Card's comeback - Bassmaster

Brandon Card started the final day of BASSFest in 6th place over 8 pounds behind. Follow along as we caught up with Card during his final day charge.

Card started the final day in what seemed like an insurmountable deficit, but with a fickle Lake Texoma he still had a chance.

When we found him he was fishing down a bank in Big Glasses creek and Gerald Swindle was nearby.

Card already had a very solid limit in the boat and with one or two more big bites he could be a serious threat to win BASSFest.

He didn’t get a topwater bite all week at Texoma, but with the clouds and ensuing rain on Championship Sunday he decided to give it a try. After a couple three-pound bites he gained confidence and kept plugging away with his Yozuri topwater.

He hooked up soon after we found him.

He swung aboard a solid keeper and this is where we will see how good his bag was already.

If this fish culls for Card, then he still has work to be done, but if not then he could be on the fast track to the top spot.

No cull for Card so that tells us he doesn’t have anything smaller than 2 1/2 pounds in the boat.

After catching that fish he continued to the point of bushes and then headed out.

Card was heading to an area where he missed a bigger one earlier in the day.

Card continued to throw the Yozuri 3D Pencil popper around the flooded bushes of Texoma on the final day.

A giant bass blows up on his topwater and Card hooks up.

He, then, jumps on the trolling motor and tries to speed up towards the bushes where the big fish got wrapped up inside.

He keeps tension as he tries to dislodge it free, but it eventually comes off before Card can do anything about it.

He knows that was a big miss, but bites like that give him confidence that he can upgrade in a big way throughout the day on topwater.

Here is a better look at his topwater lure of choice for the final day; the Yo-Zuri 3DB Pencil, a walking bait.

He watches a fish follow his topwater and it short strikes him and he misses the fish close to the boat.

The varying changes in wind made the fish commit differently to the bait. During the windier conditions it seemed the fish wouldn’t commit as strongly, while the bait shined with calmer conditions around the tight objects in the water.

Card finds a straight edge among the bushes and he parallels the entire row. He gets a blow up on his bait and the battle is on.

Card sets the hook and gets a hook in the fish.

Throwing the Yozuri 3DB on braid was important for those long casts that Card would make.

Card gets the fish to ski across the top of the water as he gets it close to the boat.

He swings a chunky fish into the boat.

He judges this fish and decides to head to the livewell to possibly make a cull.

He shows it off for the camera.

He realizes this won’t cull so he doesn’t waste time and throws back the fish to continue fishing.

There was plenty of shad flickering and popping on the surface in this area.

Card takes off to hit another spot…but first his big appetite takes over as he chomps down on a sandwich.

Card’s spot change paid off as he got another bite on topwater and he set the hook.

With how this fish smashed his topwater he thought it could be a good enough fish to cull.

He swings in a solid fish, but one he realizes won’t help his total as he was close to the 20-pound mark.

After catching this fish, the Bassmaster still cameras turned into video cameras as we helped document his day for the TV show, which will air on ESPN2. He went on to catch 21-2 and finish 2nd to Greg Hackney. This is Brandon Card’s highest career finish in a Bassmaster Elite Series event.