Buddy Gross is going to need a big bass to build on what he’s already caught today. He’s already released several fish that other anglers would like to have, but haven’t helped him. His 21-pound bag includes the following: two 5-pounders, a 4-pounder and two 3 1/2-pounders. That’s quite an accomplishment for the first three hours of Championship Sunday. And it reverses a trend in Gross’s totals over the last three days when his totals have declined from 22-12 on Day 1 to 17-11 on Day 2 to 14-14 yesterday.
The 49-year-old Chattanooga, Tenn., resident has had a good month in Florida. He finished 28th in the Southern Open at Lake Kissimmee and placed 29th in the Elite Season opener at the St. Johns River.