Hunter Shryock just put a jolt of electricity in his day. After spending most of the morning with one small bass in the boat, Shryock boat-flipped a 5-pounds-plus largemouth just before 11 a.m. Then Shryock went crazy.
“One fish changes everything!” shouted Shryock. “That is the best feeling in the world! Absolutely the best feeling in the world!”
The 30-year-old Newcomerstown, Ohio, resident entered the day in second place after catching 15 pounds, 8 ounces on Thursday. However, he was less than confident at the Day 1 weigh-in he could repeat that performance today in the Santee River because of the rising water there.
Shryock might have been second-guessing his decision to go back there today, until the big one bit.
“Flipping trees is what I’m doing,” he said Thursday. “It’s risky business, but they’re there to be caught.”
Shryock just proved that.