Kevin VanDam

Top three after Day Two tightens to three ounces

February 20, 2010
(bassmaster.com, February 20, 2010)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Jeff Kriet of Ardmore, Okla., is sitting atop the field in the Bassmaster Classic on Lay Lake with a two-day limit of 32-1. Fishing in Beeswax Creek, Kriet caught most of his fish on lipless crankbaits.

Coming into the event trailing Day One leader Kevin VanDam by 3 pounds, 1 ounce, Kriet surged ahead with the day’s heaviest limit — a 15-10 sack of largemouth. Kriet focused most of his effort on a 200-yard stretch of the creek in about 5 ½ feet. He said the sweet spots had a grassy bottom and stumps near a slight roll-off.

“I caught 11 keepers, but it’s slow,” Kriet said. “It’s cold and there’s a lot of pressure. I watched (Todd) Faircloth catch a couple and I watched VanDam catch a couple of his. I know that if any one of us had it to ourselves, it would be a blow-out.”

“Tomorrow, I’ll just grind it out until I can’t grind anymore. I know a lot of other guys would like to be where I’m sitting and I appreciate those guys — and they know who they are — who stayed off of me.”

Kriet acknowledged a tight race, but said he has confidence in what Sunday holds for him.

“I think I have a chance,” he said. “It’s about time I won one of these.”

In second place, VanDam trails Kriet by 2 ounces with 31-15. VanDam began his day power fishing the sunny cove off Beeswax Creek where he did his Day One damage. He tried other spots, but finished his day back in Beeswax. VanDam’s limit weighed 12-7.

“The lake changed a lot,” VanDam said, noting a depth drop of about a foot. “It got tougher today with those high, bright skies.

“I’m not going to die in one place tomorrow. I have other places to look at.”

Sitting just an ounce behind KVD, Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, dropped a notch to third place with a 13-12 limit that gave him a 31-14 total. Also working in Beeswax, Faircloth caught most of his fish on a Sebile Flats Shad in hollow green color.

“It’s a grind out there — we’re all fishing the same area,” Faircloth said. “I feel like if you could let something rest for 30 minutes to an hour and come back to it, you could catch one or two. But it’s just not getting much of a rest.”

Improving from seventh place, Michael Iaconelli is in fourth with 26-12. Ike caught two largemouths on a vibrating Lazer Lure in spicy shad and a pair of spots on Berkley Shaky Worm rigged on a 3/16-ounce Tru-Tungsten Iky Head.

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/tournaments/classic/news/story?id=4932061

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