The original 16-angler field for the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster Classic Bracket is now down to 12. Greg Hackney eliminated himself before the tournament began by declining the invitation. Marty Robinson, Takahiro Omori and Bill Lowen were eliminated yesterday when they finished outside the top 12.
Now the format shifts completely. No one will be eliminated today. Three one-on-one, three-hour matches will be held this morning and three more this afternoon. Thursday, after another set of morning and afternoon sessions, the final six anglers competing for three Bassmaster Classic berths will be set.
The results in Day 1’s eight-hour session on Carters Lake were all over the place, from Fred Roumbanis’s 16-pound, 1-ounce limit to Bill Lowen’s zero. Only seven anglers caught a five-bass limit and six weighed three fish or less.
But everyone starts at zero today. It’s not about what these guys caught yesterday, it’s about what they learned.