We have five foreign contenders this week — three from Canada and two from Japan — more than I can recall in any other Classic.
In contrast to Texan-by-way-of-California Chris Zaldain, who is all-in on the big bait, Taku Ito hopes to win with finesse. Out of a dozen or so rods on his front deck, only one is a baitcasting stick.
If any of the five were to win, it would mark the second such occurrence and the first since Takahiro Omori’s victory in 2004. That tournament was a couple of hours up the road at Lake Wylie.
