Compare the BASSTrakk standings with the current state of the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race and some notable things are panning out.
Leader Jordan Lee (58th) stands to make a quantum leap should his success continue. Of course, he gets a free pass should he miss qualifying for the Classic through the AOY points, but that would be so unlike the two-time, back-to-back champ.
Playing a hot hand is Justin Lucas (3rd), coming fresh off a top 12 finish last week on the upper Mississippi River at La Crosse, Wis. What is more, Lucas is a California native and these types of fisheries fall into his wheelhouse of angling skills. BASSTrakk shows him in fifth place.The same applies to Josh Bertrand (5th), whose scorecard this season never dips outside the top 50 cut. BASSTrakk has Bertrand in second place.
Another benefactor of the western swing is Brandon Palaniuk, the defending AOY champion from Idaho. Should he continue leveraging his West Coast skills, Palaniuk stands to move up even more from his 30th place in the standings. BASSTrakk has him in fourth place.
At least today, the biggest mover of them all is Edwin Evers (63rd). BASSTrakk shows him in fifth place. Keeping the pace here gives him much needed momentum on the final swing, where historically he’s faired well.