| Bassmaster

...

Gettys Brannon

After catching a 4-plus-pound bass, second place angler Justin Margraves is making the long trek back to Three Fork Harbor — an 80 mile round trip. Margraves has five bass for 14-15 pounds, he hopes to upgrade on some “retread” fish near the launch ramp. This weigh-in could be tight, but if I had to guess Harvey Horne has upgraded on some of the larger fish moving to bed in his area.

Margraves was working a black and blue Santone Lures 5/16 swim jig around gator grass and dead water lily. Interesting enough, the vegetation was matted and he worked the bait quickly across the surface, much like a topwater style lure.

Margraves, who finished 59th at Ross Barnett, is hoping to stay in the Top 3 here today.

Gettys Brannon

Justin Margraves update from Gettys Brannon.

Gettys Brannon

Gettys Brannon with a Horne update.

Craig Lamb

If timing is everything, as it oftentimes is in tournaments, the time might be coming for Harvey Horne to seal the deal.

Overnight temperatures were warmer than any other night thus far due to the approaching weather front. The warm spell has apparently triggered a wave of spawning fish into Horne’s area, which features gravel bottom conducive to making beds.

The report from photographer Gettys Brannon is that Horne is coaxing a pair of bedding 4-pounders into biting. He believes those are the males preparing the beds for what could be the incoming, bigger females.

Stay tuned, this could get fun for Horne, and especially should he catch those fish before the weather turns nasty.