CULLMAN, Ala. — Day four of the Phoenix Boats Stage Five Presented by Mercury begins this morning with only the Top 20 anglers advancing to Saturday’s Knockout Round. Yesterday we saw the Top 20 pros from Group A already punch their ticket, who will it be today? The local Jesse Wiggins seems to be primed for an easy day after a record-breaking day on Wednesday. The difference between 15th and 28th place is just 10 pounds, and with the amount of fish we’ve seen in Smith Lake, anyone can start to get hot at anytime.
2:40 p.m. CT – That’s the end of Elimination Round 2, and we have our Top 20:
These 20 pros will meet the Top 20 from Group A in tomorrow’s Knockout Round. Only the Top 10 from that group of 40 will make it into Sunday’s Championship Round.
1:00 p.m. CT – Jason Christie is a name that we’ve been hearing a lot on MLF NOW! and for good reason. Christie has moved from 39th place to 15th today thanks to 42 pounds, 14 ounces in this round alone. Christie is having success fishing offshore and finding a plethora of spotted bass.
12:45 p.m. CT – While there is plenty of time for other anglers to make moves, the Elimination Line drama seems to consist of Jeff Kriet, Aaron Martens, Mark Daniels, Jr., John Murray, Britt Myers and Anthony Gagliardi. All of the listed anglers are within 5 pounds of one another.
11:45 a.m. CT – Two periods are in the books and only one period remains until we have our Top 20 anglers who will advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. Here’s a look at the Top 20 as they stand right now with their weights:
11:10 a.m. CT – Britt Myers is holding on to the final spot in the Top 20 followed by John Murray, Mark Daniels, Jr., Anthony Gagliardi, Brett Hite and Aaron Martens. Only about 30 minutes remain in Period 2 as the final stretch is starting to take shape.
10:40 a.m. CT – MLF NOW! analyst Rob Newell caught up with Britt Myers on the water. Myers started the day in 26th and is now in 19th. Newell reported that Myers is having success working shaded bluff banks and floating docks. Around those docks he skips swim jig to imitate a shad spawn, something that has worked for a lot of pros this week. Something that Myers is doing differently though, he is paying attention to shaded areas created by cat walks connecting floating docks to elevated bluffs. That shade it creates near the shore is “spotted bass magic” according to Newell.
9:55 a.m. CT – MLF NOW! analyst Rob Newell just gave a quick update on the water from Smith Lake. He told us he was wearing a bright green shirt to match the color of the water of the lake thanks to an algae bloom that is taking place this week. However, Newell added that the water today does not seem as green as it has over the past couple of days. We will see how this affects the anglers and how they attack Smith Lake.
9:25 a.m. CT – Aaron Martens currently owns the final spot in the Top 20 as Period 2 is now underway. Britt Myers, Roy Hawk and Mark Rose are all within 5 pounds of Martens and are in a good position to make a move on SCORETRACKER®. We just heard Adrian Avena (29th place, 12-12 back) talk about how difficult his morning bite has been. Avena hopes that the shade that comes later in the day will help him catch some fish near a bridge he is fishing.
9:00 a.m. CT – Period 1 is officially over and here is where we stand in the Top 20 after two-and-a-half hours of fishing:
8:40 a.m. CT – Only 20 minutes remain in Period 1. Brent Chapman has put together quite a run in a short amount of time. Chapman reeled in 11 bass for 17-11 in just an hour and 10 minutes time. He began the day in 19th place but is now in a comfortable position in sixth place.
8:00 a.m. CT – Top of the hour in northeast Alabama and the anglers are lighting up SCORETRACKER®, no one more than Fred Roumbanis. The Arkansas pro has 13 pounds caught this morning, more than any other pro. Some type of worm seems to be the winning bait for Roumbanis this morning, a unique tactic since the morning bite has consisted of chasing the shad spawn and using a swimbait. He is in fifth place and 14-1 above the Elimination Line.
7:20 a.m. CT – Todd Faircloth and Tim Horton are doing their best this morning to secure their spot in the Knockout Round. Faircloth has already racked up 9 pounds, 1 ounce in less than an hour while Horton has added 8-3 to his total weight. Both are above the Elimination Line and in a good position to make themselves more comfortable.
6:40 a.m. CT – There are some big names below the Elimination Line as we begin this morning. Jacob Powroznik, Jared Lintner, Andy Montgomery, Ish Monroe, Randy Howell and Gary Klein all are on the outside looking in at the Top 20.