Written by Megan Smedley
I’m not going to lie, I was getting a little nervous.
I was checking the Bassmaster live weigh in every couple of hours to see how Corbin’s Mike Huff was fairing in the opening tournament of the 2021 Elite Pro series in Palatka, Florida
At 3pm on Friday, he was in 66th place. Only the top 50 anglers qualified for the next round and were ensured a payday.
To say I was bummed for Mike is an understatement.
However, that turned out to not be the case at all.
Due to technical difficulties, Mike wasn’t able to report his catches until weigh in, and actually ended day two in seventh place.
He got to fish on Saturday and ended the tournament with an 11th place finish and a $10,000 payout.
“It stung a little knowing I was one fish away from the top 10,” he said.
Mike said the first day out on St. Johns River was full of struggles, from a fog delay to challenges with lock times. All in all, he says he only got about four hours to fish on day one.
However, he was able to catch his five-fish limit despite those complications and ended day one in 17th place.
Mike says day two started really slow, but as the water started warming, fish started biting.
“I went back to where I caught fish back when I fished there in 2019 and got several big bites,” he said.
He said catching big fish makes the tournament for you when you’re fishing in Florida.
His plan worked for him as he finished day two in 11th place.
Rain on day three made for a different atmosphere and Mike focused on getting his limit. He said by 9:30, he had done that.
“I knew I needed another decent fish to make the top 10, and I had all day to do it,” he said.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to nab one, and his run at St. Johns ended in the semifinals.
Mike and the other Elite Pros will be heading to Tennessee to compete on the Tennessee River next week.
“I’m looking forward to the next one. It should be a cold and tough tournament, but that’s my kind of tournament,” he said.
His sponsors include: Days Boat Sales, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Forcht Bank, Blackfish Apparel, Lithium Pros, Holston Gases, and Irvine Contracting, LLC.
