Cook searches on Santee Cooper

We caught up with Drew Cook just after noon, when BassTrakk showed he was leading with nearly 30 pounds. The Elite pro was cruising a flat, looking for bedding bass.

He soon picked up and headed to another spot. On the way by, he told Bassmaster photographer Andy Crawford he wasn’t planning on setting the hook again until Day 2 unless he found a giant bass on a bed.

Cook would often anchor down in the shallows while he peered through the water in search of beds.

He marked active beds on his electronics so he would know where to return on Day 2.

Cook finally poled down and spent some time on a bedding bass he said might help him. “It could be a 6-pounder,” he said. “It depends on how fat it is.”

He finally climbed atop his electronics mounts to get a better view.

Cook even pulled out a push pole to ease closer.

Eventually, Cook moved on, saying “I’m going to save it until tomorrow.”