Elite

Aoki on ’em early Day 3

Watch as Daisuke Aoki works to retake the lead Day 3 of the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake!

Posted on
Photography by
Andy Crawford
Daisuke Aoki left the ramp this morning just an ounce behind leader Matt Robertson, and the Japanese angler headed straight for the pocket off a down-lake creek that has helped him build a two-day weight of 40 pounds, 4 ounces. Follow along as Aoki works to retake the lead.
It didn’t take long for the first bite as Aoki worked a wacky rig down a rocky bank.
It wasn’t a lunker.
But after checking to ensure the bass was at least 15 inches long, Aoki put his first fish in the livewell.
Aoki checked his wacky rig, which he was working quickly away from the bank. He was reeling slowly but steadily as he covered water.
Aoki had the pocket to himself, except for a couple of local anglers who were checking the banks of the pocket.
Aoki then went on a flurry, catching a number of fish.
Unfortunately, none of them were keepers.
The bites came rapidly, however.
Aoki was casting his wacky rig close to the rocky bank, slowing down when he found wood inthe water.
The flurry continued, but again the fish were small.
Finally, before even making one round in the pocket, Aoki decided he need to make a move.
He slid his boat through the culvert and headed to the main lake.
We caught up with Aoki again in a bay off the main lake. He was in the middle of the bay working a hump with his wacky rig.
The wind had picked up a bite, chopping up the surface. Sleet blew through every now and then.
The hump he was fishing was apparently covered with moss.
The move was productive. He had already boxed three more keepers before we caught up with him again. They weren’t huge, but they were solid 2-pounders.
Fellow Elite angler Chris Johnston also was in the bay, but he was fishing another area closer to the bank.
Aoki made circles around the hump, casting his wacky rig and working it steadily back to the boat.
A few minutes after we set up, Aoki set the hook again.
Aoki was about to lip the bass when the fish decided it wasn’t quite ready to go for a ride.
But finally, Aoki was able to grab the bass and swing in over the gunnel. That put him at four bass in the livewell.
That bass filled out his limit, and edged him into the lead, according to BASSTrakk.
A couple of casts later, he set the hook on another bass.
This one turned out to be a much better fish, and it was apparent it wasn’t happy about being at the end of Aoki’s line.
Aoki struggled to work the bass and control his boat to ensure the fish didn’t get hung up in the trolling motor.
He finally had the bass in position to safely lip it.
Aoki was so excited he held up the bass to a drone being flown over him as part of BASS Live.
This chunky bass rounded out his limit and put Aoki in the lead, according to BASSTrakk.
And then he was quickly hooked up again.
When this fish surfaced in front of the boat, it was clear this was a bass Aoki really needed to land.
The fish forced Aoki to run around the boat in an attempt to subdue the bass.
And then Aoki had the bass in hand.
All the angler could do was sit there holding the thrashing bass.
After gathering himself, it was time to celebrate.
This bass had some girth on it. Aoki entered the bass as a 5-pounder.
That padded his lead, with a nice cull up.

Related