Kevin VanDam

Legends: Clouds, rain and whole new ballgam

August 25, 2007
(espnoutdoors.com, August 25, 2007)

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — Saturday dawned with a thunderstorm rolling across Lake Dardanelle. It seemed like a godsend for the 12 anglers who qualified for the semifinal round of the Bassmaster Elite Series Legends tournament, presented by Ramada Worldwide.

“I’m loving it,” Ish Monroe said. “Anytime you haven’t had rain for awhile, and then you get rain, the fish start getting active, and they want to bite.”

Aaron Martens led the field after two days on Lake Dardanelle with 33 pounds. During Friday’s weigh-in, Martens said, “If we can just get some clouds. Just a few clouds.”

Martens got more clouds than he wanted Saturday morning, when the two-day totals were zeroed for the next two days of competition. The 7 a.m. downpour prevented him from re-rigging his rods, as he planned to when he arrived early for the 9 a.m. takeoff. But Martens, who celebrated his 35th birthday Friday, wasn’t complaining.

“It allows you to move a lot faster,” said the Leeds, Ala., resident. “You don’t have to finesse them. You can go power fishing.”

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/tournaments/majors/news/story?id=2990845

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