There’s been nothing “off” about the bass fishing during the Toyota Bassmaster Elite at Lake Lanier. It just hasn’t been quite as “on” as it was for some of today’s Top 10 finalists as it was in practice. Both Chris Zaldain and Keith Combs have talked about the monster practice days earlier this week, when each could have bagged a best-five bass topping 20 pounds.
Today’s weather forecast, which includes both rain and wind, may come closer to replicating the practice conditions that produced those big days. While 20 pounds isn’t some magic number that will assure victory today, it does serve as a goal that no angler has achieved this week. David Mullins came close with 19-6 on Day 2 and took the lead that day. Separation from the field is the name of the game, particularly among the top four anglers, who are less than two pounds apart after three days.
Here’s a day-by-day look at how the top four pros got to this point:
Angler Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Total
Chris Zaldain 16-15 (4th) 16-6 (3rd) 18-4 (1st) 51-9
David Mullins 17-12 (2nd) 19-6 (1st) 14-2 (2nd) 51-4
Paul Mueller 16-11 (7th) 18-4 (2nd) 15-9 (3rd) 50-8
Keith Combs 16-6 (10th) 16-15 (3rd) 16-5 (4th) 49-10