Kevin VanDam

Field for final major of season, Bassmaster Legends, set

August 12, 2007 – espnoutdoors.com

LA PLATA, Md. — With the conclusion of this week’s Capitol Clash presented by Advance Auto Parts on the Potomac River, BASS has finalized the 51-angler field for the Bassmaster Legends presented by Ramada Worldwide, the final of three Bassmaster Majors in 2007, set for Aug. 23-26 in Russellville, Ark.

The Legends, which recently was relocated to Lake Dardanelle from the Arkansas River because of unsafe conditions on the River, will feature television coverage at 9 a.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 1, on ESPN2.

Before the Potomac River Elite event, three Elite Series anglers had qualified for berths in the Legends: 2007 Bassmaster Classic champion Boyd Duckett of Demopolis, Ala.; 2006 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Mike Iaconelli of Runnemede, N.J.; and Scott Rook of Little Rock, Ark., winner of the 2006 Bassmaster Legends.

The 48 other anglers qualified today at the conclusion of the Capitol Clash. Those qualifiers include the top 47 anglers in combined Angler of the Year standings through the past two years and the leader in the Toyota Rookie of the Year race, Derek Remitz of Madison, Ala.

A Bridesmaid no more

August 12, 2007 – espnoutdoors.com

MARBURY, Md. — Last month Skeet Reese turned the tables on an expected New York state onslaught by Kevin VanDam in the Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year race.

This week, he turned it around 2006 champ Kelly Jordon in the Capitol Clash presented by Advance Auto Parts.

Reese scored his first Elite Series victory with a resounding 8-pound, 9-ounce victory, the same margin he took into Sunday’s final round.

“It’s unbelievable,” said an emotional Reese. “The goal today, first and foremost, was to close the deal here.”

Reese led all four days, making it the first wire-to-wire victory of the 2007 Elite Series season. Curiously, this week were also the first days Reese had led a tournament, a feat even more impressive considering the high finishes he’s experienced this year.

Runner-up Jordon (57-7) bagged a solid 17-2 pounds Sunday, making Saturday’s curious stumble (7-7 pounds on Day Three) even more hard to take.

Reese Sitting Pretty

August 12, 2007 – espnoutdoors.com

MARBURY, MD — Many Elite Series pros would be tempted to fish conservatively with an eight and a half pound lead heading into the final day. Skeet Reese, who leads the Capitol Clash presented by Advance Auto Parts, probably would, too, if he had a choice.

“I’m just going to milk what I’ve got for whatever I can get,” said Reese, looking to become the first wire to wire winner of the ’07 season, which would give him 320 AOY points. “I turned four bites in practice into the lead that I’ve got now.

“I figure if I can get ten pounds I’ll be in good shape. Another fifteen to eighteen pounds and that’ll slam the door as loud as I can.”

That’s not to say the Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year leader is overconfident.

His area in Nanjemoy Creek has been good for four fish on Thursday, seven on Friday and seven on Saturday, but Reese had to work hard for his bites on Day Three.

And he had the aid of a cooperative bunch of observer boats. Sunday’s blast-off was twenty minutes later, giving weekenders extra time to put a lure in front of the fish.

is looking for his first Elite Series victory

August 11, 2007 – espnoutdoors.com

MARBURY, MD — August, at least temporarily, turned into early October for the Day 3 launch of the Capitol Clash presented by Advance Auto Parts. So, in addition to guaranteeing themselves a paycheck by making the cut from 107 to 50, Saturday’s Bassmaster Elite Series pros received another bonus in the form of weather.

It was 71 degrees with a 5- to 10-mph northwesterly breeze when the anglers launched on the Potomac River at 6 a.m. Saturday.

“I may have to break out some other clothes for that first run this morning,” said Charlie Hartley, as he prepared his tackle.

Short sleeves and short pants have been the rule all week on the Potomac, where water surface temperatures during the day have topped 90 degrees in some areas.

There was some cloud cover to go with the cool, breezy conditions, as well.

VanDam needs big day to stay close

August 10, 2007 – espnoutdoors.com

MARBURY, MD — There are, at most, seven competition days left in the Bassmaster Elite Series Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year race.

But one day — Friday — could make-or-break Kevin VanDam if he’s to eventually overtake leader Skeet Reese.

“Today is unbelievably important,” said VanDam at the launch for Friday’s second day of competition in the Capitol Classic presented by Advanced Auto Parts. “I’ve got to catch ‘em today. There’s no sandbagging.”

That’s because VanDam came into this Potomac River tournament trailing Reese by only 20 points in the Angler of the Year race — 2,259 to 2,239. But on Day One, Reese earned a guaranteed five bonus points by finishing as the first day leader with 20 pounds, 5 ounces, and VanDam caught only 12-2, good for 33rd place. If those standings held to the end of the tournament Sunday, Reese would have increased his lead over VanDam to almost 120 points.

Reese and Klein hope their techniques hold up another day

August 10, 2007 – espnoutdoors.com

MARBURY, Md. — A damp, cloudy Day Two dawned for the 107 anglers competing in the Elite Series Capitol Clash presented by Advance Auto Parts on the Potomac River, with a half dozen anglers within three pounds of the lead held by Skeet Reese. There’s a cold front in the forecast for the weekend, but that seemed like a distant fantasy to most considering the oppressive humidity hanging over Smallwood State Park’s launch site.

Anglers fish to make the cut with more than this tourney at stake.
Two competitors, Reese and Texas pro Gary Klein, distanced themselves significantly from rest of the field — with the exception of Grant Goldbeck’s 18-5 pound bag — by throwing twenty pound plus sacks on the scales. And though their territory — the all-encompassing shallow grass — is similar, their techniques pretty much end there.

Reese (20-5), who’s duking it out in the Angler of the Year race with Kevin VanDam, is getting up close and personal with his fish with a flipping stick and is sharing his water with a number of other anglers. Klein, on the other hand, is pretty much by himself and is staying as far from his fish as possible.

ONE HOT RACE AT THE POTOMAC

August 9, 2007 – basszone.com

La Plata, MD – The Bassmaster Elite Series has retuned to the Potomac River for another event. Like last year’s tournament, the 2007 Capital Clash will be tough. Unlike some of the stops this year, the only records to fall his week might be the heat index.

With air temperatures busting the 100 degree mark and the water temps just below boiling, the 106 professional anglers competing this week are finding the fishing tough.

With only the Capital Clash and the Sunshine Showdown remaining on the schedule, these anglers are scrambling for points. Skeet Reese and Kevin VanDam are separated by just 20 points in the Angler of the Year race. While pros like Dean Rojas, Alton Jones, John Crews and Gerald Swindle are sitting on the bubble in terms of making the Classic.

pros look to beat the heat

August 9, 2007 – espnoutdoors.com

MARBURY, Md. — Mike McClelland glanced at the electronics on the front of his bass boat at 5:30 a.m. Thursday as he prepared for Day One of the Capitol Clash presented by Advance Auto Parts. The water surface temperature on the Potomac River at Sweden Point Marina read 86 degrees.

“This place appears to be a lot different than it was a year ago,” said McClelland, the Bella Vista, Ark., pro who finished eighth here last year. “I plan to fish moving water today once the tide starts falling.”

McClelland thinks moving water might produce more active bass in the middle of the day when water surface temperatures hit 90-plus degrees.

McClelland was one of a handful of Bassmaster Elite Series contenders who spent most of their time last year 35 minutes south of the Smallwood State weigh-in site, concentrating on Nanjemoy Creek. He’s going to try it again this morning, but isn’t as confident, based on what he’s seen in practice.

So what do bass do when the water gets this warm?

“Not a whole helluva lot,” said Skeet Reese, who placed second by 7 ounces to champion Kelly Jordon in last year’s Capitol Clash.

Reese has a history of top performances on the Potomac River.

“I understand tides from growing up fishing the California Delta,” Reese said. “There is a confidence factor here for me.”

Scouting the Potomac

August 7, 2007 – espnoutdoors.com

CELEBRATION, Fla. — When the Bassmaster Elite Series returns Aug. 9-12 to the Potomac River for the Capitol Clash presented by Advance Auto Parts in Laplata, Md., competitors can expect to find more bass-holding grass, clearer water and tricky tidal conditions as they compete for a $100,000 top prize.
Although each fishery visited on the Elite circuit presents unique challenges to the world’s top bass pros, the tides will make the Potomac River an especially tough venue.

Kelly Jordon will look to defend his Capitol Clash title, which he earned in August 2006 with a total weight of 60 pounds, 9 ounces. The Mineola, Texas, pro said figuring out how the fish move with the tides is tough.

“I’m sure the tidal conditions will be different than last year,” Jordon said. “They change every day. What we catch will be dictated by the tide we’ll have. If the tide really moves during tournament hours, the fishing will be good. The greater the tide fluctuations, the better the fishing.”

Bassmaster Legends major relocated to Arkansas’ Lake Dardanelle

August 2, 2007 – espnoutdoors.com

CELEBRATION, Fla. — Due to recent unsafe conditions on the Arkansas River, BASS will relocate the Bassmaster Legends presented by Ramada Worldwide, set for Aug. 23-26, to Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Ark.

“Due to safety concerns for our anglers and co-anglers,” said BASS General Manager Tom Ricks, “we assembled data from relevant sources to make the call to move from the Arkansas River to Lake Dardanelle. We look forward to a successful event.”

The third and final 2007 Bassmaster Major, the Legends, is held in honor of BASS founder Ray Scott, who will attend the event. Daily weigh-ins and tournament launches will take place at Lake Dardanelle State Park, at 100 State Park Drive in Russellville. Daily tournament launches will begin at 9 a.m. CT and weigh-ins will start at 6 p.m. CT.

Lake Dardanelle has been the site of four previous BASS events, all since 2004. In 2004 and 2005, Dardanelle was the site of two Elite 50 tournaments, the precursors to today’s Majors. Alabama’s Randy Howell won the first of those tournaments with a 4-day catch weighing 56 pounds, 13 ounces. A year later, Davy Hite won there with 58-9. In 2006 and 2007, Dardanelle hosted Women’s Bassmaster Tour events.