Kevin VanDam

Down to the Wire

April 5, 2009 – bassmaster.com

DECATUR, Ala. — The emphasis has switched from dollars to points for most of the top anglers here in the Evan Williams Dixie Duel. Tournament Director Trip Weldon announced Sunday morning that the event would end this afternoon after the round of 50 due to the threat of more bad weather. Though storms are forecast for Sunday afternoon and evening, it’s the likelihood of blustery winds that will follow them on Monday that compelled Weldon to call a halt to the proceedings. Friday’s round also was called off due to high winds.

Pride of purpose will keep the top 50 focused and fishing their best game. Realistically, however, only a few of them have a shot at winning the $100,000 top prize in this, the third Elite Series tournament of the year. To do that, they must overcome Tommy Biffle, who, at 36 pounds, is ahead in the standings by more than 2 pounds over Takahiro Omori, and more than 5 pounds ahead of Bradley Hallman, in third place with 30 pounds, 14 ounces.

Biffle, who has a reputation for keying on quality bass and not quantity, has both going for him here in the last round. The Oklahoma angler told reporters Saturday that he caught about 30 keepers during the second day. Omori said he boated only six keepers Saturday, but engine trouble abbreviated his day and he expects to finish with another good stringer.

That leaves the rest of the field scrambling for some dollars, but mostly points that will elevate them in the Elite Series standings, or at least solidify their positions. Mark Menendez, who won the Toyota Trucks Diamond Drive Lake Dardanelle a couple of weeks ago, said his goal was to finish in the top 5 here. That could pose a major challenge, however, because Menendez, thinking that only the top 12 would be allowed to fish Sunday in the Dixie Duel, went for broke on Saturday and hammered his best spot to plump up his stringer. “It would have been nice to get 7 or 8 pounds out of there this morning, but I don’t think that’s going to happen,” the Kentucky pro observed Sunday at the launch site.

“This lake has really been hard on me the last couple of years, so now I’m getting a little revenge on it,” said Gary Klein, who rose from 16th in the standings on Thursday to 10th on Saturday. “If I can stay in the top 10, I’ll be a happy camper. My focus is to make a good showing; I don’t have the fish to win this tournament.”

Likewise, Rick Morris hopes to finish in the top 12 by day’s end. He slid a couple of places on Saturday, from fourth to seventh, but felt good that he could maintain his stringer average of about 14 pounds. His best pattern involves fishing channel drops with a War Eagle jig.

Biffle surges to lead

April 4, 2009 – bassmaster.com

DECATUR, Ala. — Three-time BASS event winner Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla., fishing in a remote cove of Wheeler Lake catapulted to the lead of the Evan Williams Bourbon Dixie Duel with a two-day total of 36 pounds. Biffle has more than a 2-pound advantage over Takahiro Omori of Emory, Texas, who remains in second with 33-9.

Friday’s competition of the Bassmaster Elite Series’ third stop was canceled due to unsafe river conditions. Biffle, who was sixth after Thursday, was pleased with the increased water level of Wheeler Lake that has swelled about 2 feet since Thursday.

The former race boat driver lost several larger fish from his location that he says is fairly close to the launch location. Biffle would not disclose specifics about the remote spot or his tournament strategy. He weighed in the biggest bag of the tournament so far, tipping the scales at 19-14 on Saturday.

“I had a little bit of bad luck when I broke a big one off and lost a 5-pounder when he was coming over the side of the boat,” said Biffle, 51. “The big one was down under a log, and he was pulling hard and I was and my line just snapped.”

He was successful in upgrading his catch throughout the day and estimates he landed about 30 bass. Fishing in bluebird skies and adjusting to the rise of the river, Biffle hopes for similar conditions on Sunday.

“I hope they don’t adjust the water levels overnight,” he said. “Out of all of the years we have been coming here I have been hoping for a big stringer. I plan on fishing from this same spot until at least noon tomorrow.”

Omori, winner of the 2004 Bassmaster Classic, remained consistent in boating 16-1 Saturday, a little less than Thursday’s 17-8 total. The six-time BASS event winner will continue to deploy his strategy of moving to various spots and finding a shallow bite. Omori was only able to fish for several hours as his boat broke down and fellow competitor Jared Lintner of Arroyo Grande, Calif., hauled Omori in for the weigh-in.

“I only caught six keepers today that were the right size,” he said. “I was going to check another place but I hit something really hard that my lower end unit went out and that was the end of my day.”

A calm Day Two launch on Wheeler Lake

April 4, 2009 – bassmaster.com

DECATUR, Ala. — What a difference a day makes, as the pros fishing the second round of the Evan Williams Bourbon Dixie Duel on Lake Wheeler were reminded when they launched their boats at Ingalls Harbor Saturday morning.

Where Friday’s launch was characterized by a skyful of dark, menacing clouds and a bone-chilling northwest wind that forced a one-day weather delay, Saturday dawned calm and clear. Except for patchy fog and the prospects for floating debris dislodged by Thursday evening’s torrential rains, the anglers could expect uneventful runs to their fishing spots.

Still, a couple of giant question marks were figuratively emblazoned across the wide blue sky Saturday morning as the boats trickled away from the launch site: will the tournament conclude Sunday as planned, or will it go through Monday to make up for Friday’s lost round? How many anglers will fish in the final round, 50 or 12?

Tournament director Trip Weldon will make those calls, after checking up-to-the-minute weather forecasts throughout the day. The prognosis doesn’t look good, as there’s an even chance of thunderstorms Sunday afternoon, followed by more windy conditions on Monday. If the prediction is accurate, a repeat of Thursday and Friday is on the way.

Whatever Weldon decides, competitors were expected to swing for the fences in Saturday’s round, hoping to hit home runs in the form of heavy stringers that propel them into the top 12 standings come what may.

As first-round leader Alton Jones noted Friday, a “new lake” was waiting for the contestants in this, the delayed second round. The Tennessee Valley Authority impoundment has risen by almost two feet since the practice round ended Wednesday, and the water is clearing. Some of the Elite Series anglers expect to find the Wheeler Lake that they know from previous experience, while others anticipate that a different set of rules will govern their success.

“I’ve probably spent about 200 days on Wheeler during the past 17 years and typically tournaments are won on the Decatur Flats,” said Rick Morris, who’s currently in fourth place with 16 pounds, 13 ounces. “No way, no how this year because the grass is gone. So, the lake is fishing really ‘small’ in that just about everybody is fishing creeks, main-lake and secondary points, and pockets.

Dixie Duel, Interrupted, Set To Resume

April 4, 2009 – bassmaster.com

DECATUR, Ala. — Though the pros didn’t cheer when Tournament Director Trip Weldon cancelled the second day of the Evan Williams Bourbon Dixie Duel Friday due to high winds and hazardous boating conditions on Lake Wheeler, a collective “whew” from the anxious anglers was almost palpable. The Elite Series tournament headquartered in Decatur, Ala., is set to continue Saturday morning with a full field of 100 boats.

The only anglers who might have frowned at Weldon’s announcement were those whose fishing waters are within short boat rides from the Ingalls Harbor launch site. To be sure, contestants such as Takahiro Omori, who is in second place with 17 pounds, 8 ounces, weren’t grumbling when the decision was announced. Omori caught his limit near Wheeler Dam, which would have meant a run of about 25 miles down the tempest-tossed impoundment.

“No choice, that’s where all my fish are,” said Omori, who was bundled in several layers of clothing in anticipation of the long, wet ride. He’ll shuck a few layers Saturday, because the forecast promises a kinder, gentler lake.

It will be a different lake, too, as compared to Thursday when the tournament began. In the opening round, the approaching storm front triggered a bass feeding frenzy and all but three contestants brought limit stringers to the weigh-in. The difference for some was that among the fish they caught were kickers that boosted them higher in the standings. Take away the 7-pound largemouth that Alton Jones caught, and he would be in a three-way tie for 58th place, rather than topping the standings with 17 pounds, 12 ounces.

As he waited for Weldon’s decision Friday, Jones mused about his prospects, and seemed satisfied with how the event was proceeding for him.

“Everything will be different now; everything that we had going in practice is changed. There are going to be fish in places where there weren’t any before, and fish are going to be gone from where some of the guys caught them on Thursday.

Tight on top

April 2, 2009 – bassmaster.com

DECATUR, Ala. — Three previous Bassmaster Classic champions are separated by 11 ounces of each other after the opening day of the Evan Williams Bourbon Dixie Duel on Wheeler Lake.

Alton Jones, the 2008 Classic champ, leads the field of 100 anglers on the third stop of the 2009 Bassmaster Elite Series after fishing in overcast skies with 17 pounds, 12 ounces.

Right behind Jones is 2004 Classic winner Takahiro Omori of Emory, Texas, with 17-8. Mike Iaconelli of Runnemede, N.J., who brought home a Classic title in 2003, is third with 17-1.

The trio of anglers, fishing for the top prize of $100,000, were surprised in being able to secure larger weights on Day One. During official practice days earlier this week, all mentioned catching a lot of fish but labeled them on the smaller side of the scale.

“It really was a good day and it went a lot better than my practice days,” said Jones, of Waco, Texas. “I had to realize that the conditions were going to change and had to practice for what those conditions were going to be on tournament days. I am really excited with what I had today and would have been pleased with 13 to 15 pounds.”

Jones fished a couple of areas throughout the day before finding his best spot. The five-time BASS event winner was able to haul in four bass from one location that included a largemouth that tipped the scales at 7 pounds, the big bass of day.

“I caught four of the fish I weighed-in today in about 30 minutes,” Jones said. “I knew this spot had potential to cough up good quality bites. I also lost a 3-pounder from here.”

Jones is holding his tackle and strategy close to his chest as other competitors were nearby. He is concerned about Friday as a thunderstorm unloaded during the weigh-in.

“Tomorrow will be a different stroke when the wind comes around from the opposite direction,” Jones said. “We will play that game when it comes.”

Omori moved around Wheeler Lake frequently and used fast moving baits to boat his limit. He is not sure about the second day of competition because of the continuing rain.