Around Guntersville with Pipkens

Chad Pipkens missed the cut after Day 2 by only 11 ounces. So he spent his Day 3 in front of the B.A.S.S. cameras talking about what the top pros in this event were doing on Lake Guntersville.

Carl Jocumsen was the first angler we came up on. Jocumsen has been in or near the Top 5 since this tournament began.

He’s been fishing the same spot Randy Howell fished when he won the Classic here in 2014.

His spot is so close to the road that the cyclists whizzed right by him …

… and cars would stop along the edge to watch him right out their window.

Pipkens talked to spectators after narrating a couple of videos for Bassmaster.com.

Jocumsen made a rare move around 11 a.m. away from the spot that had been producing for him.

So we and the other spectators made a move, too.

He didn’t move far at first, just a mile or two down the lake. But after a short stint here, he moved along, too.

Recreational anglers and tournament spectators are all over this lake, often moving together in droves.

We found Dave Mercer on the water. He hopped in the boat with us.

The two did a live Periscope video (it’s a fun, new live-streaming app; download it and follow bass_nation!), and they debated with viewers which is better: a bald dome or a beautiful head of hair. Bald won among the viewers. (Really?)

Either way, there’s just too much beauty in this boat.

And this one, too, as Shaye Baker takes photos of the nearby pros.

Skeet Reese is the next pro we ran across. He came into this tournament a threat because of a second-place finish here in 2009 and a win in 2010.

Fishing in close proximity was James Elam.

And Gary Tramontina was nearby taking long-lens photos for Bassmaster Magazine.

Justin Lucas was here when we first arrived, took off, and came right back in just a period of minutes.

Lucas had about 14 pounds in the boat by late morning.

Elam is trying to find another bass like the 8-8 monster he caught on Day 1.

And just as quickly as he swooped in …

… Justin Lucas was outta here.

Meanwhile, Elam continues to pry the same area …

… and Reese drifts farther away.

Spectators watch from afar.

Down the way a bit, we find Gary Klein …

… who’s fishing in easy hollering distance of Chad Morgenthaler.

Morgenthaler had a limit by the time we found him, around noon.

But he only had one good one, he said.

He had around 15 pounds when we saw him. He’s culled up since we left him …

… and we expect to see him with about 18 pounds at weigh-in, based on the BASSTrakk estimate.

Before we got off the water, Pipkens told fans via video on the Live Blog what he should have thrown.

If he had gone with a ChatterBait, he said, he might be fishing on Day 3 rather than talking about it.

His boat has this decal, an avatar of Pipkens that shows off some of the major parts of his life: bass fishing, obviously; a ladder and tool belt to represent his house painting business back home in Michigan; and ice skates because he’s an ice hockey referee on the side.

Thanks for the tour of Lake Guntersville, Chad!