Caleb Kuphall retained his Day 1 lead in the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville. It shrank a bit – from 6 pounds, 7 ounces Thursday to 4-9 Friday. However, this tournament feels like it’s wide open. What Mark Menendez did on Day 2 is the prime example
The 56-year-old Elite Series veteran from Paducah, Ky., jumped from 45th place to 5th after weighing the big bag of the day – 21 pounds, 5 ounces. Menendez weighed 14-0 on Day 1.
“They were all just a better grade today,” he said. “The first fish I caught was the 6-pounder, so that calmed me down. I was running down the lake and I saw an area that looked right. So I pulled in there and immediately caught a 2-pounder.”
And it just kept getting better. Menendez pitched a Strike King Structure Bug around in grass that was “10 inches to 7 or 8 feet deep” and filled out his 21-5 limit over the course of the day.
If Menendez can move from 45th to 5th in one day, what’s possible in this field that was reduced to the top 48 anglers after Friday’s weigh-in? Here’s how tightly they are bunched: 8th place Greg Hackney (33-15) and 32nd place Justin Hamner (29-15) are separated by only 4 pounds.
The field will be cut to the top 10 after Saturday’s weigh-in. After what Menendez did Friday, it seems possible that anyone among the 48 semifinalists could make Sunday’s final.