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        California's Ish Monroe maintains lead in Power-Pole Slam on Lake Okeechobee - Kansan Brent Chapman jumps to 25th from 42nd
        March 23, 2012 - OKEECHOBEE, Fla. — Smashing a six-year-old Bassmaster Elite Series record and threatening others, Ish Monroe increased his lead Friday to 13 pounds, 11 ounces, in the Power-Pole Slam over his nearest challenger, 2012 Bassmaster Classic champion Chris Lane.
         
        Monroe of Hughson, Calif., weighed in 24-15 Friday to add to his gigantic first-day sack of 34-5 for a two-day total of 59-4 on Lake Okeechobee. Lane, who won Bassmaster events on Okeechobee in 2006 and 2010, had 45-9 for second place, moving up from fourth.
         
        Monroe isn’t claiming anything, even with 13-plus pounds as a cushion.
         
        “I want a 40-pound lead to be comfortable. Anything can happen tomorrow,” he said.
         
        In third with 41-3, Jeff Kriet of Ardmore, Okla., trailed Monroe by 18-1. Fourth place was taken by 2009 Classic winner Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., with 39-14. Fifth was held by Lakeland, Fla., Elite rookie Kyle Fox, who had 38-5. In sixth place was Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, who was the runner-up at the Elite event last week on Florida’s St. Johns River.
         
        The field was cut to the Top 50 for Saturday’s competition. On Sunday, only the Top 12 will battle for the first prize of $100,000 and an instant qualification for the 2013 Bassmaster Classic. All pros are vying for points that count toward a Classic berth, postseason entry and the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year award.
         
        Monroe’s 13-11 lead over Lane surpassed the 12-1 record for a Day 2 Elite lead set in 2006 by Mike McClelland on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake. It was Monroe’s second record in as many days: Thursday, his 8-12 lead broke a four-year Elite record for the Day 1 margin by a leader. The old Day 1 record, set by Aaron Martens, was 6-4.
         
        The Power-Pole Slam’s leader would have to step back up to 30-something bags to threaten the four-day record of 132-8 by Paul Elias on Texas’ Falcon Lake, but Monroe said he is shooting for it.
         
        After landing lunkers almost consecutively Thursday, Monroe had to work harder Friday, moving through a lot of smaller fish between the larger bites. His biggest bass of the day was a 6-15, backed up by mostly 4-pounders.
         
        “I missed another good one, but that lets me know that with the wind blowing the way it is, it’s going to give me more water,” he said. The wind was blowing out of the west, pushing enough water so he can venture farther back into his area without worrying about getting stuck.
         
        He’s flipping his way inside high vegetation, working slowly. Like Thursday, he used the Missile D Bomb, but said he switched to another bait when the wind died down. He was working a stretch about 1/4 mile long.
         
        “But there’s three miles of shoreline in that general area,” he said.  “I’m going to have to expand [into it] a little bit tomorrow, because I kind of put the hurt on the area I’ve been fishing the first two days. But there’s lots of water there — lots of places for fish to be.”
         
        Lane said he missed a pair of 6-pounders Friday that would have helped his case against Monroe.
         
        “But with the way I’m fishing, I have to expect I’ll miss a couple a day,” he said. “I’ll just have to keep putting 23 or 24 on the board and see where we end up.”
         
        He’s been taking his bass out of “the thick stuff.”
         
        “Getting them out’s tough. It’s not like you hem them on a reed, and they lay there. They keep on until they rip themselves out,” said Lane, who not only won on Okeechobee twice, but also won on the Harris Chain of Lakes earlier this season.
         
        Less wind on Lake Okeechobee will help him Saturday, Lane said.
         
        Kriet said his success and consistency — 19-5 on the first day, 21-14 on the second day with a 5-pound anchor fish — was possible because he had water mostly to himself, at least early in the day. 
         
        “There’s a lot of fish in there, and I’m having to catch them three or four different ways,” he said. He’s flipping, frogging, swimming a jig.
         
        Reese, who popped up from eighth into fourth, said he caught his larger fish by sight fishing late in the afternoon. 
         
        “There’s still a few good ones around, but not too many,” he said, adding that he might run some new water Saturday.
         
        A 7-13 by Kelly Jordon of Palestine, Texas, was Friday’s big bass. It matched Kevin Short’s 7-13 of Thursday, creating a tie in the Carhartt Big Bass competition for up to $1,500 in bonuses. The bonus goes to the angler with the largest bass over all four days of the Power-Pole Slam.
         
        The Power-Pole Slam continues Saturday and Sunday. Fans are invited to watch the 7:30 a.m. ET launch and 4 p.m. ET weigh-ins at C. Scott Driver Recreation Area in Okeechobee. 
         
        Bassmaster.com will continue to cover the tournament with live streaming of the weigh-ins, real-time leaderboards, photo galleries, BASSCam videos, BASSTrakk catch reports, and more, including the new, live War Room. It features BASSTrakk analysis on the hour from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
         
        All online access and all Bassmaster fan activities are free and open to the public.
         
        2012 Bassmaster Elite Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha
        2012 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsor: BOOYAH, Carhartt, Lowrance, Luck “E” Strike, Power-Pole, Ramada 
        2012 Bassmaster Elite Series Proud Partner: Mustang Survival
         
        About B.A.S.S.
        For more than 40 years, B.A.S.S. has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and an expansive tournament structure while connecting directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.
         
        The Bassmaster brand and its multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications — Bassmaster Magazine and B.A.S.S. Times — comprehensive website Bassmaster.com and ESPN2 and Outdoor Channel television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.
         
        The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, Cabela’s B.A.S.S. Federation Nation events and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.
         
        B.A.S.S. offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members and remains focused on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala.
        -30-
        Media Contact: Cara Clark, 205-313-0955, cclark@bassmaster.com, or Dave Precht, 205-313-0931, dprecht@bassmaster.com 
         
        2012 Power-Pole Slam 3/22-3/25
        Lake Okeechobee, Okeechobee  FL.
        (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
         
         Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$
         
        1.  Ish Monroe             Hughson, CA             10  59-04   99
         Day 1: 5   34-05     Day 2: 5   24-15 
        2.  Chris Lane             Guntersville, AL        10  45-09   98
         Day 1: 5   21-15     Day 2: 5   23-10 
        3.  Jeff Kriet             Ardmore, OK             10  41-03   97
         Day 1: 5   19-05     Day 2: 5   21-14 
        4.  Skeet Reese            Auburn, CA              10  39-14   96
         Day 1: 5   19-06     Day 2: 5   20-08 
        5.  Kyle A. Fox            Lakeland, FL            10  38-05   95
         Day 1: 5   18-01     Day 2: 5   20-04 
        6.  Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX              10  37-02   94
         Day 1: 5   19-06     Day 2: 5   17-12 
        7.  Davy Hite              Ninety Six, SC          10  35-15   93
         Day 1: 5   25-09     Day 2: 5   10-06 
        8.  Ott DeFoe              Knoxville, TN           10  35-10   92
         Day 1: 5   14-13     Day 2: 5   20-13 
        9.  Scott Rook             Little Rock, AR         10  35-09   91
         Day 1: 5   20-15     Day 2: 5   14-10 
        10. Michael Iaconelli      Pittsgrove, NJ          10  34-07   90
         Day 1: 5   15-08     Day 2: 5   18-15 
        11. David Walker           Sevierville, TN         10  34-01   89
         Day 1: 5   16-10     Day 2: 5   17-07 
        12. Britt Myers            Lake Wylie, SC          10  33-13   88
         Day 1: 5   14-09     Day 2: 5   19-04 
        13. Gary Klein             Weatherford, TX         10  32-12   87
         Day 1: 5   13-00     Day 2: 5   19-12 
        14. Randy Howell           Springville, AL         10  32-12   86
         Day 1: 5   18-10     Day 2: 5   14-02 
        15. Jason Quinn            Lake Wylie, SC          10  32-09   85
         Day 1: 5   12-11     Day 2: 5   19-14 
        16. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL              10  32-01   84
         Day 1: 5   10-15     Day 2: 5   21-02 
        17. Bobby Lane             Lakeland, FL            10  31-13   83
         Day 1: 5   21-03     Day 2: 5   10-10 
        18. Terry Scroggins        San Mateo, FL           10  31-13   82
         Day 1: 5   12-01     Day 2: 5   19-12 
        19. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX          10  31-01   81
         Day 1: 5   14-01     Day 2: 5   17-00 
        20. Gerald Swindle         Warrior, AL             10  30-13   80
         Day 1: 5   14-02     Day 2: 5   16-11 
        21. Tommy Biffle           Wagoner, OK             10  30-07   79
         Day 1: 5   16-03     Day 2: 5   14-04 
        22. Jeremy Starks          Scott Depot, WV         10  30-05   78
         Day 1: 5   15-12     Day 2: 5   14-09 
        23. Zell Rowland           Austin, TX              10  30-02   77
         Day 1: 5   11-14     Day 2: 5   18-04 
        24. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          10  29-08   76
         Day 1: 5   14-11     Day 2: 5   14-13 
        25. Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira, KS        10  29-04   75
         Day 1: 5   12-10     Day 2: 5   16-10 
        26. Nate Wellman           Newaygo, MI             10  29-01   74
         Day 1: 5   22-03     Day 2: 5   06-14 
        27. Edwin Evers            Talala, OK              10  28-12   73
         Day 1: 5   10-11     Day 2: 5   18-01 
        28. Jason Williamson       Aiken, SC               10  28-12   72
         Day 1: 5   17-07     Day 2: 5   11-05 
        29. Marty Robinson         Lyman, SC                9  28-05   71
         Day 1: 4   08-00     Day 2: 5   20-05 
        30. Derek Remitz           Grant, AL               10  28-02   70
         Day 1: 5   12-06     Day 2: 5   15-12 
        31. Bradley Roy            Lancaster, KY           10  28-01   69
         Day 1: 5   20-09     Day 2: 5   07-08 
        32. Brent Broderick        Oregonia, OH            10  28-00   68
         Day 1: 5   15-04     Day 2: 5   12-12 
        33. Kelly Jordon           Palestine, TX           10  27-13   67
         Day 1: 5   08-12     Day 2: 5   19-01 
        34. James Niggemeyer       Van, TX                  9  27-10   66
         Day 1: 4   08-07     Day 2: 5   19-03 
        35. Cliff Crochet          Pierre Part, LA         10  27-03   65
         Day 1: 5   16-00     Day 2: 5   11-03 
        36. Mike McClelland        Bella Vista, AR         10  26-13   64
         Day 1: 5   11-10     Day 2: 5   15-03 
        37. Yusuke Miyazaki        Forney, TX              10  26-12   63
         Day 1: 5   12-09     Day 2: 5   14-03 
        38. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                 10  26-10   62
         Day 1: 5   15-02     Day 2: 5   11-08 
        39. Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI           10  26-09   61
         Day 1: 5   14-07     Day 2: 5   12-02 
        40. Fletcher Shryock       Newcomerstown, OH       10  26-06   60
         Day 1: 5   16-04     Day 2: 5   10-02 
        41. Shaw E Grigsby Jr.     Gainesville, FL         10  26-06   59
         Day 1: 5   11-07     Day 2: 5   14-15 
        42. Fred Roumbanis         Bixby, OK               10  26-04   58
         Day 1: 5   14-05     Day 2: 5   11-15 
        43. Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA       10  26-04   57
         Day 1: 5   12-01     Day 2: 5   14-03 
        44. Brandon Card           Caryville, TN           10  26-01   56
         Day 1: 5   09-03     Day 2: 5   16-14 
        45. Mark Davis             Mount Ida, AR           10  26-01   55
         Day 1: 5   14-10     Day 2: 5   11-07 
        46. Morizo Shimizu         Matsugaoka JAPAN        10  25-15   54
         Day 1: 5   12-15     Day 2: 5   13-00 
        47. J Todd Tucker          Moultrie, GA            10  25-14   53
         Day 1: 5   12-04     Day 2: 5   13-10 
        48. John Murray            Phoenix, AZ             10  25-11   52
         Day 1: 5   08-15     Day 2: 5   16-12 
        49. Paul Elias             Laurel, MS              10  25-11   51
         Day 1: 5   14-06     Day 2: 5   11-05 
        50. Pat Golden             Bethlehem, GA           10  25-10   50
         Day 1: 5   15-08     Day 2: 5   10-02 
        51. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL             10  25-10   49
         Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   12-06 
        52. Russ Lane              Prattville, AL          10  25-05   48
         Day 1: 5   12-09     Day 2: 5   12-12 
        53. Russell Parrish        Riesel, TX              10  24-13   47
         Day 1: 5   14-08     Day 2: 5   10-05 
        54. Kevin Short            Mayflower, AR           10  24-04   46
         Day 1: 5   17-05     Day 2: 5   06-15 
        55. Keith Poche            Pike Road, AL           10  24-00   45
         Day 1: 5   12-04     Day 2: 5   11-12 
        56. Denny Brauer           Camdenton, MO           10  23-15   44
         Day 1: 5   11-07     Day 2: 5   12-08 
        57. Jamie Horton           Centerville, AL         10  23-12   43
         Day 1: 5   14-06     Day 2: 5   09-06 
        58. Aaron Martens          Leeds, AL               10  23-11   42
         Day 1: 5   11-10     Day 2: 5   12-01 
        59. Takahiro Omori         Emory, TX               10  23-08   41
         Day 1: 5   10-15     Day 2: 5   12-09 
        60. John Crews             Salem, VA               10  23-07   40
         Day 1: 5   11-04     Day 2: 5   12-03 
        61. Terry Butcher          Talala, OK               8  22-10   39
         Day 1: 3   06-11     Day 2: 5   15-15 
        62. Greg Vinson            Wetumpka, AL            10  22-04   38
         Day 1: 5   08-12     Day 2: 5   13-08 
        63. Cliff Pace             Petal, MS               10  22-04   37
         Day 1: 5   10-12     Day 2: 5   11-08 
        64. Matt Herren            Trussville, AL          10  21-13   36
         Day 1: 5   06-01     Day 2: 5   15-12 
        65. Casey Scanlon          Lenexa, KS              10  21-09   35
         Day 1: 5   08-15     Day 2: 5   12-10 
        66. Dean Rojas             Lake Havasu City, AZ    10  21-06   34
         Day 1: 5   10-01     Day 2: 5   11-05 
        67. Byron Velvick          Boenre, TX              10  21-02   33
         Day 1: 5   11-06     Day 2: 5   09-12 
        68. Boyd Duckett           Demopolis, AL           10  21-02   32
         Day 1: 5   14-03     Day 2: 5   06-15 
        69. Alton Jones            Woodway, TX             10  21-01   31
         Day 1: 5   13-01     Day 2: 5   08-00 
        70. Charlie Hartley        Grove City, OH          10  20-06   30
         Day 1: 5   08-09     Day 2: 5   11-13 
        71. Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR         10  19-13   29
         Day 1: 5   08-12     Day 2: 5   11-01 
        72. Travis Manson          De Pere, WI             10  19-12   28
         Day 1: 5   09-01     Day 2: 5   10-11 
        73. Jonathon VanDam        Kalamazoo, MI           10  19-12   27
         Day 1: 5   10-07     Day 2: 5   09-05 
        74. Jared Miller           Norman, OK              10  19-11   26
         Day 1: 5   07-01     Day 2: 5   12-10 
        75. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO        10  19-11   25
         Day 1: 5   08-15     Day 2: 5   10-12 
        76. Pete Ponds             Madison, MS             10  19-09   24
         Day 1: 5   10-13     Day 2: 5   08-12 
        77. Casey D Ashley         Donalds, SC             10  19-08   23
         Day 1: 5   09-11     Day 2: 5   09-13 
        78. Chris Zaldain          San Jose, CA            10  18-15   22
         Day 1: 5   10-08     Day 2: 5   08-07 
        79. Clark Reehm            Lufkin, TX              10  18-06   21
         Day 1: 5   07-08     Day 2: 5   10-14 
        80. Timmy Horton           Muscle Shoals, AL        9  18-05   20
         Day 1: 5   11-08     Day 2: 4   06-13 
        81. Matt Greenblatt        Port St Lucie, FL       10  18-01   19
         Day 1: 5   08-01     Day 2: 5   10-00 
        82. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA             9  18-01   18
         Day 1: 5   11-12     Day 2: 4   06-05 
        83. Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC          10  17-15   17
         Day 1: 5   09-11     Day 2: 5   08-04 
        84. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          9  17-15   16
         Day 1: 5   11-15     Day 2: 4   06-00 
        85. Rick Morris            Lake Gaston, VA         10  17-10   15
         Day 1: 5   06-05     Day 2: 5   11-05 
        86. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY             10  17-10   14
         Day 1: 5   09-15     Day 2: 5   07-11 
        87. Jami Fralick           Martin, SD              10  17-07   13
         Day 1: 5   12-06     Day 2: 5   05-01 
        88. Billy McCaghren        Mayflower, AR           10  17-03   12
         Day 1: 5   09-14     Day 2: 5   07-05 
        89. Kenyon Hill            Norman, OK              10  17-03   11
         Day 1: 5   07-07     Day 2: 5   09-12 
        90. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID             6  16-12   10
         Day 1: 5   13-08     Day 2: 1   03-04 
        91. Dustin Wilks           Rocky Mount, NC          9  16-08    9
         Day 1: 4   07-08     Day 2: 5   09-00 
        92. David Smith            Del City, OK            10  16-00    8
         Day 1: 5   09-05     Day 2: 5   06-11 
        93. Michael Simonton       Fremont, OH             10  14-09    7
         Day 1: 5   06-05     Day 2: 5   08-04 
        94. Scott Ashmore          Broken Arrow, OK        10  14-09    6
         Day 1: 5   08-00     Day 2: 5   06-09 
        95. Matt Reed              Madisonville, TX         9  14-07    5
         Day 1: 4   08-07     Day 2: 5   06-00 
        96. Kotaro Kiriyama        Moody, AL               10  14-00    4
         Day 1: 5   08-09     Day 2: 5   05-07 
        97. Grant Goldbeck         Boerne, TX               3  13-01    3
         Day 1: 2   10-12     Day 2: 1   02-05 
        98. Kevin Ledoux           Choctaw, OK              5  05-15    2
         Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 5   05-15 
        99. Chad Griffin           Cresson, TX              5  03-15    1
         Day 1: 5   03-15     Day 2: 0   00-00 
        -----------------------------------------------------------------------
        Totals
        Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
         1        92       481      1249-06
         2        93       479      1241-05
        ----------------------------------
         185       960      2490-11
         
         
        
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