The big question as the top 20 pros launched this morning was ‘can anybody close the gap on leader John Cox?’.

Cox left Ditto Landing with a lead of several pounds. But today was a day of changes at the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup.

For starters, the abundant sunshine that greeted anglers the first 2 days turned into abundant cloud cover. It seemed to make a difference to the fish. While some pros found the big bass harder to locate today, Todd Auten hammered a 17-pound, 10-ounce limit.

Cox, on the other hand, weighed his lightest bag of the week at 11 pounds. His primary spot has mostly played out and a backup area disappointed him. He has one place left that he hasn’t fished yet. If it is good to him he may stay all day tomorrow. If not, he will have to return and wring every last bass from the creek that has gotten him this far.

Auten will continue with his game plan tomorrow. He is fishing shallow way back in a creek. That’s what most of the top pros have done this week. Jacob Wheeler had his motor trimmed up to plow into his fishing spots. Even ledge fishing master Mark Rose has gone shallow all week.

Can Auten snatch the Cup on the final day from Cox who has led the entire event so far? He’s not thinking about it that way. “I’m fishing to catch fish; not fishing to catch Cox. He has to go catch his fish. I have to go catch my fish. Then we’ll just see what happens.”

Rising water has been a big concern for Cox who says the lake has come up about 8 inches since practice. That may grant access for the entire tournament field to long stretches of water that were only barely accessible to Cox in his aluminum Crestliner before. “I switched to lithium batteries and because they are so light, I can float this boat as shallow as the trolling motor prop has enough water to pull it,” shared Cox before Day 1 blastoff. We agreed the trolling motor prop was about 8 inches tall, so that’s all he needs in the way of depth.

Cox has made a career of trading space age electronics and a big fiberglass boat for his lightweight rig and the expanded waters it gives him. Not a transducer on the boat, yet he is among the most successful anglers anywhere – due strictly to the fact that he is extremely talented.

But this the Forrest Wood Cup and everybody here is very talented with rod and reel, especially the 10 pros who made the final cut. There is a pack of them jammed tightly on the leaderboard, all a few pounds behind Cox and Auten.

And that’s how the race appears to be set up for tomorrow’s championship round – Auten, who nearly knocked Cox from the top spot today, vs the Cox who clings to a lead of only ounces now. Of course, both could stumble as they are fishing similar styles, going way up creeks and fishing shallow. Then again, even the main lake guys are fishing shallow, Michael Neal and Bryan Thrift, in 3^rd and 4^th place, respectively. It may simply become a war of attrition where whoever has the most fish saved for tomorrow takes home the hardware and the big pay check.

With names like Neal, Thrift, Wheeler and Rose all tightly grouped a few pounds back, anything could happen (Neal has 37-14 and Rose, in 6^th place, has 36-9). If any one of those guys blows up big tomorrow, another 11-pound limit may not seal the victory for Cox. For now, though, it looks like a two-man race. Cox leads 43-5 to 42-12.

However it all shakes out, AnglersChannel.com will be on the water and at the weigh in to bring you all the excitement of the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup! Also, be sure to catch it on The Progressive Bass Wrap Up TV Show on Pursuit Channel!