LIVE BLOG: Anglers Race to Beat The Weather in Period 3

Brandon Coulter sits above the Elimination Line as Period 3 rolls on.

May 18, 2019 • Mason Prince • Bass Pro Tour

BRANSON, Mo. — We saw records shattered yesterday by Greg Vinson, could we see more of the same today? If the weather permits, this could be a great day of fishing for our 40 pros in Group B. The Shotgun Round is now underway as the 40 anglers will try to position themselves into a good position to make it into the Top 20 come Monday’s Elimination Round.1

1:30 p.m. CT – The winds are picking up as the impending storm prepares to hit southwest Missouri. The anglers will finish their round at 2:30 p.m. and get a full day of fishing in. We have a new leader in Josh Bertrand at 74 pounds, 5 ounces.

12:43 p.m. CT – WEATHER UPDATE: The Midway at the Bass Pro Shops Shooting Academy will close at 1:30 PM due to forecasted severe weather. The special events this evening have been cancelled as well. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Jonathon VanDam has vaulted in 21st place.

Terry Scroggins is in 28th place thanks to this 3-5.

11:45 a.m. CT – That’s the end of Period 2 and we have a new leader. Ott DeFoe has passed Jacob Wheeler for first place on top of SCORETRACKER. DeFoe has 56 pounds, 9 ounces on the day with another period to go. The record-setting pace that many of the pros seemed to be on has slowed down significantly. As the wind picks up and the weather prepares to roll in, we shall see who can grab a firm hold of Period 3 and make their move up SCORETRACKER.

Josh Bertrand moves up SCORETRACKER with a 2-1.

Jason Lambert with his 2-2 he caught in Period 2.

10:50 a.m. CT – Period 2 keeps on chugging along and Jacob Wheeler remains in first place with 51 pounds, 6 ounces. The bite has slowed down in Period 2, much like it did in Stage Five in Cullman, Alabama. As of now, 597 bass have it SCORETRACKER today with this more than one Period to go. We could see some more big numbers throughout the day.

Brandon Palaniuk catches this 3-7 largemouth to move into 30th place.

Stage Four champion Andy Morgan lands this 3-1 largemouth in Period 2.

9:45 a.m. CT – Kevin VanDam is off to a good start in Shotgun Round 1 as the “GOAT” is in 20th place with 17-5. He is only 3 ounces ahead of Jordan Lee and the Elimination Line, but there is obviously plenty of time to go.

Gerald Swindle lands a 2-pound spotted bass on Table Rock Lake in Period 2.

Matt Lee landed this 4-6 as he sits in 13th place.

Cody Meyer landed this 3-pounder to end Period 1.

8:30 a.m. CT – Remember how impressive Greg Vinson’s record-breaking day of 52 bass for 83 pounds, 6 ounces yesterday? Well, what if I told you an angler was already on pace to shatter that record today? Jacob Wheeler 24 bass for 38-2 with 30 minutes left in the first period. The only thing that can slow Wheeler down right now is the 15-minute break coming at the end of each period.

8:15 a.m. CT – One angler inside the Top 10 who is somewhere between a surprise and not a surprise at all: Mike McClelland. The Missouri pro has plenty of experience on Table Rock Lake, which is why his seventh-place start is not an odd sight. However, McClelland has not qualified for a Knockout Round so far this season, finishing no higher than 43rd place. Still, he’ll have a great chance over the next two days to erase that narrative.

Josh Bertrand lands a 1-12 largemouth during Period 1.

Boyd Duckett lands a 2-7 to move into 22nd place.

7:40 a.m. CT – Here’s a surprise … to nobody: Jacob Wheeler and Ott Defoe are absolutely railing ’em on Table Rock. As of this writing, Wheeler is at 18 fish for 26-15; Defoe isn’t far behind with 16 fish, but he’s more than 5 pounds behind Wheeler. Both are in the James River section of the lake, which seems to have a little more traffic this morning than it did at the same time yesterday.

7:07 a.m. CT – A little more about today’s forecast: South winds are expected to reach 10 to 20 mph today, which translates into even more aggressive biters than Shotgun Round 1. Afternoon thunderstorms are forecast to arrive in this part of the Ozarks by Period 3 – that won’t be affect the bite much, unless there’s lightning. We’ll be sure to update frequently in case of severe weather protocol for today’s competition.

7:00 a.m. CT – Keep an eye on the weather today. It’s currently a beautiful day on Table Rock Lake, but storms are supposed to move in around 1 p.m. this afternoon. We can for sure expect some rain, how severe or how much is yet to be determined.

Jordan Lee caught this 3-6 smallmouth to begin his day in Shotgun Round 2.

6:45 a.m. CT – Jordan Lee is off to a hot start. We haven’t said that phrase in awhile. The Stage One champion has had a tough go of it since his Top 10 finish in Stage Two. He’s obviously hoping for a better performance this week and a 3-pound, 6-ounce bass to start his day sure helped that cause. He currently sits in first place over Kelly Jordon by four ounces.