After the first day of competition Friday at the 2017 Bassmaster Classic on Houston’s Lake Conroe, Jordan Lee was sitting on the outside looking in.
The 25-year-old Elite Series angler from Grant, Ala., had caught just 8 pounds, 9 ounces of fish on the Texas lake known for putting out fish much larger than his entire Day 1 total, and he was sitting in 37th place.
Oh, how the tides can turn.
“I’m at a loss of words,” Lee said at the weigh-in. “You dream about stuff like this happening, but for me to have the day that I did, I’m speechless.”
Jared Lintner, who for a time held the lead at Sunday’s weigh-in, came closest with a 19-pound, 10-ounce bag, which pulled him into ninth place ahead of multiple-time Classic winner Kevin VanDam.
Oklahoman James Elam, who had been in the thick of it throughout the entire tournament, sat in fourth place with a Day 3 bag of 12-7, and Ott DeFoe jumped up to the fifth spot after catching the day’s biggest bass at 9 pounds, 9 ounces. The rest of the top 10 was rounded out by 2003 Classic winner Mike Iaconelli, Bradley Roy and Bobby Lane Jr. in the 6-7-8 spots.
Reigning champ Edwin Evers, who sat in great position at the No. 3 spot after Day 2, fell out of the top 10 on a dismal 6-pound, 11-ounce bag.
2017 Bassmaster Classic
Final results Sunday
Rank angler … Day 3 … Total
1. Jordan Lee … 27-4 … 56-10
2. Steve Kennedy … 21-15 … 55-1
3. Brent Ehrler … 11-10 … 54-14
4. James Elam … 12-7 … 50-4
5. Ott DeFoe … 18-10 … 48-12
6. Mike Iaconelli … 10-15 … 48-7
7. Bradley Roy … 9-10 … 47-4
8. Bobby Lane Jr. … 19-7 … 47-4
9. Jared Lintner … 19-10 … 46-9
10. Kevin VanDam … 9-15 … 46-2
11. Edwin Evers … 6-11 … 45-11
12. Jacob Powroznik … 16-3 … 43-12
13. Brett Hite … 16-6 … 43-9
14. Dave Lefebre … 1-15 … 43-0
15. Timothy Klinger … 19-0 … 42-7
16. Ryan Lavigne … 11-12 … 41-9
17. Randall Tharp … 18-8 … 40-14
18. Drew Benton … 8-10 … 39-11
19. Cliff Crochet … 9-0 … 39-10
20. Clifford Pirch … 6-2 … 32-14
21. Jason Williamson … 2-9 … 32-12
22. Ish Monroe … 10-13 … 32-10
23. Chris Zaldain … 9-13 … 31-8
24. Justin Lucas … 0-0 … 31-7
25. Todd Faircloth … 6-4 … 29-7