Sunny, clear, and calm. These are the conditions that greeted the Top 50 anglers competing on Day 3 of the 2023 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes. But tomorrow’s outlook is much different.
Fifty anglers vie for just 10 spots to go out and fish tomorrow. Those that make it will be faced with storms and fierce winds. Twenty-five mile-per-hour winds are predicted for tomorrow. And even if the anglers get to go fishing, the conditions will be vastly different from what they’ve fished so far.
With uncertainty on the horizon, the leaders likely won’t lay off today. Typically someone towards the very top of the leaderboard will try to save some fish, once they’re confident they have enough in the livewell to advance. Not today. The wind will wreck the sight fishing deal Drew Cook and Drew Benton are doing. And the open water antics of Paul Mueller and leader Matt Robertson will be hard to execute as they bob up and down in 3-foot waves. Ever tried skipping a cypress tree in heavy wind? Me neither, but I can’t imagine it makes for easy fishing.
No, the guys won’t let up today. Pedal to the metal til the day is done. Tune in to watch it go down.
