Industry News
Archive For July 2008
A Wild Ride Expected This Week on the Elite Series
July 31, 2008 – basszone.com
Buffalo, NY – With the 2008 Elite Series winding down, the intensity of Angler of the Year points and Classic berths are nearing critical mass. Lake Erie plays host to The Empire Chase, the 10th regular-season tournament of the 2008 Elite Series campaign, and with only one event to go after this week, the margin of error will be slim.
As the 11th-largest freshwater lake globally, Lake Erie is big regardless of whichever stick you use to measure it. Covering nearly 10,000 square miles of surface area, the average depth at Erie is only 62 feet, thus creating treacherous running conditions in even the slightest of breezes. As such, this week will be a true test of not only the pros stamina, but also their equipment given the lake’s often punishing conditions.
Should tournament officials declare conditions on Erie as “unsafe,” which is a fairly loosely defined and somewhat relative term at Erie, the Niagara River could serve as the back-up venue so that the show may go on. The Niagara, while a possibility for back-up, isn’t a guarantee (remember back to 2007 when weather forced the loss of an entire day) as even its relatively confined area can get pretty gnarly.
The weather forces a wrinkle into the pre-tournament practice strategy. Should an angler focus on the open-water smallmouth in Erie, or spend a little time in the river looking for largemouth as a back-up plan? The weatherman says that the wind is going to blow all week, so the safe play is to find some spots close to home and avoid the long run.
However, playing it safe might be the difference between hero and zero as everyone in the field knows that this week the separation between success – or at least the ability to fish through Sunday – and failure will likely come down to ounces. The secret, as defending Empire Chase champion Edwin Evers illustrated in 2007, will be to find the right group, or groups, of four-and-a-half pounders. That’s far easier said than done.
Add to the fury that a wind-swept Erie will provide the playing field for the hotly contested Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year race, where Kevin VanDam presently maintains a narrow lead over Todd Faircloth. Less than 100 points behind Faircloth is red-hot pro Mike McClelland. Skeet Reese, the defending Tundra Angler of the Year who used Erie in 2007 to begin pulling away from VanDam, sits just 21 behind McClelland in fourth place, and only 140 points away from taking over the lead.
http://www.basszone.com/2008eliteseries/er…Erie/Niagara Scouting Report
July 31, 2008 – bassfan.com
The number of trophy class smallmouths packed into the eastern basin of Lake Erie seems mind-boggling. So when you hear the fishing’s “a little tougher” than in years past, it’s always a matter of degree – sort of like saying the bite at Falcon’s a bit off.
The Erie/Niagara Bassmaster Elite Series begins tomorrow out of Buffalo, N.Y., and throughout practice this week the pros have noted the big fish seem more difficult to pinpoint. The fish are more scattered than last year, they agreed.
But before more about that and the current state of the bite, plus notes from the field, here’s more about the waterbody itself.
BassFan Lake Profile
> Lake Name: Erie/Niagara River
> Type of Water: Great Lake
> Surface Acres (full pool): Not available, but more than anyone could fish in a lifetime.
> Primary structure/cover: Humps, rockpiles, reefs, river current, breakwalls, channel edges (near the harbor), grass (river and harbor), bridge pilings (river), a few wrecks
> Primary forage: Emerald shiners, rainbow smelt, gobies, crawfish, gizzard shad, ciscoes
> Average depth: 40 feet (about 15 feet in the river)
> Species: Smallmouths and largemouths (smallmouths dominate)
> Minimum length: 12” for all species
> Reputation: Arguably the world’s best smallmouth fishery for both numbers and size
> Weather: Has been changing. Monday was warm and windy, Tuesday was hot, sunny and still, Wednesday was cloudy and breezy. The bad news is that the south winds will switch to the west tomorrow and Friday under high pressure, with waves from 2 to 4 feet.
> Water temp: 75 to 77 degrees, warmer in the shallows
> Water visibility/color: Varies greatly with winds and proximity to shore. Still-water clarity is up to 15 feet, but diminishes in winds to 5 to 8 feet or 1 foot in the shallows.
> Water level: Normal
> Fish in: All depths up to 50 feet, some suspended over even deeper water
> Fish phase: Some post-spawn, mostly summer
> Primary patterns: Tubes, dropshots (minnows, gobies, worms, reapers, Senkos), some early topwater, jigs, swimbaits
2008 Power Rankings: AOY
July 30, 2008 – bassmaster.com
1 Kevin VanDam VanDam is the last person the field wants to see on top, but he was in a similar situation heading north last season, only to see Skeet Reese take it away.
2 Todd Faircloth Faircloth is having a dream season and is only two good tournaments away from realizing every angler’s dream. He finished 14th and 16th last year in the Empire Chase and Champions Choice respectively. A repeat performance might win him the trophy.
3 Mike McClelland McClelland has been in and out of the lead all season, but will need to pick it up in New York to make up the gap on VanDam.
4 Skeet Reese He’s proven he can catch them in New York when the pressure’s on. It should be interesting.
5 Dean Rojas Rojas will need either a win or exceptional finishes in both the final two tournaments to have a shot at the TTBAOY title. He was leading after two days on Oneida last year in the Bassmaster Memorial before it moved to Onondaga.
http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/tournam…The answer is blowing in the wind
July 30, 2008 – bassmaster.com
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Grant Goldbeck got a lesson is just how good the smallmouth bass fishing can be during practice this week at Lake Erie. As he prepared for the 10th of 11 Bassmaster Elite Series tournaments this season — the Empire Chase presented by Farmer’s Insurance — Goldbeck caught a 4-pound smallmouth on a bare hook.
The Gaithersburg, Md., angler explained that he’d found a big school of bass and noticed another tournament competitor easing into view, about 150 yards away. Goldbeck didn’t want to give away his hot spot, so he cast a drop shot rig in the water without a soft plastic lure on it — just a weight and a bare hook — and felt a tug on his line.
“I figured it might have had the weight in its mouth,” Goldbeck said. “But when I got it to the boat, there was a 4-pound smallmouth with just that tiny drop-shot hook in its front lip.”
That happened on Tuesday, when there was no wind on Lake Erie’s 10,000-plus square miles of water. With as little as 10 miles-per-hour breezes, Lake Erie turns into a whole different place.
And as the 106 Elite Series anglers prepared for Thursday’s launch of the four-day event, the wind seemingly was always on their minds.
“Ten miles-per-hour is about all you can handle here and still fish,” said Kevin VanDam, who enters this next-to-last tournament of the season with a 12-point lead over Todd Faircloth in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race.
“In reality, we probably shouldn’t be fishing tournaments here. It’s one of the best fisheries in the world, if you can pick your days. But unfortunately, we can’t.”
http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmas…Pros in the Hunt for AOY as Bassmaster Elite Series Heads to New York for final Two Events
July 22, 2008 – fishpaa.com
The Bassmaster Elite Series will bring its 10th tournament of the season – the Empire Chase presented by Farmer’s Insurance – to Lake Erie and the Niagara River out of Buffalo as the season winds down to the critical final two events.
Fishing fans can watch the on-the-water action from the July 31-Aug. 3 Empire Chase on The Bassmasters, which airs Saturday, Aug. 9, at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2. Additionally, as always, fans can follow the action on Bassmaster.com with live, streaming video of the weigh-ins, real-time leaderboards, photo galleries and analysis.
While angling for the 2008 Empire Chase’s first-place prize of $100,000, the Elite pros also are down to the wire now in the Trail to the Trophy with only the season finale, the Champion’s Choice on Oneida Lake out of Syracuse, N.Y., remaining after this event. After the Tennessee Triumph on Old Hickory Lake out of Hendersonville, Tenn., Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., leads the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race. His top threat for the title and the $250,000 top prize is Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, just 12 points back, while Mike McClelland of Bella Vista, Ark., (third place, 120 points back) and reigning AOY Skeet Reese (fourth, 142 points back) aren’t too far behind.
In the race to qualify for the 2009 Bassmaster Classic, set for Feb. 20-22 on the Red River out of Shreveport-Bossier City, La., Davy Hite of Ninety Six, S.C., is on the bubble in 36th place with 1,649 points in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. Virginia’s Rick Morris (1,644 points) and South Carolina’s Britt Myers (1,639) are lurking in 37th and 38th, respectively. The top 36 in the AOY standings qualify for the Classic.
With more than 10,000 square miles of water touching Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Canada, Lake Erie has enjoyed a lofty standing as a top fishery for several years. Lake Erie is the eleventh largest lake in the world and the fourth largest of the Great Lakes in surface area. It also is the shallowest of the Great Lakes.
http://www.fishpaa.com/news/article/paa_pr…BASS Announces 2009 & 2010 Elite Schedules
July 16, 2008 – bassfan.com
Celebration, FL – BASS announced today its Bassmaster Elite Series tournament schedule for the next two seasons, 2009 and 2010. In 2009, the most prominent tournament trail in the world will make a stop for the first time in Michigan, home of three-time Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo. The 2010 schedule kicks off with a West Coast tour as the Elite pros again visit the California Delta and California’s Clear Lake.
“This is the first time BASS has simultaneously released two years of Elite Series schedules. This reaffirms our commitment to the anglers, fans and sponsors,” said Tom Ricks, vice president and general manager, BASS. “We appreciate the support of our outstanding communities to deliver these top-notch schedules.”
In February, BASS also announced the dates for the next three Bassmaster Classics: Feb. 20-22, 2009, on the Red River out of Shreveport-Bossier City, La.; Feb. 19-21, 2010, out of Birmingham, Ala.; and Feb. 18-20, 2011, out of New Orleans.
As with past years, each Elite-level event will receive one hour of television coverage on ESPN2’s The Bassmasters, which airs Saturdays at 9 a.m. ET. ESPN2 will kick off the Bassmaster Elite Series season with 11 hours of programming through three days devoted to the 2009 Bassmaster Classic.
Along with the schedule, BASS announced today that co-anglers will be removed from Elite Series competitions starting in 2009. Bass fishing fans will continue to have the opportunity to ride along with the pros. This move further elevates the status of the Elite Series events and professional fishing. The program details will be posted on Bassmaster.com at a later date.
2009 Bassmaster Elite Series Schedule
March 12-15—Battle on the Border—Lake Amistad—Del Rio, Texas
March 26-29—Diamond Drive—Lake Dardanelle Russellville, Ark.
April 2-5—Dixie Duel—Wheeler Lake—Decatur, Ala.
April 23-26—Blue Ridge Brawl—Smith Mountain Lake—Moneta, Va.
May 7-10—Southern Challenge—Lake Guntersville—Guntersville, Ala.
May 14-17—Alabama Charge Pickwick Lake—Florence, Ala.
*June 3-6—Tennessee Triumph—Kentucky Lake—Paris, Tenn.
June 11-14—River Rumble—Mississippi River—Fort Madison, Iowa
July 23-26—Cold Water Clash—Big Bay de Noc/Little Bay de Noc—Escanaba, Mich.
Aug. 6-9—Empire Chase—Lake Champlain Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Aug. 13-16—Champion’s Choice—Oneida Lake—Syracuse, N.Y.
- Wednesday-Saturday event
2010 Bassmaster Elite Series Schedule
March 11-14—Duel in the Delta—California Delta—Stockton, Calif.
March 18-21—Golden State Shootout—Clear Lake—Lakeport, Calif.
April 15-18—Battle on the Border—Lake Amistad—Del Rio, Texas
April 29-May 2 Alabama Charge Pickwick Lake—Florence, Ala.
May 6-9 Southern Challenge—Lake Guntersville—Guntersville, Ala.
May 20-23—Pride of Georgia—Clarks Hill Lake—Evans, Ga.
*June 9-12—Tennessee Triumph—Kentucky Lake—Paris, Tenn.
June 17-20—Sooner Run—Arkansas River Muskogee, Okla.
*July 21-24—Empire Chase—Lake Champlain Plattsburgh, N.Y.
July 29- Aug. 1 Champion’s Choice—Lake Erie—Buffalo, N.Y.
Aug. 12-15—Blue Ridge Brawl—Smith Mountain Lake—Moneta, Va.
http://www.bassfan.com/news_article.asp?id=2969Behind VanDam: Inside The Three-Way Cluster
July 8, 2008 – bassfan.com
There’s a saying in fishing that nobody wants to finish 2nd, but when Kevin VanDam’s at the absolute top of his game, which he is right now, that’s about the best any other pro could hope to do in the BassFan World Rankings.
VanDam’s won four times in the past two seasons, has more Top 10s than a watermelon has seeds, and currently enjoys a 40-point lead in the Rankings.
And 40 points is massive, especially when you consider that the 2nd-, 3rd-, and 4th-ranked anglers are separated by less than 1 1/2 points.
VanDam will fish only two more events this year that affect his rank, so he’s a virtual lock to again end the season ranked No. 1. Which brings us back to that 2nd-place cluster, and the question, Who will end the year ranked 2nd?
Last year it was Skeet Reese, but Reese over the past few weeks has slipped to 4th.
Todd Faircloth is now ranked 2nd, and Andy Morgan – the only FLW Tour pro in the Top 4 – is ranked 3rd.
Below 4th-ranked Reese, there’s a 10-point gap between him and 5th-ranked David Dudley.
Faircloth, Morgan and Reese will each fish two more events that’ll affect the Rankings. In the case of BASS pros Reese and Faircloth, it’s the final two Bassmaster Elite Series events at Lake Erie and Oneida. Morgan will finish out this week at the Detroit River and next month at the Forrest Wood Cup.
Although it’s impossible to predict which angler will end the year ranked 2nd in the world, it’s fruitful to examine how each angler got to his current position. What follows is thus a brief look at the 2-year records of Faircloth, Morgan and Reese.
http://www.bassfan.com/news_article.asp?id=2956Chillin’ and Grillin’ with KVD
July 2, 2008 – basszone.com
Norman, OK – The Bassmaster Elite Series pros are looking forward to some down time in July. We caught up with current Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points leader Kevin VanDam to gather his perspectives for a little fun in the summer sun.
Your favorite way to spend time with family once school is out for summer?
Take a trip to Traverse City to catch the Smallies and hit the beach there. There’s a lot of good restaurants there too. We have a blast.
Your favorite thing to cook and eat from the backyard grill?
That’s easy. I’m the “grill master”. I get a whole tenderloin and cut it into 2-pound steaks. Okay, maybe not 2-pounders—- but close. They’re big steaks. We do it right.
What will you be doing for the 4th of July?
Most likely, we’ll be at Mark Zona’s house, not far from our house, down at Lake Templene, Michigan.
If you could only have one lure to fish with all summer long, across the USA, what would it be?
A Sexy Shad colored Strike King Series 5 crankbait. It runs as deep as 12 feet, and shad become the primary summer forage for bass most everywhere in the country.
If you were picking a theme song for this summer, what would it be?
I don’t have one. I haven’t listened to the radio in a while. I jumped in my Tundra after the Kentucky Lake event and drove eight hours home, and I never even turned on the radio because I talked on my cell phone the whole time.
If you were to share a summer beach house with four other Elite Series pros, who would they be?
There’s a lot of good dudes on tour, but I would start with Davy Hite, because he’s got a cool beach house at Myrtle Beach. Then I’d invite Scott Rook, Terry Scroggins and Kelly Jordan to join us.
If you could only pick one sporting event to attend anywhere in the world this summer, what would it be?
A Detroit Tigers baseball game with my family.
© 2008 Kevin VanDam. All Rights Reserved.