LAGRANGE, Ga. (Feb. 17, 2006) - Pro Terry Tucker of Gadsden, Ala., caught a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 11 ounces to lead day three of the Stren Series Southeast Division bass fishing tournament on West Point Lake.
Tucker's substantial lead is impressive, particularly on a day in a tough tournament when the bite got even tougher. "I'm working a small, three-acre area with a creek channel coming into it. The bite has slowed down a lot. But I caught my limit pretty early this morning and was able to cull a few times."
Like many pros on a successful pattern this week, Tucker has been catching his bass up shallow on crankbaits, though he said he's caught a few while flipping as well. "I need more sunshine," Tucker said of impending rain for Saturday. "I don't know what's going to happen. But I've got another place in mind to try."
Rounding out the top five pros are Barry Isbell of Trussville, Ala. (three bass, 8 pounds, 11 ounces); Charles Pearson of Auburn, Ala. (four bass, 8 pounds, 3 ounces); Patrick Hailstones of Cincinnati, Ohio (three bass, 6 pounds, 10 ounces); and Artie Phillips of Monroe, N.C. (three bass, 6 pounds, 9 ounces).
Nathan Fuller of Hillsboro, Ga., leads the Co-angler Division in the chase for a top award worth as much as $35,000, including a 519VX Ranger if contingency guidelines are met. Fuller only caught one bass, but it weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces.
The big bass fell for a 3/8-ounce jig fished shallow along a rocky bank. "I only had two bites all day," Fuller said. "But I got lucky that one of them was a good one."
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Clinton McClure of Gosport, Ind. (one bass, 6 pounds, 14 ounces); Rodger Ray of Social Circle, Ga. (four bass, 5 pounds, 14 ounces); Thomas Shafer of Pine City, N.Y. (one bass, 4 pounds, 11 ounces); and Richard Mitchell of Appling, Ga. (two bass, 3 pounds, 13 ounces).
Stren Series tournaments are four-day events consisting of three rounds. The entire field competes Wednesday and Thursday, and the top 20 pros and co-anglers - based on two-day accumulated weights - advance to day three. Anglers start at zero Thursday and compete for 10 spots in each division in the final round. Winners are determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.