Brandon Card had to wait a day to catch his first keeper in the AOY Championship. It wasn't big, but it was "big." Card caught a 1-pound, 3-ounce smallmouth measuring at least 14 inches long at 7:43 a.m. It instantly added 51 points to his AOY total for the season, as you have to at least catch a keeper to earn the 50th-place points in this event. Card was the only angler who didn't catch one yesterday.
Card isn't completely at ease yet. He's on the Classic bubble – in 35th place in the AOY standings entering this event. He needs to pass a half-dozen anglers over the next two days to sew up a Classic.
Card will probably have to do it on little sleep. After his Day 1 zero, last night had to have been a long one for him.