Jay Przekurat not only leads the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings, he’s jumped into the top 10 of the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race. The 22-year-old, Stevens Point, Wis., resident made it three-for-three in Day 2/top 47 cuts with a 24th-place finish at the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes.
Przekurat (pronounced “shuh-kur-at”) is clearly a quick study. He hadn’t been to Santee Cooper’s 170,000 surface acres prior to the three-day practice period before the tournament. After the first day of the tournament, he was in a three-way tie for 49th place with 15 pounds, 8 ounces.
“Late that day I found a bunch of fish that were pulling up to spawn,” he said. “But they weren’t ready. There were a handful of big ones.”
They weren’t ready for most of Day 2 either, but Przekurat didn’t lose patience, saying, “I sat on my area for four or five hours, and they would not go. That last hour before I came in was magical. I had maybe 11 or 12 pounds before I caught three kickers.”
He weighed 24-8 on Day 2 and easily made the cut in 15th place. He finished in 24th place in the final Santee Cooper standings, adding to his early-season accomplishments of 33rd place in the season opener at Florida’s St. Johns River and 14th place the following week at Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes.
“Winning Rookie of the Year and making the (Bassmaster) Classic, those were my two goals this season, so I’m on track for it,” said Przekurat, who now ranks ninth in AOY points.
Two other Elite Series rookies made the Day 2 cut at Santee Cooper Lakes. Joseph Webster, the “old man” of the 10 rookies at age 47, finished 16th. He moved into second place in the Rookie of the Year standings with 183 points, 49 points behind Przekurat. Jonathan Kelley, 26, of Old Forge, Pa., finished 26th and is now third in ROY points.
The following are the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings after three Elite Series events of the nine-tournament schedule:
| Angler | Hometown | Points |
| 1. Jay Przekurat | Stevens Point, WI | 232 |
| 2. Joseph Webster | Hamilton, AL | 183 |
| 3. Jonathan Kelley | Old Forge, PA | 167 |
| 4. Masayuki Matsushita | Tokoname-Shi, JPN | 150 |
| 5. Cody Huff | Ava, MO | 131 |
| 6. Josh Douglas | Isle, MN | 130 |
| 7. Jacob Foutz | Charleston, TN | 102 |
| 8. Matty Wong | Collinsville, TX | 96 |
| 9. Alex Redwine | Blue Ash, OH | 76 |
| 10. Daisuke Aoki | Minamitsurugun Yamanashi, JPN | 51 |