The Bassmaster Classic - Rick Morris' chances are slipping.

The third of eight Bassmaster Elite Series tournaments that will, at the series' end, determine the biggest portion of the Classic field was held last weekend on Smith Mountain Lake near Roanoke.

Rick Morris, a pro from Virginia Beach who lives most of the time on Lake Gaston, needed a good showing in the event to stand any chance of making the Classic.

And after two events where he finished out of the money, he needed a paycheck.

He got neither.

After making the Classic last year, Morris failed in last year's series to make this year's event held in February.

His chances of making next February's event are not looking good.

Morris did not advance into the money round of 50 anglers that fished the third day of competition.

No paycheck.

And because he finished 87th out of 93 anglers, he slipped to 88th overall with five events left.

The top 37 in the Series advance to next year's Classic.

The next event is April 29 through May 2 on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala.

Morris needs a top 25 finish to move closer to 37th.

Even better would be advancing to the fourth and final day of fishing, where only the top 12 after three days get to compete. There's more money to be had by getting into that round.

And more exposure.

And a better chance of getting back into the big dance.

COMMENTS ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here; comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its websites. Users must follow agreed-upon rules: Be civil, be clean, be on topic; don't attack private individuals, other users or classes of people. Read the full rules here.
- Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the report violation link below it.