Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner Lyons & Ben Kennedy
On day one, 26 anglers weighed in five fish limits. On day two, the number fell to 19 limits. Only 15 anglers have caught a limit two consecutive days in a row. Of those 15 anglers, Gary Adkins in 17th place is the lowest finisher. With fall transition and bluebird sunny skies, the fishing has been tough in Oklahoma, but the anglers who have figured out a way to catch a limit have risen to the top.
Georgia pro Trent Palmer spent almost his entire practice period fishing shallow. On the final day, he located some offshore brush and it changed the outlook of his tournament. With little to go off on days one and two, Palmer has run and gun his way to a two-plus pound lead going into Showdown Saturday.
“I have been practicing, idling looking for bass, for two hours or more so far the first couple days,” he said. “The pressure in my main areas got a lot worse on day two and I am hopeful some of that will dwindle for the final day.”
Behind him, second through fourth is tight, with only six ounces separating the three anglers, Will Harkins, Marc Schilling, and Brandon Perkins. Behind Perkins, Louis Fernandes rounds out the top five with 14 pounds, 9 ounces.
Here is a look at the top ten:
Trent Palmer – 28-5
Will Harkins – 25-15
Marc Schilling – 25-13
Brandon Perkins – 25-9
Louis Fernandes – 24-9
Ron Johnson 24-7
Stephanie Hemphill-Pellerin 24-1
Patrick Walters 23-13
Mike Corbishley 23-11
Jason Wilson 23-2
Progressive AOY Race
Todd Goade has continued to catch fish all season and sits in the 14th-place spot at launch this morning. Goade’s plan coming into the event was simple and the AOY race was definitely on his mind.
“My goals this week are to catch five fish a day, weigh in a limit, and get within that top 10,” he said.
So far, he has done just that, and with one day to go, one bite can slide him into where he wants to be.
Other anglers catching fish this week will shake up the standings. Will Harkins and Brandon Perkins were near the top to start the event and after two good days of fishing on Eufaula, both will have a shot today to build and add to their points.
Timmy Reams was in second place coming in and after a tougher day one, his double-digit limit on day two moved him way up in the tournament standings to 31st, currently. One more good day, and one bigger bite, and Reams, who was ten points back of Goade will be right in the mix at the final event on Lake Lanier.
Trent Palmer and Patrick Walters have also fished their way up in the standings. Walters, who began the event in 11th place in the AOY despite missing an event due to scheduling conflicts, will secure a spot in the Championship with a decent showing at Lanier. For Palmer, getting a shot at one of his home lakes would be all he could ask for.
Weather Watch
The one consistent this week has been the weather. Despite changes from practice, the low winds, high sun, and blue bird skies have given the anglers a great week. The launch is around 70 degrees with highs expected to hit near 90 degrees on the day.
How to Watch
Tune in for the final-day action from Lake Eufaula, with Live Coverage here and on the FREE PHYX TV App.
Follow along and watch the daily LIVE Leaderboard, LIVE Blog, and on-the-water photo galleries and blogs of the anglers on Lake Eufaula.
Under the Go Live Tab, choose LIVE Broadcast or check out the real-time leaderboard on the Weigh Live Tracker with estimated weights entered by the anglers on the water and be sure to join us for the LIVE Weigh-in.
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