PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Rain fell like mad onto Lake Champlain, weights fell slightly and the Bassmaster Elite Series anglers all fell further behind leader Timmy Horton. Here was the day in quotes from the Champion's Choice presented by Toyota Tundra:
"I didn't get a good limit until the sun came out this morning. When it did I started making good decisions and my partner and I started catching them like crazy."
— Kotaro Kiriyama on his Day Two catch that put him in 15th place and vaulted co-angler George Fiorille into second place
"I ran all the way down to Ticonderoga, went to the rod box. It was locked, and I realized my wife had the keys to it back in the truck. It went downhill from there."
— Bill Lowen on his Friday the 13th experience
"The depthfinder on my front deck went out this morning so I was pretty much fishing blind today."
— Bryan Hudgins, who fell from a tie for fourth after Day One to 57th place, on his Friday the 13th experience
"It was Friday the 13th for me today. I just didn't fish very well. Obviously Timmy (Horton) didn't realize what day it was."
— Davey Hite, who has been sharing water with Horton this week, on his Friday the 13th experience. Hite fell from a tie for fourth to 38th place on Day Two
"I got my schedule for 2008 recently and saw that this lake wasn't on it. I've had a field day every single time here. Y'all take care of it. It's something special."
— Cliff Pace
"I've missed the cut in five tournaments by a pound-and-a-half or less, and it looks like it might be six."
— Marty Stone, who squeaked in the top 50 in 49th place.
"This lake is still keeping me down. This'll be the smallest limit of the tournament."
— Gerald Swindle, as he looked at the scales, which locked in at 8 pounds, 3 ounces. (Follow-up from Swindle: "If y'all don't think I'm getting drunk tonight, you're crazy.")
"Yesterday I told you I liked to catch smallmouths. Today I just like them a lot more."
— Ken Cook, who leapt from 64th to 17th on the strength of an 18-7 all-smallmouth limit.
"I noticed there were a few big fish around where I was today and hopefully I can get a few of them tomorrow."
— Matt Sphar, who fished smallmouths both days to qualify for Saturday in 28th place.
"I'm just kind of fell off of the pace today. Timmy's got a big lead on us."
— A visibly disappointed Edwin Evers, who fell from 3-12 off the lead to 13-4 back after Day Two
"I don't have any excuses for yesterday (11-0 for 94th place). I just stunk the joint out, but at least I made up for it today."
— John Crews, who didn't make the cut but rallied to climb to 59th with a 16-2 Day Two bag
"That's the problem with coming up north. You get locked on catching those things."
— Stone, who blamed some of his small weights on the fun of catching smallmouth over largemouth
"It's hard, man. The hardest part of fishing is knowing what to do."
— Aaron Martens
"That's the best Skeet's ever looked."
"— Greg Hackney, when told the local newspaper ran a front-page photo of him this morning yet identified him as fellow angler Skeet Reese