HOT SPRINGS -- Connor Cunningham of Springfield, Mo., expanded his lead substantially Friday in the second round of the Bass Fishing League All-American Bass Championship on Lake Hamilton.
Hamilton, who led Ryan Powroznik of Hopewell, Va., by 4 pounds, 10 ounces after the first round, caught five bass weighing 15-2 to boost his two-day total to 32-10. That gave him an 8-pound, 5-ounce cushion over Hunter Eubanks of Inman, S.C., who caught five bass weighing 12-7 for a two-day total of 24-5.
Powroznik fell to sixth place with a two-day total of 21-6.
Brian Bean of Hot Springs finished the second round in fourth place with a two-day total of 22-4. His first- and second-day weights were 11-13 and 10-7, respectively.
Cory Guinn of Mountain Rest, S.C., led the co-angler division by catching five bass in the second round weighing 9-9 for a two-day total of 18-7.
The top 10 boaters and top 10 co-anglers will fish today in the championship round. The boater division champion will win a prize package worth up to $120,000. The co-angler champion will win $50,000.
Cunningham's weight fell by 2 pounds, 6 ounces in the second round, but he said the numbers are misleading because of a bass he caught Thursday that weighed nearly 7 pounds. His biggest fish Friday weighed about 5 pounds. Except for one exceptional fish, his weights for both days would be very close.
Also, Cunningham said fishing conditions were actually better Friday. He said he believes conditions will be excellent today, and that sets him up to mine areas that he hasn't yet visited.
"I'll fish 'my' fish the entire day tomorrow," Cunningham said. "I didn't do that the last two days. I had to lay off them a little bit to save them because the lake is so small, but I'll milk them for all they're worth tomorrow. I'll cover so much water, and I've got so many spots."
Eubanks has also been precisely consistent. His weights were 11-14 and 12-7, respectively, but his weight increased on the second day. He said he is casting to the kind of bass that could propel him into the winner's circle.
Like Cunningham, Eubanks said he has not fished any of the places where he caught big bass during practice. He said he will hit them all today. The key, he said, is patience.
"My bigger bites in practice were in stained water," Eubanks said. "The water is getting clearer, and it looks like they're not there, but they're there. You've just got to believe."
Eubanks said he's fishing a lot of water where submerged wood is present. He said he has been using only two baits. Green pumpkin is the productive color.
Eubanks said he has been in the pack for long enough, and that it is important for him to win this tournament. Unlike most of the other boaters and many of the co-anglers, his attire is plain, without sponsor logos.
"I've been at this for six or seven years," Eubanks said. "I'm ready for it to happen. I need it to happen. I ain't got no sponsors or nothin'. I need some money."
Bean, the lone Arkansan to qualify for the championship round, moved up one spot Friday. He said his goal is to vindicate all of his fellow anglers that fish the BFL's Arkie Division.
"I'm trying to represent the guys that I battle with every weekend," Bean said. "There's a ton of these guys that are as good as I am, but I was fortunate enough to do good in the regional and make it here."
Winning would be a great bonus, but Bean said he's perfectly happy with his job doing stone work.
"Get a good job. That's my advice to anyone starting out," Bean said. "I don't care to do this for a living. That road life is not for me. My back and hips hurt every day, but I make a good living."