TV viewers take note: For the first time ever, ESPN2 will provide same-day coverage of a BASS event outside of the CITGO Bassmaster Classic. Coverage of the Bassmaster Memorial weigh-in will air Sunday, May 21, at 7 p.m. ET.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Mike Iaconelli held the two-day lead at the Bassmaster Memorial — the tour's first stab at a Major tournament.
But his two-day total of 27 pounds, 6 ounces means little heading into the third day of action here in northeast Texas.
That's because Iaconelli's weight, along with those of the 11 other elite anglers who survived the cut, was zeroed to begin the second phase of this event.
The 12 fishermen began with a clean slate Saturday morning when they launched onto Benbrook Lake in search of the tournament title and the $250,000 first prize that goes with it.
Joining Iaconelli in the hunt for the Memorial title are Dave Wolak, Skeet Reese, Matt Reed, Mike McClelland, John Crews, Peter Thliveros, Todd Faircloth, Greg Hackney, Edwin Evers, Mark Menendez and Randy Howell.
Each of the anglers will be required to fish one of six "holes" in Saturday's "course" format on Benbrook Lake. They'll spend 70 minutes in each hole and have a spare hour to fish in their spot of choice to wrap up the day. The top six anglers will compete on Sunday for the championship.
The format figures to test the skills of each angler. None of them have ever fished on this body of water before, though they plan to employ some of the techniques they used on Eagle Mountain Lake Thursday and Friday to reach this stage of the tournament. Post-spawn tactics are expected to be the norm.
Menendez, who had a two-day total of 20 pounds, 14 ounces, said he knows virtually nothing about Benbrook.