Bassmaster Elite Wild Card Day Two, Baker Rising

Shaye Baker Ready to go on Day 3 by Shaye Baker Ready to go on Day 3...

Shaye Baker maintained his lead at the Bassmaster Classic Wild Card event on Lake Okeechobee in Florida. His two-day total is 48 pounds 14 ounces, giving him a lead of 5 pounds 13 ounces over Plano pro Chad Morgenthaler who has 43 pounds 1 ounce. Phoenix Boats pro Jesse Tacoronte is sitting in third with 39 pounds 15 ounces. Rounding out the Top 5 are Yamaha pro Russ Lane with 39 pounds 6 ounces and Phoenix Boats pro Gary Clouse weighing 36 pounds 8 ounces. getimage article show.aspx

Baker nervous about the lead.

"I love this place," said Baker. "From my first trip down here, I knew I'd come back. I've been back here for six years. God blessed this place for sure. It is my favorite lake.

"I don't know about today. I left the door open a little today. I'm glad I'm in the position I am in. This tournament is mine to lose. It is a scary position to be in."

The pressure is on Morgenthaler's fish.

"This has been an interesting tournament so far," said Morgenthaler. "There is a lot of pressure on the areas I am fishing. I moved around quite a bit. I tried to figure out something different. I watched my areas get beat up for tomorrow. "I am getting a lot of bites. I lost one really, really big one, but that's how it goes here. You're not going to catch everything you hook where I am flipping. Hopefully tomorrow I can catch one of those 30-pound limits. I want one of those real bad."

Tacoronte searching for new water.

"I am flipping," said Tacoronte. "I am catching all of my fish flipping. I quit my areas by noon each day and look for new water. There is a lot of new water to fish."

Lane a bit disappointed.

"Gosh I wanted 20 pounds today," said Lane. "I had no chance at big ones. I had to weigh a couple of little ones today. I'm still around big fish, I think. You never know what can happen here. I was just two flips away from 25 pounds today."