Jamie Hartman’s early fireworks came with a qualifier: He started the day 7 pounds, 2 ounces behind leader Matt Arey. And Arey has methodically worked his way near the lead again. He’d caught 10 bass by 9 a.m. The best five weighed 13-12 and put him within 1-1 of Hartman.
His biggest fish is a 4-12 that came on a Strike King 8XD crankbait. It had a single treble hook in its mouth when Arey landed it.
“I changed hooks on that crankbait last night,” Arey said. “That is a healthy fish. We’ve got to get right back in there. We might smash them.”