Hamner lands 5-8 early

Justin Hamner shook off his 82nd-place finish yesterday in quick fashion today. The 30-year-old Elite Series rookie from Northport, Ala., caught this 5-pound, 8-ounce largemouth at 6:59 today. As tight as the standings were after Day 1, you can expect to see some wild swings as we approach the top 48 cut at today’s conclusion. Big bass like this one will do the trick. Granted, it’s early, but Hamner’s big bass in his 4-bass total of 14-0 has vaulted him into 9th place at 7:30.