Twenty-six-year-old Jake Whitaker has reason to be nervous this week. He’s fishing close to his home in Fairview, N.C. He’ll have family and friends here this week. He’s four points behind 47-year-old Roy Hawk in the Elite Series Rookie of the Year race. And he’s close to the bubble for an automatic qualifying spot for the Bassmaster Classic – 32nd in AOY points.
“It would mean a lot,” Whitaker said of the rookie title. “Obviously, that was one of the goals at the beginning of the year. To be in a position to have a chance of winning it is cool. If I was to pull that off here, kind of close to home, that would be real special.
“But I want to make the Classic, and I’m on the bubble. I’m very nervous, very nervous. Practice wasn’t what I thought it would be.”
Whittaker has three fish in the livewell so far, according to photographer Andy Crawford. The last one was caught on a topwater, but it was small enough he had to measure it. (There’s a 12-inch minimum length limit on both spots and largemouth bass.) He also missed one. Bass are schooling all over, so he’s in the right place.