Asked of their Day 2 mission, the leading team of Drew Cook and Dwayne Eschete had indefinite and definite goals. Cook for sure wants to throw a dagger.
“We gotta catch two fish, but go ahead and catch four. Twist it a little bit while it’s in there,” he said. “I just want to have more than everybody else. A lot more than everybody else would be a lot better.”
Before the event began, Eschete said he was certain all the teams wouldn’t max on their four-fish limit, what with the trying 17- to-23-inch slot, and he was also pretty sure several teams would get stuck on the falling water and not make it back to weigh-in.
Both happened, with two teams missing not returning to East Bay Park for check-in by 3 p.m. Cook and Eschete, the only team with a limit, were then asked if they were surprised by what occurred on Day 1 when only nine fish made it to the scales.
“I’m very surprised,” Eschete said.
Cook wanted clarification.
“Are we surprised that we’re the only ones, or are we surprised we got four?” Cook said before answering himself. “Yes and yes. I thought we had a pretty good shot” to catch a limit.
As for Eschete’s definite plans, he will closely be watching the dropping water. He’s adamant to prevent a whammie. He does not want to run aground and suffer the same Day 1 fate as 2021 Redfish Cup winner Capt. Ryan Rickard and Justin Atkins, and Eddie Adams and Sean O’Connell, last year’s champs.
“We have to put ourselves in a position, if we got fish in the box, we have to get back,” Eschete said. “As we saw yesterday, that was very big. I say it over and over again, I’d rather take cautions than have regrets.”
Cook is certainly on board with that plan.
“Absolutely,” he said, noting disaster can strike any team. “We’re going to have a little bit longer today before it drops, but that’s a double-edge sword. You could be at a last-minute stop and end up getting stuck. We have to be conscious of it and make sure we get back.”
Cook that they’ve taken great notice at their area and have marks set when it’s drop-dead time to get out.
“It was a struggle to get in there in practice, and when it got close to that mark, we knew it was time to go,” he said.
“We were very vigilant about it,” Eschete said.
So the hope is two fish, four fish, no whammies.
