Mark Davis is Back

   Mark Davis had a tough Tour season. Multiple shoulder surgeries over the winter put him in a bad position to begin the season in January, and as a result, he finished 88th in BASS Angler of the Year standings. Take a look at Davis' stats over the last season:

109th - January - Toho
101st - February - Harris Chain
93rd - February - Guntersville
81st - March - Clarks Hill
55th - March - Norman
35th - March/April - Table Rock

   See the steady improvement? We should have known that he would take at least one E50 event. Last year, Davis won 2 out of 4 Elite 50 events before stumbling over the last Tour season. Now the Elite 50s are back, and so is Davis.

   Make that 3 out of 5. As of the last event, Smith Lake in Alabama, Davis has won more E50s than he has lost.

   On Day 3 of the Elite 50 event on Smith Lake, AL, Davis leapt into the lead, replacing Kevin VanDam, who had lead the first two days. “I finally feel 100 percent now,” Davis said. “I’ve come back before from shoulder problems and fished well, but I’m a little bit older now, and the recovery time is a little longer. Winning here would definitely make this year’s struggles worth it.”

   Davis displayed an incredible amount of versatility on Day 4, switching from a power technique (Strike King spinnerbait) to a finesse one (Yum worms rigged wacky style with 8 pound line).

   “I really enjoy this lake,” Davis said. “The fish are fickle and moody, but it’s definitely my kind of lake.”

   “This feels great. I’ve been basically rehabbing all year,” he continued. “I really needed to take this year off because of my shoulder, but I wanted to qualify for the Classic and these Elite 50s.”

   There's no doubt: Davis is back.

   By the way, take a look at the next 50 event. It's held in Arkansas, which is Davis' home state. Not that he needs a homestate advantage!

   Keep your eye on Davis the rest of the season. He's going all the way.

By Brandon Shook