Nation: Day 3 on the water

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Ian MacDonald, representing Illinois, has been flipping main-river wood all day.

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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"I'm flipping a blue-and-black jig with a watermelon rage craw on the end," MacDonald said. "And, boy they ate it yesterday."

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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"I'll have to come back and try this spot when the sun is high," MacDonald said.

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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Photo: Helen Northcutt

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Namibian angler Max Pieper is found fishing a spot he calls "Max's logjam."

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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Yesterday Pieper caught two little ones and broke off a big one around the same spot and made a note to mark his area.

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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Saturday, Pieper has three and "one is bigger."

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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When asked about the Ouachita River compared to his home waters in Namibia, Pieper said, "It's so green here. We definitely don't have all the trees and laydowns to fish."

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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"I think these fish hang out right here because there's a bend in the river here," Pieper speculated. "The current pushes them up against the bank."

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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Photo: Helen Northcutt

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Photo: Helen Northcutt

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Brian Trieschman of Maryland is found fishing around some significant structure.

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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"I've got three fish working these rocks," Trieschman said.

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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Photo: Helen Northcutt

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Arkansas angler Josh Wray caught his two best fish at 9:45 this morning.

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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"Yesterday I fished the whole five-mile stretch down here," Wray said.

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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"They hit pretty much all day yesterday," Wray said. "It's much slower today, but the river's come back up like 3 inches."

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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Wray moves down the bank to fish around a boat docked on the bank.

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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Randy Huffman, representing West Virginia, has been running all day.

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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"I think I've picked up my trolling motor about 30 or 40 times today," Huffman said.

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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"I've got four fish," Huffman said. "But, three just barely measure."

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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Mark Wiese Jr., representing Missouri, said it's been a slow grind all day.

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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Another competitor makes a run past Wiese.

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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"I caught mine early about five miles up the river on some spinnerbaits and a beaver bait," Wiese said.

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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"You've got to cover a lot of water to get a bite," Wiese said.

Photo: Helen Northcutt

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