Whatley can finally breathe easy

Brad Whatley has been on a nerve-wracking journey since he was involved in a traffic accident in Detroit prior to the Elite Series tournament at Lake St. Clair. Whatley wasn’t at fault in the wreck; another driver fell asleep at the wheel. But he had to scramble to get his boat and vehicle functional. Whatley finished 60th at St. Clair, which dropped him to 43rd in Angler of the Year points. And he’s been hovering around Bassmaster Classic qualification since.

The 40-year-old, Bivins, Texas, angler finished 51st at Lake Guntersville and dropped to 46th in AOY; 39th at Santee Cooper and moved up to 41st in AOY, then 20th at Chickamauga to move up to 39th in AOY, just inside the current top 40 cutline for Classic qualification. Whatley needed another good performance to seal the deal at Lake Fork.

Whatley can finally breathe easily today. He caught his fifth keeper just after 1 p.m., giving him 15-10 for the day. He was tied for 14th after Day 1. Whatley won’t relax, I’m sure, until this tournament is over and official, but he’s all but achieved his Classic qualification goal.