This would be the definition of a bass tournament shootout: When a mere one ounce separates the top three anglers after three days at Lake St. Clair. For the third day in a row, John Cox is atop the leaderboard. His three-day total is 66 pounds, 2 ounces. Cody Hollen and Cory Johnston are as close as you can get behind him with 66-1 each.
A 20-pound average over three days will get you to the final of most bass tournaments, especially on a smallmouth fishery. But six anglers did that this week and won’t be fishing tomorrow. Destin DeMarion finished 16th with a total of 60-2.
There were 18 five-bass limits of 20 pounds or more on Day 1, 26 on Day 2 and 14 on Day 3, when only the top 40 anglers were fishing. There have been 1,019 bass brought to the scales the last three days weighing a total of 3,675 pounds. That’s an average of 3.6 pounds per bass. A 3 1/2-pound smallmouth is a good fish most places in the country. At Lake St. Clair this week it’s, uh, below average.