TV viewers take note: For the first time ever, ESPN2 will provide same-day coverage of a BASS event outside of the CITGO Bassmaster Classic. Coverage of the Bassmaster Memorial weigh-in will air Sunday, May 21, at 7 p.m. ET.
FORT WORTH, Texas — For the second consecutive day, Peter Thliveros brought in the big bass, and his 7-pound, 5-ounce largemouth gives him a hefty advantage heading into Sunday's six-man final of the Bassmaster Memorial on Lake Benbrook.
Not so fast say two area tournament anglers. With Mark Menendez, the only angler to catch a limit Saturday, close behind and Mike Iaconelli and Skeet Reese less than five pounds back, Sunday's final still could provide a come-from-behind victory.
Bassmaster.com asked local tournament anglers Mark Perry and Chad Tregellas what to expect from the Super Six that will earn the winner $250,000 and be televised Sunday on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. ET.
"Peter made a comeback. I'm glad to see that, too," said Tregellas, whose fishing organization hosted a Cast for Kids cancer benefit this week that Thliveros, Kelly Jordan, Gerald Swindle and Greg Hackney attended.
"Peter showed up and ate lunch with us and signed autographs for the kids. Peter, with four fish, 15 pounds. That's pretty solid. I'm kind of surprised they're not coming in with limits, the lake being closed for so long and the water coming up."
Yet Tregellas isn't crowning Thliveros just yet.
"The record on Eagle Mountain is only 11 pounds," he said. "You've got bigger fish on Lake Benbrook. I've heard of several double-digit fish on Benbrook. The quality is definitely there. So, it's still a wide-open game with six going in there. It's just the guy lucky enough to get the big bite."
Even though the weights are carrying over to Sunday, Perry said he thinks Iaconelli can come back. He also said Reese has a good shot.
"I'm still going to stick with my original pick," he aid. "You take away Peter's big fish, and Iaconelli's right there. You can't go out there and expect to catch a 7-pounder.
"That's a hard pattern to try to duplicate this time of year. Maybe he'll do it, but it will be hard in the hole format."
"Iaconelli seemed pretty confident. He said his fifth fish came off. He seems focused. He just seems like he's trying to get to tomorrow."
"Iaconelli or Skeet Reese, just to listen to them talk and how the lake is fishing. Reese is a junk fisherman and he can survive in that format, and I think Iaconelli will end up with a decent limit."