Randall Tharp caught a 4-pounder at 11:41 a.m. that moved him into second place with 17-0. Maybe that signals a turnaround for Tharp, who is a much better angler than his current standing in the Toyota Angler of the Year points race would indicate.
After three tournaments, Tharp is in 100th place. He is coming off a 98th-place finish at the Sacramento River/California Delta. Tharp finished 84th at Lake Guntersville, where he used to live. He started the season with a 61st place showing at the Sabine River.
After this tournament at Lake Havasu, the 2015 Elite season will be halfway over – 4 down and 4 to go. Tharp has won three Bassmaster Opens, qualified for three Bassmaster Classics and won the FLW's Forrest Wood Cup. If anyone can turn around a bad start to the season, it's Tharp.