Jake Whitaker is off to a fast start on semifinal Saturday of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite on Lake Oahe. He landed a 2-8 smallmouth at 7:30, and caught a 1-0 about 10 minutes later. Shortly after, his third keeper entered the boat.
Unofficially, Whitaker has three keepers weighing 4-8 on BassTrakk. He has had the area to himself for the first 30 minutes or so, but Caleb Sumrall has joined him now. Whitaker began the day in 10th-place with 33-3 total, 4-9 behind leader Chris Johnston. He is intently watching his Active Target sonar.
“In practice you could throw on a lot of these fish and get them to bite,” he said. “In the tournament I have had to stay off them and drag a Ned rig to them. If I see them and can’t get them to bite, I’ll drift over them and that has seemed to work.”
