It’s time for week two of the T-H Marine Bassmaster Pick ‘Em Challenge, and I was feeling pretty good about going 6-1 at the St. Johns River, until I saw that 274 of you went 7-0! Still, 6-1 landed me in the 98th percentile, so for the 2% that were perfect, good job by you, but I am coming after you this week!
One of the things we will track here is how that number of perfect picks dwindles over the season, kinda like your survivor pool in the NFL. How many weeks before there are no more perfect pickers? Three? Four? Will someone go 70-0? Not likely. It was only Tyler Williams that let me down last week, and to be honest, it was amazing how many blowouts there was last week.
Chris Johnston finished 15th, but who had Trey McKinney at 90th on their bingo card? I told you I liked Robert Gee over Jacob Foutz, since Rodman was off limits, and that’s where Foutz got em last year, but I would have never guessed Foutz would fall to 96th! The closest match up was the International Showdown, where Carl Jocumsen finished 22nd, besting Taku Ito by 15 places. So on to this week we go, and I suspect some of these will be a bit closer.
In Match 1, we get the Battle of the Brandons, Cobb and Palaniuk. Both of these guys struggled last week, though Palaniuk made a check, finishing just above the Saturday cut line. I like him to finish even higher this week, and although Cobb makes a check, he loses here to the two-time Angler of the Year.
In Match 2, it’s the Canadians, Jeff Gustafson and Cooper Gallant, still basking in the glory of Canada’s win in the four Nations Final. Not much to take away from these guys last week, but in the shallow, weedy water of the Big O, I’ll take Gallant for the win.
Match 3 gives us a Bama Bash with the G-Man, Gerald Swindle off a Top 10 finish against 2 time Classic Champ Jordan Lee. I know for a fact that G likes the kid, even though Swindle Rolls with the Tide, while Lee is an Auburn Alum…Take the Tide – Swindle in this one.
In Match 4, we get the ultimate local in Scott Martin, who blew away the field in the Okeechobee Open a year ago, v. one of the best shallow water hammers on the planet in Greg Hackney. Martin knows every honey hole on that pond, so in all deference to the Hack Attack, I’ve got to roll with Scott Martin here…
Match 5 is the Swimbait Showdown between Steve Kennedy and Chris Zaldain. And as good as Kennedy is with a swimbait in his hand, he is deadly swimming a jig as well, and I have to believe the jig is in play, so on this one, I’ve got Steve Kennedy.
Match 6 has our Champ from the St. Johns, Bill Lowen, against young Tucker Smith, who is great on the scope, but honestly, that kid can flat out catch em. But Dollar Bill, has a pile more dollars and a ton of confidence right now…he’ll find ’em, and beat the kid who wasn’t born yet when Lowen began tournament fishing.
That brings us to Match 7, the Fans Vote, and this pits a couple of roommates in Matt Robertson and Seth Feider, and for all we know, these guys will have a bet that the loser has to do something crazy at weigh-in. Feider found that living feeling again with a Top 10 last week, and he loves the grass…Although Robertson may as well…but I digress…I’ll take Feider and go 7-0 this week!
