Dutton photo
TTBC/PAA Mid-Day Report
By Pete Robbins and Terry Battisti
As of 1:30 p.m. central time, weights have been trickling in from the anglers’ judges and the leaderboard is already beginning to take shape at the Toyota Texas Bass Classic. Reports, although not official, are conducted by the judges who weigh each angler’s fish and report by to the scoring trailer on the banks of Lake Conroe.
Included in the data sent back are the number of fish each angler has on their ledger along with any fish that meets the “over” size limit of 21 inches, which will allow the angler to present their largest such fish on stage during the weigh-in ceremonies.
Dave Lefebre, who led the winning team in yesterday’s pro-am event, is continuing his Lake Conroe domination on Friday. His best five fish so far total 24-08 and include a 6-08 “over,” the largest single reported fish. The eights and tens that were predicted have not materialized but a single fish can make a huge difference. Lefebre’s limit also includes a 5-08 “under” and three fish in the four-pound class.
Former PAA President Timmy Horton sits in second overall with 18-08, but he has none of the five reported “overs.” His current limit includes a 4-08, two four-pounders, a 3-04 and a pesky two and a half pounder that he desperately wants to cull.
Oklahoma’s Jason Christie and senior statesman Guy Eaker are tied for third with 17-12. Each has managed to bring a 5-12 “over” into the boat. The only other anglers to catch a fish over 21 inches are Andy Montgomery and David Walker, a member of last year’s winning quartet. They are in fifth and seventh place, respectively.
Local Willis, Texas resident Russell Cecil sits in the 14th spot with 11-00. His limit consists of 1 ½- to 2-pound fish. This might indicate that he committed to the shallow bite this morning instead of battling the wind on the main body of the lake.
Another local PAA Series angler, Keith Caka, is one of the three anglers whose judge has been unable to file a report with PAA officials. As reported earlier today on www.FishPAA.com, Caka is a local favorite who wanted to swing for a home run. It’ll be interesting to see what he brings back to the weigh-in – will it be all paper or will he have a fish over the 21-inch slot?
The Top 10 looks like this:
1) Dave Lefebre – 24-08
2) Timmy Horton – 18-08
3) Guy Eaker, Sr. – 17-12
4) Jason Christie – 17-12
5) Andy Montgomery – 17-00
6) Glenn Browne – 15-12
7) David Walker – 15-08
8) Duke Jenkel – 14-00
9) Todd Auten – 13-04
10) Russ Lane – 13-00
With almost double the weight of the 10th place angler, it seems to be a sure lock that Lefebre will fish on Sunday. From 2nd through the rest of the field, though, it’s still wide open for just about anyone to make the top-10 cut for Sunday.
