Mt Carmel, TN -- 10, 43-06 -- 96
Day 1: 5, 24-02 -- Day 2: 5, 19-04

6. Cory Johnston -- Cavan, ON -- 10, 43-00 -- 95
Day 1: 5, 21-11 -- Day 2: 5, 21-05

7. Chris Johnston -- Peterborough, ON -- 10, 42-14 -- 94
Day 1: 5, 21-11 -- Day 2: 5, 21-03

8. Cody Hollen -- Beaverton, OR -- 10, 42-11 -- 93
Day 1: 5, 19-12 -- Day 2: 5, 22-15

9. Taku Ito -- Chiba, JAPAN -- 10, 42-06 -- 92
Day 1: 5, 21-11 -- Day 2: 5, 20-11

10. Frank Talley -- Temple, TX -- 10, 42-04 -- 91
Day 1: 5, 19-10 -- Day 2: 5, 22-10

11. Austin Felix -- Eden Prairie, MN -- 10, 42-01 -- 90
Day 1: 5, 20-10 -- Day 2: 5, 21-07

12. Chad Morgenthaler -- Reeds Spring, MO -- 10, 41-04 -- 89
Day 1: 5, 21-10 -- Day 2: 5, 19-10

13. Bill Weidler -- Helena, AL -- 10, 41-00 -- 88
Day 1: 5, 20-08 -- Day 2: 5, 20-08

14. Paul Mueller -- Naugatuck, CT -- 10, 40-04 -- 87
Day 1: 5, 21-00 -- Day 2: 5, 19-04

15. Drew Benton -- Blakely, GA -- 10, 40-03 -- 86
Day 1: 5, 20-09 -- Day 2: 5, 19-10

16. Jake Whitaker -- Fairview, NC -- 10, 40-01 -- 85
Day 1: 5, 18-07 -- Day 2: 5, 21-10

17. Brock Mosley -- Collinsville, MS -- 10, 39-13 -- 84
Day 1: 5, 21-08 -- Day 2: 5, 18-05

18. Seth Feider -- New Market, MN -- 10, 39-07 -- 83
Day 1: 5, 20-11 -- Day 2: 5, 18-12

19. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL -- 10, 39-05 -- 82
Day 1: 5, 17-15 -- Day 2: 5, 21-06

20. Bob Downey -- Hudson, WI -- 10, 39-02 -- 81
Day 1: 5, 18-03 -- Day 2: 5, 20-15

21. Randy Sullivan -- Breckenridge, TX -- 10, 39-01 -- 80
Day 1: 5, 17-10 -- Day 2: 5, 21-07

22. Ray Hanselman Jr -- Del Rio, TX -- 10, 39-00 -- 79
Day 1: 5, 22-03 -- Day 2: 5, 16-13

23. Brandon Card -- Salisbury, NC -- 10, 38-11 -- 78
Day 1: 5, 17-09 -- Day 2: 5, 21-02

24. Hunter Shryock -- Newcomerstown, OH -- 10, 38-09 -- 77
Day 1: 5, 18-09 -- Day 2: 5, 20-00

25. Brett Preuett -- Monroe, LA -- 10, 38-08 -- 76
Day 1: 5, 18-00 -- Day 2: 5, 20-08

26. Destin DeMarion -- Grove City, PA -- 10, 38-07 -- 75
Day 1: 5, 17-11 -- Day 2: 5, 20-12

27. Clent Davis -- Montevallo, AL -- 10, 38-06 -- 74
Day 1: 5, 18-13 -- Day 2: 5, 19-09

28. Tyler Carriere -- Youngsville, LA -- 10, 38-03 -- 73
Day 1: 5, 17-05 -- Day 2: 5, 20-14

29. Drew Cook -- Midway, FL -- 10, 38-01 -- 72
Day 1: 5, 16-05 -- Day 2: 5, 21-12

30. Brian Snowden -- Reeds Spring, MO -- 10, 37-13 -- 71
Day 1: 5, 19-04 -- Day 2: 5, 18-09

31. Mike Huff -- Corbin, KY -- 10, 37-11 -- 70
Day 1: 5, 17-03 -- Day 2: 5, 20-08

32. Micah Frazier -- Newnan, GA -- 10, 37-05 -- 69
Day 1: 5, 20-11 -- Day 2: 5, 16-10

33. Bill Lowen -- Brookville, IN -- 10, 36-15 -- 68
Day 1: 5, 19-09 -- Day 2: 5, 17-06

34. Chris Groh -- Spring Grove, IL -- 10, 36-15 -- 67 -- $1,000
Day 1: 5, 18-04 -- Day 2: 5, 18-11

35. Matt Herren -- Ashville, AL -- 10, 36-14 -- 66
Day 1: 5, 17-07 -- Day 2: 5, 19-07

36. Bernie Schultz -- Gainesville, FL -- 10, 36-06 -- 65
Day 1: 5, 15-06 -- Day 2: 5, 21-00

37. Brandon Cobb -- Greenwood, SC -- 10, 36-02 -- 64
Day 1: 5, 20-14 -- Day 2: 5, 15-04

38. Ed Loughran III -- Richmond, VA -- 10, 36-00 -- 63 -- $1,000
Day 1: 5, 16-10 -- Day 2: 5, 19-06

39. Todd Auten -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 10, 36-00 -- 62
Day 1: 5, 16-14 -- Day 2: 5, 19-02

40. Derek Hudnall -- Denham Springs, LA -- 10, 35-14 -- 61
Day 1: 5, 19-05 -- Day 2: 5, 16-09

The following anglers did not make the cut and will not fish on day 3.

41. Gary Clouse -- Winchester, TN -- 10, 35-11 -- 60 -- $7,500
Day 1: 5, 19-05 -- Day 2: 5, 16-06

42. Jesse Tacoronte -- Kissimmee, FL -- 10, 35-10 -- 59 -- $7,500
Day 1: 5, 18-13 -- Day 2: 5, 16-13

43. Lee Livesay -- Longview, TX -- 10, 35-04 -- 58 -- $7,500
Day 1: 5, 15-12 -- Day 2: 5, 19-08

44. Patrick Walters -- Summerville, SC -- 10, 34-14 -- 57 -- $7,500
Day 1: 5, 19-05 -- Day 2: 5, 15-09

45. Bryan Schmitt -- Deale, MD -- 10, 34-13 -- 56 -- $7,500
Day 1: 5, 13-02 -- Day 2: 5, 21-11

46. Randy Pierson -- Oakdale, CA -- 10, 34-09 -- 55 -- $5,000
Day 1: 5, 14-10 -- Day 2: 5, 19-15

47. Brandon Lester -- Fayetteville, TN -- 10, 34-09 -- 54 -- $5,000
Day 1: 5, 18-03 -- Day 2: 5, 16-06

48. Greg DiPalma -- Millville, NJ -- 10, 34-08 -- 53 -- $5,000
Day 1: 5, 18-04 -- Day 2: 5, 16-04

49. Gerald Swindle -- Guntersville, AL -- 10, 34-06 -- 52 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 18-08 -- Day 2: 5, 15-14

50. Dale Hightower -- Mannford, OK -- 10, 34-03 -- 51 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 18-08 -- Day 2: 5, 15-11

51. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, AZ -- 10, 34-00 -- 50 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 14-05 -- Day 2: 5, 19-11

52. Chris Zaldain -- Fort Worth, TX -- 10, 34-00 -- 49 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 18-13 -- Day 2: 5, 15-03

53. Jason Williamson -- Wagener, SC -- 10, 33-14 -- 48 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 13-15 -- Day 2: 5, 19-15

54. Keith Combs -- Huntington, TX -- 10, 33-06 -- 47 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 16-05 -- Day 2: 5, 17-01

55. Stetson Blaylock -- Benton, AR -- 10, 33-04 -- 46 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 14-05 -- Day 2: 5, 18-15

56. Wes Logan -- Springville, AL -- 10, 33-02 -- 45 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 17-06 -- Day 2: 5, 15-12

57. Koby Kreiger -- Alva, FL -- 10, 32-14 -- 44 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 17-10 -- Day 2: 5, 15-04

58. Jamie Hartman -- Newport, NY -- 9, 32-08 -- 43 -- $2,500
Day 1: 4, 12-12 -- Day 2: 5, 19-12

59. Harvey Horne -- Bella Vista, AR -- 10, 31-14 -- 42 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 18-13 -- Day 2: 5, 13-01

60. Brad Whatley -- Bivins, TX -- 10, 31-13 -- 41 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 18-01 -- Day 2: 5, 13-12

61. Brandon Palaniuk -- Rathdrum, ID -- 10, 31-02 -- 40 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 16-04 -- Day 2: 5, 14-14

62. Luke Palmer -- Coalgate, OK -- 10, 30-15 -- 39 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 18-00 -- Day 2: 5, 12-15

63. Kyle Welcher -- Opelika, AL -- 10, 30-06 -- 38 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 13-07 -- Day 2: 5, 16-15

64. Tyler Rivet -- Raceland, LA -- 9, 30-02 -- 37 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 18-06 -- Day 2: 4, 11-12

65. John Crews Jr -- Salem, VA -- 10, 29-07 -- 36 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 14-13 -- Day 2: 5, 14-10

66. David Fritts -- Lexington, NC -- 10, 29-01 -- 35 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 14-03 -- Day 2: 5, 14-14

67. Matt Arey -- Shelby, NC -- 10, 29-00 -- 34 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 15-00 -- Day 2: 5, 14-00

68. Caleb Sumrall -- New Iberia, LA -- 9, 28-12 -- 33 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 17-08 -- Day 2: 4, 11-04

69. Garrett Paquette -- Canton, MI -- 8, 28-11 -- 32 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 19-15 -- Day 2: 3, 08-12

70. Caleb Kuphall -- Mukwonago, WI -- 8, 27-14 -- 31 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 17-02 -- Day 2: 3, 10-12

71. Rick Morris -- Lake Gaston, VA -- 7, 27-12 -- 30 -- $2,500
Day 1: 2, 07-10 -- Day 2: 5, 20-02

72. Scott Canterbury -- Odenville, AL -- 10, 27-12 -- 29 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 13-01 -- Day 2: 5, 14-11

73. Shane Lineberger -- Lincolnton, NC -- 9, 27-07 -- 28 -- $2,500
Day 1: 4, 13-12 -- Day 2: 5, 13-11

74. Quentin Cappo -- Prairieville, LA -- 9, 27-06 -- 27 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 16-07 -- Day 2: 4, 10-15

75. Kyle Monti -- Okeechobee, FL -- 10, 27-04 -- 26 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 13-09 -- Day 2: 5, 13-11

76. Jeff Gustafson -- Keewatin, ON -- 9, 26-05 -- 25 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 14-10 -- Day 2: 4, 11-11

77. Buddy Gross -- Chickamauga, GA -- 10, 25-08 -- 24 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 14-02 -- Day 2: 5, 11-06

78. Skylar Hamilton -- Dandridge, TN -- 10, 25-07 -- 23 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 13-11 -- Day 2: 5, 11-12

79. Cliff Prince -- Palatka, FL -- 7, 25-02 -- 22 -- $2,500
Day 1: 2, 03-04 -- Day 2: 5, 21-14

80. Chad Pipkens -- Dewitt, MI -- 9, 24-06 -- 21 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 13-00 -- Day 2: 4, 11-06

81. Robbie Latuso -- Gonzales, LA -- 10, 23-12 -- 20 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 09-08 -- Day 2: 5, 14-04

82. Rob Digh -- Denver, NC -- 10, 23-10 -- 19 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 12-05 -- Day 2: 5, 11-05

83. Rick Clunn -- Ava, MO -- 10, 20-03 -- 18 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 08-14 -- Day 2: 5, 11-05

84. Carl Jocumsen -- Queensland, AUS -- 6, 19-10 -- 17 -- $2,500
Day 1: 1, 02-15 -- Day 2: 5, 16-11

85. Hank Cherry Jr -- Lincolnton, NC -- 5, 16-12 -- 16 -- $2,500
Day 1: 5, 16-12 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00