Caleb Kuphall has had a morning to remember. With 19-pounds, Kuphall sits in 3nd place currently on BassTrakk. His bag contains a 4-12 and a 4-0 as well as a 3-12, 3-8 and a 3-0, which means Kuphall could certainly cull up again a time or two to break 20- pounds and narrow or erase Chris Johnston’s near 3- pound lead.
Kuphall has been fairly consistent, with a solid 14-14 to start the event on Day 1. Maintaining an average of 17- pounds a day may very well be enough to lock this event up, and Kuphall is on pace right now to do that.
The main wild card that’s still in the deck though, is the chance of a smallmouth specialist being able to figure out how to get five of these above average bass to bite each day. Johnston has already done that through two days, averaging around 18- to 19- pounds a day, as long as he makes it to weigh-in. Taku Ito is one 5- pound bite away from doing the same, currently in 4th. These two probably pose the greatest threat right now of spoiling the storyline of an angler bombing one day of this event and still winning.
Then there’s one of the greatest forward facing sonar anglers on tour sitting in 2nd as well in Patrick Walters. He’s certainly survived this tough day two, as long as he too makes it back to weigh-in– which is a fairly tall order with heavy winds and a 70- mile run separating him from the scales.
