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Michigan's Kevin VanDam Maintains
Lead at Bassmaster Elite Event on Smith Mountain Lake
April 25, 2009 - MONETA, Va. Bassmaster
Elite Series anglers beware. If there was a technique Kevin VanDam
hasn't quite mastered, most would agree that sight-fishing would
be it. VanDam, the current and four-time Toyota Tundra Bassmaster
Angler of the Year, is closer to dispelling that notion as he
successfully sight-fished his way Saturday to a three-day total
of 47 pounds, 15 ounces enough to take the lead heading
into the final day of competition at the Advance Auto Parts Blue
Ridge Brawl.
Plagued by another slow start on picturesque Smith
Mountain Lake, VanDam persevered to boat 15 pounds, 6 ounces,
Saturday while most at the top of the leaderboard struggled.
He holds a modest 3-plus pound margin over Elite rookie Matt
Herren (44-7) of Trussville, Ala. Day One leader Kelly Jordon
of Mineola, Texas, held on in third place with 44-5, followed
by skilled sight-fisherman Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu City, Ariz.,
in fourth with 43-7 and Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., with 41-14.
While sight-fishing has been a popular technique
this weekend for most in the field, VanDam is executing it a
bit differently. Primarily targeting smallmouths a favorite
of VanDam's he has been finding fish by sight while using
his customary fast-paced style to fish for them. Mixing in as
much patience as possible, VanDam's style is a bit of a departure
from the textbook sight-fishing technique employed by Dean Rojas
and others.
"I'm really proud of the way I have been fishing
this week," said VanDam, a two-time Bassmaster Classic champion.
"I have made solid decisions and the right adjustments.
But it has been a grind."
Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water
action from the Blue Ridge Brawl on The Bassmasters, which airs
Saturday, May 9, at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2. The daily weigh-ins for
all regular-season Elite events and the two postseason events
will air live on ESPN360.com, ESPN's broadband sports network,
while a wealth of unique content will also be available at Bassmaster.com.
With a solid tournament at Smith Mountain, VanDam
should take the lead in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of
the Year race. Alton Jones of Waco, Texas, who led the standings
heading into this tournament, failed to make the top-50 cut,
and others in the top echelon struggled, which left the door
wide open for perhaps the most dangerous man in the field.
Searching for his 15th BASS victory, VanDam said
he was confident that he could end up taking home the $100,000
top prize.
"Sometimes when you put your fish on the scale
and you have a good day, it looks pretty easy," said VanDam,
41. "But it has not been easy. Still, I've got a solid pattern
and my record is pretty good when I have a lead."
Herren jumped from seventh to second. The Alabama
pro managed 15 pounds, 0 ounces, Saturday but still lost ground
to VanDam. With other competitors struggling, Herren is closer
to notching the best Elite finish of his rookie season.
Like VanDam, Herren has been sight-fishing, but
in the more traditional sense. He was targeting the banks with
a variety of lures, including a swimbait and a skinny dipper.
He said he felt that finding kicker fish would be the key to
the tournament.
"All these anglers know how to catch them,
so it could be just a matter of who finds the right-sized fish
tomorrow," said Herren, 46. "There is just a ton of
2-pounders here and I'm pretty confident I can catch my fair
share of those."
Jordon and Rojas could be dangerous Sunday, as
the lake has been experiencing a warming trend, making for a
likelihood of larger, bedding bass to be visible. Hackney is
looking to turn around what has been a disappointing season and
still has to be considered a threat.
The field will cut to the top 12 for Sunday and
will include Matthew Sphar (6th) of Pavilion, N.Y.; 2007 Bassmaster
Angler of the Year Skeet Reese (11th) and 2005 AOY Aaron Martens
(12th). Reese is one of the hottest anglers in the field right
now and, like VanDam, has his eye on the AOY title. A solid finish
on Smith Mountain Lake will put him in prime position behind
VanDam.
The Blue Ridge Brawl includes a top prize of $100,000 and awards
valuable points in the 2009 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of
the Year title race. The top 12 pros in the AOY standings at
the end of the regular season will advance to the two-event postseason,
during which the Angler of the Year will be determined.
Fans are encouraged to attend the Blue Ridge Brawl's
daily launches (7:15 a.m. ET) and weigh-ins (4 p.m.) through
Sunday at Parkway Marina, 16918 Smith Mountain Lake Parkway,
Huddleston, Va. Only the top 12 will go on to compete in Sunday's
Day Four.
Other activities Sunday at the Blue Ridge Brawl
will begin at 1 p.m. ET at Parkway Marina, featuring the popular
Dog Training & Retriever Demonstrations Brought To You By
SportDog. The fun Sunday also includes Skeeter boat demos; cooking
demonstrations; and a beer garden from 1-4:15 p.m.
Sunday's activities include the live taping of
Hooked Up, hosted by ESPN Outdoors personalities Mark Zona and
Tommy Sanders. The show, which will air live at 3:30 p.m. ET
on www.bassmaster.com, will preview Sunday's final weigh-in.
All events at the Advance Auto Parts Blue Ridge Brawl are free
and open to the public. Up next in the Elite Series is the May
7-10 Marine Formula STA-BIL Southern Challenge on Lake Guntersville
out of Guntersville, Ala.
For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208
or visit Bassmaster.com. Visit ESPNMediaZone.com for ESPN's latest
releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video, audio
clips and more.
Local sponsors of the Blue Ridge Brawl are Franklin
and Bedford counties.
Official sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series: Toyota Trucks,
Berkley, BOOYAH Baits, Evan Williams Bourbon, Mercury, OPTIMA
Batteries, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Outboards
Supporting sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series:
Bass Pro Shops, Costa Del Mar, Ramada, SpongeTech and Triton
Boats.
About BASS
For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the
authority on bass fishing. With its considerable multimedia platforms
and expansive tournament trail, BASS is guided by its mission
to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications
Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer and
comprehensive Web properties in ESPN360.com, ESPN's broadband
sports network, Bassmaster.com, BASSInsider.com and ESPNOutdoors.com,
the organization is committed to delivering content true to the
lifestyle. Additionally, television programming on ESPN2 continues
to provide relevant content from tips and techniques to
in-depth tournament coverage to passionate audiences.
The organization oversees the prestigious Bassmaster
tournament trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series,
Bassmaster Opens, Academy Sports + Outdoors Women's Bassmaster
Tour and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the
Bassmaster Classic. Through its grassroots network, the BASS
Federation Nation, BASS annually sanctions more than 20,000 events.
BASS also offers an array of services to its more
than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive
change on issues related to conservation and water access. The
organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.
-30-
Media Contact: Doug Grassian; (407) 566-2216 or doug.grassian@espn.com
DAY 3 STANDINGS- ADVANCE AUTO PARTS BLUE RIDGE
BRAWL
2009 Advance Auto Parts Blue Ridge Brawl 4/23-4/26
Smith Mountain Lake, Moneta VA.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 15 47-15 310
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 17-02 Day 3: 5 15-06
2. Matt Herren Trussville, AL 15 44-07 295
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 11-12 Day 3: 5 15-00
3. Kelly Jordon Mineola, TX 15 44-05 295
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 11-01 Day 3: 5 12-11
4. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 15 43-07 285
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 11-09 Day 3: 5 13-07
5. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 41-14 280
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 14-00 Day 3: 5 14-01
6. Matthew Sphar Pavilion, NY 15 41-09 276
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 12-13 Day 3: 5 10-15
7. Shaw E Grigsby Gainesville, FL 15 41-08 272
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 13-15 Day 3: 5 12-07
8. Byron Velvick Del Rio, TX 15 41-08 268
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 14-14 Day 3: 5 13-05
9. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 15 41-01 264
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 5 16-05
10. Jeff Connella Bentley, LA 15 41-00 260
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 14-03 Day 3: 5 15-04
11. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 15 40-04 257
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 11-04 Day 3: 5 15-13
12. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 15 40-00 254
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 16-11 Day 3: 5 09-03
13. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 15 39-08 251 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 15-06 Day 3: 5 13-11
14. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 15 39-05 248 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 11-08 Day 3: 5 14-11
15. Morizo Shimizu Osaka JAPAN 15 39-05 245 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 13-12 Day 3: 5 11-03
16. Jeff Reynolds Idabel, OK 15 39-02 243 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 12-02 Day 3: 5 10-09
17. Mark Tyler Vian, OK 15 39-02 241 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 13-08 Day 3: 5 10-03
18. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 15 38-10 239 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 11-07 Day 3: 5 13-10
19. Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 15 38-08 237 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 5 11-09
20. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 14 38-06 235 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 16-08 Day 3: 4 06-11
21. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 15 38-04 233 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 12-06 Day 3: 5 09-08
22. Bradley Hallman Norman, OK 15 37-14 231 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 11-12 Day 3: 5 11-00
23. Randy Howell Springville, AL 15 37-12 229 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 5 11-05
24. Mark Tucker Saint Louis, MO 15 37-09 227 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 13-09 Day 3: 5 09-09
25. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 15 37-05 225 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 5 10-08
26. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 15 36-15 223 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 12-03 Day 3: 5 10-00
27. Dustin Wilks Rocky Mount, NC 15 36-14 221 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 12-00 Day 3: 5 11-03
28. Scott Campbell Springfield, MO 15 36-09 219 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 12-06 Day 3: 5 13-05
29. Pat Golden High Point, NC 15 36-09 217 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 13-04 Day 3: 5 12-08
30. Dave Wolak Wake Forest, NC 15 36-08 215 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 10-04 Day 3: 5 09-15
31. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 15 36-00 213 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 13-15 Day 3: 5 09-02
32. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 15 35-15 211 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 08-14 Day 3: 5 12-05
33. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 15 35-15 209 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 13-08 Day 3: 5 08-04
34. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 15 35-14 207 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 12-06 Day 3: 5 10-14
35. Billy Mccaghren Mayflower, AR 14 35-13 205 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 4 10-03 Day 3: 5 10-12
36. Boyd Duckett Demopolis, AL 15 35-03 203 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 11-10 Day 3: 5 09-11
37. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 14 35-01 201 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 4 10-07 Day 3: 5 09-06
38. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 14 34-11 199 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 12-09 Day 3: 4 08-00
39. Terry Butcher Talala, OK 14 34-08 197 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 10-15 Day 3: 4 08-02
40. Brian Clark Haltom City, TX 15 34-04 195 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 12-00 Day 3: 5 10-00
41. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 15 33-13 193 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 08-13 Day 3: 5 09-10
42. Michael Iaconelli Runnemede, NJ 14 33-11 191 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 11-10 Day 3: 4 06-04
43. Jason Quinn York, SC 15 33-10 189 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 09-08 Day 3: 5 10-06
44. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 15 33-08 187 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 10-00 Day 3: 5 09-15
45. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 13 33-06 185 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 4 09-00 Day 3: 4 07-07
46. Chris Lane Lakeland, FL 14 33-00 183 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 10-14 Day 3: 4 09-08
47. Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 14 31-14 181 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 5 15-09 Day 3: 4 07-02
48. John Crews Salem, VA 13 29-04 179 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 11-15 Day 3: 3 05-06
49. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 12 27-12 177 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 07-09 Day 3: 2 03-14
50. Marty Stone Fayetteville, NC 11 25-08 175 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 08-05 Day 3: 1 01-10
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
BIG BASS
Day
1 Wade Grooms Bonneau, SC 06-08 $0.00
2 Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 06-07 $0.00
3 James Niggemeyer Van, TX 07-02 $0.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 90 479 1244-06
2 77 447 1030-12
3 40 234 532-07
----------------------------------
207 1160 2807-09
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