The field is now trimmed to the final 10 pros for Sunday, and Latimer (15 bass, 59-12) will start with a slim 1-pound, 10-ounce lead over second-place pro Braxton Setzer of Montgomery, Alabama, (15 bass, 58-2) who led the first day of competition. Also in striking distance is Sheldon Collings of Grove, Oklahoma, (15 bass, 56-2) who sits in third place. The four-day competition features 165 of the world’s best bass-fishing anglers competing for a top cash award of up to $125,000.
“It might look like I had a really good day, but I only caught six fish,” said Latimer, who is fishing in his 26th career FLW Tour event. “I had nothing until 10 a.m., then I just started catching them slowly, one at a time, like every hour. I knew that if I could ever get five bites in the area I was fishing that I’d catch 20+ pounds, and today that finally happened.”
Latimer put a charge into the FLW Live broadcast Saturday morning, boating a 6-pounder on a wacky-rig two hours into the broadcast. He stayed in the same area for the entire day, grinding out six keepers.
“The current had pushed a lot of muddy water out of my area and it was crystal clear this morning,” Latimer said. “They wouldn’t bite flipping, so I had to go with the wacky rig. Tomorrow, unless the wind blows all night, it should be clear so I’ll start with the wacky-rig again. If the wind picks up and blows in muddy water from the river then I’ll have to pick them off by flipping.”
Latimer is already guaranteed to have the highest finish of his young career this week, yet seemed to have the confidence of an angler that has been fishing for many years. When asked about any nerves heading into the final day, the South Carolina pro said he had nothing to worry about.
“I’ve got no nerves – I’ve got one place to fish and two baits to throw. If I stay focused, land my bites and catch five, I think I can do it again. Fishing is momentum, and right now everything is working out right for me. I really feel like I can catch them again.”
The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition Sunday on Lake Seminole are:
1st: Brian Latimer, Belton, S.C., 15 bass, 59-12
2nd: Braxton Setzer, Montgomery, Ala., 12 bass, 58-2
3rd: Sheldon Collings, Grove, Okla., 15 bass, 56-2
4th: Rob Kilby, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 55-9
5th: Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., 15 bass, 48-14
6th: Hunter Freeman, Monroe, La., 14 bass, 47-10
7th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 15 bass, 46-13
8th: Bradford Beavers, Summerville, S.C., 12 bass, 46-10
9th: Miles Howe, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., 14 bass, 45-6
10th: Terry Bolton, Benton, Ky., 15 bass, 45-4
Finishing in 11th through 30th are:
11th: Buddy Gross, Chickamauga, Ga., 12 bass, 45-4, $12,000
12th: Greg Bohannan, Bentonville, Ark., 15 bass, 44-14, $12,000
13th: Jason Abram, Piney Flats, Tenn., 15 bass, 44-1, $12,000
14th: Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark., 15 bass, 43-2, $12,000
15th: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 15 bass, 42-8, $12,000
16th: Kurt Mitchell, Milford, Del., 11 bass, 42-4, $11,500
17th: Jared McMillan, Belle Glade, Fla., 15 bass, 42-1, $11,500
18th: Chris McCall, Palmer, Texas, 14 bass, 40-14, $11,500
19th: Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., 15 bass, 39-12, $11,500
20th: Tyler Woolcott, Port Orange, Fla., 10 bass, 37-13, $11,500
21st: Miles Burghoff, Hixson, Tenn., 14 bass, 36-9, $10,500
22nd: Jimmy Brewer, Marshall, Texas, 13 bass, 36-6, $10,500
23rd: Tommy Dickerson, Orange, Texas, 14 bass, 35-15, $10,500
24th: Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., nine bass, 35-14, $10,500
25th: Russell Cecil, Willis, Texas, 14 bass, 35-13, $10,500
26th: Jacob Wall, Jacksonville, Ore., 12 bass, 34-5, $10,500
27th: Andy Young, Isle, Minn., 13 bass, 32-10, $10,500
28th: Kurt Dove, Del Rio, Texas, nine bass, 32-8, $10,500
29th: Dylan Hays, El Dorado, Ark., 12 bass, 30-12, $10,500
30th: Matt Reed, Madisonville, Texas, 11 bass, 28-7, $10,500
Overall there were 119 bass weighing 322 pounds even caught by pros Saturday, Of the final 30 pros, 18 of them were able to bring a five-bass limit to the scale.