LIVE BLOG: Down the Stretch we go in Period 3

Randall Tharp has found the right size today on Lake Conroe.

February 13, 2019 • Mason Prince • Bass Pro Tour

CONROE, Texas — The first honest-to-goodness Texas giant showed up earlier today, and with conditions gradually improving thanks to a steady sun, the third period is shaping up to be a barn-burner on Lake Conroe. We’re watching for major movement on SCORETRACKER. You can follow along with the action on MajorLeagueFishing.com or the MLF app.

3:03 p.m. CST – Jordan Lee just extended his lead thanks to a 4-5 bass that put him 5 pounds ahead of Andy Montgomery. With less than 30 minutes left in the round, seven anglers are within 4 pounds of the Elimination Line. Currently, that No. 20 spot is held by Ott DeFoe with 10-15.

2:03 p.m. CST – MLF NOW! host Chad McKee said it best when he said, “Stop me if you’ve heard this before. We have a new leader, and it’s Jordan Lee.” Lee has reeled in three 2-pounders in 14 minutes to take the lead ahead of Andy Montgomery. Lee is now 2-13 ahead of Montgomery with a little under an hour and a half to go in Period 3.

1:44 p.m. CST – It was just observed that “Jordan Lee just never knows when he’s out of it.” Lee is slugging it out in second place with 20-7 after hitting a late-morning/early-afternoon stall. Lee just added 2-3, and is within 1-7 of Montgomery for the lead.

Kelly Jordon just got on the board, and with just one fish, he’s within legitimate range of the Elimination Line.

1:26 p.m. CST – Keep a close eye on the Elimination Line: you’ll notice that it’s especially crowded around that 20 spot today. Actually, the list of anglers on the bubble goes 20 deep. Michael Neal currently sits at No. 20 with 6-13, while Tim Horton is the current No. 38 with 1-2. Some quick math tells you that Horton is only 5-11 out of the cut, which is one average bite on Lake Conroe.

12:55 p.m. CST – After two periods, the drama is near the Elimination Line. Ott DeFoe is currently holding on to that No. 20 spot. The good news for the 20 anglers below DeFoe is that they all still have a very good chance to make a run and make the cut after Friday’s Elimination Round.

DeFoe has only totaled 6-8, opening the door for the rest of the field to keep their heads held high. As the weather warms and the anglers move toward Friday, it could be yet another high-intensity Elimination Round to figure out the Top 20.

12:14 p.m. CST – Two names to pay attention two as the sun continues to shine and water creeps closer to 60 degrees: Randall Tharp and Brett Hite.

As the second period winds down to its last 20 minutes, Hite and Tharp are 11 and 12 on SCORETRACKER, Hite with 8-15, Tharp with 8-13. The developing conditions are well suited to both, but maybe even more so to Tharp: he only has two fish, but they average 4-6.

Both have a 5-pounder to their credit, and both are notoriously strong in big-fish fisheries.

11:52 a.m. CST – The bite is starting to slow down in Period 2. Although he only has four bass, Andy Montgomery remains in the lead with 17-8 thanks to that 9-6 at the end of Period 1. Chris Lane is right behind Montgomery with 16-11. Shin Fukae is currently holding on to that coveted No. 20 spot at 5-10 with Matt Lee, Edwin Evers and Ish Monroe are all within 1 pound of the Elimination Line.

11:17 a.m. CST – Andy Montgomery remains at the top of SCORETRACKER with 17-8 and 1-1 ahead of Jordan Lee. Mark Davis is close behind in third with 16-3. Off-shore fishing seems to be the method for success today as a majority of the big fish have been caught away from the banks of Lake Conroe.

10:41 a.m. CST – We are about 30 minutes into Period 2 and there has been some movement on SCORETRACKER. Jared Lintner has moved 1 ounce ahead of Andy Montgomery for the top spot. There is a heavy stain on the water which has helped the water temperature stay at around 57 degrees despite the cold air temperatures this morning. The air temperature is expected to hit around 65 degrees by the time the round ends thanks to sunny skies, so we will see how that affects the bite.

10:00 a.m. CST – Lines are out after Period 1 and we have a new leader on top of SCORETRACKER. Andy Montgomery leads all anglers heading into Period 2 with three bass for 13-13 including a 9-6 as time expired, 1-7 ahead of Jared Lintner. There are 32 total anglers on the board with eight still looking for their first fish. There are not only fish, big fish to be caught on Lake Conroe today. We’ve already seen Montgomery’s 9-6, three 5-plus pounders and seven 3-plus pounders in the morning session. Tune into MLF NOW! now for all the latest action.

9:37 a.m. CST – The sun continues to shine in Conroe with not a cloud in the sky and the fish continue to bite. Shin Fukae reeled in a 5-10 to take ninth place and Randall Tharp landed a 5-11 to claim eighth place early in the day. As the temperature continues to (somewhat) warm up throughout the day, expect the bites to keep on coming for the pros.

9:11 a.m. CST – So much for the cold weather slowing things down early in the morning. There have already been some sizable bass caught in the first period. Jared Lintner owns the largest at 5-12, Shin Fukae close behind with a 5-10, and six anglers with 3-plus pounders on SCORETRACKER.

8:30 a.m. CST – Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Jordan Lee is in the lead. The Alabama native is off to a good start in Stage Two with two 3-2 bass in this first hour. He holds a 1-4 lead over Mark Davis. James Watson is currently holding down second place with two bass for 4-13. So far, the cold weather does not seem to be affecting the anglers near the top of the SCORETRACKER.