Yes, they bit

Would the big largemouth bite? That’s the question all the fans and anglers alike kicked around as the midday lull wore on and on. Then, they bit.

In a matter of a few breaths, the Bassmaster LIVE crew announced a 5-pounder caught by Luke Palmer, and then voiced over back-to-back 4- and 5-pound catches from John Cox and Drew Benton. Those catches came at 1:40, 1:52 and 2:08. A few more smaller largemouth have trickled in since then, but that was the flurry we had all been waiting for.

Just as Cox and Benton clawed their way back into it though, Gussy pulled a Lee Corso and said … you guessed it, “Not so fast!”

Day 1 leader Jeff Gustafson just culled with a 3 1/2-pounder, moving up to 16 pounds, 4 ounces. The guys are trying to make it tough on Gussy, but he is in full control right now.