Florida angler finds way to top

Randall Tharp suffered through one of the toughest seasons of his professional career in 2015, but it seems to have given him extra motivation for this year's campaign.

Tharp, of Port St. Joe, Fla., opened the 2016 Bassmaster Elite Series season with back-to-back top-20 finishes. And now, he has caught enough fish at this week's Bassmaster Elite at Bull Shoals/Norfork to put himself in position for his first Elite Series victory.

Bassmaster Elite Series

• Third-day results from Bull Shoals Lake. The top 12 qualify for today’s final round on Norfork Lake.

NAME, HOMETOWN;DAY 3;TOTAL

1.) Randall Tharp, Port St. Joe, Fla.;5/16-4;15/45-8

2.) Chris Zaldain, Laughlin, Nev.;5/14-4;15/45-2

3.) Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif.;5/19-2;15/44-13

4.) Jacob Powroznik, Port Haywood, Va.;5/16-4;15/44-05

5.) Matt Herren, Ashville, Ala.;5/15-5;15/43-11

6.) Bill Lowen, Brookville, Ind.;5/12-12;15/43-10

7.) Brandon Palaniuk, Rathdrum, Ind.;5/15-10;15/43-03

8.) Brian Snowden, Reeds Spring, Mo.;5/16-1;15/42-15

9.) Koby Kreiger, Bokeelia, Fla.;5/16-7;15/42-12

10.) Mike McClelland, Bella Vista;5/14-8;15/42-03

11.) Steve Kennedy, Auburn, Ala.;5/14-12;15/42-01

12.) Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J.;5/11-15;15/41-14

ARKANSAN

26.) Mark Davis, Mount Ida;5/13-11;15/39-07

Tharp brought in five bass Saturday from Bull Shoals Lake that weighed 16 pounds, 4 ounces and moved him from fifth place to the top of the standings with a three-day total of 45-8. The tournament will shift back to Norfork for today's championship round with Tharp leading the 11 remaining anglers.

Second-round co-leader Chris Zaldain of Laughlin, Nev., is 6 ounces back in second place. The other co-leader, Bill Lowen of Brookville, Ind., is sixth with 43-10. Mike McClelland of Bella Vista, who was 11th after the second day, moved to 10th with a three-day total of 42-03 and will fish today's final round.

Greg Hackney, originally from Star City who now lives now in Gonzalez, La., came up just short, landing in 13th place at 41-13, an ounce out of 12th. Mark Davis of Mount Ida, who started 25th, dropped to 26th with a three-day total of 39-7.

"I started in the same place today where I lost a big one [Friday], and I never had a bite," said Tharp, who has three Bassmaster Open victories but none on the Elite Series. "Where I pulled my trolling motor up [Friday], I just decided to keep on going. I kept the trolling motor down until 11 o'clock, and that's how I caught most of what I had.

"It was new water -- a lot shallower than what I had been fishing -- and I just fished everything in front of me."

Tharp seemed excited about moving back to Norfork after starting on that lake with 15-8 Thursday.

"I've already respooled and done everything I need to do," he said. "I'll get a couple of spare jigs in case I break one off in the rocks. But other than that, I'm ready to go fishing."

Zaldain used a drop-shot rig to target spawning bass that were protecting beds.

"I was flipping a drop shot with a 6-inch hand-poured worm all day long," Zaldain said. "The beauty of it is that it represents a bluegill. On the full moon in April, you know bass hate bluegill being around their beds.

"With it being on a drop shot, it's suspended right there in front of their face."

The remainder of the top 12 includes Skeet Reese (44-13), Jacob Powroznik (44-5), Matt Herren (43-11), Lowen, Brandon Palaniuk (43-3), Brian Snowden (42-15), Koby Kreiger (42-12), McClelland, Steve Kennedy (42-1) and Adrian Avena (41-14).

The tournament will conclude today with takeoff scheduled for 6:15 a.m. from Lake Norfork Marina. The weigh-in will begin at 3:45 p.m. on the Arkansas State University-Mountain Home campus.

The winning angler will receive $100,000.

Sports on 04/24/2016

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