S.O.B. championship: Day 2

Going into day 2 of the Southern Ohio Bassmasters championship, you had to like Alan Fulks' chances of going home with a victory. He had a one and a half pound lead over second place and at least 2 1/2 pounds over everyone else after day 1 at Rush Creek.
When he weighed in four bass weighing 4 pounds, 15 ounces at Piedmont Sunday, I figured he had enough to win. But then Chris Lighthizer weighed in four bass, including a 4-pounder. a total of 8 pounds, 11.8 ounces to go with his 1-pound, 14-ounce fish from the first day. The final result: Chris finished first with 10 pounds, 9.8 ounces and Alan was second with 10 pounds, 8.4 ounces.
The rest of us were left bobbing in their wake. Mike Baughman finished third with 5 pounds, 6.7 ounces, Eric Woodrow was fourth with 5 pounds, 2.8 ounces, Terry Ryan finished fifth with 4 pounds, 2.4 ounces, I was sixth with 4 pounds, 0.7 ounces, Tom Sprankel was seventh with 2 pounds 13.5 ounces, Bruce Reavley took eighth with 1 pounds, 4 ounces, Bob Fulks was ninth with 1 pound, 14.4 ounces and Kenny Fulks came in tenth with 1 pound, 9.8 ounces.
No limits were weighed at Piedmont and only 23 keepers were caught by 10 anglers. Four failed to get a keeper either day.
Although it had been tough to get g a 15-inch keeper Saturday, I headed for Piedmont Sunday in a good mood. After all, we would only have to catch 12-inch fish and the weather reports I had heard were for a cloudy day with a chance of rain, so I figured the bass would be hitting at least as well as they had been at Rush Creek.
. Well, it was cloudy for about an hour and it did rain -- for about 30 seconds. Then the clouds cleared away and the wind picked up. Classic post-frontal conditions. I caught one keeper about 10 a.m. and never put another bass in the boat.
I have often had good luck on surface lures at Piedmont, but after I had no hits on them early, I pretty much put them aside after the sun came out.
The guys that caught fish reported catching them on a variety of baits all over the lake, but Chris said he caught all of his on buzzbaits. He had to work hard for them, but it was obviously worth it. I think he was fishing in the far upper end of the lake, where American lotus are taking over. The pads are dying and turning brown, which can sometimes be a real bass magnet. I fished a few pads, but aside from the one keeper, which hit a worm, I didn't have a hit around them.
Whatever he figured out, Chris made a great comeback under tough conditions. Congratulations to him.