LA CROSSE, Wis. — For the second time this year, Bassmaster Elite Series rookie Caleb Sumrall qualified to fish one of the prestigious tournaments on a Saturday.

Sumrall cracked the Top 50 with a clutch effort Friday, the second day of the Elite tournament here on the Mississippi River. His five-bass limit weighed 13 pounds, 6 ounces, to give him a two-day total of 28 pounds, 9 ounces. 

The New Iberia native and Toledo Bend bass fishing guide was in 30th place in the 107-angler field of professional bass anglers after the scales Friday. That showing easily launched him into Semifinal Saturday.

It also guaranteed him a payday of $10,000. That amount could be higher if he has a good day Saturday and makes the Top 12 to fish on Championship Sunday.

The biggest of his five bass Friday weighed close to 3 pounds.

“I grinded my butt off today,” Sumrall said minutes after his bag of bass was weighed Friday. 

“I missed a couple opportunities. I know where they’re living and I’m going to go get them, going to hammer on them,” he said before leaving the stage here at Veterans Freedom Park.

Sumrall, 31, and the rest of the field were scheduled to weigh in at 3 p.m. Saturday at Valley View Mall in La Crosse.

He and the rest of the cut down field went into the third day of fishing chasing Aaron Martens of Leeds, Alabama, who grabbed the lead despite a rapidly rising Mississippi River. Martens weighedin a limit weighing 17 pounds, 14 ounces, to push him to the top of the leaderboard with a two-day total of 34 pounds, 3 ounces.

The three-time Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year finished in fifth place when the Elites fishing the Mississippi River in 2012. He was second in 2013 and 30th in 2016.

Now he’s aiming for an elusive victory on the Big Muddy.

“I know the winning limit of fish is swimming where I’m fishing,” Martens said. “I want to prove it this time. But a number of factors are going to have to go my way for that to happen.”

“I keep coming back to the same location when we compete here. I’ve done well fishing in that area every single time, and I see no reason to change my approach,” he said. “It might bite me this time, but right now I’m confident the fish I need to win are there to be caught.”

Martens is sharing water with Californian  Chris Zaldain. Zaldain had an impressive limit that weighed 17 pounds, 11 ounces, to give him a two-day total of 32 pounds, 7 ounces, for fourth.

“Chris and I are both fishing for the same fish, but we’re being respectful of each other, and that’s important,” Martens said. “We both want to win, and fishing so closely together will make things interesting for sure.”

The rising floodwaters worried second-place Randall Tharp of Port St. Joe, Florida, who was only an ounce behind Martens after weighing in 17 pounds, 11 ounces, Friday for a total of 34-2.

“During practice, and even today, I thought the rising water would hurt my pattern,” Tharp said. “But surprisingly, the fishing was better today. I caught what I weighed in early enough to sit down and eat lunch, a luxury that I don’t often take advantage of during a tournament. I hope my luck continues tomorrow.”

Rounding out the Top 5 were Gerald Spohrer with 32-13, Zaldain with 32-7 and Jacob Powroznik with 32-6.