Kevin VanDam

The top 6 lures of 2009

September 25, 2009 – basszone.com

Norman, OK. — When Skeet Reese credited a large portion of his winning catch at the Red River Bassmaster Classic to a Lucky Craft Redemption spinnerbait, it appeared that the tide might have turned.

While no Elite Series angler travels spinnerbait-free, the lure category had not consistently played a major in top catches over the past several years. But things can change. At Falcon in 2008, the Carolina rig came out of “retirement” and produced a large percentage of the top finishers’ catches. Would this year see a similar rebirth of some other lure category?

Not likely.

The lures that dominated Elite Series competition in 2009 were largely the ones that had produced the big catches over the first three years of the tour. There were slight variations and aberrations, of course, but for the most part the status quo was maintained.

The following is a list of six categories that made a substantial impact on tour this year. For the record, the Langill Lures Hover Trap did not make the Top Ten.

Keep on Crankin’
This year diving plugs made a lot of money for several Elite Series anglers. That was the case at obvious crankfests like Kentucky Lake (where the winner used various cranks, but not as his primary tools) as well as shallow water dinkfests like the Mississippi River. At the latter event Kevin Short used a (Zoom) WEC E1 to grind out some critical bites. While that was the only time a hand-carved shallow-running bait played a prominent role in a victory, among the deep divers certain names showed up time and time again in the top five: The RC 2.5 (both the regular and deep-diving versions); the Strike King divers, the Fat Free Shad and the Switchback Shad.
At some events, multiple anglers keyed onto a particular body style, such as at Guntersville where winner Aaron Martens used the RC 2.5 DD and runner-up Skeet Reese used the regular version. Skeet used it again to finish high at Kentucky Lake. The Strike King Series 5 and 6 made appearances at or near the winner’s circle at Guntersville, Kentucky Lake and the Alabama River – in the Kentucky Lake event Kevin VanDam used a prototype quicker-diving Series 6XD and came up just short of Bobby Lane’s winning catch.

Take it Easy on the Beaver
Does anyone fish a flipping tube anymore? The answer, of course, is yes. Mark Menendez used one to win at Dardanelle, but in recent years beaver-style soft plastics have become the bait of choice in most flipping situations. For example, VanDam used a Strike King rodent to finish as runner-up to Menendez. At the next tournament, VanDam claimed the trophy over second place finisher Matt Herren, who was using (what else?) an 1/8th ounce Strike King Shakey head jig with a four inch 3X finesse worm.

Tommy Biffle has won countless thousands of dollars on beaver baits – assumedly both the original and his new Gene Larew versions – and they contributed to his win at Wheeler and a near-win in Iowa. Chad Griffin used a beaver part of the time on his way to winning at Oneida.

Get it in Your Craw
There are several soft plastics that have refused to be pushed aside by the beavers. Then 10-inch worm remains a stalwart for structure fishing events and various finesse products are still used when the bite is tough, but the one flipping regular that has remained in the rotation is the craw.

VanDam used a Rage Craw as part of his smallie smorgasbord at Smith Mountain Lake, as did fellow top five finisher Greg Hackney. Kelly Jordon used a Lake Fork Tackle Baby Fork Craw in Virginia as well. Kevin Short did the same with a Zoom Speed Craw on the largeheads on the Mississippi.

Craws remain in heavy rotation on the backs of jigs, too. For example, Biffle used a Gene Larew craw on the back of his Rattleback jig in his Wheeler win and Denny Brauer used a Rage Craw on the back of his signature Strike King jig to make a run at the title on Dardanelle.

Swimming Along
While swimbaits didn’t come out of the storage compartments at every tournament, at key times they continue to impress. As expected, they played a key role for some top finishers, including winner Jason Williamson, at Amistad. He used an Osprey to catch the tournament’s biggest bag (34-12) on the last day. That limit included a 10-04 pig.
But the big hunks of plastic also proved themselves outside of what is typically thought to be “swimbait water” when Bobby Lane won at Kentucky Lake using a Berkley saltwater Powerbait Mullet to coax bigger strikes from his once-in-a-lifetime spot. He said that he could feel the smaller fish pulling at it but wouldn’t set the hook until what seemed to be a better than average fish took hold of the lure. A hundred thousand dollars later, it seemed that he’d done the right thing. It’s only a matter of time until one wins on a body of water thought to be even less suited to the California imports.

Atypical Jigs
The flipping jig still has its place in every tournament angler’s boat – at various times over the course of the year Denny Brauer (once again qualifying for the Classic) and Tommy Biffle (who won at Wheeler and made the top twelve overall) showed that they can still dominate with the lure that has made them most of their money over long and prosperous careers. But at other times the jig played a role in a less traditional sense. The days of a 3/8 or ½ ounce flipping style jig aren’t numbered, but they’re competing for space with their brethren.

Several competitors, including Day Two leader Jami Fralick, used swimming jigs to coax pre-spawn bass in lily pad stems on the Red River during the Classic. Randy Howell returned them to their Alabama roots in the postseason, although he came up a little bit shy of making a run at victory. The football jig, no longer an oddity or a curiosity, continues to play a role at structure tournaments like Kentucky Lake. Chad Griffin used 1 and 1 ½ ounce Ezee Jigs of his own design for part of his winning catch at Oneida, and Ike went to the opposite end of the spectrum, suing a Finesse Gripper Jig to win at Jordan.

Is Finesse Dead?
Finesse may not be dead, but when 20 pounds a day doesn’t get you in the check line at some events, you have to employ finesse tactics sparingly and selectively. KVD did so at Smith Mountain Lake, where his primary tool was a Strike King 3X shakey head worm. It didn’t come into significant play again until three months later at Oneida, where Jeff Kriet made a surge with a monstrous final day limit of smallmouths caught on a small tube with a jighead inside – coming up just short of Griffin. And then at Jordan, Ike used the finesse jig and a Power Tube to win, the first step in the eventual derailing of Skeet Reese’s AOY campaign.

Kevin VanDam visits ESPN campus

September 24, 2009 – bassmaster.com

In recognition of his winning the 2009 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., visited ESPN, the Worldwide Leader in Sports, on Wednesday, days after the conclusion of the 2009 Bassmaster Elite Series postseason.

VanDam traveled to the Bristol, Conn., campus from his home in Kalamazoo, and the five-time Angler of the Year made stops at ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning; ESPN’s First Take and ESPNEWS. He also conducted a live chat that ran on ESPN.com.

In his first stop, at Mike & Mike in the Morning, VanDam showed his appreciation for the hosts, Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg. Golic attended the 2008 and 2009 Bassmaster Classics and again will be in attendance at the 2010 Classic (Feb. 19-21, Birmingham, Ala., Lay Lake).

“Mike & Mike’s coverage of the Bassmaster Classic has helped put the sport on the radar with some new audiences,” said VanDam, who is also a two-time Bassmaster Classic champion. “It is flattering that more and more people are considering bass fishing a professional sport.”

After scoring the AOY in 2008, VanDam also made the trek to Bristol and followed a similar schedule as he did today. With more than $3.6 million in BASS career earnings, VanDam has positioned himself as one of the greatest anglers in bass history.

“It seems the campus is always changing and it’s nice to visit Bristol,” said VanDam. “Every year, I get recognized by more and more people. I’m a huge fan of ESPN obviously. I drive a lot and I always listen to Mike & Mike and Colin Cowherd and Erik Kuselias in the car.”

KVD’s Fifth

September 18, 2009 – bassmaster.com

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Living up to his storied reputation, Kevin VanDam closed strong on the Alabama River at the Bassmaster Elite Series first postseason.

The angler from Kalamazoo, Mich., won the Evan Williams Bourbon Trophy Triumph, which earned him enough points in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings to overtake California’s Skeet Reese and win his fifth AOY title, his second consecutive.

With each accomplishment, VanDam advances his reputation as the best angler on the planet. The $200,000 top prize brings his career BASS earnings to more than $3.5 million.

“I’m overwhelmed,” VanDam said. “You can do a lot of things in this sport but to the anglers, the Angler of the Year is the real deal. Every time I win one of these, it makes me want to win even more. It’s just really special.”

ESPN2 will carry all of the on-the-water action from Toyota Trucks Championship Week on The Bassmasters, which will air for three hours on Sunday, Sept. 27 from 4-7 p.m. ET.

At the start of Toyota Trucks Championship week, things didn’t look so promising for VanDam. VanDam struggled out of the gate at the two-day Lake Jordan event while Reese performed well. As a result, Reese overtook VanDam in the AOY standings heading into the second two-day event.

But VanDam developed a solid pattern in practice on the river and smoked the field with 30 pounds, 6 ounces. Still, Reese had a shot, needing to finish or fourth or better, but the 2009 Bassmaster Classic champion feel short in sixth.

“I’m utterly shocked right now,” said VanDam, who has three Bassmaster Classic victories. “After the first tournament, everything seemed to go wrong and I didn’t think I had much of a shot. But I knew I had to battle through it. This format is definitely intense and things seemed to work out for me.”

VanDam had a mostly spectacular season, winning a Bassmaster Elite Series event on Virginia’s Smith Mountain Lake in April and stringing together solid finishes throughout the year to head into the Postseason in the top spot in the AOY standings.

On Friday, a trio of Strike King baits yielded his 16-pound, 3-ounce limit. The victory by VanDam cements the top position in his personal battle with Reese. Reese won the AOY in 2007 while VanDam took top honors in 2008. Some would consider 2009 the rubber match but with both anglers at the top of their games, it’s easy to assume both will battle it out again in 2010.

While Reese was “disappointed”, he said this was easier to swallow due to a season-starting victory in the 2009 Bassmaster Classic. Reese also had a steady season after the Classic trophy, which is not an easy accomplishment considering all the demands that come with that.

“I had a great season but I wanted to have a spectacular season,” said Reese, who will defend his 2009 Classic crown at the 2010 edition in Birmingham, Ala., and Lay Lake next February. “I’m sure I will be riding the emotional roller coaster over the next few days but right now I feel OK.”

Reese’s strategy on the river was different than the whole field. He was running north and put all his marbles into one spot. Reese said the area had quality fish but he missed a few opportunities that ultimately cost him.

“Yesterday, I missed a few bites and today I had an opportunity for 14 pounds,” Reese said. “But I just couldn’t get the big ones in the boat. I will definitely have flashbacks of a 4-pounder I missed early this morning.”

Reese was looking to become only the second angler in BASS history to score a Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title and a Bassmaster Classic trophy in the same season. That feat was accomplished in 1995 by Elite Series angler Mark Davis, a Mount Ida, Ark..

Finishing in third in the AOY race was Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla. In fourth, moving up from 11th position to start the postseason, was Mike Iaconelli of Runnemede, N.J. Randy Howell of Springville, Ala., took fifth.

The field qualified for the Postseason through their regular-season performances on the Bassmaster Elite Series. The top 12 anglers in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings after the regular season had their points recalculated and took those scores into the Postseason. Each leg of the Postseason will be scored on a 50-point sliding scale.

ONE MORE DAY…..ONE MORE TITLE

September 18, 2009 – basszone.com

Montgomery, AL – It’s down to just one day left to decide who will be crowned the 2009 Toyota Trucks Angler Of the Year, and for all intensive purposes, it’s down to a two man race. With the top performance of the day, Kevin VanDam closed the gap and sits just six points behind the TTAOY points leader, Skeet Reese, who ended Thursday sitting in third.

Even though most of the attention on Friday will be on VanDam and Reese, there’s still a lot of on the line for the other 10 anglers jockeying for final positions in the TTAOY standings. In the next 24 hours, someone will walk away with a $200,000 check and the most sought after title in professional bass fishing.
Virtually everyone who is fishing Championship Week has become a part-time mathematician by trying to determine the exact combination of daily position required to stay in the hunt. The fishing, it seems, has taken a subdued backseat to all of the hype surrounding the Trophy Triumph.

With another day left to decide who will ultimately walk off the stage as a newly-crowned champion, the fishing is what it’s all about. The Alabama River ran strong as a result of the draw down occurring at Lake Jordan. Conventional wisdom would have you thinking that bass would be bunched up and easy to catch.

The weights of the first day of the finals, however, proved that conventional wisdom is often wrong. If you’re Skeet Reese, the last person you wanted to see have a good day was Kevin VanDam. However, VanDam took the early lead by weighing 14-3. Nearly four pounds behind him was Kelly Jordon, with 10-15.

Despite the early lead, VanDam still needs all the weight he can muster Friday in order to have a shot to catch Skeet Reese, who came into the week with a 16-point lead. Still, with one day to go, Reese is showing no signs of letting the lead slip away. He ended the day in third place after boating 10-5.

Mike Iaconelli, the winner of the Lake Jordan’s first half, ended the day tied with Reese, and by looking at the numbers prior to the start of the second half he’s going to need a banner final day and a little help from both Reese and VanDam if he’s to have a shot at his second AOY title.

Gerald Swindle wound up in fifth place heading to Friday’s finale with a meager limit weighing 9-4, and Alton Jones rounded out the Top 6 with nine pounds even. Friday’s forecast calls for a 40% chance of scattered thunder storms, but based on today’s results, a little more water won’t hurt a thing.

VanDam One Day Down, One More to Go
With the third quarter officially over, it’s safe to say that Lake Jordan provoked the most dangerous man in bass fishing to seek revenge. Historically speaking, when that happens it’s all but over. VanDam, while not setting the water on fire, was able to at least generate a mild smolder as his 14-pound bag was the best by over three pounds.

What’s more important is the fact that he’s confident he’s on the winning fish, getting them to continue to cooperate, however, is a question that only Friday can resolve. “I really had a decent day, although the muddy water sort of threw me a curve for a little bit,” VanDam said.

“The biggest thing is that I just didn’t get any quality bites. I’m around them, and I really felt sure that I would get a couple of nice fish today.”

Based on VanDam’s confidence, tomorrow might not bode well if you’re trying to hang on to a points lead. “The big fish were there the other day, but today they weren’t,” he said. “The current swell stirred things up, but the water is really clearing fast…and I know that the big ones are still there.”

Behind in the Chase by 6 points, a solid showing tomorrow could seal number five for VanDam, but only if Reese falls below 4th place. “I feel really good about things right now,” he said. “I’m doing exactly what I wanted to do when I got here, and so far everything is working well for me.”

http://www.basszone.com/2009eliteseries/alabama/riverday1/story.htm

Skeet vs. KVD once again

September 17, 2009 – bassmaster.com

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Just when it looked like Skeet Reese had a stranglehold on his second Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title, Kevin VanDam — yet again — proved why he is considered the best angler on the planet.

VanDam, a four-time AOY, did his part by lapping the field at the Evan Williams Bourbon Trophy Triumph on the Alabama River with 14 pounds, 3 ounces, which established a solid lead. But Reese didn’t falter quite as much as projected — he weighed a solid five-fish limit of 10-5 — and earned a tie for third place in the competition.

Watch the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year television show in a prime spot on Sept. 27 on ESPN2.
But the real story is the AOY standings. Reese holds a 6-point advantage over VanDam. Reese, though, is in danger of slipping with a grouping of anglers right behind him while VanDam has a stout lead over his nearest competitor. Any way you cut it, Friday should bring significant drama.

Bassmaster.com will have full coverage of the Toyota Trucks Championship Week from practice to trophy, including a live blog, photos, up-to-the-minute video, BASSTrakk, and BASSCast. To look back at how the Berkley Powerbait Trophy Chase, check out the live blog. The daily weigh-ins for the final Elite Series postseason event will air live on ESPN360.com.

The final-day weigh-in will start at 7 p.m. ET on Friday from the Montgomery Riverwalk Ampitheater. At the conclusion of the weigh-in at 8:30 p.m. ET, fans will be treated to a free, live concert by the Zac Brown Band.

“Man, I’m relived,” said Reese, who underestimated his weight and thought he would be in a worse position. “I still have the lead and that is a really important thing with this format. I knew Kevin was going to catch them. When doesn’t he? I expected that I would lose my lead after the day I had today, so you have to look at this as a bonus.”

Larry TowellThere’s plenty to fish on the Bouldin Dam canal, but it’s tough to find the larger bite.

Reese is looking to become only the second angler in BASS history to score a Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title and a Bassmaster Classic trophy in the same season. That feat was accomplished in 1995 by Mark Davis, a Mount Ida, Ark., Bassmaster Elite Series angler.

Reese started Thursday on fire, boating a quick limit in a spot that he found during practice. But things seemed to unravel on him — he lost a few fish — and he made a decision to stay away from his best spot later in the day, which he ultimately regretted. Still, he was able to best the majority of the field and is confident that his area will produce.

Reese was the only angler to venture North and though he didn’t remain as committed to that area as he would have liked, it worked out in the end. Later in the day, Reese did some prefishing when he moved back toward the launch area but won’t change his strategy to head North Friday.

Perhaps most interesting is the AOY battle building between Reese and VanDam. Reese won the AOY in 2007 by outdueling KVD, who won in 2008. The duo is back at it agan in 2009.

“I’ve got to go with my instincts tomorrow,” said Reese, who has four BASS wins and more than $2 million in BASS career earnings. “I know there is going to be pressure. I said coming into this competition that it would come down to the final day, so I’m not surprised. And Kevin being there was expected.”

With changing conditions — the river came up and pockets of rain blasted areas throughout the day — VanDam knew he had to adjust Thursday. The 15-time BASS winner threw baits that he didn’t even test during the two-day practice period.

As always, he made the right moves.

“I actually thought I could do a little bit better,” said VanDam, who has earned more than $3 million in his BASS career. “I’m looking forward to Friday. I want to win very bad and I feel confident on the River. I know where they live.”

With Reese and VanDam having productive tournaments, they have essentially eliminated the rest of the field from a chance at the AOY. Mike Iaconelli of Runnemede, N.J., who is tied with Reese in this tournament, is third in the AOY standings with 265.

A distant fourth is Alton Jones of Waco, Texas, with 242 points. In fifth is Gerald Swindle of Warrior, Ala., with 238 points.

Heading into the tournament, Swindle and Iaconelli occupied the bottom two spots in the standings but have pieced together a solid Postseason, enough to lift them up over much of the field.

After a disappointing Lake Jordan event where he finished last, Kelly Jordon rebounded nicely on the River and he was second in the event standings with 10 pounds, 15 ounces.

The field qualified for the Postseason through their regular-season performances on the Bassmaster Elite Series. The top 12 anglers in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings after the regular season had their points recalculated and took those scores into the Postseason. Each leg of the Postseason will be scored on a 50-point sliding scale.

CHASING SKEET

September 16, 2009 – basszone.com

Montgomery, AL – Only two days remain in the 2009 Bassmaster Elite Series season and California’s Skeet Reese controls his own destiny with the Toyota Trucks Angler Of the Year title on the line. With a finish of 4th or higher, Reese will take home his second TTAOY trophy in three years.

While that may seem like a lock (Skeet’s lowest finish in 2009 was a 29th), the two anglers lurking in second and third in the TTAOY standings may have something to say about that. 16 points behind Reese is Kevin VanDam and 24 points back is Mike Iaconelli, who jumped from 11th to 3rd with a victory last Sunday on Lake Jordan.

Much like Lake Jordan, the anglers that The BZ spoke with after a day of practice on the river said that finding quality bites could be a grind, especially if there is a lack of current. Weather will once again play a factor as rain is expected to pelt the area throughout both competition days.

While the 12 remaining competitors will be unable to lock during the two days of competition on the Alabama River, there’s over 40 miles of river available to explore for both spotted bass and largemouth. Most likely, a mix of both species will be required to win.

The real key comes down to current. As Gerald Swindle said, “You can still catch bass at Jordan even without current but down here, the bass strictly relate to the current. When they kick that current on, it should be easier to catch them.” With Lake Jordan expected to be dropped four feet beginning on Wednesday, current is expected to be ripping down the river during both days of competition.

http://www.basszone.com/2009eliteseries/alabama/riverpreview/story.htm

The AOY race may have already been decided by one ounce

September 16, 2009 – bassmaster.com

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Oh, what a difference an ounce makes.

You can see it a couple times on BASSCam from the Berkley Power Bait Trophy Chase: an angler catches a bass that ranks on the back end of his limit, gets the scales out and trades a 1 pound, 13 ounce bass for a 1 pound, 14 ounce bass.

It seems insignificant and almost looks like a waste of time, but the pros in the Toyota 12 know the difference an ounce can make, and it proved itself again in the race toward the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of Year title. One ounce either way took Skeet Reese from a slim, to a commanding lead after the Trophy Chase.

Reese weighed in 15-3 on Sunday, which gave him a two-day total of 29-7. It turned out to be 1 ounce heavier than Tommy Biffle, putting Reese in second place instead of third.

Kevin VanDam rebounded from a rough Day One, which he said was a 3 out of 10 on a performance scale, with a 14-8 day and a 25-6 total. But it turned out to be 1 ounce shy of Gerald Swindle’s 25-7, putting VanDam in sixth instead of fifth.

Maybe in a regular season tournament with the points spread out, it wouldn’t have made that much of a difference, but in the postseason, it could mean the title.

VanDam now sits 16 points behind Skeet Reese. Had those 2 ounces gone the other way, and Reese had finished third, and VanDam fifth, VanDam would trail Reese by seven points, which is essentially two places.

For a better idea of the power of an ounce, consider these two finishing scenarios and what it will/would have taken VanDam to win.

What VanDam needs to win as it stands
KVD Skeet
1st 5th
2 6
3 8
4 9
5 *10, 11
6 12
7 —
8 —
9 —
10 —
11 —
12 — *Would result in a tie

Scenario had the ounce gone the other way
KVD Skeet
1st 3rd
2 4
3 5
4 6
5 *7, 8
6 9
7 10
8 11
9 12
10 —
11 —
12 — *Would result in a tie

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/tournaments/elite/news/story?id=4476619

IKE WINS…...SKEET LEADS

September 14, 2009 – basszone.com

Wetumpka, AL – With one of the most coveted titles among bass fishing professionals up for grabs, the Top 12 anglers on the Bassmaster Elite Series who left Lake Jordan Marina Sunday morning each had a common goal. With each bass boated, the more realistic ones chances of ultimately being crowned Angler of the Year.

Lake Jordan might not have coughed up the 17-pound stringer many thought possible this weekend, but it certainly created all the drama the inaugural Elite Series Postseason could’ve hoped for. With conditions on the Coosa River impoundment changing by the day, it seemed likely that the title was truly available to any in the 12-man field.
Mike Iaconelli – having tasted AOY success in 2006 – came into the postseason with no preconceived notions of how he would fish. Instead, he opted to fish entirely in the moment. Sunday, his in-the-moment style amounted to a 14-pound, 3-ounce limit that gave him first-place honors and a combined weight of 28-15 heading into next week’s finale.

Skeet Reese, who secured the points lead Saturday, showed no signs of going quietly into the night as he brought the weekend’s second-heaviest limit to the scales weighing 15-3. His 27-9 in combined weight was enough to edge into second place by an ounce and maintain the lead heading to the Alabama River.

Oklahoma veteran Tommy Biffle jumped out to an early lead, but saw his momentum shrink Sunday, thanks largely to a damaging early-morning culling mistake that cost him a prized three-pound spotted bass. He recovered from the mistake for a five-fish bag weighing 12-8, but his two-day combined weight of 27-8 put him in third place by the end of the day.

Alabama pro Randy Howell, rebounded on Sunday and ended the weekend in fourth place after weighing 15-10 Sunday, the heaviest limit of the first round. After starting the day in 8th place in points, Howell’s combined weight of 26-15 will go a long ways towards getting him in contention for a crown.

Fellow Alabamian Gerald Swindle, who’s said repeatedly this week that he’s fishing without pressure and with nothing to lose, ended the day in fifth place. Swindle boated 12-13 on the day, which pushed his combined weight to 25-7 and another step closer to the all-important AOY title – which would be the second in his career.

Lurking in sixth place was Kevin VanDam, who entered the postseason with a one point lead over Skeet Reese. Kevin ended the postseason’s first round with a two-day combined weight of 25-6 by putting on his rally cap and bagging 14-8 Sunday after a self-confessed mediocre day on Saturday.

Now it’s on to the Alabama River for the final fish-off, and with only a scant few points separating first from fifth it’s truly anyone’s ballgame next weekend as the slightest misstep by one of the leaders will be exploited by someone further down the leader board.

http://www.basszone.com/2009eliteseries/alabama/jordanday2/story.htm

Reese increases AOY lead

September 13, 2009 – bassmaster.com

WETUMPKA, Ala. — Things weren’t exactly looking good for Skeet Reese on Saturday. His performance after the first day of the Berkley Powerbait Trophy Chase wasn’t up to his lofty standards, and after three days of fishing on Lake Jordan, he had yet to develop a go-to pattern.

Sunday was a different story for the 2009 Bassmaster Classic champ. Reese landed 15 pounds, 3 ounces, pushing him into second place after the first leg of Toyota Trucks Championship Week. And most important, the Auburn, Calif., pro took a 16-point advantage in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings, a lead he will carry into the final Postseason event, the Evan Williams Bourbon Trophy Triumph, set for Sept. 17-18 on the Alabama River out of Montgomery.

Bassmaster.com will have full coverage of the Toyota Trucks Championship Week from practice to trophy, including a live blog,, photos,, up-to-the-minute video, BASSTrakk, and BASSCast. To look back at how the Berkley Powerbait Trophy Chase, check out the live blog. The daily weigh-ins for the final Elite Series postseason event will air live on ESPN360.com.

Reese built his AOY points total to 249. In second in the AOY race is four-time AOY champion Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., with 233 points. The winner of the Lake Jordan event, Mike Iaconelli of Runnemede, N.J., moved from 11th to third in the AOY standings with 225 points and positioned himself for a slim but realistic shot at overtaking Reese.

“This is way better than I anticipated after Saturday,” said Reese, who has four BASS wins. “I caught them early which took some of the pressure off. I’m stoked to be in this position. All you can ask for is a chance.” Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water action from Toyota Trucks Championship Week on The Bassmasters, which will air for three hours on Sunday, Sept. 27, from 4-7 p.m. ET.

Reese’s performance Sunday was a microcosm of his 2009 Bassmaster Elite Series season. He started hot Sunday and ended with a bang, boating a near 4-pounder in the final hour. Reese’s 2009 Elite season started in style with a Bassmaster Classic victory; if Reese can hold on next week, he would culminate his season with bookend championships.

With that, he would become only the second angler in BASS history (Mark Davis of Mount Ida, Ark.) to claim a Bassmaster Classic and Bassmaster Angler of the Year title in the same season.

Reese, who was the 2007 AOY, worked both shallow and deep patterns Sunday. He entered the Postseason one point behind VanDam, but made up ground quickly. He now has his attention trained on the Alabama River.

“It’s been a while since most of us have been there,” Reese said. “It should present new conditions. I’m not going to focus on what the other guys will be doing. I can only take care of myself and, thankfully, this will be my title to lose.”

VanDam slipped to second in the AOY race with a disappointing sixth-place showing at the Jordan event.

Perhaps Iaconelli is carrying the strongest momentum heading into the final event and poses the biggest obstacle for Reese. The win earned Iaconelli 50 points. He entered the event with little hope of owning the AOY title, but Iaconelli’s known for performing well when a lot is on the line.

“Coming in here I knew, theoretically, I could win the AOY,” said Iaconelli, who finished second to Reese at the ’09 Classic. “Still, with this caliber of anglers, I thought the door wouldn’t open. But I have made a career of not giving up and I’m certainly not going to do that now. I guess you never know.”

Fourth in the AOY standings is Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla., with 220 points. In fifth is Randy Howell of Springville, Ala., with 216 points. The full standings can be found here.

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/tournaments/elite/news/story?id=4471083

Biffle makes move

September 12, 2009 – bassmaster.com

WETUMPKA, Ala. — While Tommy Biffle kicked it into high gear in the first leg of Toyota Trucks Championship Week, two anglers known for their clutch performances, Kevin VanDam and Skeet Reese, uncharacteristically struggled.

The duo headed into the Berkley Powerbait Trophy Chase neck-and-neck in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings, but the door swung wide open for the entire field following a tough Saturday, the first day of the inaugural Bassmaster Elite Series Postseason.

Still, Reese did just enough to overtake VanDam and take a six-point advantage in the AOY standings over the hard-charging Biffle, who pushed himself into a tie with VanDam for second with 230 points. Biffle put himself near the head of the class with his Saturday limit of 15 pounds, 0 ounces, which led the 12-angler field. The AOY standings reflect what happened Saturday but Sunday could, once again, shake the leaderboard up.

Saturday was more about the success of Biffle than the other anglers’ struggles. Lake Jordan plays to Biffle’s strengths and while he didn’t divulge specifics of his pattern, astute fishing fans know that the Wagoner, Okla., pro was using the flipping stick.

“I’m definitely fishing like I like to,” said Biffle, 51. “My goal is to win this tournament and win the next one and hope that a few other guys struggle. I have a chance and that is all you can ask for.”

Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water action from Toyota Trucks Championship Week on The Bassmasters, which will air for three hours on Sunday, Sept. 27 from 4-7 p.m. ET.

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/tournaments/elite/news/story?id=4468140