Early 9-Pounder Key To Lester’s Big Day

By BassFan Staff

With some stormy weather moving into the Palatka, Fla., area late Thursday afternoon and expected to stick around through Saturday, capitalizing during day 1 of the Elite Series season opener at the St. Johns River may turn out to be a key factor in how this tournament is decided.

For Brandon Lester, the Fayetteville, Tenn., native who’s entering third season on the Elite Series, a decision to focus on a single fish right away this morning rather than join the 40-plus boat crowd on the west side of Lake George proved critical. He caught a 9-pounder on his fourth flip of the day (and season) and it spurred him to a 23-13 total that has him atop the leaderboard.

“This place is pretty phenomenal,” Lester said. “The last time I was here, I tried to stay away from crowds and fished in the river. I knew I had to embrace the whole fishing-in-a-crowd thing. That’s the deal here and I had to learn how to do it. I spent my whole practice in Lake George and I’m committed to that lake because they’re up and you can catch ‘em.”

Lester, who finished 4th at the 2015 season opener at the Sabine River, leads a pack of anglers at the top of the leaderboard that includes some of the best grass fishermen in the sport, not to mention the sport’s career earnings leader and the recently-crowned Bassmaster Classic champion.

Elite Series newcomer Drew Benton, who lives on Florida’s panhandle and won in his FLW Tour debut at Lake Okeechobee in 2013, caught 22-15 and occupies 2nd. Cliff Crochet, who hasn’t cashed a check since last year’s season opener, is 3rd after bagging 22-14.

Randall Tharp, the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup champion, is 4th with 22-10 while Jason Williamson and 2013 Classic winner Cliff Pace are tied for 5th with 21-10.

Eight other anglers also cracked the 20-pound mark as all but one of the 110 competitors registered a limit on a fishery that is teeming with fish in the midst of their spawning ritual.

Here's a look at the Top 12 after day 1 of competition, with deficit margin from Lester indicated by red numbers in parentheses:

1. Brandon Lester: 23-13
2. Drew Benton: 22-15 (00-14)
3. Cliff Crochet: 22-14 (00-15)
4. Randall Tharp: 22-10 (1-03)
5 (tie). Cliff Pace: 21-10 (2-03)
5 (tie). Jason Williamson: 21-10 (2-03)
7. Mark Menendez: 21-06 (2-07)
8. Greg Hackney: 21-05 (2-08)
9. Dean Rojas: 21-00 (2-13)
10. Jordan Lee: 20-15 (2-14)
11. Kevin VanDam: 20-09 (3-04)
12. Edwin Evers: 20-05 (3-08)

Chris Lane, the winner of the 2014 event at the St. Johns, caught 14-09 today and sits in 56th while reigning Angler of the Year Aaron Martens is 60th after sacking 14-06.

The weights were better than anticipated and could wind up eclipsing the impressive totals from the 2014 Elite Series event. After day 1 two years ago, 13-13 was good enough for 50th. Today, 68 anglers bagged that total or more and at least four 9-pounders were weighed in.

As expected, Lake George was the scene of a massive group of boats to start the event as the grass flats serve as prime spawning habitat. It took a beating today and likely will again tomorrow. After that, there’s no telling what will be left or if new spawners will have moved up. Others had success off on their own, but with the boat order due to reverse on Friday, it may be different groups in different spots for day 2.

While this morning didn't offer optimum conditions for sight-fishing, it may be the best those who are looking for them will get as Palatka is predicted to receive nearly 1 1/2 inches of rain through Saturday. That could throw a wrench into the plans of some anglers while it could certainly shift around where and how some others are fishing. The good news is the wind is not predicted to blow anywhere near as strong as it did during practice.

The Top 50 after Friday will qualify to fish on Saturday and the Top 12 following day 3 will move on to Sunday, when the winner will be determined by highest cumulative weight.

Lester Made Right Call

> Day 1: 5, 23-13

Lester said he went back and forth Wednesday night about where to start day 1. He had two options – either drive straight to where he’d found a big fish late Wednesday or head to a community hole and have his pick of starting spots. As boat 9, it was a tough call, but he thinks he made the right one.

“It was one of those days and I really struggled with making the right decision,” he said. “I wanted to start day 1 on a good note.”

He figured the big fish was in the 7-pound range and it was on a shallow bed with a male. He knew there was a chance she wouldn’t be there in the morning, but he took the risk.

“I thought about it and a 7-plus here is a big fish, a game changer,” he said. “I didn’t see any like that on the community hole.”

He chose to head to the big-fish spot and not only did he catch it – it weighed 9-03 – and the male companion, it wasn’t long before he had an 18-pound limit in the boat.

“My plan was to catch her and the male and leave,” he said. “I started pitching around and caught more so I opted to stay. It went that way all day. Every decision I made was the right one. Having that early boat draw definitely helped me out.”

He’s not entirely focused on fish he can see and while he and Tharp were in the same area, he’s willing to move around to find other productive water.

“I’m definitely going back through there, but there were a couple other guys fishing through there. If anybody finds anything to themselves that they can win on like Chris did last time, good for them, but I don’t think you’re going to find anything to yourself. This lake is full of fish. I’ve seen so many it’s ridiculous and we didn’t even have optimum conditions for sight-fishing.”

He says the X-factor Friday will be the weather and what the rain does to water clarity.

“If that water gets muddy it’ll get tough in a hurry,” he said. “That’s my only worry. As many areas as I’ve found that have fish, if it gets muddy, it’ll happen to everybody else so I’ll have to peck around.”

2nd: Benton Went Looking

> Day 1: 5, 22-15

Of the 13 anglers making their Elite Series debuts this week, Benton had the best start, but there’s a measure of concern about tomorrow’s potential due to the rain.

“This weather is going to make it difficult for what I want to do,” he said.

He said it was a struggle in practice to generate bites other than targeting or marking fish on beds and the three biggest fish he had marked coming into today were gone when he checked on them this morning.

“Luckily, we had some sun and not too much wind and I was able to find some more in that area,” he said. “I think fish are moving up constantly here. It’s just a matter of being able to see them.”

A change in strategy is unlikely for Friday.

“I’m sure if you slowed way down and methodically fished and slowly reeled your bait around, you might get some bites, but I just can’t do that.”

He did most of his damage early on and used a 4-pounder around noon to upgrade by a pound, a routine he didn’t want to fall into.

“I figured I needed to stop culling up a pound at a time because to be honest there was not much left at the end of the day,” he said. “On my way back in, I stopped on one place and found three on bed, including two females. Hopefully, they’ll still be there in the morning.

With the beating Lake George took today and with the weather deteriorating, he predicts the weights will start to taper off.

“If it were closer to a (full) moon and we had steady weather it’d be a different story, but I don’t see it getting better or even staying the same,” he said.

3rd: Confidence Boost for Crochet

> Day 1: 5, 22-14

Like a lot of his competitors, Crochet wasn’t entirely sure of the potential in the areas he found in practice. He found out today it was better than he expected.

“I really didn’t know what I had going on because of the stage of the spawn,” he said. “I’m just fishing and when I found a couple fish I let it be. I didn’t see what was there. When I saw enough to let me know a couple was there, I let it be. As it got going today, it was just quality bite after quality bite.”

He said his biggest fish was 6-04 and the rest were solid 4-pounders. He did incur a 4-ounce dead-fish penalty that knocked him back into 3rd.

“The good thing about Florida is once you find a couple fish, the possibilities are endless because the big ones mix in with the little ones," he said. "That’s the exciting part of this. Anything is possible.”

Crochet could use a little excitement coming off a dismal season that saw him finish 101st in points. He’s hopeful the wind doesn’t kick up Friday because he believes the potential is still there for this event to produce some impressive results.

“The biggest deal for me is just the confidence boost, especially after last year,” he said. “Missed fish was the deal last year and it snowballed on me in a negative way. To make a good decision and catch a solid fish (today) and have it snowball in the right way was a big help.

“The last time we were here, I caught a 10-pounder. Today, we saw several 9s weighed in. You know they’re here. You can almost feel them. It’s not just a one-time thing. That keeps you excited and on your toes. It makes it fun and it makes it easy to keep your intensity up, knowing there could be a 10-pound within a cast of you.”

4th: Tharp Overcame Early Funk

> Day 1: 5, 22-10

Tharp relishes any opportunity he gets to target fish in and around heavy vegetation and the St. Johns is right in his wheelhouse, but today did not begin how he’d hoped.

“I started off terrible. I just didn’t feel good,” he said. “It wasn’t too far into the day that Lester was the only other boat near me and I watched him catch his limit fish. I’m sitting there with two 12-inchers and I’m thinking to myself, ‘This is my deal. Why am I not catching them?’ After that, I just put my head down and got it done. It’s fun out here. I’m fishing ultra-shallow and I’ve had some luck doing that before.”

He had what he weighed in the boat by noon and spent the balance of the day trying to identify other high-percentage areas for Friday.

“I caught a pile of fish in the river, but they were all 2 1/2 pounders,” he said. “Even on high tide, the water is still a foot lower than last time and that’s made a difference in how these fish are set up.”

He caught roughly seven fish looking at them and two others he made long casts to.

He’s not too concerned about the impact of the prolonged rain – he actually caught two good fish today as thunder started to rumble in the distance.

“Those deals make them bite here,” he said. “I definitely think they like the sun here, but there’s so many fish up. You just have to slow down and look. I have to think more big girls are coming. They’ve been spawning here for a month or longer now. We’re not even on a moon and big fish are still coming up. I plan to stick in that area and hopefully manage it. I’m sure there will be more boats in there, but that’s the nature of the beast.”

5th (tie): Productive Day for Pace

> Day 1: 5, 21-10

Pace felt like he maximized his chances today and his goal is to do the same tomorrow, weather permitting. He spent today in Lake George, but was away from the large throng of boats.

“I don’t know what the weather will do and how bad it’ll be so I was happy to catch what I caught,” he said. “I have to go out tomorrow and catch all I can. These fish are real finicky. I’ve seen it before so I hope to get something done.”

Of his eight keeper bites, all of which came before the rain, two came sight-fishing.

“I had a good boat draw and I started where I wanted to,” he said. “It was just a fortunate day. It wasn’t easy, but things happened in my favor. Everything went as good as it could as far as getting fish to cooperate and getting them in the boat.”

17th: Clausen Unsure What to Expect

> Day 1: 5, 19-13

Luke Clausen made his official return to the top tier of B.A.S.S. today and it went better than expected. He didn’t have a strong practice and felt fortunate to come out of day 1 in the Top 20.

“I was fearful I’d be looking at 8 or 9 pounds so to catch what I did was a big relief,” he said. “I only caught one sight-fishing and knowing how good it was, I wish I would’ve done more of that. I just went fishing.”

He fished from near Palatka to the southern end of Lake George today and came up with nine keeper bites, only two of which came on the same bait. He’s not sure what to expect for Friday.

“It’s hard to say what will happen,” he said. “The margin for error is pretty high. I could string together five or six bites. I have one morning deal that’s pretty good. This place is full of fish. The hard part is the big ones are hard to catch unless you have bright spots to throw at.”

99th: Davis Lost the Lottery

> Day 1: 5, 10-00

Clent Davis is a bad judge of what a fish might weigh when he sees it in the water. That’s why he enlisted the help (and eyes) of Benton, his roommate, during practice after he discovered a huge fish on a spawning bed.

Benton estimated it be close to 12 pounds.

“I named her Rebecca,” Davis said.

When he went to check on Rebecca today, she was gone and that put Davis in a bad position as far as where else to go.

“I headed over toward the springs and there were two spots where all the 20-pound bags came from and every spot where I had a 5-pounder marked had a boat on them,” he said. “All I had left to catch were 2-pounders.”

He’s struggled in Florida in the past and today’s outcome added to his frustration.

“I hate it down here,” he said. “I don’t feel like I struggled today. I know I made a bad choice, but it wouldn’t have been a bad choice had she been there. That probably made my whole tournament. Now, I have to figure out how to catch 20 tomorrow. I’m so aggravated with the day. I didn’t get the right lottery number today.”

Notable

> Day 1 stats – 110 anglers, 109 limits, 1 two.

> Second-year Elite Series pro Paul Mueller checked in early and left Palatka so he could fly home to Connecticut to be with his wife, who’s expecting the couple’s first child. Mueller caught two fish for 4-06. Waylon Paul Mueller was born Thursday afternoon and weighed 8.5 pounds.

Weather Forecast

> Fri., March 18 – Afternoon Thunderstorms – 79°/58°
- Wind: From the WNW at 5 to 10 mph

> Sat., March 19 – Thunderstorms – 77°/59°
- Wind: From the SSE at 5 to 10 mph

> Sun., March 20 – Scattered Thunderstorms – 75°/47°
- Wind: From the WNW at 10 to 15 mph

Day 1 Standings

1. Brandon Lester -- Fayetteville, TN -- 5, 23-13 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 23-13 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

2. Drew Benton -- Panama City, FL -- 5, 22-15 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 22-15 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

3. Cliff Crochet -- Pierre Part, LA -- 5, 22-14 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 22-14 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

4. Randall Tharp -- Port St. Joe, FL -- 5, 22-10 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 22-10 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

5. Cliff Pace -- Petal, MS -- 5, 21-10 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 21-10 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

5. Jason Williamson -- Wagener, SC -- 5, 21-10 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 21-10 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

7. Mark Menendez -- Paducah, KY -- 5, 21-06 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 21-06 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

8. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA -- 5, 21-05 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 21-05 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

9. Dean Rojas -- Lake Havasu City, AZ -- 5, 21-00 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 21-00 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

10. Jordan Lee -- Grant, AL -- 5, 20-15 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 20-15 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

11. Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 5, 20-09 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 20-09 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

12. Edwin Evers -- Talala, OK -- 5, 20-05 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 20-05 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

13. Randy Howell -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 20-01 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 20-01 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

13. Billy McCaghren Jr -- Mayflower, AR -- 5, 20-01 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 20-01 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

15. Mike McClelland -- Bella Vista, AR -- 5, 19-15 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 19-15 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

16. Keith Combs -- Huntington, TX -- 5, 19-14 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 19-14 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

17. Luke Clausen -- Otis Orchards, WA -- 5, 19-13 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 19-13 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

18. John Crews Jr -- Salem, VA -- 5, 19-08 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 19-08 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

18. Brent Ehrler -- Newport Beach, CA -- 5, 19-08 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 19-08 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

20. Josh Bertrand -- Gilbert, AZ -- 5, 19-07 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 19-07 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

21. Alton Jones -- Lorena, TX -- 5, 19-02 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 19-02 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

22. Michael Iaconelli -- Pitts Grove, NJ -- 5, 19-00 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 19-00 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

23. Britt Myers -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 5, 18-14 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 18-14 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

24. Skeet Reese -- Auburn, CA -- 5, 18-11 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 18-11 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

25. Marty Robinson -- Lyman, SC -- 5, 18-09 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 18-09 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

26. Randy Allen -- Shreveport, LA -- 5, 18-08 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 18-08 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

27. Bradley Roy -- Lancaster, KY -- 5, 18-05 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 18-05 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

28. Chad Pipkens -- Lansing, MI -- 5, 18-04 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 18-04 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

29. Bill Lowen -- Brookville, IN -- 5, 18-03 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 18-03 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

30. Jay Brainard -- Enid, OK -- 5, 18-00 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 18-00 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

31. Ish Monroe -- Hughson, CA -- 5, 17-10 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 17-10 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

32. Ken Iyobe -- Tokoname -- Aichi JAPAN -- 5, 17-08 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 17-08 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

33. Seth Feider -- Bloomington, MN -- 5, 17-05 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 17-05 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

34. Ott DeFoe -- Knoxville, TN -- 5, 17-04 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 17-04 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

35. Greg Vinson -- Wetumpka, AL -- 5, 17-03 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 17-03 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

36. Jared Lintner -- Arroyo Grande, CA -- 5, 17-02 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 17-02 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

37. Terry Scroggins -- San Mateo, FL -- 5, 16-14 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 16-14 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

38. Rick Clunn -- Ava, MO -- 5, 16-11 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 16-11 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

38. Chad Grigsby -- Maple Grove, MN -- 5, 16-11 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 16-11 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

40. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, AZ -- 5, 16-09 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 16-09 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

41. Jason Christie -- Park Hill, OK -- 5, 16-06 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 16-06 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

42. Jonathon VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 5, 16-05 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 16-05 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

43. Fletcher Shryock -- New Philadelphia, OH -- 5, 16-04 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 16-04 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

44. Brett Hite -- Phoenix, AZ -- 5, 16-00 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 16-00 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

45. Koby Kreiger -- Bokeelia, FL -- 5, 15-13 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 15-13 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

46. Micah Frazier -- Newnan, GA -- 5, 15-11 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 15-11 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

47. James Niggemeyer -- Van, TX -- 5, 15-09 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 15-09 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

48. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL -- 5, 15-08 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 15-08 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

49. Takahiro Omori -- Emory, TX -- 5, 15-08 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 15-08 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

50. Gerald Swindle -- Warrior, AL -- 5, 15-07 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 15-07 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

51. Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, TX -- 5, 15-04 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 15-04 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

52. Davy Hite -- Ninety Six, SC -- 5, 15-02 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 15-02 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

53. Brandon Palaniuk -- Rathdrum, ID -- 5, 15-01 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 15-01 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

54. Dennis Tietje -- Roanoke, LA -- 5, 14-15 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 14-15 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

55. Andy Montgomery -- Blacksburg, SC -- 5, 14-13 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 14-13 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

56. Chris Lane -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 14-09 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 14-09 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

57. Casey Scanlon -- Rocky Mount, MO -- 5, 14-09 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 14-09 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

58. Hank Cherry Jr -- Maiden, NC -- 5, 14-07 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 14-07 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

58. Kelly Jordon -- Flint, TX -- 5, 14-07 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 14-07 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

60. Matt Lee -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 14-06 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 14-06 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

60. Aaron Martens -- Leeds, AL -- 5, 14-06 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 14-06 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

60. David Mullins -- Mt Carmel, TN -- 5, 14-06 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 14-06 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

63. Tim Horton -- Muscle Shoals, AL -- 5, 14-04 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 14-04 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

64. Gary Klein -- Weatherford, TX -- 5, 14-02 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 14-02 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

64. Jacob Powroznik -- Port Haywood, VA -- 5, 14-02 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 14-02 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

66. Stephen Browning -- Hot Springs, AR -- 5, 13-15 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 13-15 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

66. Boyd Duckett -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 13-15 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 13-15 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

68. Justin Lucas -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 13-13 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 13-13 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

69. Matt Vermilyea -- Perrysburg, OH -- 5, 13-12 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 13-12 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

70. Brent Chapman -- Lake Quivira, KS -- 5, 13-05 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 13-05 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

70. Chad Morgenthaler -- Reeds Spring, MO -- 5, 13-05 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 13-05 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

72. Chris Zaldain -- Laughlin, NV -- 5, 13-03 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 13-03 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

73. Casey Ashley -- Donalds, SC -- 5, 13-02 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 13-02 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

74. Morizo Shimizu -- Suita, Osaka JAPAN -- 5, 13-01 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 13-01 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

75. Dave Lefebre -- Erie, PA -- 5, 13-00 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 13-00 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

75. Brian Snowden -- Reeds Spring, MO -- 5, 13-00 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 13-00 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

77. Jeff Kriet -- Ardmore, OK -- 5, 12-12 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 12-12 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

77. Bernie Schultz -- Gainesville, FL -- 5, 12-12 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 12-12 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

79. David Walker -- Sevierville, TN -- 5, 12-12 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 12-12 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

80. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL -- 5, 12-09 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 12-09 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

80. Keith Poche -- Pike Road, AL -- 5, 12-09 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 12-09 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

82. Brandon Card -- Caryville, TN -- 5, 12-08 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 12-08 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

83. Adrian Avena -- Vineland, NJ -- 5, 12-05 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 12-05 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

84. Kelley Jaye -- Dadeville, AL -- 5, 11-15 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 11-15 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

85. Kotaro Kiriyama -- Moody, AL -- 5, 11-14 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 11-14 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

86. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL -- 5, 11-12 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 11-12 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

87. Mark Davis -- Mount Ida, AR -- 5, 11-11 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 11-11 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

88. John Murray -- Spring City, TN -- 5, 11-08 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 11-08 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

89. Russ Lane -- Prattville, AL -- 5, 11-04 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 11-04 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

89. Scott Rook -- Little Rock, AR -- 5, 11-04 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 11-04 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

91. John Hunter Jr -- Shelbyville, KY -- 5, 10-14 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 10-14 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

92. Brett Preuett -- Monroe, LA -- 5, 10-13 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 10-13 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

93. Yusuke Miyazaki -- Forney, TX -- 5, 10-13 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 10-13 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

94. Fred Roumbanis -- Bixby, OK -- 5, 10-12 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 10-12 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

95. Cliff Prince -- Palatka, FL -- 5, 10-12 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 10-12 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

96. Carl Jocumsen -- Queensland TX AUSTRALIA -- 5, 10-11 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 10-11 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

97. Brock Mosley -- Collinsville, MS -- 5, 10-10 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 10-10 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

98. Matt Herren -- Ashville, AL -- 5, 10-04 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 10-04 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

99. Clent Davis -- Montevallo, AL -- 5, 10-00 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 10-00 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

100. Paul Elias -- Laurel, MS -- 5, 09-12 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 09-12 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

101. David Williams -- Newton, NC -- 5, 09-07 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 09-07 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

102. James Elam -- Tulsa, OK -- 5, 09-01 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 09-01 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

103. Byron Velvick -- Boenre, TX -- 5, 08-15 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 08-15 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

104. Brandon Coulter -- Knoxville, TN -- 5, 08-13 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 08-13 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

105. Matt Reed Jr -- Madisonville, TX -- 5, 08-11 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 08-11 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

106. Tommy Biffle -- Wagoner, OK -- 5, 08-09 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 08-09 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

107. Fabian Rodriguez -- Ocean City, DE -- 5, 08-06 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 08-06 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

108. Shane Lineberger -- Lincolnton, NC -- 5, 08-00 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 08-00 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

109. J Todd Tucker -- Moultrie, GA -- 5, 07-06 -- 0
Day 1: 5, 07-06 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00

110. Paul Mueller -- Naugatuck, CT -- 2, 04-06 -- 0
Day 1: 2, 04-06 -- Day 2: 0 -- 00-00