From the air: Classic Day Three

Lifting off, the crew from Camera Copters gives an early peak of the sun as it begins to climb on Day Three of the 42nd Bassmaster Classic.

Up high, you get a sneak peek over the horizon.

The sun climbs as pilot Paul Barth heads the chopper from its base at Reeves Marine next to  the CenturyLink Center down to the launch at Red River South Marina.

Barth brings the helicopter in low on his first pass.

The sun has yet to rise high enough to illuminate the 25 anglers fishing the final day of the Classic.

Spectators turn their attention from the launch site to the big bird flying by.

The boats are lined up before a nice crowd, albeit smaller than Saturday's zoo.

The Red River awaits.

The blastoff is about to begin.

Fans, B.A.S.S. officials and media members are at the docks ready for the final day to get under way.

The final takeoff of a Classic is a special moment.

Pilot Paul Barth backs off as the national anthem is being played then flies directly overhead to give Steve Cassidy a money shot. 

Sunlight begins to hit the buildings at the Red River South Marina and Resort.

Leader Chris Lane leads out the procession.

For most competitors and spectators, it's a race south.

The race begins.

Fourth-place Bobby Lane heads down river.

To navigate the Red River, like Dustin Wilks here, anglers are required to make sweeping turns.

Brent Chapman leads a trio of boats, the trailers making efforts to stay out of wakes.

The last several boats leave the marina.

Keith Poche makes his run.

Davy Hite and Kevin VanDam turn right toward a small backwater near the launch.

Hite leads KVD to the spot in an idle.

Hit and VanDam are fishing within seconds. They later would join the others running south.

Another boat blasts out from the launch and heads across the river.

Barth heads back down river and catches up with the boats.

The run looks congested, but here and there an angler peels off.

There are many backwater areas on the Red River, but only some produce and only some are accessible.

Even with an aerial view, at times it was difficult to locate anglers hiding off the main channel.

Day One leader Keith Poche gives the thumbs up during his run.

It's head down and hair back for Poche and his Marshal.

Bobby Lane and Greg Vinson are the first two boats to reach the lock.

Lane and Vinson idle in to tie up. They will have a little bit of a wait until the lock closes at its scheduled time of 7:50.

Keith Combs leads several more boats heading to the lock.

Todd Faircloth fishes in McDade early on Day Three.

McDade's did not have the traffic of the previous two days.

Dustin Wilks also started early in McDade.

Wilks is fishing on the western shore of McDade.

Ott DeFoe also began in McDade near the northern section.

DeFoe tries shallow water near large trees.

Wilks casts to the shore.

Aaron Martens was just outside McDade working on his tackle.

The next set of images show Timmy Horton fishing in White House.

The helicopter dives in for a closer look at Matt Reed.

Reed began the day in 16th place.

Edwin Evers, who started the day in fifth place, idles out from his first stop.

Evers heads for the main channel to join the rest of the crew heading to the lock.

Evers was making the most of his time, getting a lure wet then racing to make the lock.

Now it's a race to the lock before it closes.

The chopper makes birds take flight.

Those who stopped to try for an early bite make their way to the Pool 4 lock.

Takahiro Omori was among the late arrivers.

Davy Hite made his way down after hitting his first spot near the launch.

And VanDam is right behind.

Skeeter boats offered rides at the Red River South Marina launch site.

Federation Nation angler Chris Price began Day Three in 21st place.

Price makes a cast.

Alton Jones, who began the day in third place, fishes in an extremely shallow backwater area.

It was so shallow, Jones asked the crew of B.A.S.S. media following him to remain at the mouth of the entryway.

Jones is gunning for his second Classic title.

Jones was within sight of the media boat most of the time, but did go missing for about a half an hour.

With four in a flatbottom boat, the media guys probably didn't want to foray much farther into the area anyway.

Jones' area was so shallow he left his gas tank nearly empty.

Jones was doing well in his spot.

Jones told the reporters he thought his water was rising.

Jones' area was in sight of the launch.