WOO DAVES 1ST PLACE 21-5 : "The biggest key is using light line. I am using 6-pound Stren line. A lot of guys are using 8 or 12."
"I think that I will go to bed early and get a good night's sleep. I've been here before. It's not going to bother me. I looked at others up here, and I think that Shaw Grigsby probably is the only other one that will sleep. The lead is not insurmountable. These guys can catch fish in bathtubs. They have a lot of knowledge and you better be scared of them. They are all great fishermen."
"I missed two years (at the Classic) and I've led a couple of them. I'm 54, oldest man in the Classic, and I was youngest in 1975, so I've come full cycle. I've been there (close) a lot of times, but it seems it always slips away. I've fished well in them."
"I thought that I caught them all yesterday. I lost one fish yesterday, which I didn't see. It could have been anything. I changed boat positioning today and I'm hoping it will work tomorrow. The smallmouth change according to the wind. I caught two fish and didn't catch any others, so I repositioned the boat and caught those big ones. Then I pulled off and just guarded the area. The fish are moving up and down a piece of structure with plenty of zebra mussels. You have to keep looking until you find them. I know that I left two there that I saw swimming around."
"I'm using a Zoom tube on 1/8, 3/16 and 3/8 jig heads, depending on conditions. I'm fishing it around a little grass and manmade rock piles in Lake Michigan."
SHAW GRIGSBY 2ND PLACE 17-1 : "I think what's happening is the wind and weather limits what you can do. You make a choice, and you don't have much running room. Today I went south, and got stuck there. You can't adjust. You are limited."
"I have this rock shoal that fish are on. Nice quality, 3 pounds a piece. I thought that I could catch nice fish. On the first day, the tall waves were cresting, like on a beach, which made the water real stained and muddy. I threw baits all around and didn't get a bite and lost my faith in the area. On the first day, went north and managed to get a limit. I went south to that shoal today, and they were there."
"I'm mixing it up. If can get out to that area, I think that I can catch them. I missed a nice big smallmouth today on a spinnerbait. If Dewey lets us launch out of there, I'll have a shot. Hopefully the wind won't blow too hard."
"I think that fishery is a lot better than it is showing. In good conditions, I think that you'd be seeing 12- to 15-pound stringers. I have drunk a lot of Lake Michigan. I'm glad they cleaned this place up."
"I'm throwing spinnerbaits and tubes on 10-pound green Stren line around rocks and a lot of zebra mussels. I'm not having a problem getting them to bite. I just can't fish (because of the conditions)."
"I do a lot of saltwater fishing and we have to put up with a ton of wind and waves. It's pretty much the same thing. But this seems to affect the fish more. They might hunker down in cracks and crevices or reposition or just stop biting. You can't catch them in really high waves."
MARK RIZK 3RD PLACE 16-10 : "I'm fishing a little of the lake and a little of the river. I didn't get much of the lake in today. For me, it can go either way. I'm not really up to going out there and fishing in 6- and 8-foot swells.We have some big water out West, but nothing like this."
"I think that this tournament can be won in either place (lake or river). I stumbled onto something today; a big group of feeding fish that was going crazy. It can be won in either place if you happen into the right place at the right time."
"I'm using stuff I've never used before. I'm not much of a smallmouth fisherman. I learned to fish on Clear Lake in the Delta. I'm a heavy lure, heavy line fanatic. I'm using 4-inch worms here, and tube baits, something I don't normally use."
"A lot of boats are in the area that I'm fishing. I'm catching a mixed bag. Three or four of the top ten are in the area that I'm fishing."
NORIO TANABE TIED FOR FOURTH 16-6 : "I'm fishing in the Chicago River. I have a few patterns, but always trying in the morning for smallmouth, but couldn't get the bite. I tried Calumet River yesterday morning, but couldn't get any smallmouth, so I decided to go for largemouth bass. I'm fishing in the downtown area, many people are watching."
"I'm using a 5-inch grub (Palomax?). I caught 10 keepers yesterday, 7 today. I'm using spinning tackle with 8-pound line. I'm cranking the grub. Most of my fish are in less than 5 feet, even in water depth of 20 feet, suspended fish."
"It's very difficult to win with largemouths. I have tried to catch smallmouths in the morning, but couldn't. If I have a chance to go out tomorrow, I will try again for smallmouths. The maximum limit of largemouths in Chicago River is probably 10 or 11 pounds."
RICK CLUNN TIED FOR FOURTH 16-6 : "I'm the only survivor from yesterday. My strategy is similar to a lot of people's, except Woo. Most of the rest of us haven't had much luck with smallmouths. I'm seeing some good ones, but I'm not tuned in enough to get them to bite. I didn't fish for them today because it's too rough to fish for them on the way back. I'll probably will try same strategy again tomorrow."
"I'm cranking for my largemouths and using a jerkbait for the smallmouths. Woo is finessing them. I'm trying power baits. Maybe that is my problem."
"A lot of what I do tomorrow will be dictated by wind. Too many things can happen here. It's unpredictable. Wood is going to have to help us. It is his to win. If he stumbles, there's no telling who will win."
"This Classic has showcased the largemouth potential. The smallmouth fishery hasn't been close to being showcased. It's not an enormous population, but I think the ones there are quality."
"I think this is a good event, not an easy event. I like tough events that force you to use all your mental and physical resources."