On the weigh-in stage yesterday, Aaron Martens said, "Except for Guntersville, I've made all the right decisions."
That might be an understatement, considering what Martens has done this season. To understand why he has a 93-point lead in the AOY race entering the day, you need only look at his results, no one else's, and you'll understand why no other angler could match his pace:
1. Sabine River – 3rd
2. Lake Gunterville – 66th
3. Sacramento River – 2nd
4. Lake Havasu – 1st
5. Kentucky Lake – 15th
6. St. Lawrence River – 13th
7. Chesapeake Bay – 1st
8. Lake St. Clair – ??
Martens has pocketed $271,500 in the process, and he's all but earned the $100,000 Toyota Angler of the Year prize — two years after winning the AOY title for the second time. He was fourth in 2014.
"It's been an amazing three years," Martens said yesterday.