Elite Series anglers were given an extra official practice day for this tournament – four days instead of three. Seth Feider used one of those days to put in near the western boundary of the Sabine River tournament waters near Houston. In past years, that 100-miles-plus one-way run from the Orange Boat Ramp along the intercoastal waterway has paid off for some taking the risk. And it’s a big risk that leaves very little fishing time. No one has won doing that in the three previous Elite Series events here. But a couple of anglers have come close to winning and advanced to make the Day 4 final.
Feider won’t be one of those making the long run this week. “I went to Houston one day,” he said Wednesday. “I put in over there. I caught some redfish. I saw some dolphins. It was kind of like I was on vacation. I’m really glad I didn’t catch anything there. It’s 100, 120, 130 miles by boat. Now I don’t have to think about it anymore.”