Those predictions proved to be correct, as it took less than 20 pounds on Friday to claim a spot atop the TTBC leaderboard. Texas’ Todd Faircloth and Minnesota’s Jim Moynagh led the charge, each boating a 17 pound limit to tie for the day one lead.
Faircloth, an Elite Series pro, and Moynagh, an FLW Tour pro, spent the majority of the 2012 season battling for the Angler Of the Year title on their respective tours, and both anglers eventually finished the season in 4th place in AOY standings.
Bryan Thrift finished the day in 3rd place with a limit weighing 16 pounds, 12 ounces. While both Faircloth and Moynagh relied on consistent quality to climb the leaderboard, Thrift’s catch was anchored by a 6.22 pound kicker largemouth that came early on Friday morning.
4th place belonged to Keith Combs, the defending TTBC champion. With a limit weighing 15 pounds, 12 ounces, the Texas pro would have been vying for the lead had it not been for a missed opportunity with a largemouth that he estimated at 5 pounds.
ATX Wheels Big Bass went to Brandon Card, who lit up the Live Scoring early on Friday with a 7.51 pound largemouth.
After winning the 2011 TTBC in sudden-death overtime, Texas’ Keith Combs wasn’t shy about expressing his desire to become the first angler to successfully defend his TTBC title this year on Lake Conroe. While his 15 pound, 12 ounce effort on Friday was a far cry from the shocking 28 pound, 8 ounce limit that he amassed during the first round of TTBC competition in 2011, it was enough to finish the day in 4th place, well within striking distance of the tournament leaders. “I wasn’t sandbagging when I said that my practice was tough,” explained Combs. “The thing was that I didn’t go to a lot of my best stuff in practice. When I went to those spots today, I found that nothing much had changed and the fish are still there just like they were last year.”
Combs, who lost one quality fish that would have boosted his limit on Friday, said that bite was anything but aggressive. “They just weren’t eating the bait. The bait would pop out of the bass’ mouth almost every time that I swung one in the boat. Tomorrow could be a day when we absolutely smash’em,” continued Combs. “We haven’t had any weather in this part of the country in a long time, so it could be just what the big ones have been waiting for.”
Leaderboard
T1 Jim Moynagh 17 lbs.
T1 Todd Faircloth 17 lbs.
3. Bryan Thrift 16 lbs 12oz.
4. Keith Combs 15 lbs 12 oz.
5. Clifford Pirch 14lbs 8 oz.
5. Chris Baumgardner 14 8oz.