Bassmaster Classic 2016: Weigh-In Results and Saturday Leaderboard
Hometown hero Jason Christie maintained his lead after Day 2 at the Bassmaster Classic on the Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees near Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Christie didn’t have the biggest haul Saturday—that belonged to Edwin Evers—but he built his cushion to nearly six pounds over second-place Todd Faircloth.
Christie’s score after two days is now at 37 pounds, nine ounces, per Bassmaster:
The local favorite is in prime position to win his first Classic with another strong showing Sunday.
Here is a look at the top 10 on the leaderboard following Day 2 of the three-day event:
| 1 | Jason Christie | 5 | 16-11 | 37-9 |
| 2 | Todd Faircloth | 5 | 16-15 | 31-14 |
| 3 | Edwin Evers | 5 | 17-8 | 31-4 |
| 4 | Bill Lowen | 5 | 13-15 | 30-8 |
| 5 | Aaron Martens | 5 | 16-13 | 30-5 |
| 6 | Alton Jones | 4 | 11-12 | 29-9 |
| 7 | David Walker | 5 | 15-4 | 29-6 |
| 8 | Randy Howell | 5 | 11-13 | 29-3 |
| 9 | James Watson | 5 | 14-7 | 28-1 |
| 10 | Micah Frazier | 5 | 13-10 | 26-12 |
Evers, who is also from Oklahoma, had a resurrection after a mediocre outing Friday, but he was able to make up only 13 ounces on the leader. The 13-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier is still seeking his first win in fishing's version of the Super Bowl.
Kevin VanDam, a four-time Classic winner, was eliminated after failing to catch a single fish Saturday. Arguably the most popular professional angler, VanDam hooked only three fish Friday for seven pounds, 14 ounces—a little more than one-third of Christie’s haul. He seemed to be a long shot to advance even if he had converted bites into catches Saturday.
"This will go down as one of the most challenging Classics, but it's also going to go down as one of the best because of the people in Tulsa,” VanDam said, per Brandi Ball of News on 6 in Tulsa.
The local crowd packed out the BOK Center for weigh-ins for the second straight day, as Rob Gardenhire of the Tulsa Drillers showed:
Thirty anglers have been trimmed from the field since the competition opened Friday. With a comfortable lead, Christie seems primed to secure his first Classic title in front of his home crowd. But the smaller field will also create more opportunities for other anglers to haul in heavier loads in the catch-and-release tournament.
