Tour Tracker

2007 Capital Clash

Preview

The Bassmaster Elite Series field started practice on the Potomac Monday August 6, and found the grass had exploded. It’s literally everywhere, and it’s reportedly choked out a lot of water and is absorbing many of the suns rays.

The grass is acting like a heater coil and the general water temperatures right now are 88 to 90 degrees.

The bass are still there – they can be seen swimming around – but after the first hour or so of the morning, they revert to lockjaw mode. The Elite Series anglers will have a tough go of it, and early morning fishing will be the key on the Potomac.

Tour Review

day 3 steady, but no final day for KVD - 12-6

Aug 12, 2007 - 11:48 PM

Kevin was able to move up the standings to the 21st spot on Saturday, but not enough to get into the final 12. Kevin has a dim light still alive for the Angler of the Year title with Skeet Reese, but Skeet has a commanding lead after winning the Capital Clash. All eyes will be on the Sunshine Showdown, September 13, to see how this season shakes out.

Day 2 another hot one—11-12

Aug 11, 2007 - 11:14 AM

“I haven’t had things go my way lately,” VanDam said. “It’s been just little things.

“A lot of times when things do go your way, it seems like you can’t do anything wrong. It’s interesting to me. In all my years of doing this, I’ve watched a lot of people get on a roll. When it happens, it’s just magical. It’s hard to figure out why that happens.”

Skeet Reese did not faulter, and KVD had another tough day in the hot waters of the Potomac River. Kevin made the top 50 cut for Saturday in 33rd place. He’ll need a huge day to vault up into the top 12 and try to stay within striking distance of Reese.

Crunch time: A focused field on day 2—day 1, 12-2

Aug 10, 2007 - 11:36 AM

A damp, cloudy Day Two dawned for the 107 anglers competing in the Elite Series Capitol Clash on the Potomac River, with a half dozen anglers within three pounds of the lead held by Skeet Reese.

Skeet is keeping the pressure on KVD for the AOY win. Kevin had an off-pace day 1 with a catch of 12-2.

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

2007 Capital Clash

2007 Capital Clash

Potomac River, Charles County, Maryland
Aug 09 – Aug 12, 2007

Leaderboard

  • 1. Skeet Reese / 66-0
  • 2. Kelly Jordan / 57-7
  • 3. Matt Reed / 56-2
  • 4. Randy Howell / 55-5
  • 5. Chris Lane / 54-12
  • 6. Charley Hartley / 53-3
  • 7. Boyd Duckett / 51-15
  • 8. Tommy Biffle / 51-8
  • 9. Grant Goldbeck / 50-12
  • 10. Bill Lowen / 49-1
  • 11. Fred Roumbanis / 48-12
  • 12. Britt Myers / 48-5
  • 21. Kevin VanDam / 36-4

History & Notes

2007 Clash Big Bass
day 1 – Gary Klein — 8-2
day 2 – James Niggemeyer — 8-2
day 3 – Chris Lane — 5-9
day 3 – Britt Myers — 5-9
day 4 – Kelly Jordan — 5-2

  • The Potomac is frequently called the “Nation’s River,” because it flows through Washington, D.C., within the shadow of the Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln memorials. The river begins as a small spring at the Fairfax Stone in West Virginia and reaches the sea at Chesapeake Bay, some 380 miles away. The Potomac is the fourth largest river on the Atlantic coast and the 21st largest in the United States.
  • In 14 previous BASS events, Tim Horton’s 77-8 stands as the best winning total in Potomac history, taking the 1999 event. More recently, Ernest Freeman won the 2003 Maryland Northern Open with 52-13.
  • The 1991 Bassmaster Classic was held on Chesapeake Bay, the ending point of the Potomac. Elite Series pro Ken Cook won the event with 33 pounds, 2 ounces.
  • BASS first visited the Potomac in 1989. That event was won by former Classic champ Guido Hibdon. Thirteen pros fishing that event were still active in the Elite Series in 2006, including former Classic champs Rick Clunn, Ken Cook, Paul Elias and Denny Brauer.