Christie Closing In On First Classic Title

By BassFan Staff

Jason Christie has a date with one of his favorite girls Sunday and a Bassmaster Classic title happens to be on the line.

“It’s just me and her and nothing else,” Christie said, referring to his opportunity to close out a Classic victory on Grand Lake, a venue he dominated during the earlier part of his fishing career. “I love my position. I have a chance. There’s one person in this tournament tomorrow. It’s me and the lake.”

On what was a tougher day for most of the field – only 12 limits were caught compared to 21 on Friday – the Park Hill, Okla., native tacked on 16-11 to push his total to 37-09 after 2 days, good enough for a 5-pound, 11-ounce lead over Todd Faircloth. Only nine of the remaining 25 anglers have managed to catch limits both days.

Christie is chasing his first career Classic title to go with three FLW Tour titles and two Elite Series wins. He knows it won’t be easy, especially considering Sunday’s forecast is calling for the strongest winds of the tournament, not to mention the massive group of spectator boats that are sure to follow him around the lake.

“The windiest day in practice was my toughest day of fishing and that’s what scares me,” he said. “I think I can figure it out.”

He’ll have to hold off the likes of Todd Faircloth, a five-time Elite Series winner who caught 16-15 to jump up from ninth with 31-14, and fellow Oklahoman Edwin Evers, another five-time Elite Series champ whose 17-08 bag (the best of the day) bumped him up 10 spots to 3rd with 31-04. Bill Lowen’s 13-15 bag was anchored by a 5 1/2-pound lunker that helped him move up a spot to 4th with 30-08.

Reigning Angler of the Year Aaron Martens caught 16-13 to advance 11 spots up to 5th with 30-05.

Here's how the Top 10 stacks up heading into the final day (red numbers indicate deficit margin from the leader):

1. Jason Christie: 37-09
2. Todd Faircloth: 31-14 (5-11)
3. Edwin Evers: 31-04 (6-05)
4. Bill Lowen: 30-08 (7-01)
5. Aaron Martens: 30-05 (7-04)
6. Alton Jones: 29-09 (8-00)
7. David Walker: 29-06 (8-03)
8. Randy Howell: 29-03 (8-06)
9. James Watson: 28-01 (9-08)
10. Micah Frazier: 26-12 (10-13)

The field was faced with slick, sunny conditions for the second straight day and many reported seeing clearing and warming water across the lake, but not so warm that it’s prompted a big swarm of fish to head to the bank. Boat traffic was significant on Saturday and figures to intensify on the final day of competition.

Brent Ehrler, competing in his first Classic, caught 7-07 today to move into 25th (the final cut position) with 18-04.

Kevin VanDam, a four-time Classic winner, zeroed today and finished 48th. It’s the first time the sport’s career earnings leader has failed to catch a fish during Classic competition.

Christie Gets His Wish

> Day 2: 5, 16-11 (10, 37-09)

All Christie wanted coming into this event was to have a shot at being in contention once the final day rolled around. He got his wish and now he’s roughly an 8-hour day on the water away from bass fishing immortality.

“All I wanted was a chance,” he said. “It’s on me now.”

He said the water that he fished today is clearing up and that the quality of fish he caught diminished.

“Everything was 2 1/2 instead of 4 pounds,” he added.

He’s yet to catch multiple fish off the same spot, a theme he expects to continue tomorrow.

“I fished a lot of places where I feel like should be getting a bite and I’m not,” he said. “It’s hard to fish through an area and get one bite. If I catch three, I might turn around and switch baits.”

Still, his confidence in what he’s doing remains strong.

“The good thing is I have one bait in my hand and I’m not picking up anything else,” he said.

While he said his massive gallery of spectators wasn’t an issue on Friday, he said it’s starting to impact some of his decisions.

“It’s making it hard to get around,” he said. “I have to pick the best side of a pocket because I won’t have the opportunity to fish the other side because they push in behind me. You want them following you because that means you’re doing well, but I thought it was a Skeeter tournament every time I went to move.”

He says the first couple hours of the morning will be critical. The power generation schedule has seen the current subside around 9 a.m. and he’s been getting some fish to bite prior to that.

“They’ve been turning the water off at 9 so there’s been no more current,” he said. “After that, they quit biting. It was that way last weekend and it’s been that way the last two days.”

With the wind expected to blow out of the south on Sunday, he thinks the weights could increase to levels most expected to see throughout.

“The only surprising thing is that Grand Lake is not showing out like I thought it would,” he said. “I honestly feel sorry because I know what swims in this lake. Some of these guys caught 25 pounds in practice. If I catch 15, the door’s open. They ought to bite with the wind blowing. We’ve had two sub-par fishing days. I see some good weights for tomorrow.”

2nd: Faircloth Uncertain

> Day 2: 5, 16-15 (10, 31-14)

Faircloth's stringer was the second-biggest of the day, but he was nonetheless unsure about his strategy for the final round.

"I've caught them in the morning and the afternoon, but nothing in the middle of the day," he said. "I don't know if it's dead water or if they're just not biting. I've fished a lot of pretty water during that time with no bites and it's hard for me to imagine there's not any fish there.

"I wish I had a little more dialed in. Usually when I go out on the last day of a tournament and I'm in contention to win, I've got a better idea of how to approach it in terms of what to do and where to go. I basically know which baits I'm going to throw, but I'm not real sure where I'm going to throw them."

He's utilizing both a crankbait and a jig and plying water that's a little deeper than dirt-shallow. He caught only five keepers today, the biggest of which was a 4-pounder. He busted one off when it wrapped his line around a piece of cover, but he had no idea as to its size.

He said he might not determine his final-day game plan until he's idling away from the launch.

"I'm not going to abandon what I've been doing to get me here. I'm going to fish some of the same stuff, but I'm not going to confine myself to it. Today I caught two off of stuff I haven't been fishing, so I may run around and do some of that."

3rd: Evers Feeling Better

> Day 2: 5, 17-08 (9, 31-04)

Evers' day-best stringer moved him up 11 places in the standings and gave him at least an outside shot at winning his first Classic. He'd weighed only four fish on day 1.

"It definitely feels better to catch fish like that after stumbling like I did yesterday," he said.

He didn't get his first bite until he changed areas late in the morning. He went through eight keepers and took a pair of 4 1/2-pounders to the scale. He also broke off two big ones.

He said the wind that's projected for the final day shouldn't hinder him.

"It really can't get any worse. I think it's going to have to help."

On his odds of overtaking travel partner Christie, he said: "It's definitely doable. I'm excited to try, but Jason's going to make it really hard."

4th: Lowen’s Instincts Were Right

> Day 2: 5, 13-15 (10, 30-08)

Lowen was pretty close to chalking today up as a disappointment, but a 3-pounder that he caught just before check-in finished his limit and boosted his spirits while keeping him in the hunt entering Sunday.

“I was pretty freaked out,” he said. “I was saying, ‘I can’t believe I’ve been doing so well and I’m not going to be bringing in five.’”

A decision to make a late move paid off in the form of the 3-pounder that paired nicely with the 5-08 kicker he caught earlier.

“I tried to take a risk this morning and it bit me in the rear,” he said. “You have to take some risk, but I usually listen to my gut. It told me to run up the river and start on a stretch. I should’ve had that 3-pounder I lost (earlier). I listened to my gut at 3 and ran back over there and caught that one.”

He’s been targeting rock with deep water close by. The ideal scenario is 6 feet of water against the bank with a slight taper.

“I want to find that in the back of a pocket, but it’s not everywhere,” he said.

5th: Better Bites For Martens

> Day 2: 5, 16-13 (10, 30-05)

Martens didn’t notice many differences between days 1 and 2. He caught the same number of fish doing the same thing. He was just fortunate to catch some better fish.

“I just put my head down and went at it,” he said. “It’s easy not to catch a limit and mess up here. You can do one little thing wrong and all of a sudden you only have three or four fish.”

He said he moved around a bit more today than Friday and thinks there’s potential for a much bigger stringer on Sunday.

“I could have had 18 or 19 pounds today if I’d done everything perfectly,” he said. “I need 22 or 23 to have a chance. I think 23 or 24 could happen with the weather we’ll have.

“I noticed the water cleared up and warmed up a bit from day 1. It was a dramatic change, almost like it settled.”

6th: Jones Running Short

> Day 2: 4, 11-12 (9, 29-09)

Jones said his primary area may be running low on fish.

"They're still biting in my area, but there's just not as many," he said. "I've been sharing it with James Watson and Bernie Schultz and we've picked over all the easy stuff. It'd take something like the wind pulling another school up to replenish it, and that could happen.

"Where I'm fishing has better-than-average quality. I'll try it for 2 or 3 hours tomorrow and if I've caught three, I'll probably stay the rest of the day. If not, I'll go to plan B or plan C."

He's fishing extremely shallow and has done the majority of his work with a 3/8-ounce Booyah Bankroll jig with a YUM Craw Pappy trailer. He's plying both docks and isolated wood.

He had a shot at another strong bag, but lost a fish that he estimated weighed at least 5 pounds.

"I can't cry too much because everybody loses fish, and I know that one and some others will be out there tomorrow."

7th: Walker Moved Around

> Day 2: 5, 15-04 (10, 29-06)

David Walker said the water he’s been fishing has warmed up 10 degrees and is three times as clear since practice finished, a scenario that, when combined with the weather, made for a tougher bite today.

“It was too freaking nice out today,” he joked.

He said the clearing water has made underwater targets that were previously not visible easy to make out.

“That forces you to move areas and change the way you’re fishing,” he noted.

He’s thrown a steady diet of a spinnerbait, crankbait and jig both days – “meat and potatoes,” he called them – and he hopes they continue to produce.

“I feel like I pulled a rabbit out of my hat,” he said. “I tried a lot of new places and places I visited last week but hadn’t been back to that didn’t work then, but I felt like the changing conditions worked now.”

He’s been fishing around other competitors and he’ll likely return, but he’s not bent on targeting specific stretches.

“I’m just going to keep moving,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been hanging on by my toenails. I never felt like I was on ‘em.”

8th: Howell’s Water Cleared Up

> Day 2: 5, 11-13 (10, 29-03)

Two of Randy Howell’s bigger fish came later on day 1 and he went back to that same area today only to find it had cleared up and the wind was blowing more clear water into the area.

“I was starting to be able to see bottom,” he said. “I didn’t get any bites in there.”

Later in the day, he resorted to a jerkbait and caught one close to 4 pounds – he caught three and weighed in one caught on a jerkbait on day 1.

He’s been surprised by how calm the weather’s been, especially for Oklahoma, where weather patterns change quite frequently.

“I feel good that the other guys are having to grind it out the same way,” he said. “I feel like we all have a good chance. I’m going to go for it and say prayers and hope it’s meant to happen.”

Later in the day, he spotted a few good fish roaming up shallow, prompting him to get a spinning rod out and rig up a Senko.

“They were just swimming around in a clear area,” he said. “I know I’m going to try to sneak up on them in the morning.”

9th: Same Program for Watson

> Day 2: 5, 14-07 (10, 28-01)

James Watson continued to crank in the 1- to 3-foot range and caught a bag that was very similar to his day-1 haul.

"It was exactly the same as yesterday and I'm going to do exactly the same thing tomorrow," he said. "If it works, great. If it doesn't, I'm going to wish I hadn't done the exact same thing."

He caught only five keepers and lost one. His biggest fish was a 4 1/2-pounder.

"I haven't culled a fish in this tournament yet. It'd sure be nice to catch a true gorilla and make a good cull.

"If I don't catch a gorilla, I'm going to be in the 13- to 15-pound range again. But at Grand, you can catch a 5-plus-pounder anywhere at any given time at any depth."

He said his bites have been coming in flurries.

"Today I lost my first keeper, and then 5 minutes later I caught one. Then I went until about noon with nothing and I catch one, then 10 casts later I caught my biggest fish of the day.

"At that time I only had three, so I was sweating bullets."

10th: Frazier Feeling It

> Day 2: 5, 13-10 (10, 26-12)

Micah Frazier pulled into a pocket he’s never fished today and came out with four of his five weigh-in fish. Chances are he’ll be heading back Sunday.

“There’s a pattern to it and I think there’s more coming,” he said. “I’m just fishing like I would at home. I came here thinking I’d be dragging a jig and throwning a jerkait, but I’m just fishing.”

He’s considers making it to the final day a major accomplishment, let alone having a shot at a Top-10 finish.

“That was the goal and I’m excited about that,” he said. “I have fished real clean and haven’t lost anything. I had a terrible practice and salvaged a decent tournament out of it.”

11th: Ashley's Action Slowed

> Day 2: 4, 11-02 (9, 26-07)

Reigning Classic champion Casey Ashley thought he could do some early damage with a jerkbait, but that plan was a bust.

"I gave it 45 minutes or an hour, but I didn't get any bites," he said.

The four fish he weighed were all caught within a 1-hour span. The two biggest (both in the 3 1/2-pound class) were enticed by a jig and the other two bit a crankbait.

He also caught three short bass, two drum and a buffalo.

"The areas I got bit in have good fish. I'll have to start there, but I won't linger very long. I might have to start over again."

He knows his chances of retaining his title for another year are slim.

"If it was anybody but Jason Christie, they'd be a whole lot better, but he doesn't stumble. Especially not on Grand."

12th: Hackney's Quality Down

> Day 2: 5, 9-13 (10, 25-15)

Greg Hackney got plenty of bites, but they weren't the size he needed to remain in serious contention.

"I had more bites today than on any of the previous 5 days (including practice), but they were all little," he said. "I didn't change baits and I ran the same pattern.

"I kind of thought the deal was that if I could grind through enough little ones, the big ones would come, but that didn't happen today. I caught 15 bass, but only five were keepers, and that's rare here anytime. I never caught a 3-pounder."

He's cranking in the shallows and occasionally pitching a jig. A location change will top his agenda for the final day.

"I've got a good bit of confidence in how I'm fishing on a certain type of structure, but I'm going to change areas of the lake. I've got to let it all hang out tomorrow."

13th: Same Numbers for Palaniuk

> Day 2: 4, 12-07 (8, 24-14)

For the second straight day, Brandon Palaniuk caught four fish that combined to weigh just shy of 12 1/2 pounds.

"My day started out better, but it was dead in the middle period," he said. "I lost a big one on the spinnerbait – it ate it and loaded the rod, but when I got it up to the surface it just came off."

He threw the blade about 50 percent of the time and also employed a crankbait and a jig.

"I feel like I'm doiong the right thing to get quality bites, but I'm just not getting enough of them. Tonight's going to be a warm night, so maybe more fish will move into my areas.

"If I could catch a 25-pound bag, that would make things interesting."

14th: Rojas Lost 3

> Day 2: 3, 11-14 (8, 24-05)

Dean Rojas gained eight places in the standings despite a bag that was two fish shy of a limit.

"I had six bites today, but three of them pulled off," he said. "I don't know what the problem was – I had brand new Gamakatsus on my crankbait.

"I had some bites in the morning, but I couldn't catch them. I didn't catch my first keeper until 9 o'clock. Some of them were just nipping at the bait and I think some wind and clouds would've made them bite better. The water was almost stagnant in a way."

He fished in the same vicinity as Christie and marveled at the long string of spectator boats that followed the leader every time he made a move.

"It was crazy. I've seen a lot of those, but that was the biggest I've ever seen in my life. They'd still be going by after like 2 1/2 minutes. It was just a constant roar of outboards.

"As a fan, it was a cool thing to see that much interest and that many folks wanting to learn."

15th: Combs Anxious For Wind

> Day 2: 3, 11-06 (8, 24-04)

Keith Combs was convinced on day 1 that the warmer afternoon water temperatures contributed to him catching a 12-14 stringer.

“Today, I was fishing slick water all day,” he said. “I caught three nice ones early and that was it. Maybe I was behind somebody and didn’t know it. There’s not a lot fish up there and If you get out of rotation, it’s not real good.”

He’s anxious to see what the wind may do on Sunday.

“I’m all about it,” he joked.

He’s been throwing a crankbait in 0 to 6 feet of water to trigger bites from pre-spawners. He was mostly pleased with his decision making today.

“I think it was good,” he said. “My execution has been good, but I’ve also been fortunate because the ones I caught are barely hooked. I’m not sure I’m throwing the right stuff, but I can’t get enough bites to figure something else out.”

16th: Vinson Needs to Adjust

> Day 2: 2, 5-12 (7, 23-13)

Greg Vinson was pretty bummed out that he couldn’t back up his day-1 stringer with another strong effort today.

“I think the potential is here, but something magical would have to happen,” he said. “The fish are here to make it happen. I just dug a pretty big hole for myself.

“I’m pretty disappointed,” he said. “I can always look back and say ‘I should’ve stayed with that,’ but based on day 1 and the way I’ve been fishing, I felt totally comfortable running some of the same places I did. Yesterday was the fifth day in a row it was consistent.”

He said three fish pulled off today and he joked that had better results with “old, junky hooks” in practice than he’s having with new hooks.

“They didn’t want to eat today,” he said. “The bites I got were pure reaction bites. Both fish were hooked just on the outside of their face.

“I stuck with my plan and stuck with the baits I had the most confidence in. It’s not a bait issue. It’s more about adjusting in the area to the fish turning on or off.”

17th: Crews Kept 'Em On

> Day 2: 5, 16-10 (8, 23-12)

John Crews' weight was more than double what he caught on day 1.

"I actually got more bites on the first day than the second, but I tried some new water and mixed in a few new baits and techniques, and that resulted in more keepers being put in the boat," he said. "The baits seemed to have a higher hookup ratio, even though I didn't get as many of them.

"Tomorrow I'll try to make a few more adjustments, hit some new water and see what happens."

18th: Reese Bags Four

> Day 2: 4, 10-09 (7, 23-05)

Skeet Reese is among the competitors still trying to figure out what the bass at Grand Lake are up to at the moment.

“We’re all scratching our heads right now,” he said. “These conditions set up to be really good and it’s not. The only thing I can think of is these fish are conditioned to being in a certain water color and with it being the way it’s been for months, this is more than they’re used to.”

He said he felt like he got on a pattern today and built a little bit of confidence, but he was already in a hole after weighing in just three fish on day 1.

“I never found the winning pattern or area,” he said. “I thought I’d figured something out, but I was wrong.”

19th: ‘Terrible’ Day for Herren

> Day 2: 4, 10-09 (7, 23-05)

The ongoing changes at Grand Lake are not sitting well with Matt Herren. After catching 16-04 on day 1, he managed just two keepers today for 5-12, dropping him to 19th.

“It was a terrible day,” he said. “I didn’t get many bites. I started where I thought I found some later on day 1, but that didn’t pan out. Obviously after day 1, things had changed and I knew I was going to have to adjust. I did all I could do. I wish I could redo a couple things, but there’s a bunch of folks here who are saying the same thing.”

Herren said he’s been targeting the back two-thirds of spawning pockets and focusing on the channel swings in those locales with a jig along with a flat-sided bait.

“What’s happening is the water has progressively cleared in the last 10 days,” he said. “The area I was fishing was clearing up. I thought it was good, but it’s a combination of it clearing and warming. I thought it would replenish and they’re not. That threw me for a curve

20th: B. Lane Struggled Early

> Day 2: 3, 9-12 (7, 20-14)

Bobby Lane said the morning bite was non-existent today and it took him until 1 p.m. to catch his first keeper.

“I ran up the lake to some muddy water and caught nothing,” he said. “I moved to the mid-lake section and caught nothing. Then I just went fishing and caught three in an hour and that was my day. It was brutally tough.”

He picked up on something this afternoon that may clue him in on an approach for Sunday.

“What was weird was this afternoon I caught them 100 percent pre-spawn,” he said. “It’s like where they should be on a jerkbait. The water’s 51 or 52 degrees. Maybe they’re watiting, knowing we’re still early for where they should be going.”

21st: C. Lane will Go Bigger

> Day 2: 4, 9-00 (9, 20-11)

After a rough start to the day, Chris Lane switched from a crankbait/spinnerbait program and began throwing a swimbait. That resulted in three of his four fish.

"I'll make some more changes tomorrow," he said. "I'll increase the size of the swimbait and hope I can increase the size of the fish."

He boated 13 keepers for the day.

"If I can put 12 to 14 pounds in the well tomorrow, that might move me up."

22nd: DeFoe Cranked 'Em Up

> Day 2, 4, 8-07 (9, 19-08)

Ott DeFoe caught fish on five different baits on day 1. He threw them all again on day 2, but only a crankbait was productive.

"The four I caught were on a bank where I didn't weigh anything yesterday," he said. "I had one big one on that I didn't catch.

"I'll probably still crank and flip and throw the spinnerbait tomorrow, but I'll probably do it somewhere else."

48th: First Zero for VanDam

> Day 2: 0, 0-00 (3, 7-14)

In his 25th Classic, four-time winner Kevin VanDam returned to the launch with an empty livewell for the first time.

"I definitely had some bites," he said. "I had one good one that I lost that got me in a brushtop.

"The bites I got yesterday were all in the afternoon after it'd warmed up, so I game-planned around that and I just put so much pressure on myself and I couldn't make it happen. It's tough when you dig yourself that big of a hole."

Notable

> Day 2 stats – 55 anglers, 12 limits (9 fewer than day 1), 11 fours, 6 threes, 12 twos, 9 ones, 5 zeroes (1 more than day 1).

Weather Forecast

> Sun., March 6 – Partly Cloudy - 76°/58°
- Wind: From the S at 22 mph

Day 2 Standings

1. Jason Christie -- Park Hill, OK -- 10, 37-09 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 20-14 -- Day 2: 5, 16-11

2. Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, TX -- 10, 31-14 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 14-15 -- Day 2: 5, 16-15

3. Edwin Evers -- Talala, OK -- 9, 31-04 -- 0
Day 1: 4, 13-12 -- Day 2: 5, 17-08

4. Bill Lowen -- Brookville, IN -- 10, 30-08 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 16-09 -- Day 2: 5, 13-15

5. Aaron Martens -- Leeds, AL -- 10, 30-05 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 13-08 -- Day 2: 5, 16-13

6. Alton Jones -- Lorena, TX -- 9, 29-09 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 17-13 -- Day 2: 4, 11-12

7. David Walker -- Sevierville, TN -- 10, 29-06 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 14-02 -- Day 2: 5, 15-04

8. Randy Howell -- Guntersville, AL -- 10, 29-03 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 17-06 -- Day 2: 5, 11-13

9. James Watson -- Nixa, MO -- 10, 28-01 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 13-10 -- Day 2: 5, 14-07

10. Micah Frazier -- Newnan, GA -- 10, 26-12 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 13-02 -- Day 2: 5, 13-10

11. Casey Ashley -- Donalds, SC -- 9, 26-07 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 15-05 -- Day 2: 4, 11-02

12. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA -- 10, 25-15 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 16-02 -- Day 2: 5, 09-13

13. Brandon Palaniuk -- Rathdrum, ID -- 8, 24-14 -- 0
Day 1: 4, 12-07 -- Day 2: 4, 12-07

14. Dean Rojas -- Lake Havasu City, AZ -- 8, 24-05 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 12-07 -- Day 2: 3, 11-14

15. Keith Combs -- Huntington, TX -- 8, 24-04 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 12-14 -- Day 2: 3, 11-06

16. Greg Vinson -- Wetumpka, AL -- 7, 23-13 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 18-01 -- Day 2: 2, 05-12

17. John Crews Jr -- Salem, VA -- 8, 23-12 -- 0
Day 1: 3, 07-02 -- Day 2: 5, 16-10

18. Skeet Reese -- Auburn, CA -- 7, 23-05 -- 0
Day 1: 3, 12-12 -- Day 2: 4, 10-09

19. Matt Herren -- Ashville, AL -- 7, 22-00 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 16-04 -- Day 2: 2, 05-12

20. Bobby Lane Jr. -- Lakeland, FL -- 7, 20-14 -- 0
Day 1: 4, 11-02 -- Day 2: 3, 09-12

21. Chris Lane -- Guntersville, AL -- 9, 20-01 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 11-01 -- Day 2: 4, 09-00

22. Ott DeFoe -- Knoxville, TN -- 9, 19-08 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 11-01 -- Day 2: 4, 08-07

23. Marty Robinson -- Lyman, SC -- 6, 19-06 -- 0
Day 1: 4, 14-12 -- Day 2: 2, 04-10

24. Boyd Duckett -- Guntersville, AL -- 7, 18-10 -- 0
Day 1: 3, 08-08 -- Day 2: 4, 10-02

25. Brent Ehrler -- Newport Beach, CA -- 6, 18-04 -- 0
Day 1: 3, 10-13 -- Day 2: 3, 07-07

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

26. Thomas Martens -- Lago Vista, TX -- 5, 18-03 -- 0
Day 1: 3, 11-12 -- Day 2: 2, 06-07

27. Brandon Card -- Caryville, TN -- 7, 17-15 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 12-12 -- Day 2: 2, 05-03

28. Brandon Lester -- Fayetteville, TN -- 7, 17-07 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 12-15 -- Day 2: 2, 04-08

29. Jordan Lee -- Grant, AL -- 6, 17-05 -- 0
Day 1: 2, 06-00 -- Day 2: 4, 11-05

30. James Elam -- Tulsa, OK -- 6, 17-04 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 13-11 -- Day 2: 1, 03-09

31. Charles Sim -- Ottawa, ON -- 6, 17-04 -- 0
Day 1: 2, 04-06 -- Day 2: 4, 12-14

32. Bernie Schultz -- Gainesville, FL -- 6, 17-03 -- 0
Day 1: 4, 11-10 -- Day 2: 2, 05-09

33. Billy McCaghren Jr -- Mayflower, AR -- 6, 17-00 -- 0
Day 1: 1, 01-07 -- Day 2: 5, 15-09

34. Chris Dillow -- Waynesboro, VA -- 5, 16-14 -- 0
Day 1: 3, 12-07 -- Day 2: 2, 04-07

35. Josh Bertrand -- Gilbert, AZ -- 6, 15-12 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 13-14 -- Day 2: 1, 01-14

36. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, AZ -- 5, 13-09 -- 0
Day 1: 3, 07-15 -- Day 2: 2, 05-10

37. Mark Davis -- Mount Ida, AR -- 5, 12-05 -- 0
Day 1: 3, 07-10 -- Day 2: 2, 04-11

38. Gene Bishop Jr -- Ridgeland, MS -- 4, 12-00 -- 0
Day 1: 3, 08-14 -- Day 2: 1, 03-02

39. Brett Hite -- Phoenix, AZ -- 3, 11-04 -- 0
Day 1: 2, 06-08 -- Day 2: 1, 04-12

40. Michael Iaconelli -- Pitts Grove, NJ -- 5, 11-03 -- 0
Day 1: 1, 02-13 -- Day 2: 4, 08-06

41. Chris Zaldain -- San Jose, CA -- 4, 11-02 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00 -- Day 2: 4, 11-02

42. John Proctor -- Conway, SC -- 4, 10-08 -- 0
Day 1: 3, 07-06 -- Day 2: 1, 03-02

43. Jacob Powroznik -- Port Haywood, VA -- 5, 10-05 -- 0
Day 1: 2, 03-00 -- Day 2: 3, 07-05

44. Brandon McMillan -- Clewiston, FL -- 5, 09-13 -- 0
Day 1: 4, 08-03 -- Day 2: 1, 01-10

45. Greg Vance -- Dubuque, IA -- 4, 09-02 -- 0
Day 1: 1, 03-01 -- Day 2: 3, 06-01

46. Fabian Rodriguez -- Ocean City, MD -- 3, 09-00 -- 0
Day 1: 1, 04-02 -- Day 2: 2, 04-14

47. Russ Lane -- Prattville, AL -- 3, 08-01 -- 0
Day 1: 3, 08-01 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00

48. Justin Lucas -- Guntersville, AL -- 3, 07-14 -- 0
Day 1: 3, 07-14 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00

48. Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 3, 07-14 -- 0
Day 1: 3, 07-14 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00

50. Chad Pipkens -- Lansing, MI -- 3, 07-08 -- 0
Day 1: 1, 02-00 -- Day 2: 2, 05-08

51. Albert Collins -- Nacogdoches, TX -- 2, 06-12 -- 0
Day 1: 2, 06-12 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00

52. Chad Morgenthaler -- Reeds Spring, MO -- 2, 06-06 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00 -- Day 2: 2, 06-06

53. Whitney Stephens -- Waverly, OH -- 2, 03-13 -- 0
Day 1: 1, 02-01 -- Day 2: 1, 01-12

54. Levi McNeill -- West Valley, UT -- 1, 02-09 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00 -- Day 2: 1, 02-09

55. Trevor Lo -- Maplewood, MN -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00