Yesterday I told you about some number coincidences that I thought were fun. I used to wear the number 13 when I played football. At the end of Day 1 of the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic, I was in 13th place. I was in the same place at the end of Day 1 this year.
Well, the number of coincidences keep on coming. At the end of Day 2 of last year’s Classic, I was in third place. When we launch today, I’m in third.
Of course, last year I was fortunate to catch the biggest limit of the tournament on the final day and win the Classic. It was dream come true for me and my family. I hope to make that happen again today, and I want you to know that I’ll be giving it everything I’ve got.
There’s one more number coincidence that I want to see, and that number is one … as in first place.
It won’t be easy, but I really like my chances. For one thing, I’ve been able to have a couple of pretty good days even without catching a giant. There are some big bass in Lake Conroe, and I hoped to catch at least one each day. I can make up my deficit with a couple of quality bites — 6 to 8 pounds. I think a three-day total of 61 or 62 pounds could be enough to win today, but I won’t be satisfied with that. I need a big day. Nothing is safe here at Conroe, where a 30-pound bag is a real possibility.
If you’re reading this early Sunday morning, I’m probably back at my starting spot trying to get an early limit. The bite’s been really strong for the first two days, and I haven’t pressured those fish yet. Each of the first two days, I’ve basically gone in, caught a quick four or five and moved on.
Today I’m going to get after those fish. As they say in championship games and on the final day of the Bassmaster Classic, there is no tomorrow. I’ll get what I can there, press them pretty hard and try to cull through whatever smaller keepers I catch before moving to my next area.
Things could happen pretty fast on Sunday.
I found a couple of good fish on beds Saturday, and they’ll be my next stop. With the new moon coming (Monday), this could be very important and there might be more spawners moving up today. If I can catch one or two of the better females, I’ll give myself a chance to win. I feel like I’m due to catch a big one.
On the weigh-in stage Saturday, I mentioned that I didn’t want to have to carry any pecans home from the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods. I want us to sell out. Our Edwin Evers Pecans booth (#950) is doing good business, but we brought a whole lot of pecans from the farm, and I hope I’ll need room for another Classic trophy.