Paul Mueller may have very well held the lead heading into Day 3, had he not had two big blunders yesterday. Mueller lost two bass on Day 2 in the 6-pound range. A gruesome thing to watch. Worse to experience no doubt.
We’ve watched Mueller grind away today, to the tune of three 2-pounders. That is until 1:22 when he hooked up with a giant. Mueller had spotted a nice fish on an isolated stump using his Garmin electronics. He hung his Neko-rigged purple worm on the stump, broke off, rigged up another in green pumpkin, changed angles, and made another pitch. This one yielded the payoff he’d been waiting for all day.
“What a giant man,” Mueller said to his cameraman. “I told you.”
Mueller had told us all, sticking with the girl who brought him to the dance, despite breaking his heart twice the day before. After an epic battle, Mueller lifted a 7-8 stud over the gunwale and leapt into 4th place.
“That one should have me fishing tomorrow,” Mueller exclaimed with a sigh of relief. “But we’re not done.”
Mueller is on the prowl again, scanning the water for another good one. Only an hour until check-in. Mueller believes he has enough at this point though to make the Top 10 and get to fish on Championship Sunday. He figures on 18 pounds a day getting him in. He’s sitting on 56-5 at the moment. David Gaston occupies the cutline currently with 49-15. Fifty-four sounds like a good guess.
