EUFAULA, Ala. – Nothing is coming easy on Lake Eufaula this week. Even for the Day 1 leaders of the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Central Division event. For instance, half the Top 10 from Day 1 is no longer holding that distinction, with Day 1 leader Kaden Mueck not weighing a limit today. And that was despite feeling excited about his game plan. It’s been enough to prompt locals like Justin Barnes to mention the lake is fishing as tough as he’s ever seen.
That said, there are some patterns starting to emerge. Most notably, the afternoon bite. And few made better use of it than Blake Davenport and Buddy Benson. Albeit in different ways.
Shallow bite key for Davenport
Davenport has been the most consistent angler this week on paper. Though he can thank a last-cast kicker to climb him into the lead with 17 pounds, 1 ounce today and 35-4 for the event. Meanwhile, Benson delayed his offshore game plan, and the result was the biggest bag of the day (19-7) to jump him into second with 34-10.
All of this is to say no game plan or lead is safe right now on Eufaula. That fact, and what Davenport saw today out on the water, that has him both excited and nervous about tomorrow.
“I mean, my ‘Scoping period was a train wreck today,” Davenport said. “I saw the fish I’d need to blow the doors off this tournament. I just can’t get them to bite.”
That seemed a common sentiment amongst pros in the forward-facing sonar game today. Fortunately, Davenport has a shallow pattern in an area he has pretty much to himself that produced four of his keepers today. The final one also came shallow, but in a different area with drama.
“I had less than 10 minutes to check-in, and I was fishing a shallow stretch that if I get a bite, it’s going to be a good one,” Davenport said. “So, I caught a 5-and-a-half-pounder on my last cast before I barely made it back to check-in. It was pretty clutch.”
That’s an understatement, but can that shallow pattern come up clutch one more day?
“I know I have fish left in that shallow area,” Davenport said. “I just don’t know if they’ll go or not. And the deep fish … Lord only knows.”
Benson gets hot on brush
On the flip side, Benson is focusing solely on offshore brush he feels has been somehow less pressured than most. The only problem is he was sharing the same area as another pro yesterday, and they both “got in each other’s ways” and threw off the timing.
So, today, he opted to start his ‘Scoping period later.
“The results speak for themselves,” Benson said. “I got into a good rotation and the timing was perfect.”
Benson figures he’s hitting between 30-50 brush piles both during his FFS period and out of it. In it, he’s making one cast, and if he doesn’t see what he likes, he’s gone. Without FFS, it’s not much different. If he feels his lure hit the brush pile well and he didn’t get bit, he’s out.
“I’m fishing for aggressive fish,” Benson said.
Doing so has him in position for the biggest win of his career. Now it’s just about how aggressive the fish are and when he’ll use his FFS period the final day.
“That will be a big decision,” Benson said. “I’m fired up to get out there, though. On a lake like this, being less than a pound back, you can make ground up no problem in one cast.
“Yes, the fishing has been tough, but I definitely think there’s still a 20-pound bag out there. And even if someone doesn’t catch it, whoever wins tomorrow will have over 18 pounds.”
Top 10 pros
1. Blake Davenport – 35 – 4 (10)
2. Buddy Benson – 34 – 10 (10)
3. Delano Green Jr. – 32 – 6 (10)
4. Parker Guy – 31 – 3 (10)
5. Justin Barnes – 30 – 12 (10)
6. Brad Stalanaker – 30 – 12 (10)
7. Tyler Malone – 30 – 9 (10)
8. Austin Swindle – 30 – 8 (10)
9. Dylan Quilatan – 30 – 8 (10)
10. Jimmy Neece Jr. – 29 – 1 (10)