With just one day of fishing remaining, Steve Lessard of Team USA leads the Hobie Fishing World Championship 6 Presented by Rhino-Rack. On a day when Leeville, Louisiana was buffeted by high winds and muddy, low water, Lessard added a 17-inch redfish and 14-inch sea trout to his tally, for a cumulative score of 79 inches of fish to lead the international, 49-angler field.
“It’s going to be tough to stay on top of this group of anglers. Day three can’t come soon enough,” Lessard said.
RELATED: Team USA’s Matthew Scotch Leads Hobie Fishing Worlds 6 After Day 1
Lessard, the 2014 Hobie Fishing World Champion, is looking to repeat the feat. So is Australia’s Richard Somerton (2013), who sits in second place with a total of 69 inches of fish on the strength of today’s 28-inch red. The two champions are dueling for the honor of first two-time champ, but it won’t come easy.
“It was tough, I went up to some channels that I’d spotted previously and there was just no water up there. I saw a small 20-inch red on a bank and cast out a crab and landed him so I was on the board and that took a bit of the pressure off,” Somerton said. “I managed to upgrade him to a 28-inch off the same bank and then went looking for trout. I caught a few undersized that I couldn’t stretch and that was pretty much my day. I’m happy to be sitting in second and only 10 inches off Steve. This is a fishery that can deliver a 40-inch red that can just rub out anyone’s lead so I’m hopeful,” he added.
Matthew Vann isn’t far behind in third, with 67 inches of fish. “I was fortunate to land a 28-inch red, which was a three-way tie for biggest fish of the day. I couldn’t be happier sitting in third place going into day three,” he said.
China’s Jianping Du and Austria’s Rene Winklinger are both in striking distance, tied with 66 inches of fish. A host of other anglers are in the hunt with fish totals in the 50s, including day one leader Matthew Scotch. On day two he caught only short fish. He sits in 7th with 56 total inches.
Tomorrow, the last day of Hobie Fishing World Championship 6, will be full of intrigue.
Hobie Fishing Worlds 6 is proudly supported by Rhino-Rack, Lowrance, Power-Pole, Yak-Attack, Daiwa, Ram Mounts, Lurefans, Hobie Polarized and AFTCO. Follow the action at HobieFishingWorlds.com and the Hobie Fishing Facebook page.
