Taku Ito is doing what he does best, which is using Japanese finesse baits and tactics in deep water. He found that on a textbook hump on the edge of the river channel.
With one eye on his electronics, the other on his rod tip, Ito moved into 3rd place yesterday on the leaderboard. This morning, he returned to the same area, with BassTrakk showing him presently in 12th place with just two fish in the livewell for a combined weight of 3-8.
Ito would be way up the leaderboard, likely inside the Top 3, had he landed the largemouth estimated by Andy Crawford to weigh around 5 pounds. These photos show Ito’s reaction to the swing-and-miss moment.