DANDRIDGE, Tenn. (June 4) -- Christiana Bradley found some sweet spots Friday on Douglas Lake during second-day action at the Bassmaster Southern Open, but she couldn't pull enough weight into her GEICO boat to advance through to the weekend.
Bradley added four fish totaling 4-pounds, 2-ounces to her Thursday catch of 6-pounds, 7-ounces for a combined nine-fish total of 10-pounds, 9-ounces, placing her below the cut-line for Saturday's proceedings.
"I guess I found some decent spots because I had several elite anglers fishing the same areas I was on during the tournament," Bradley said. "They must've found better techniques because they found the bigger fish and were able to get them in their boats.
"I noticed most of the guys at the top of the leaderboard were moving around a lot, certainly more than I was. I just never found anything worth jumping around for so I stayed put for most of the morning.
"With one hour to go I went to my 'panic spot,' which was a roadbed I found in practice where I knew I could catch fish on every cast. That held true, but they were either just a little bit short or barely keepers. I only had two short ones when I got there. I caught No. 4 with five minutes to go. I just couldn't get No. 5, so I ended up one fish shy of my limit."
Sizing up her position after opening day, Bradley changed her strategy for Friday. Unfortunately, shifting conditions kept her new plan from bearing much fruit.
"I had decided to fish deeper and vertically Friday," she said. "But the fish in my area suspended in the morning, making it more difficult to catch them. I hit some points to no avail. I tried my best every minute I was out there, it was just a tough tournament.
"I would be remiss if I didn't thank everyone at Smokey View Campground in Dandridge. My friend and I launched there during the tournament and they could not have been more supportive of us. They certainly served up some great Southern hospitality."
Up next, Bradley returns to the familiar waters of the Potomac River on June 26 for the LAPR Bass Series tournament, where she will fish with her husband Mike.