Day 3 in the Bassmaster Elite Series out of Elizabeth City is on ...
As the field fought for a spot in the top 50 that advanced into today’s fishing in the Bassmaster Elite Series out of Elizabeth City, they battled ungodly heat and fish reluctant to venture away from shady cover.
In Friday’s session, they also saw wind-driven waters that had dropped slightly overnight.
But day’s late evening storm systems brought cooler temperatures and a twitch in the water level that should help the fleet that already is on the water this morning.
After Friday’s weigh-in, Benton, Ark., angler Stetson Blaylock had slid into first place with a 10-fish allowable limit that weighed a combined 42 pounds, 4 ounces.
He is followed in the top five by Wesley Gore of Alabama, (10) 42-0; Chris Zaldain of Texas, (10) 40-10; Cody Huff of Missouri, (10) 40-10; and Hunter Shryock of Tennessee, (10) 39-15.
But early Saturday morning, things already were being shaken up by anglers fishing in cooler temperatures and little to no wind-driven current.
After today’s fishing, the top 10 competitors move on to Sunday’s championship day, which will start at 6:30 a.m., with a weigh-in party set for 3 p.m.
Zaldain was the leader after Thursday’s opening round that featured 98 anglers.
The field is competing for a $100,000 winner’s paycheck, valuable Angler of the Year points and an automatic berth into the Bassmaster Classic.
The Elizabeth City stop is the seventh on the nine-event tour.
Last year’s dominant, history-making winner - Kyle Welcher of Alabama - found himself in 46th place today and only a monumental effort could get him into Sunday’s finale.
On a fun fact note: When Saturday morning’s live broadcast came on FS1, producers turned to angler Drew Cook. The Georgian was landing a bass from Chesapeake’s Northwest River, on the shoreline opposite of Bob’s Fishing Hole - a popular location where tournaments are held Wednesday’s and Saturday’s - that could be seen in the background.
Cook entered Saturday in seventh place with 10 fish that weighed a combined 39-6 and had already bumped himself into 10th.
Several anglers in the field spent the morning close to home - throwing baits into the Pasquotank, from the Causeway Bridge northwest past Lamb’s Creek and towards South Mills.
Weigh-in is at 3 this afternoon is at Elizabeth City’s Waterfront Park.
And as usual, there’s more to come.
