At 9 a.m., Brett Hite has probably sealed the deal on winning this tournament. But there are plenty of incentives for the other 11 guys. Angler of the Year points and money is on the line with every place in the Top 12.
And Aaron Martens has to feel like a winner already. He made a miraculous comeback in the AOY race last year, after finishing in the mid-80s at the season opening event. No one else had ever overcome such a poor start in a race that demands consistency.
So far, the only consistency we've seen from Martens today is swinging and missing, which he's done three times. But fish catches seem to happen in a flurry here, so that could change any minute.