UNION SPRINGS, N.Y. — It’s blowing in the wind, or it will be Sunday. That’s where the question will be answered as to who will win the Busch Beer Bassmaster Elite at Cayuga Lake.
With only 4 pounds, 9 ounces separating the Top 12, any of the finalists could win. But the confidence among the top four on the leaderboard will be difficult for the others to overcome. Leader Jordan Lee with 58-2, second-place Brett Hite, 15 ounces back, third-place Kevin VanDam, 1-12 behind Lee, and fourth-place Jacob Poroznik, 2-0 back of Lee, are overflowing with conviction that they’re on first-place fish. The champion will be decided by the wind.
“I’m on the winning fish,” said VanDam. “There’s no question. I’ve just got to be able to make them bite. I can see ’em and can’t catch ’em. With a little more wind, that might help.”
Brett Hite wouldn’t mind a bit of a breeze either. Based on his rise in the standings over the past three days, from 67th to 12th to second, Hite could be considered the favorite.
“A little breeze would help,” Hite said. “You can see the current start pushing the grass. Just like anywhere else, it positions the fish a little bit and groups them up.”
Powroznik, on the other hand, would like a fairly slick lake, so he can better see the bass that have continued to appear on spawning beds this week.
“I think good things are coming,” Powroznik said. “I found an absolute giant right before I had to come in (Saturday afternoon). I still think a lot of fish are coming. I saw a lot of pairs again today.”
Lee, who will turn 25 next week, has never been in the position of leading an Elite Series event going into the final day. He didn’t make a Top 12 cut during his rookie season last year. But this is his third one this season, and Lee has impressed everyone with his composure.
“I’m super excited,” Lee said. “I know where I’m going to fish – win, lose or draw. I’m not going to make any adjustments.”
Lee is fishing a grass flat in about 10 feet of water, moving around, pitching a drop shot in various gaps in the aquatic vegetation.
“Sun is the main thing I need, so I can see the grass,” he said. “If it got really cloudy, that probably wouldn’t be good. If it was a little bit windy, I think that might help. But not a lot of wind.”
There’s no doubt among the top four about what they’ll have to catch for a victory Sunday.
“I think 20 pounds will win the tournament,” Powroznik said. “It’s going to be real close.”
“I know I’m going to have to have a 20-pound bag,” said VanDam. “And that’s very possible. It’s not easy, but the quality is there in this lake.”
As far as the most likely to catch 20 pounds among the top four, that would be Hite. There were 12 bags of 20 pounds or better on Day 1. That number dropped to three on Day 2, when Lee and Hite topped 21 pounds each. Hite was the only angler to weigh over 20 pounds on Day 3, with 20-6.
Unlike Lee, who is hitting various open spots in the grass, Hite has found one large open area, anchored by a rock pile in the middle of it, where there’s a big school of bass, both big ones and small ones. He’s been camped on it, exploring the nuances, the previous three days.
“It’s the stereotypical perfect spot,” Hite said. “It’s the right spot to get it done (Sunday). What I’ve seen there is pretty remarkable. It does give me some confidence. I’m pretty much going to live or die on that spot.
“I think 23 or 24 pounds is about the top of what’s possible there.”