Unlike last year, when Keith Combs had an outside chance to catch Gerald Swindle in the AOY race, he had no such incentive this year. Combs came into this event in 13th place in the AOY standings. He just needed to catch one 14-inch keeper to gain the points that would secure his Bassmaster Classic berth.
“I told my wife (Jennifer) that I was just going to go have a good time and relax,” Combs said Thursday. “She said, ‘Do that for a change.’ I can’t. I practiced from daylight until dark.”
The practice is paying off, maybe to the tune of a $25,000 winner’s check on Sunday. BASSTrakk shows Combs in the lead with 22 pounds today. Combined with his first-place weight of 24-15 yesterday, Combs is closing in on 50 pounds.