As expected, a full day of fishing made a huge difference on Day 2 of the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite Series at St. Johns River. A shortened Day 1 forced many anglers to change their original game plan, but a full Day 2 allowed the Elites to settle in and execute their on their original plans.
One angler that was able to make a big jump up the leaderboard on Day 2 was Elite Series Rookie, Bryan New. The North Carolina pro jumped from 22nd place on Day 1 up to 9th after weighing in 20 pounds, 3 ounces on Day 2. Having a full day of fishing was crucial to New’s Day 2 success.
“You can fish free, you don’t have to fish rushed,” said New when asked what made the difference on Day 2.
New’s game plan is to hit a few offshore spots to catch a quick limit and move up shallow to flip shoreline vegetation.
Another angler that capitalized big on Day 2 was Alabama’s Wes Logan. The Elite Series sophomore jumped up from 38th place to 12th after weighing 21 pounds, 2 ounces on Day 2. An 8 pound, 8 ounce giant anchored Logan’s Day 2 limit.
“I had made a decision to run 40 miles to Jacksonville on Day 1 and about 10 minutes before we left I decided I’d stay around here and maximize my fishing time,” said Logan. “I knew the next day if we had a full day I was going to go to Rodman — I’m not really on a whole lot there but I just felt comfortable to go over there and fish as much time as I can,” said Logan
It will be interesting to see how the Top 50 can build on their success with another long day of fishing on Day 3.