John Cox knew there was something unusual in air early Saturday morning. “I was all over the place,” he said. “I couldn’t figure out why I was so nervous because I really didn’t know what was going to happen.”
Cox forgot his rainsuit and had to go back to his truck to get it. He also forgot to put his hooks and weights tackle box in the boat and was forced to do without it. Cox started getting a clue when the first bass he hooked was way back in some lily pads. A log was between it and Cox’s boat.
“It tail-walked all the way to the boat,” he said. “I was like, ‘Ooh, maybe it’s going to be one of those days.’ It was pretty epic.”
Here’s Cox’s Saturday definition of epic: A five bass limit weighing 31 pounds, 15 ounces. It included an 8-pound, 5-ounce big bass of the day and a 7-13.
The 36-year-old DeBary, Fla., resident started the day in 38th place, exactly 22 pounds behind leader John Crews. Crews is still the leader going into championship Sunday of the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at the St. Johns River. However, his lead has shrunk to 3 pounds and an ounce over second-place Cox.
Thirty-pound bags and epic performances have been almost common in Elite Series history here. For example, in 2019 Rick Clunn weighed 34-14 on the final day to rally from 8th place, almost 12 pounds out after three days, and win. What Cox did Saturday is just the latest indication that anything can happen Sunday at the St. Johns River.