Chapman hits lull, makes a move

Brent  Chapman didn't have another bite after landing that 6-pounder. The bright sunshine that replaced overcast skies shortly afterward brought surface activity to a halt.  So Chapman made a move.

 

It wasn't a long one — he simply idled across the boat trail from where he'd spent the morning. The move immediately paid off with a bass that allowed him to cull the small spotted bass in his livewell. It probably gave him another 1/2-pound to put his total around 17 pounds.

 

A local angler was fishing this place as Chapman and his armada of observers moved in.

 

"You didn't know you were going to get invaded, did you?" remarked Elite Series angler Bill Lowen, who is driving a camera boat today.

 

The man just kept on fishing, as he should have. Chapman  was probably 50 yards away when the guy hooked a good fish. After an extensive fight, the guy landed a 5-pounder as Chapman watched.

 

It couldn't have been a good feeling for Chapman. But this local angler wasn't violating any unwritten rules about tournament etiquette.

 

But at least Chapman knows he's around fish.