Kevin VanDam

BUTCHER CUTS THE FIELD ON DAY ONE

April 27, 2007
(basszone.com, April 27, 2007)

By the end of the first day weigh-in, it seemed that many of the anglers at the lower end of the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race had sensed that urgency and leaped at the chance to gain some ground on the usual front runners, who were largely absent from the top half of the leader board.

Terry Butcher, the 35-year-old pro of Talala, Okla. did just that and stormed to the lead of the Southern Challenge. Butcher, taking the urgency to heart relied on two patterns to post his day one weight of 26-pounds, 3-ounces. Butcher’s solid day put him more than three pounds ahead of 34-year-old Jason Quinn of Lake Wylie, S.C. who finished with 22-pounds, 10-ounces.

After two tournaments without an appearance in the top 12, Kevin Van Dam of Kalamazoo, Mich. The 39-year-old found himself in third position with a limit that weighed 21-pounds, 4-ounces. Rounding out the top five were 38-year-old Terry Scroggins of Palatka, Fla. with 21-pounds, 2-ounces and fourth place. While 46-year-old Pete Ponds of Madison, MS weighed 20-pounds, 7-ounces grabbed the fifth spot.

http://www.basszone.com/2007eliteseries/gville/day2/story.htm