Drew Cook Showcases Sight Fishing Skills to Hold Lead at Lake Hartwell

Drew Cook holds off hard charging Day 3 competitors to top the Bassmaster Elite leaderboard heading into Championship Sunday at Lake Hartwell.

Despite murky water and thick pollen, Drew Cook powered through Day 3 at the Bassmaster Elite Series on Lake Hartwell to maintain his lead heading into Championship Sunday. | B.A.S.S.

Drew Cook, one of the best sight-fishermen in the sport, remained patient, made good adjustments, and retained his lead at the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell heading into Championship Sunday.

The 17-3 limit he caught today, brought his three-day total to 55-8, and increased the 1 1/2 pound lead he had starting the day to 2 1/2 by the end. Paul Marks held on to second place, but now he has a little more ground to make up tomorrow if the rookie wants his chance at a big blue trophy.

Drew Cook holds the lead going into Championship Sunday. | B.A.S.S.

Cook Stays Strong Through Challenging Water Conditions at Lake Hartwell

Although Cook’s consistent, strong performance doesn’t show it in the final numbers, he dealt with worsening water clarity issues today. “A lot of the area I’m fishing got dirty either because of the waves, or the pollen really moved in,” Cook said. “That’s kinda the reason I practiced there — the pollen was in there and you really couldn’t see, so I figured I’d have a lot of it to myself, because everybody wouldn’t look through it.”

Things Appear to Be Trending in Cook’s Favor

Despite the tougher water conditions, Cook adapted, caught the fish he needed, and even felt like he made some progress today. “I did find a couple of new ones; this morning, I found a couple of new (bed fish),” Cook said. “I found like a 7-pounder, fished for it for a while and found six new ones this afternoon.”

Drew Cook has been putting on a sight-fishing clinic this week. | B.A.S.S.

Nature Gone Wild: Seven Bass, One Bed

Cook did witness an odd occurrence today, as did all of the B.A.S.S. Live viewers. There were seven bass all actively spawning in what appeared to be the same bed. “There were four females nosed down on my bait. I didn’t even see the one I caught; he was underneath the females. He bit and started swimming off, so I figured I’d take my chance on it being one of the females. It wasn’t, but I needed him.”

Cook’s Championship Sunday Plan: Stick to Bed Fishing

What’s the plan for tomorrow? It shouldn’t come as a big surprise that Cook says he’s planning to stay the course, committed to the bed-fishing strategy that got him here. However, he is open to a location change if needed. “We might move to the other side of the lake, just depending on the pollen,” he said.

Top 10 Elite Anglers Headed to Championship Sunday

1. Drew Cook 55-8
2. Paul Marks 53-0
3. Tucker Smith 51-15
4. Luke Palmer 50-14
5. Randy Howell 50-5
6. Jay Przekurat 50-0
7. Easton Fothergill 49-14
8. Emil Wagner 48-12
9. Wesley Gore 48-11
10. Jacob Powroźnik 47-14