What will it take to win?

At the start of the day, Kevin VanDam and Brett Hite had different expectations about what it will take to win today in this every-keeper-counts format.
“I think it will take about 25 pounds,” said Hite. “Obviously, if you put my 13 pounds yesterday and Koby Kreiger’s 11 (caught in the same area), I could have 25 to 30 pounds, especially fishing six hours and not laying off of them.

“It’s not like I pull up and catch five real quick. I can catch two or three limits – 12 to 15 fish – and I think I’ll have a good weight.”

Hite hasn’t competed in Major League Fishing, which has a similar format as today. VanDam is a veteran of it, so he might have a better idea of what’s going to happen.

“It’s probably going to take 40 pounds,” VanDam said. “Two 1-pounders weigh the same as one 2-pounder in your final score. It’s all about catching as many as you can. 

“In Major League Fishing, we had an event last year where I was 24 pounds down and didn’t have a fish. I came back to win by over 20 pounds.”

So there’s not much point in scoreboard watching for the finalists today. It’s all about just keep catching ’em.