Adrian Avena was the only angler to catch as many as four bass in the afternoon session, and he put it in the boat just seconds before the 3:30 p.m. closing bell rang.
“What a tough three hours,” Avena said. “This fish, who knows, it could possibly mean a Bassmaster Classic (berth).”
The spotted bass weighed 1 pound, 5 ounces, and gave Avena 4-15 for the day. He’ll go into tomorrow’s three-hour morning session with a 2-pound, 12-ounce lead over his opponent, Ray Hanselman.
“That might be the most important 1-pound, 5-ounce spotted bass that I’ve ever caught,” said Avena.