Former Bassmaster Classic champ and Yamaha pro Mark Davis from Mount Ida, Arkansas slid up one spot today to take the lead with a total of 42 pounds 11 ounces at the Plano Championship Chase Bassmaster Elite Series event at LakeSt. Clair out of Detroit, Michigan after Day 2.
Brutal runs were part of Davis'program as they were for Mercury pro Aaron Martens of Leeds, Alabama, who moved up one spot to second with a two-day bag of 41 pounds, 7 ounces.
Martens move up also placed him in charge to take the coveted Angler of the Year (AoY) title. Bassmaster fans will find out tomorrow if Martens takes his second AoY.
Rounding out the Top 5 were Shimano pro Kotaro Kiriyama of Moody, Alabama, with 40 pounds 7 ounces, Power-Pole pro Chris Lane from Guntersville, Alabama,
weighing 39 pounds 10 ounces, and Ranger pro Keith Combs of Huntington, Texas, with 39 pounds 10 ounces.
Davis is not sure where he is fishing.
"I'm fishing one little spot that is on my GPS," said Davis. "It's out in Lake Erie. I couldn't tell ya where it's. It's a long way out there. A lot of the younger fellas are telling me it's not like me making such a long run. It is a big gamble, but I have a lot of confidence in my equipment to get me there and back.
"I'm not superstitious, but if you brag too much it can have a negative impact. I can tell you I jumped a 6-pounder off. I'm on the right fish to win. I'm not saying I'm gonna win, but I'm on the right fish."
Martens had a slower day.
"I had about half the bites today," said Martens. "It was a lot slower today. I caught about eight or nine keepers."
"It blew hard out there today for about three or four hours. My feet were really wet. There were a lot of white caps out there."
"When you are smallmouth fishing those fish can move. It is hard to say if that is what happened today or if the big schools of big fish are still there."
The AoY is on Martens' mind.
"I try not to think about the Angler of the Year," said Martens. "I can't back off at all. I worked out a couple of weeks to get in shape for this. Lots of core exercises."
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