The Bassmaster Elite Series is past the halfway mark and competition at the fifth event is currently underway at West Point Lake in Georgia.
The venue sets up a fairly interesting scenario, because it's not a traditional stop and first-hand knowledge of the fishery is light to non-existent through much of the field.
It's also expected to be a lower-weight event – quite a departure from the first half of the season, which hit the spawn almost perfectly.
Texas pro Alton Jones currently leads the Toyota Trucks Angler of the Year (AOY) race by 56 points over 2nd-place Terry Scroggins. Kevin VanDam, currently in 3rd and 114 points behind Jones, seeks his fourth-consecutive AOY title.
Note that this year, the AOY title will be decided during the regular season, as the new B.A.S.S. ownership opted to scrap the divisive post-season format, which decided AOY the past two seasons. (The post-season was replaced with an All-Star Week.)
Also note that under the new win-you're-in Classic-qualifying formula, only the Top 28 in the AOY race will automatically qualify for the 2012 Classic. That number used to be the Top 36. Big names close to but currently outside the Classic cutoff include Bobby Lane, Brent Chapman, Cliff Pace, Greg Hackney and many more.
To view the full AOY standings, click here.
