For the second straight tournament, one ounce has cost an Elite Series angler $10,000. Yusuki Miyazaki was the unlucky one yesterday when his two-day total of 27-6 fell one ounce short of the Top 52 cut. Jonathan VanDam was 52nd with, of course, 27-7.
That cut-weight is a testament to how good the bass fishing has become at Lake Havasu. Before the tournament, many of these anglers would have taken 12 pounds a day and felt confident of earning a check.
And, as further proof of Havasu's upswing, that cut weight was only a few ounces less than what it took to earn a check last week at the Sacramento River/California Delta. Kevin Short took the 52nd spot on Day 2 there with a total of 28-3. Cliff Crochet felt the one-ounce, $10,000 sting, finishing 53rd with 28-2.