Louisiana's Dakota Ebare caught a 16-12 stringer on day 2 of the Toyota Series Championship at Lake Cumberland in Kentucky to take the lead with a 30-13 total heading into the final day. He has a 9-ounce lead over Cameron Lineback of North Carolina as the 221-angler field was cut to the Top 10.
Ebare is guaranteed the $10,000 bonus awarded to the highest finishing angler from each division as he's the only Southwestern Division competitor to make the Top 10.
“I caught about the same amount of fish today as I did on day 1, but today the quality showed up,” said Ebare. “I was going through the motions the first day I arrived and had a tactic in mind that worked at Dale Hollow, but it just wasn’t happening here on Lake Cumberland. I started trying to find something else and ran into a little pattern that I’ve expanded every day of practice.
“The practice day that turned nasty and cold, with high winds and snow – that was a good day for me. They were biting good and I was able to dial in where they were at, which keyed me in on the pattern.”
That’s the pattern Ebare said he’s been running the last two days and it seems to be working.
“I’m extremely blessed and thankful. God has blessed me so much all year. I’ve had some ups and downs, but this is a humbling sport and that’s just part of it. You have to roll with the punches and keep going.
“To win $235,000 would be a lot of money. Winning this championship would be something special and a great way to cap off the year.”
Here are the totals for the 10 anglers who advanced to the final day:
1. Dakota Ebare: 30-13
2. Cameron Lineback: 29-09
3. Chris Malone: 28-11
4. Andrew Loberg: 26-01
5. Michael Caruso: 26-00
6. Eric Olliverson: 25-15
7. Drew Boggs: 25-11
8. Hunter Eubanks: 24-14
9. Trent Palmer: 24-10
10. Kurt Mitchell: 24-08
