Daisuke Aoki, winner of the Douglas Lake Bassmaster Southern Open, is another Japanese angler on the bubble for the Elite qualification. He has proven his angling skills in Japan by winning multiple AOYs and multiple Japanese Classics.
After he earned some belts and trophies in Japan, Aoki is now ready to test his skills here in the States. In his first two years fishing the Opens he struggled, but he seems to have adjusted his skills for the United States waters as of late.
After he weighing 11-3 on Day 1, Aoki jumped into third place in both the Opens AOY and Central rankings. He is looking for a few more fish in hopes of accomplishing his longtime dream, fishing the Bassmaster Elite Series.