Come to a Championship Sunday takeoff and the vibe at the launch ramp is usually laid back. After all, the field is cut from 108 to just 12 anglers. The finalists have the relief of knowing they made it all the way to the final day. There will be less fishing pressure.
Tomorrow the vibe will be different. The top 51 will be fishing. There will be more pressure. The vibe already is tense and here is an example.
Jeff Kriet and Justin Lucas are fishing within casting distance of each other. BASSTrakk shows Kriet in third place, and the Oklahoma angler is in contention to win his first B.A.S.S. title since 1998. Lucas is 23rd place and is just trying to stay inside the cut. Normally, he would eliminated on a normal Championship Sunday. Lucas will keep pressing on.
The two anglers got into a spirited conversation about territory. Lucas contended the area is a community hole and not exclusive to anyone. Kriet acknowledged it. Even so, Lucas continued to justify why he was fishing in the area. The more he persisted, the less patient Kriet became.
With so many community holes getting attention the above scenario is sure to pan out elsewhere. Again, having 51 anglers in the mix makes the competition more intense than a typical Championship Sunday.