Kevin VanDam

Clunn contending again

June 29, 2008
(bassmaster.com, June 29, 2008)

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. — Just two weeks ago, four-time Bassmaster Classic champion Rick Clunn hadn’t made a Bassmaster Elite Series top 12-cut since its inception in 2006. Now he’s made two in a row.

And for the second straight tournament, the 61-year-old Clunn is in second place going into Sunday’s finale.

Kevin Wirth maintained the lead for the third day in row in the Tennessee Triumph presented by Longhorn. The Crestwood, Ky., native has a total of 44 pounds, 13 ounces and leads Clunn by 3 pounds, 3 ounces.

“I thought I’d make a pretty good charge on (Wirth) today, and I gained two ounces,” Clunn said. “But today was the day I was kind of worried about.

“I’m going to open up tomorrow and not play so much defense.”

Wirth, who hasn’t won a BASS tournament since 1994, didn’t seem too worried that Clunn — or anyone else — might catch him in the 12-angler final Sunday, when the winner will earn $100,000.

The 45-year-old former jockey has stayed in shallow water about 2 miles back in a creek off the Cumberland River channel of Old Hickory. And during this tournament, he’s defied conventional wisdom that a shallow-water bite couldn’t hold for more than two days.

“It’s got me this far,” Wirth said. “I’ve gotten a lot accomplished. I needed the points for the (Bassmaster) Classic bad. That’s the main goal. Anything else is good.”

Wirth weighed his smallest five-bass limit of the tournament. In fact, his weights have gone down each day since he caught 17-2 Thursday, which continues to be the Berkley Big Bag of this event. Wirth had 15-10 Friday and 12-1 Saturday.

“It was a little bit slower than yesterday,” he said. “But it’s the weirdest thing: You can go by a place and not get a bite, then come back 30 minutes later and get one or two.

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/tournaments/elite/news/story?id=3465475

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