Jack Wade, Knoxville, TN, first place:
"There are some quality fish in my area. Haven't fished it much, but seems to be best concentration. I'm fishing a big fish pattern, 25-pound line. I'm confident. I was in and out of there pretty quick. Caught another fish some place else, so I might have another little area."
Wade estimates the winning weight will be 40-something pounds. He is saving his one-fish spots until the last day of competition (Saturday).
He says he is both flipping and pitching aquatic weed beds with a black-and-blue Stanley jig teamed with a Zoom Big Chunk trailer. "I went to a softer weed guard to insure a good hookset today."
Mickey Bruce, Buford, GA, 2nd:
"I've led a couple of Classics the first day and ended up not in first. I feel good about what I'm doing. I feel fortunate to get a 5-7 bass to bite. I'm going to stick with a lure that got me to second place."
"I got off to a late start, but had a limit at 9:05. The first one that bit me when I changed areas was the 5-7. It was in a little different area than what I had been fishing. I keyed in to what was happening. I used that to get the other 4-pound bites I got today."
"I believe that we (Wade) are pretty close to same area. Not a hole, an area. I think quite a few fish are in this area.
"I'm fishing grass. It's got something to do with why the fish are there. Obviously though it has got something a little different or everyone would have 5 fish limits."
Davey Hite 3rd:
"I've got an area where I'm the only bass boat around. It's the only area where I could catch quality fish. I didn't fish it practice day. I didn't know if I would catch fish because I hadn't fished it in a month. But I thought it was the place that I could win the tournament. The Quality fish are there. It's just a matter of executing. There's a variety of cover there so I'm throwing different baits. If the fish will cooperate, I've got a real good chance.
Hite caught 8 or 9 keepers. "I found better places for numbers, but no where near the quality." He wouldn't reveal what bait he was using, however. "Cover dictates what I'm throwing."
Michael Iaconelli, Runnemede, NJ, fourth place:
"I just love to fish. It feels natural to me to fish at this level. The Wrangler National event is a mini-Classic and it set me up for this event, so I'm not as intimidated. I love to tournament fish; To go out and fish hard for 3 days.
"I stayed 100 percent with my game plan. I found 2 areas that I liked in pre-practice, but the big question was would quality hold up, and it did today. I'm in an area with a lot of fish and fishing my style. I'm a power fisherman. I'm going out next two days with same game plan.
"I'm not fishing a specific area. just covering a lot of water. I'm fishing a jig that I designed myself. A real flat head and unique action compared to other jigs. The jig isn't necessarily key to catching big fish. It's just good under the given conditions." I'm also using a crankbait and a spinnerbait.
"I think my chances are really good (to beat the pros). A fisherman is a fisherman. I Try not to let the other fishermen enter my mind. I concentrate on what I can control. I feel more confident that way."
Denny Brauer, Camdenton, MO fifth place:
"I didn't know how the day would go. I Didn't have good luck pre-fishing so I didn't have a confidence area. The practice day was important, I got two fish to bite so I went there. I had most of my weight today by 8 a.m. I don't know if I have area to win the tournament. I have to fish the best tournament I've ever fished to win. The fish are there, I think. I'm going to stick with this area. I'm flipping vegetation with a 1/2-ounce jig. All of my fish came on that."
"I didn't feel I needed an early bite so I was pleasantly surprised today. It helps. It slows you down once you get those five fish in the boat."
"I'm not running quite as far as these other guys are. An hour and a half away seems to be where most of fish are being caught."