Leaderboard shake up!

Whoa! Check out the leader board and you see a glimpse of what this day might be like. As I write this Skeet Reese has moved into second place between Seth Feider and Ott DeFoe. Gerald Swindle, wearing his hat rally style, has pulled into fifth place. It’s also noteworthy to mention Steve Bowman’s great column about the importance of fourth place and what it means to Swindle.  

DeFoe is struggling early. Both ends of the spillway where by now he’d caught a near limit are running cold. He’s even resorted to a shakey head to kickstart the bite. 

“I’m ready for some sunshine,” he said. 

That’s likely a self-reassuring statement, since his backup area involves flipping and pitching thickly vegetated mats about 20 minutes from the spillway. 

Meanwhile, Jordan Lee has missed a couple of 2 1/2 or 3 pounders that have been key to his consistent catches going into the championship round. 

“They’re here,” he said. “I’ve just got to get them in the boat.”

One factor not in his favor is the diminishing duckweed, which has proven key to his frog bite. The higher water and wind has diluted and spread out the crucial piece of his pattern. But, as he said, the bass still are there. 

Meanwhile, up river Seth Feider is “going for the throat,” as he said at the launch. 

“I hope to blow this thing open and catch 20 pounds,” he said. 

Feider, brimming with confidence, will add to the fun and drama of this day. And what a day it’s about to be with a potential Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year title in reach for Swindle. And like I wrote above, all of the potential shakeups to come on the leader board.