DETROIT, Mich. (June 30, 2018) – After catching the heaviest limit of what has already been a record-breaking event on Friday, Dylan Hays of Sheridan, Arkansas, added another limit of smallmouth bass weighing 22 pounds, 6 ounces, to move into the lead Saturday at the FLW Tournament at Lake St. Clair. The field is now trimmed to the final 10 pros for Championship Sunday, and Hays (15 bass, 72-3) will start with a 15-ounce lead over second-place pro Chad Grigsby of Maple Grove, Minnesota, (15 bass, 71-4) who led the first two days of competition. Also in striking distance in third place is the 2014 Forrest Wood Cup Champion, Brad Knight of Lancing, Tennessee, (15 bass, 70-6). Knight, who weighed in Saturday’s lone 25+ pound limit, has been sharing water with Hays throughout the week.
“We both found a pretty special area, and we’re having a lot of fun out there,” said Hays, who is fishing in his 14th career FLW Tour event. “Brad watched me catch them yesterday, and I watched him catch them today. I think it’s going to come down to whomever can catch 25 pounds tomorrow is going to win it.”
Hays said that the fishing was a little bit tougher Saturday, despite weighing his third-consecutive limit in excess of 22 pounds. On the first two days of competition he said he would catch 12 to 15 keepers each day and leave the area by 10:30 a.m. On Saturday he stayed in the area all day, but only managed a dozen keepers all day long.
“The biggest factor here has been trying to keep the smallmouth on,” Hays said. “They come up and jump, flip, windmill and somersault. I’ve lost my biggest fish every day this week and you can’t do that and win. But, luckily, there has been enough quality there to make up for it.
“It’s not one school of fish, but a bunch of little groups of fish,” Hays continued. “It really comes down to relocating them every day. Today, Brad found a school of 4- and 5-pounders. Yesterday, I found two key groups and had a big day.
“It’s nice to have a little cushion, but 15 ounces isn’t nothing here. I could catch 22 and Chad can catch 23, it’s no different. It’s all going to come down to who can get the best bite and put them in the boat.”
The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition on Lake St. Clair are:
1st: Dylan Hays, Sheridan, Ark., 15 bass, 72-3
2nd: Chad Grigsby, Maple Grove, Minn., 15 bass, 71-4
3rd: Brad Knight, Lancing, Tenn., 15 bass, 70-6
4th: Scott Dobson, Clarkston, Mich., 15 bass, 68-10
5th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 66-2
6th: Todd Castledine, Nacogdoches, Texas, 15 bass, 65-10
7th: Ryan Chandler, Hebron, Ind., 15 bass, 64-0
8th: Cody Hahner, Wausau, Wis., 15 bass, 63-11
9th: Joey Cifuentes, Clinton, Ark., 15 bass, 63-7
10th: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 15 bass, 62-15
Finishing in 11h through 30th are:
11th: Cody Meyer, Auburn, Calif., 15 bass, 62-6, $12,000
12th: Wes Logan, Springville, Ala., 15 bass, 62-6, $12,000
13th: Scott Canterbury, Odenville, Ala., 15 bass, 61-14, $12,000
14th: Chris Johnston, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 61-13, $12,000
15th: David Williams, Maiden, N.C., 15 bass, 61-10, $12,000
16th: Darrel Robertson, Jay, Okla., 14 bass, 60-7, $12,000
17th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 15 bass, 59-14, $12,000
18th: Matt Arey, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 59-13, $12,000
19th: Shane LeHew, Catawba, N.C., 15 bass, 59-10, $12,000
20th: Carl Jocumsen, Queensland, Australia, 15 bass, 59-4, $12,000
21st: Justin Atkins, Florence, Ala., 15 bass, 59-0, $10,000
22nd: Craig Rozema, Simpsonville, S.C., 15 bass, 58-8, $10,000
23rd: Miles Howe, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., 15 bass, 58-7, $10,000
24th: Clark Reehm, Elm Grove, La., 15 bass, 58-1, $10,000
25th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 15 bass, 57-13, $10,000
26th: Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., 15 bass, 56-13, $10,000
27th: J.T. Kenney, Palm Bay, Fla., 15 bass, 56-9, $10,000
28th: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 15 bass, 56-6, $10,000
29th: Clent Davis, Montevallo, Ala., 15 bass, 54-7, $10,000
30th: Jeff Dobson, Bartlesville, Okla., 15 bass, 54-2, $10,000
Overall there were 149 bass weighing 572 pounds, 15 ounces caught by pros Saturday, Twenty-nine of the final 30 pros were able to bring a five-bass limit to the scale. https://www.bassresource.com