Stetson Blaylock started today in 6th place – 3 pounds, 6 ounces behind leader Bill Lowen. He was frustrated about several lost fish that could have put him closer to the lead.
“I’ve lost seven fish in the last two days,” said the 31-year-old Benton, Ark., resident. “It’s the way I like to fish in April. It doesn’t matter whether it’s at Hartwell (where he finished 2nd last week) or Winyah Bay. The difference here is these fish fight twice as hard as most April bass do across the country.
“I never lose fish jumping, but I’ve lost them this week. They come up 10 feet from the boat, jump, and shake so hard in the air, it’s hard to land them all.”
Blaylock has landed them all today. If you’ve been watching “Bassmaster LIVE,” you’ve seen him put a 4-pounder and a 6-pounder in the boat today. He said Friday that he was going to soak this one area where several other anglers had been on Day 1, but no one else was there on Day 2.
“Maybe I can milk out five more 2 1/2-pounders and maybe get a big one,” Blaylock said. “If I can just land them, I’ll be right there.”
He HAS landed them, and he IS right there. BASSTrakk unofficially shows him with 15-0 and in first place by a few ounces over Cory Johnston. Fifteen pounds appears to be a conservative estimate for what Blaylock has boated so far.