We are just a little over a week out from the 2020 TNCBA Classic and Shaun Renfro and Wes Meade have started to stretch out a lead in the AOY standings, but double points and individual catches keep several anglers in the mathematical hunt.
If all anglers that have fished six events (making them eligible for the classic) register for the event, then mathematically anyone within 25 points of the lead has a shot. (From Shaun Renfro all the way down to Noah Winchester) Now of course there would need to be several scenarios that would have to play out, but it is possible. Let's take a look at a couple of races that are developing:
The Race for AOY:
The race for AOY really boils down to three guys, yes there are several more that can challenge mathematically, but these three have the highest percent chance of being crowned the next TNCBA Angler of the Year. Shaun Renfro leads the way with 345 points. Shaun has been putting his time in on the water and it shows. Shaun has had a firm grip on the AOY race all year and it is going to be the job of one of the other two anglers to come and take it from him. Wes Meade sits in second with 341 points and will need to finish six places ahead of Shaun next week in order to claim the AOY title. The battle between the top two will be an interesting one as the fish from the same boat during the Classic. Sitting in third with a glimmer of hope that the TNCBA AOY title could be his, is Keith Lester with 341 points. Keith will have somewhat of an advantage with the fact that he will be in a different boat, but he will have a hard mountain to climb as he will need both first and second place to falter, and he will have to finish ten places ahead of Shaun when the dust settles. Anything is possible and wild things can happen with the classic being an individual event, instead of a team event.
Battling for the Top 6:
No one is truly safe with the Classic being a double points paying event, but we are going to assume that the top three are a lock for the top six and we are going focus on the last three spots. Fourth place is currently being held down by Cody Snyder who has finally had the chance to fish the majority of the TNCBA season. Snyder currently sits with 337 points and a seven point margin over seventh place. A solid top ten next week on Holston, a favorite of Snyder’s, and he will lock down his top six bid. Moving one spot back to fifth, things start to get a little bit crazier. Steve Legg, “Mr. Consistency”, sits in fifth with 334 points and there are six anglers within nine points of that fifth place position. Both Steve Legg and David Crockett (Currently 6th with 333 points) are in the driver’s seat for the last two spots in the top six, but they will nee a top five next to lock down their spots in the TNCBA Top Six. The other anglers in the mix include, Josh Olinger (7th-330pts), Wayne Winchester (8th-327pts), Fred Rutherford (9th-327pts), Wiley Gobble (10th-326pts), and Noah Winchester (11th-325pts)
The 2020 TNCBA Classic will be anyone’s game and with weather patterns holding on the warm side the bass will still be in a major transition. Watauga just this past weekend saw the majority of bass still out deep, will the same hold true for Holston? And who will lift the trophy next Saturday as the 2020 TNCBA Season comes to a close?
Only time will tell!