Only two fisherman had double digit weigh-ins Saturday and it put both of them into the Top 10 and a chance to win $100K on Championship Sunday.
Kyle Welcher caught 11-3 and David Mullins 11-0 to vault into the Top 10 as five fishermen in yesterday’s Top Ten were replaced today by Welcher, Mullins, Taku Ito, Justin Hamner, and Patrick “Woo” Walters. Falling out were Beau Browning, Carl Jocumsen, KJ Queen, JT Tompkins, and Chris Johnston.
Pat Schlapper has done an incredible job leading all three days and it would make you sick to your stomach not to win it after what he’s done considering the conditions. But Kyoya Fujita is less than a pound out of first and Cooper Gallant less than a pound and a half out in third.
Amazingly, but not really after watching the weights come in this week, Ito and Hamner are in the Top 10 only catching 14 of the possible 15 measurable fish.
Bryan New caught the big bass of the day at 4-1 but it wasn’t enough to get him to Sunday. A four plus pound bass has won big bass all three days.
By The Numbers…
John Crews has made the Top 50 all six times at the Sabine. Mullins made it for the first time and said loudly “Hello Orange!” when he hit the stage for the first time on a Saturday.
Some of the anglers who didn’t make the Top 10 shared their baits of choice.
Hank Cherry said he probably lost 20 bladed jigs getting hung up. John Crews caught his 3 pounder on a white square bill.
Other baits mentioned included the Pit Boss, spinner baits, Z Craw, and buzzbaits. Most of the fishermen have been pitchin’ and flippin’.
Veteran Jeff Gustafson said the Sabine gave him his first check fishing on a tidal water.
KJ Queen said he played music in his boat for the first time and made the top 50. So he did it again Saturday but just missed the cut, finishing 17th.
Dakota Ebare, who was in the Top 15 Friday, zeroed on Saturday and finished 46th.
Ito said he’s catching his fish by “punching” through the grass. And he credited two time Classic Champ Jordan Lee for teaching him. Lee finished 94th.
What’s the smallest weight for a 12″ legal fish on the Sabine? Logan Parks said it’s 0.76.
They’ll take off at 6:30 and approximately weigh in around 2:30pm on Sunday.
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