![Keith Combs fished against Brett Hite on Tuesday. He began just a half-mile from takeoff, where a kayaker came by to check him out.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5291.jpg)
![Just 50 feet away, another angler stopped to fish.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5295.jpg)
![Combs moved to a nearby marina and immediately hooked up.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5301.jpg)
![But this one was a dink and he released it into the Niagara River without measuring it.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5319.jpg)
![He then moved carefully down the bank and fished near a drainage pipe.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5328.jpg)
![Combs slowed down just long enough for a group of waterfowl to watch him fish.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5333.jpg)
![Combs then hooks up with a fish that appeared to be a keeper.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5340.jpg)
![This one battled him all the way to the boat.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5345.jpg)
![Combs had been fishing for 90 minutes and was excited to hook up with a bigger bass.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5352.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5353.jpg)
![Bassmaster official Alan Pierce tried to stay out of the way.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5364.jpg)
![They measured the bass in at 2 pounds, 5 ounces.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5371.jpg)
![Combs was glad to get his first bass of the day onto the leaderboard.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5382.jpg)
![Soon after he caught another dink.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5389.jpg)
![And he decided it might be time for a different bait.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5397.jpg)
![Combs then fished close to the bank, weaving in and out of some low hanging branches.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5419.jpg)
![He then moved back across the river and hooked up with his second keeper class bass.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5423.jpg)
![He very carefully worked this one close to the boat.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5427.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5428.jpg)
![And quickly flipped it into the boat.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5429.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5431.jpg)
![In the Toyota Angler Of the Year race, Combs sits in second place. He clearly knows how to land a healthy smallmouth.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5432.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5433.jpg)
![He moved toward the Bassmaster official to weigh this beauty.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5439.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5441.jpg)
![But then noticed his boat drifting toward the seawall.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5445.jpg)
![Combs ran back to the front of the boat and trolled his way out of danger.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5455.jpg)
![Now letâs weigh the fish for real.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5457.jpg)
![Another nice smallmouth!](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5465.jpg)
![Without wasting any time, Combs blasted off for his next spot.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5467.jpg)
![He quickly caught another non-keeper.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5480.jpg)
![And moved on down the bank, where a spectator watched his every move.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5484.jpg)
![A spectator of a different species tried to act like he wasnât paying attention.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5492.jpg)
![Before long Combs connected with another healthy smallmouth.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5493.jpg)
![Waves generated by a pleasure boater threatened get the angler wet, but Combs was focused on something else.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5505.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5511.jpg)
![Combs treated this bass with kid gloves, carefully working it toward the boat.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5512.jpg)
![He may have know this was his best bass of the day.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5521.jpg)
![Oh yeah, this one will measure.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5522.jpg)
![He struggled for a minute to get work the bait free.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5534.jpg)
![This smallmouth weighed in at 3 pounds, 9 ounces. It was the big bass of the day.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5547-2.jpg)
![A nearby spectator watched the drama unfold.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5550.jpg)
![Minutes later, time was up, and Combs headed to the house.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5562.jpg)
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