Today’s 20-pounds club got three new members in a 30-minute period just after noon. The membership is up to seven anglers now (remember, unofficially).
Drew Benton caught a 5-pounder at that gave him 22-8 today, Bradley Roy landed a 5-5 at 12:35 to move his total to 20-3, and Mark Menendez caught a 2-0 at 12:34 to put him at 20-0.
In the two previous Elite Series events at the St. Johns River prior to Chris Lane’s total of 90-13 in 2014, Alton Jones won with 75-9 in 2012, and Edwin Evers won in 2011 with 77-1. So 20 pounds on Day 1, no matter how this afternoon shakes out, definitely makes you a contender. Consistency, of course, will be the true test.