There’s an 11-man rookie class competing in the Bassmaster Elite Series this year, and after three events, Will Davis Jr. and Kyoya Fujita are at the top of the class. With all the accolades Fujita has drawn with recent back-to-back second-place and third-place finishes at Lake Seminole and Lake Murray, respectively, you might be surprised to find him tied with Davis at 231 points each.
However, the Bassmaster Rookie of the Year award is a nine-tournament marathon that rewards the steady. And so far, Davis, who is from Sylacauga, Ala., has been the steadiest, posting finishes of 14th at Lake Okeechobee, 26th at Lake Seminole and 44th at Lake Murray. Fujita, from Minamitsuru, Japan, placed 79th is his Elite Series opener at Lake Okeechobee.
While they are tied in total Angler of the Year points with 231 each, Davis is first in the rookie race based on the tiebreaker. So, this is an opportune time to mention the method used to break all ties in AOY points. It’s based on total weight caught on full field days (Days 1 and 2) during the nine-tournament season. Davis has weighed 105 pounds, 1 ounce on Days 1 and 2 through three tournaments. Fujita’s total is 102-7.
It took only two tournaments for everyone to realize the strength of this rookie class. It was at Georgia’s Lake Seminole when rookie Joey Cifuentes III won and Fujita finished second. Cifuentes, who is from Clinton, Ark., is fourth in the ROY standings with 203 points, three points behind David Gaston of Sylacauga, Ala., and Bryant Smith of Roseville, Calif., is one point behind Cifuentes.
After the 2022 season, Jay Przekurat of Stevens Point, Wis., set a high bar for Elite Series rookies. It was capped when he won the Elite Series tournament at the St. Lawrence River, becoming the first to top 100 pounds with all smallmouth bass. Przekurat’s total weight was 102-9. In addition to his rookie title, Przekurat finished finished 10th in AOY points.
Three tournaments into the 2023 season, it’s clear that this rookie class has that type of talent too.
Editor’s note: 2023 Rookie of the Year standings
