LA CROSSE, Wis. — In the Mississippi River Rumble on Friday, a 5-pound bass was worth its weight in gold. Probably more.

“That’s the key here. I had a 5-pounder today and that makes a big difference when you’re talking about mostly 2- and 3-pounders,” said Todd Faircloth, as he took the Day 2 lead in the Bassmaster Elite Series’ sixth event of the season.

“When you catch a fish like that in an event like this, it takes all the pressure and load off you,” he added.

The Jasper, Texas, pro’s big bass was actually a 5-3. It anchored his 17-pound, 14-ounce, bag for a 32-14 total to lead the 98-angler field.

The high value of a 5-pounder in the event wasn’t lost on Terry Butcher of Talala, Okla., either. Just like Faircloth, he weighed a 5-3 game-changer. Butcher built a 16-13 sack for second place with 32-2, just 12 ounces behind Faircloth.

“I was on cloud nine when she hit,” Butcher said. “I was thinking, ‘Oh, don’t be a pike.’ She was wadded up in grass, and I just grabbed everything and got it in the boat.”

Faircloth and Butcher led Friday’s leaderboard shuffle. Faircloth popped up from eighth place, Butcher from a tie at sixth place. Jamie Horton of Centreville, Ala., moved from a tie at 39th place into third with 31-10, thanks to the day’s largest bag, 18-4.

Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., slipped from second into fourth with 31-2. Four-time Bassmaster Classic champ Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo., also had 31-2, but took fifth place after a tie-breaker was applied.

Faircloth said he returned to the same spots he fished on Thursday, but ventured out further, where he found his quality bites. He said he’s using a variety of baits.

“My smallest was 2 3/4, so I had some solid fish to go with the 5-3,” he said. “I’m not catching a bunch of fish there, but the potential is there to catch big ones.”

Water level had Faircloth concerned about Saturday. Fluctuating water levels might help him in one spot, but hurt him in another, he said. One of his key areas is already very shallow.

“I have plenty of water to fish. I’m not going to be scratching my head about where to go next,” he said.

B.A.S.S. Communications