Martens Up By Nearly 7 With 1 Day Left

Aaron Martens failed to catch a 29-pound sack today for the first time at the Guntersville Bassmaster Elite Series. He only missed that mark by 5 ounces, though, and will carry a lead of nearly 7 pounds into the final day in pursuit of his second Elite win.

His 28-11 bag gave him a 3-day total of 87-09. Only Marty Stone, who sacked 30 pounds today, and Mike Iaconelli were within 10 pounds.

Stone's 30-01 bag moved him up 11 spots gave him a 2nd-place total of 80-13. Iaconelli caught 25-08 today and sat in 3rd (two places higher than he began the day) with 80-02.

Mike McClelland failed to crack the 20-pound mark today and dropped two places to 4th. His 19-13 stringer gave him a 77-04 total.

Skeet Reese climbed nine places today with a 26-02 sack, and he rounded out the Top 5 with a 76-09 total.

Here's a look at the 12 anglers who'll be on the water for tomorrow's final day (red numbers in parentheses indicate deficit margin from leader):

1. Aaron Martens: 87-09
2. Marty Stone: 80-13 (6-12)
3. Mike Iaconelli: 80-02 (7-07)
4. Mike McClelland: 77-04 (10-03)
5. Skeet Reese: 76-09 (11-00)
6. Alton Jones: 76-08 (11-01)
7. Jami Fralick: 76-06 (11-03)
8. Byron Velvick: 75-15 (11-10)
9. Mark Menendez: 75-03 (12-06)
10. Todd Fairlcoth: 74-14 (12-11)
11. Matt Reed: 73-13 (13-12)
12. Kevin Wirth: 73-00 (14-09)

The Tennessee Valley Authority pulled very little current for power generation today, and that affected some anglers' main-river patterns. Without the flow, the position of the fish was less predictable and many were less willing to bite.

Also, the recreational crowd that took to the water was massive. That was a bigger issue for some than others.

The entire final field has a crack at reaching 100 pounds for the tournament tomorrow, and several are excited by that prospect. Each knows he has a chance to catch a 30-pound bag, and 11 of them will likely need at least that much to have a shot at tracking down Martens.

Perhaps some can capitalize on the expected change in weather conditions – tomorrow's forecast for the Guntersville, Ala. area is for rain and thunder with a high temperature of only 70 degrees. Wind will be out of the northeast at 7 mph.

The winner will be determined by highest 4-day weight.

Another Chance for Martens

Martens has been in this position before – BassFans might recall that he led last year's event at Falcon Lake in Texas by nearly 7 1/2 pounds going into the final day. But after catching no less than 29-11 on any of the first 3 days, he limped in with 19-15 on day 4 and ended up 4th as Paul Elias copped the title and a new 4-day weight record.

"I'm just relaxed this time and I'm totally at ease for some reason," he said. "I'm having so much fun. What I'm doing, how they're biting and how I'm catching them are just blowing me away."

He found a new area this afternoon to go along with the three that have carried him thus far.

"I made two casts on it and caught 11 pounds, and then left it. I've found some cool spots in this tournament that don't get fished. That's why it's going the way it is.

"The fishing part of it is just so much fun that I can't explain it. Nothing's gone wrong – it's just been solid. It's a shame that I'm going to (expose) this one spot on TV tomorrow, but I've got to do it. I've laid off my fish for 4 or 5 hours each day – I haven't hit them hard yet."

He caught about 50 keepers today and his bag was topped by a 6 1/2-pounder. He lost a few quality bites early, but got back on track once he made a bait-color change.

“Changing the color made a world of difference. After that, it was like every cast. I figured out something and I know how to make them bite."

4th: Stagnant Water Hurt McClelland

McClelland has been within a pound and a half of the lead throughout the tournament, but now finds himself more than 10 back and chasing three anglers.

"The current killed me today," he said. "I've really relied on the current to catch them in the afternoons and I've always been able to cull four or five times.

"I'm going to have to change strategies tomorrow if the current doesn't roll, and it probably won't."

He caught nine keepers for the day, including one within a few ounces of 8 pounds. That fish and a 3-pounder he caught late in the day prevented him from slipping farther down the leaderboard.

He hasn't given up hope of winning, though.

"I'm shooting for another 30-pound bag and I'm hoping Aaron will open the doors a little and allow me to slide up there. He's got a tremendous lead, but anything can happen. If you can catch a couple of 8-pounders to go with your 5s, you've got yourself a good bag."

6th: Jones Covets Belt

Jones said his chances of winning are very slim, but hopes to earn one of the commemorative belts that BASS awards to anglers to top the 100-pound mark in a tournament.

"I don't have a century belt yet and I think that would be pretty cool," he said. "I'm also excited about closing the (Angler of the Year points) gap on KVD (Kevin VanDam). I think he's still going to be leading, but with Skeet and I both up there, it's going to be a tight race.

"It really gets me pumped up for the rest of the year.

He caught the vast majority of his weight early in the day, and he revealed that he's catching most of his fish on an XCalbur Xrk75 One Knocker lipless crankbait.

"The morning bite is on fire. When I pull up it's happening and it's a lot of fun, although I haven't gotten a big bite since the first day. But they live there, and there's a chance I could get one or two or three tomorrow. That's why I'm going fishing.

"You don't get many opportunities in an entire career to weigh a 30-pound sack. It doesn't look like I have a realistic chance to win, but I'd like to catch a respectably big bag, move up a few places and gain some valuable points."

7th: Fralick Bouncing

Mobility was one of the keys to Fralick's 25-pound bag that moved him up two places.

"I don't have one spot where I can go and just sit," he said. "I'm catching one here and one there and rotating through seven or eight spots. If I come up on one and there's a couple of locals on it, I just skip it and go to the next one."

He caught approximately 20 keepers today, including a 5 1/2-pounder.

"I'm catching some on a spinnerbait, some on a (lipless crankbait), some on a swimbait, and today I caught a 5-pounder dock-fishing. I'm doing a little bit of everything. and that's why I've been able to stay around 25 pounds a day. I think I can catch another 25 pounds tomorrow, maybe more if I stumble into a big one.

"My main goal is I really want to break 100 pounds. Anything that put me over that I'd be happy with."

8th: Velvick had Company

Byron Velvick's weight fell off dramatically today, and he said he had some help in that regard. A 6 1/2-pounder that bit late this afternoon salvaged the day for him.

"The locals decided they were going to help me catch my fish today," he said. "One guy came up right next to me and started talking to me and telling me that he loved my (TV) show, and he asked me if I'd tried Carolina-rigging a pink trickworm. Then he caught one on it and had his buddy take a picture with me in the background.

"The bottom line was they didn't pull water, the bite was off to begin with and the locals were on me like mosquitoes on a sweaty man running naked in a jungle."

A swimbait had been his primary fish-catcher, but he made a bait-change this afternoon that he thinks might help him tomorrow.

"I blew it by not going to it until the end of the day. I was getting a lot of short strikes on the swimbait."

9th: Menendez Ounces Short

Mark Menendez came up a few ounces shy of his target-weight today, and he has a specific number in mind for tomorrow.

"Twenty-five pounds was my goal," he said. "Anytime you catch 24 pounds (he weighed 24-04) you've had a good day, except at this pond."

He's catching most of his fish on crankbaits – primarily a Strike King Series 5 in the sexy shad color. He boated about 50 keepers today and the larges among them weighed 5 1/2 pounds.

"The (lack of current) had an effect on the overall bite, but I'm fishing the little bit of direct current that's left and my fish stayed a little more active. Some people saw me there today and I'm just hoping they'll let me fish one 20-yard stretch tomorrow. If that happens, it'll be cool."

He's another angler who'd be thrilled to push his cumulative weight into triple-digits, which will require a 24-14 sack.

"I really want one of those heavyweight belts."

Notable

> Day 3 stats – 50 anglers, 50 limits.

> Stone surpassed the 30-pound mark in a tournament day for the first time in his career.

> Fralick said he caught some fish today that had a familiar look to them. "I started noticing that some of them had a cull-bubble mark in their lip," he said. "It's not a real good thing when you're catching your own retreads."

> BassFan Big Stick John Murray ended up in 17th place with a 70-01 total. To read his competition report, click here.

Weather Forecast

Here's the weather forecast for the final day of the tournament.

> Sun., May 10 - Rain/Thunder - 70°/58°
- Wind: From the NE at 7 mph

Day 3 Standings

1. Aaron Martens -- Leeds, AL -- 15, 87-09 -- 310
Day 1: 5, 29-02 -- Day 2: 5, 29-12 -- Day 3: 5, 28-11

2. Marty Stone -- Fayetteville, NC -- 15, 80-13 -- 295
Day 1: 5, 26-15 -- Day 2: 5, 23-13 -- Day 3: 5, 30-01

3. Michael Iaconelli -- Runnemede, NJ -- 15, 80-02 -- 290
Day 1: 5, 27-05 -- Day 2: 5, 27-05 -- Day 3: 5, 25-08

4. Mike McClelland -- Bella Vista, AR -- 15, 77-04 -- 285
Day 1: 5, 30-10 -- Day 2: 5, 26-13 -- Day 3: 5, 19-13

5. Skeet Reese -- Auburn, CA -- 15, 76-09 -- 280
Day 1: 5, 25-09 -- Day 2: 5, 24-14 -- Day 3: 5, 26-02

6. Alton Jones -- Waco, TX -- 15, 76-08 -- 276
Day 1: 5, 28-12 -- Day 2: 5, 22-15 -- Day 3: 5, 24-13

7. Jami Fralick -- Martin, SD -- 15, 76-06 -- 272
Day 1: 5, 26-11 -- Day 2: 5, 24-11 -- Day 3: 5, 25-00

8. Byron Velvick -- Del Rio, TX -- 15, 75-15 -- 268
Day 1: 5, 29-04 -- Day 2: 5, 25-14 -- Day 3: 5, 20-13

9. Mark Menendez -- Paducah, KY -- 15, 75-03 -- 264
Day 1: 5, 24-07 -- Day 2: 5, 26-12 -- Day 3: 5, 24-00

10. Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, TX -- 15, 74-14 -- 265
Day 1: 5, 31-00 -- Day 2: 5, 24-15 -- Day 3: 5, 18-15

11. Matt Reed -- Madisonville, TX -- 15, 73-13 -- 257
Day 1: 5, 25-12 -- Day 2: 5, 23-08 -- Day 3: 5, 24-09

12. Kevin Wirth -- Crestwood, KY -- 15, 73-00 -- 254
Day 1: 5, 24-06 -- Day 2: 5, 27-04 -- Day 3: 5, 21-06

The following anglers did not make the cut and will not be fishing tomorrow.

13. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA -- 15, 72-14 -- 251 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 22-02 -- Day 2: 5, 27-00 -- Day 3: 5, 23-12

14. Shaw E Grigsby -- Gainesville, FL -- 15, 70-08 -- 248 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 24-08 -- Day 2: 5, 21-10 -- Day 3: 5, 24-06

15. Jeff Kriet -- Ardmore, OK -- 15, 70-01 -- 245 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 23-04 -- Day 2: 5, 19-12 -- Day 3: 5, 27-01

16. Gary Klein -- Weatherford, TX -- 15, 70-01 -- 243 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 22-10 -- Day 2: 5, 21-09 -- Day 3: 5, 25-14

17. John Murray -- Phoenix, AZ -- 15, 70-01 -- 241 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 25-06 -- Day 2: 5, 24-10 -- Day 3: 5, 20-01

18. Denny Brauer -- Camdenton, MO -- 15, 70-00 -- 239 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 23-01 -- Day 2: 5, 23-07 -- Day 3: 5, 23-08

19. Rick Clunn -- Ava, MO -- 15, 69-14 -- 237 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 25-14 -- Day 2: 5, 26-00 -- Day 3: 5, 18-00

20. Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 15, 69-11 -- 235 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 25-09 -- Day 2: 5, 23-07 -- Day 3: 5, 20-11

21. Russ Lane -- Prattville, AL -- 15, 68-09 -- 233 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 25-12 -- Day 2: 5, 24-14 -- Day 3: 5, 17-15

22. Terry Scroggins -- San Mateo, FL -- 15, 68-09 -- 231 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 22-04 -- Day 2: 5, 23-12 -- Day 3: 5, 22-09

23. Davy Hite -- Ninety Six, SC -- 15, 67-14 -- 229 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 23-10 -- Day 2: 5, 18-08 -- Day 3: 5, 25-12

24. Wade Grooms -- Bonneau, SC -- 15, 67-01 -- 227 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 19-04 -- Day 2: 5, 22-14 -- Day 3: 5, 24-15

25. Derek Remitz -- Grant, AL -- 15, 66-07 -- 225 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 20-12 -- Day 2: 5, 22-00 -- Day 3: 5, 23-11

26. Brent Chapman -- Lake Quivira, KS -- 15, 65-14 -- 223 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 18-13 -- Day 2: 5, 25-11 -- Day 3: 5, 21-06

27. James Niggemeyer -- Van, TX -- 15, 65-05 -- 221 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 20-01 -- Day 2: 5, 25-15 -- Day 3: 5, 19-05

28. Randy Howell -- Springville, AL -- 15, 65-04 -- 219 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 21-01 -- Day 2: 5, 26-13 -- Day 3: 5, 17-06

29. Bobby Lane -- Lakeland, FL -- 15, 64-08 -- 217 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 24-00 -- Day 2: 5, 20-12 -- Day 3: 5, 19-12

30. Boyd Duckett -- Demopolis, AL -- 15, 64-05 -- 215 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 26-03 -- Day 2: 5, 17-12 -- Day 3: 5, 20-06

31. Scott Rook -- Little Rock, AR -- 15, 63-06 -- 213 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 23-07 -- Day 2: 5, 22-12 -- Day 3: 5, 17-03

32. Terry Butcher -- Talala, OK -- 15, 63-04 -- 211 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 18-08 -- Day 2: 5, 23-02 -- Day 3: 5, 21-10

33. Britt Myers -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 15, 63-04 -- 209 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 20-12 -- Day 2: 5, 22-10 -- Day 3: 5, 19-14

34. Dave Wolak -- Wake Forest, NC -- 15, 63-03 -- 207 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 25-03 -- Day 2: 5, 17-07 -- Day 3: 5, 20-09

35. Greg Vinson -- Wetumpka, AL -- 15, 63-02 -- 205 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 20-04 -- Day 2: 5, 23-05 -- Day 3: 5, 19-09

36. Edwin Evers -- Talala, OK -- 15, 63-00 -- 203 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 24-12 -- Day 2: 5, 26-05 -- Day 3: 5, 11-15

37. Mark Davis -- Mount Ida, AR -- 15, 62-13 -- 201 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 26-14 -- Day 2: 5, 21-11 -- Day 3: 5, 14-04

38. Gerald Swindle -- Warrior, AL -- 15, 62-09 -- 199 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 20-09 -- Day 2: 5, 21-00 -- Day 3: 5, 21-00

39. Clark Reehm -- Russellville, AR -- 15, 62-03 -- 197 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 15-09 -- Day 2: 5, 28-14 -- Day 3: 5, 17-12

40. Tommy Biffle -- Wagoner, OK -- 15, 62-01 -- 195 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 22-01 -- Day 2: 5, 22-06 -- Day 3: 5, 17-10

41. Bradley Hallman -- Norman, OK -- 15, 61-12 -- 193 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 20-09 -- Day 2: 5, 24-14 -- Day 3: 5, 16-05

42. Billy McCaghren -- Mayflower, AR -- 15, 60-14 -- 191 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 22-13 -- Day 2: 5, 21-04 -- Day 3: 5, 16-13

43. Ken D Cook -- Lawton, OK -- 15, 60-07 -- 189 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 29-02 -- Day 2: 5, 18-05 -- Day 3: 5, 13-00

44. Bill Lowen -- North Bend, OH -- 15, 59-14 -- 187 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 23-04 -- Day 2: 5, 20-13 -- Day 3: 5, 15-13

45. Kotaro Kiriyama -- Moody, AL -- 15, 59-10 -- 185 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 22-02 -- Day 2: 5, 22-06 -- Day 3: 5, 15-02

46. Bernie Schultz -- Gainesville, FL -- 15, 59-08 -- 183 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 22-15 -- Day 2: 5, 21-02 -- Day 3: 5, 15-07

47. Dean Rojas -- Lake Havasu City, AZ -- 15, 59-05 -- 181 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 20-04 -- Day 2: 5, 22-01 -- Day 3: 5, 17-00

48. Kelly Jordon -- Mineola, TX -- 15, 58-07 -- 179 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 20-05 -- Day 2: 5, 26-14 -- Day 3: 5, 11-04

49. Dustin Wilks -- Rocky Mount, NC -- 15, 57-08 -- 177 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 16-09 -- Day 2: 5, 25-13 -- Day 3: 5, 15-02

50. Mark Burgess -- Norton, MA -- 15, 56-06 -- 175 -- $9,506
Day 1: 5, 21-04 -- Day 2: 5, 22-00 -- Day 3: 5, 13-02

Big Bass

Day 3: Terry Scroggins -- San Mateo, FL -- 8-02
Day 2: Clark Reehm -- Russellville, AR -- 9-02
Day 1: Ken D. Cook -- Lawton, OK -- 8-05