Rookie Fox's 16 1/2 Pounds Is Tops On Day 1

By BassFan Staff

Florida rookie Kyle Fox was on a nice roll prior to the Bassmaster Elite Series event at Toledo Bend earlier this month. He'd logged three straight finishes of 23rd or better and was 17th in the Toyota Tundra B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year (AOY) race – well within the cutoff for qualification for the 2013 Bassmaster Classic.

Then he dropped a serious bomb at the Bend – his 89th-place showing pushed him down to 34th on the points list, which is just slightly above where Classic ax is likely to fall.

He appears determined to get those 17 places back this week at the Mississippi River out of La Crosse, Wis. He boxed a 16-08 sack to grab the early lead.

He's 3 ounces up on Aaron Martens, whose 16-05 stringer continued his rally after a terrible start to the campaign. Grant Goldbeck, who came in at No. 93 in points, is 3rd with 16-00.

Billy McCaghren caught 15-11 to claim the 4th spot. Greg Hackney, always formidable on shallow fisheries in the warmer months, rounds out the Top 5 with 15-10.

Here's how the Top 12 stacks up, with distance from the leader indicated by red numbers in parentheses:

1. Kyle Fox: 16-08
2. Aaron Martens: 16-05 (0-03)
3. Grant Goldbeck: 16-00 (0-08)
4. Billy McCaghren: 15-11 (0-13)
5. Greg Hackney: 15-10 (0-14)
6. (tie) Terry Butcher: 15-05 (1-03)
6. (tie) Rick Clunn: 15-05 (1-03)
8. Todd Faircloth: 15-00 (1-08)
9. Terry Scroggins: 14-15 (1-09)
10. Mark Menendez: 14-14 (1-10)
11. (tie) Cliff Pace: 14-12 (1-12)
11. (tie) Dean Rojas: 14-12 (1-12)

Limits were no problem for most competitors – all but three brought five fish to the scale. As expected, bites in excess of 3 1/2 pounds were the key, and those who didn't get them are mired in the huge crowd of anglers who weighed between 12 and 14 pounds.

The water, which was already high and stained for this time of year due to recent rains, came up a bit more today. It didn't stop the 2-pounders from biting – nothing is likely to do that – but might've made the larger specimens even more reluctant to chomp.

It was another solid day for AOY leader Brent Chapman, who sacked 14-03 and sits in 19th place (less that 2 1/2 pounds out of the lead and just over half a pound below the Top 12). His closest pursuer in the race, David Walker, managed just 10-12 and resides in 88th.

This week's field consists of 98 anglers – one fewer than usual – as Pat Golden didn't make the trip. The fifth-year pro from North Carolina became a father for the first time today following a complicated pregnancy endured by his wife, Pam (more on that below). Due to his absence, the field will be cut to 49 anglers after the day-2 weigh-in instead of the usual Top 50.

The weather forecast for the La Crosse area tomorrow calls for mostly sunny skies with a high temperature of 81 degrees and a northwest wind to 11 mph. The winner will be determined Sunday based on highest cumulative weight.

Fox Somewhat Surprised

> Day 1: 5, 16-08

Fox thought he had a chance to catch a strong day-1 bag, but he wasn't counting on it.

"It could've gone either way," he said. "If things hadn't gone right in my best spot, I might've really struggled. Fortunately, they were biting."

He caught about 15 keepers and weighed all largemouths. The biggest of those was a 3 1/2-pounder.

"I lost about 10 fish today and a few of them probably would've helped. I don't know exactly what size they were, but some of them felt decent by the way they bit."

He was reluctant to reveal any pattern details at this stage. He had his primary locale to himself for most of the day, but is concerned that he might not be able to get back on it tomorrow because he'll be in the final flight.

"I caught them in that one specific area and it's not very big. If I lose out on that, I might not do as good.

"I've got a little bit (of backup stuff), but not much. I did catch a few in other areas that aren't far from where I'm fishing."

2nd: Martens' Worries Unfounded

> Day 1: 5, 16-05

Martens' boat was the last to leave the launch and he was afraid he wouldn't get to start on his preferred area, but there was no one around when he arrived. He was out of there a couple hours later with the second-best bag of the day.

"I did a little bit better than I thought I would," he said. "I'd been catching 13 or 14 pounds a day (during practice), and maybe one day I had 15.

"I'm doing something kind of different and two guys saw me there, and they didn't know about it before or they would've been there before me. I left at about 9:30 because I was beating up on (the fish) too bad. I'll start there again tomorrow and I've got some other stuff I haven't fished."

He went through at least 30 keepers and the biggest was a 3 1/2-pounder. He said he didn't lose any that would've gone to the scale."

4th: McCaghren Figured Things Out

> Day 1: 5, 15-11

McCaghren's practice was far from spectacular, but he had a superb first day.

"I went to one area where I'd had one bite and I was able to figure out a way to catch them there," he said. "I ended up getting a pretty good stringer early, and then I went and looked for new stuff and caught them all day long."

His sack, which he compiled in the launch pool, was topped by a 4-pounder. He estimated that he caught 40 keepers on the day and didn't lose any that would've helped him.

"I caught them on a jig that I designed for Talon Lures last year that's just now coming out. It's a signature-series jig."

His boat will be one of the first five out tomorrow.

"I'll get to start where I want to, and from there I might go looking again."

5th: Hackney Labored a Little

> Day 1: 5, 15-10

Hackney's day was strong, but it was a bit more work than he'd anticipated.

"It was a good day, but I kind of struggled," he said. "It didn't come as easy as I thought it would. I think the little cold front had something to do with it, and the water (level) was bumped up a little bit.

"I thought it would be a little better – not necessarily weight-wise, but easier to catch fish. I didn't catch the numbers I thought I would. I expected to catch 30 to 50 keepers."

He boated about 15, including a 4 1/2-pounder. The big one was his second fish of the day and it bit at about 8:00.

"That's really what made the day because my other fish weren't quite as good as they had been. I was fortunate to get that bite.

"I fished around quite a few guys. I didn't see them in practice, but they just kind of came out of the woodwork. I've got some other areas where I can go do the same thing – this place is so big and vast and there's just a ton of water."

6th: Butcher on Quality

> Day 1: 5, 15-05

Butcher didn't catch nearly as many fish as some anglers, but his quality certainly wasn't lacking.

"I thought I had a chance to have a good day," he said. "I didn't get a lot of bites, but I did get some good ones.

"I caught them all out of one big area, but from different places. It was just locals besides me – there were no other tournament competitors."

He weighed all largemouths and said that all were caught on Booyah baits.

"I lost a couple of pretty good ones. If I can get the bites, that's the deal – it's not easy to get them. If I can get seven or eight bites tomorrow, I think I can have another good sack."

88th: Walker Frustrated

> Day 1: 5, 10-12

Walker has some serious work to do tomorrow in order to avoid a big-time plunge in the points standings.

"It's just really disappointing and frustrating," he said. "Here I've got a shot at the Angler of the Year title and I go do something like that. I've got to try to salvage the event and all I can do is go out and fish the way I think is the right way.

"I could make a bunch of excuses, but those really don't mean anything. Somebody has to be at the bottom and it's not where you want to be, but it's all part of it."

The best bite he had came unbuttoned.

"I had one fish at the side of the boat that would've helped me by at least 2 pounds. Other than that, I didn't have much going on. I caught a lot of pike and (stuff) like that.

"I've got to change something, obviously. Doing what I did today is not the way to get it done."

Goldens Doing Well

Golden and his wife were thrilled to welcome their first child, a boy they named Easton Patrick.

"We'd been kind of battling an up-and-down pregnancy and it was touch and go for a while," the new father said. "He was supposed to be born right after (next week's event at Green Bay), but there were some complications with blood-pressure issues and his heart rate was lower than the doctors liked, so they decided to induce. They're both doing great right now and if all goes well, we'll be going home in a couple of days.

"I waited as long as I could before letting (B.A.S.S. tournament director Trip Weldon) know that I'd more than likely need to take a medical leave, and we're in the process of working out the details of that now. It's kind of unfortunate that it happened on these back-to-back weekends, but (those events) are a long way from home and family comes first. I hate not being up there with the boys, but I've got to look after things here and make sure everything's okay.

"If I don't get back this year, we'll be looking forward to starting all over again in 2013."

Notable

> Day 1 stats – 98 anglers, 95 limits, 1 four, 1 three, 1 one.

Weather Forecast

> Fri., June 22 – Mostly Sunny - 81°/61°
- Wind: From the NW at 11 mph

> Sat., June 23 – Scattered T-Storms - 81°/67°
- Wind: From the S/SE at 14 mph

> Sun., June 24 – Partly Cloudy - 84°/56°
- Wind: From the NE at 8 mph

Day 1 Standings

1. Kyle A. Fox -- Lakeland, FL -- 5, 16-08 -- 98
Day 1: 5, 16-08

2. Aaron Martens -- Leeds, AL -- 5, 16-05 -- 97
Day 1: 5, 16-05

3. Grant Goldbeck -- Boerne, TX -- 5, 16-00 -- 96
Day 1: 5, 16-00

4. Billy McCaghren -- Mayflower, AR -- 5, 15-11 -- 95
Day 1: 5, 15-11

5. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA -- 5, 15-10 -- 94
Day 1: 5, 15-10

6. Terry Butcher -- Talala, OK -- 5, 15-05 -- 93
Day 1: 5, 15-05

6. Rick Clunn -- Ava, MO -- 5, 15-05 -- 93
Day 1: 5, 15-05

8. Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, TX -- 5, 15-00 -- 91
Day 1: 5, 15-00

9. Terry Scroggins -- San Mateo, FL -- 5, 14-15 -- 90
Day 1: 5, 14-15

10. Mark Menendez -- Paducah, KY -- 5, 14-14 -- 89
Day 1: 5, 14-14

11. Cliff Pace -- Petal, MS -- 5, 14-12 -- 88
Day 1: 5, 14-12

12. Dean Rojas -- Lake Havasu City, AZ -- 5, 14-12 -- 87
Day 1: 5, 14-12

13. Ott DeFoe -- Knoxville, TN -- 5, 14-11 -- 86
Day 1: 5, 14-11

13. Casey Scanlon -- Lenexa, KS -- 5, 14-11 -- 86
Day 1: 5, 14-11

15. Bernie Schultz -- Gainesville, FL -- 5, 14-10 -- 84
Day 1: 5, 14-10

16. Takahiro Omori -- Emory, TX -- 5, 14-06 -- 83
Day 1: 5, 14-06

17. Brent Broderick -- Oregonia, OH -- 5, 14-05 -- 82
Day 1: 5, 14-05

18. Dustin Wilks -- Rocky Mount, NC -- 5, 14-04 -- 81
Day 1: 5, 14-04

19. Brent Chapman -- Lake Quivira, KS -- 5, 14-03 -- 80
Day 1: 5, 14-03

20. Brandon Palaniuk -- Rathdrum, ID -- 5, 14-00 -- 79
Day 1: 5, 14-00

21. Jason Williamson -- Aiken, SC -- 5, 13-15 -- 78
Day 1: 5, 13-15

22. Matt Herren -- Trussville, AL -- 5, 13-14 -- 77
Day 1: 5, 13-14

22. Bill Lowen -- Brookville, IN -- 5, 13-14 -- 77
Day 1: 5, 13-14

22. Nate Wellman -- Newaygo, MI -- 5, 13-14 -- 77
Day 1: 5, 13-14

25. Davy Hite -- Ninety Six, SC -- 5, 13-13 -- 74
Day 1: 5, 13-13

25. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL -- 5, 13-13 -- 74
Day 1: 5, 13-13

27. Michael Iaconelli -- Pittsgrove, NJ -- 5, 13-12 -- 72
Day 1: 5, 13-12

28. Keith Combs -- Huntington, TX -- 5, 13-11 -- 71
Day 1: 5, 13-11

28. John Crews -- Salem, VA -- 5, 13-11 -- 71
Day 1: 5, 13-11

28. Randy Howell -- Springville, AL -- 5, 13-11 -- 71
Day 1: 5, 13-11

31. Cliff Prince -- Palatka, FL -- 5, 13-10 -- 68
Day 1: 5, 13-10

32. Casey D Ashley -- Donalds, SC -- 5, 13-09 -- 67
Day 1: 5, 13-09

32. Stephen Browning -- Hot Springs, AR -- 5, 13-09 -- 67
Day 1: 5, 13-09

34. Gerald Swindle -- Warrior, AL -- 5, 13-09 -- 65
Day 1: 5, 13-09

35. Timmy Horton -- Muscle Shoals, AL -- 5, 13-08 -- 64
Day 1: 5, 13-08

35. Gary Klein -- Weatherford, TX -- 5, 13-08 -- 64
Day 1: 5, 13-08

35. Rick Morris -- Lake Gaston, VA -- 5, 13-08 -- 64
Day 1: 5, 13-08

38. Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 5, 13-07 -- 61
Day 1: 5, 13-07

39. Jamie Horton -- Centerville, AL -- 5, 13-06 -- 60
Day 1: 5, 13-06

39. John Murray -- Phoenix, AZ -- 5, 13-06 -- 60
Day 1: 5, 13-06

39. Greg Vinson -- Wetumpka, AL -- 5, 13-06 -- 60
Day 1: 5, 13-06

42. Cliff Crochet -- Pierre Part, LA -- 5, 13-05 -- 57
Day 1: 5, 13-05

43. Kotaro Kiriyama -- Moody, AL -- 5, 13-04 -- 56
Day 1: 5, 13-04

44. Brandon Card -- Caryville, TN -- 5, 13-03 -- 55
Day 1: 5, 13-03

44. Alton Jones -- Woodway, TX -- 5, 13-03 -- 55
Day 1: 5, 13-03

46. Matt Reed -- Madisonville, TX -- 5, 13-02 -- 53
Day 1: 5, 13-02

47. Bobby Lane -- Lakeland, FL -- 5, 13-00 -- 52
Day 1: 5, 13-00

48. J Todd Tucker -- Moultrie, GA -- 5, 12-14 -- 51
Day 1: 5, 12-14

49. Jami Fralick -- Martin, SD -- 5, 12-13 -- 50
Day 1: 5, 12-13

49. Jared Miller -- Norman, OK -- 5, 12-13 -- 50
Day 1: 5, 12-13

49. Pete Ponds -- Madison, MS -- 5, 12-13 -- 50
Day 1: 5, 12-13

49. Clark Reehm -- Shreveport, LA -- 5, 12-13 -- 50
Day 1: 5, 12-13

49. Skeet Reese -- Auburn, CA -- 5, 12-13 -- 50
Day 1: 5, 12-13

54. Keith Poche -- Pike Road, AL -- 5, 12-13 -- 45
Day 1: 5, 12-13

55. Russ Lane -- Prattville, AL -- 5, 12-12 -- 44
Day 1: 5, 12-12

55. Mike McClelland -- Bella Vista, AR -- 5, 12-12 -- 44
Day 1: 5, 12-12

55. David Smith -- Del City, OK -- 5, 12-12 -- 44
Day 1: 5, 12-12

58. Mark Davis -- Mount Ida, AR -- 5, 12-11 -- 41
Day 1: 5, 12-11

58. Britt Myers -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 5, 12-11 -- 41
Day 1: 5, 12-11

58. Jason Quinn -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 5, 12-11 -- 41
Day 1: 5, 12-11

61. Andy Montgomery -- Blacksburg, SC -- 5, 12-08 -- 38
Day 1: 5, 12-08

61. Brian Snowden -- Reeds Spring, MO -- 5, 12-08 -- 38
Day 1: 5, 12-08

63. Chris Lane -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 12-06 -- 36
Day 1: 5, 12-06

63. Scott Rook -- Little Rock, AR -- 5, 12-06 -- 36
Day 1: 5, 12-06

63. Kevin Short -- Mayflower, AR -- 5, 12-06 -- 36
Day 1: 5, 12-06

63. Jonathon VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 5, 12-06 -- 36
Day 1: 5, 12-06

67. Shaw E Grigsby Jr. -- Gainesville, FL -- 5, 12-04 -- 32
Day 1: 5, 12-04

67. Charlie Hartley -- Grove City, OH -- 5, 12-04 -- 32
Day 1: 5, 12-04

69. Matt Greenblatt -- Port St Lucie, FL -- 5, 12-03 -- 30
Day 1: 5, 12-03

69. Kelly Jordon -- Palestine, TX -- 5, 12-03 -- 30
Day 1: 5, 12-03

69. Fred Roumbanis -- Bixby, OK -- 5, 12-03 -- 30
Day 1: 5, 12-03

69. Fletcher Shryock -- Newcomerstown, OH -- 5, 12-03 -- 30
Day 1: 5, 12-03

73. Russell Parrish -- Riesel, TX -- 5, 12-02 -- 26
Day 1: 5, 12-02

73. Marty Robinson -- Lyman, SC -- 5, 12-02 -- 26
Day 1: 5, 12-02

75. Edwin Evers -- Talala, OK -- 5, 12-01 -- 24
Day 1: 5, 12-01

75. Ish Monroe -- Hughson, CA -- 5, 12-01 -- 24
Day 1: 5, 12-01

75. Bradley Roy -- Lancaster, KY -- 5, 12-01 -- 24
Day 1: 5, 12-01

78. Yusuke Miyazaki -- Forney, TX -- 5, 12-00 -- 21
Day 1: 5, 12-00

78. Michael Simonton -- Fremont, OH -- 5, 12-00 -- 21
Day 1: 5, 12-00

80. Morizo Shimizu -- Matsugaoka JAPAN -- 5, 11-13 -- 19
Day 1: 5, 11-13

81. Zell Rowland -- Montgomery, TX -- 5, 11-11 -- 18
Day 1: 5, 11-11

82. Chris Zaldain -- San Jose, CA -- 5, 11-09 -- 17
Day 1: 5, 11-09

83. Derek Remitz -- Grant, AL -- 5, 11-04 -- 16
Day 1: 5, 11-04

84. Boyd Duckett -- Demopolis, AL -- 5, 11-02 -- 15
Day 1: 5, 11-02

84. Jared Lintner -- Arroyo Grande, CA -- 5, 11-02 -- 15
Day 1: 5, 11-02

86. Paul Elias -- Laurel, MS -- 5, 11-00 -- 13
Day 1: 5, 11-00

86. Jeff Kriet -- Ardmore, OK -- 5, 11-00 -- 13
Day 1: 5, 11-00

88. David Walker -- Sevierville, TN -- 5, 10-12 -- 11
Day 1: 5, 10-12

89. Denny Brauer -- Camdenton, MO -- 5, 10-11 -- 10
Day 1: 5, 10-11

89. Byron Velvick -- Boenre, TX -- 5, 10-11 -- 10
Day 1: 5, 10-11

91. Travis Manson -- De Pere, WI -- 5, 10-08 -- 8
Day 1: 5, 10-08

92. James Niggemeyer -- Van, TX -- 5, 10-07 -- 7
Day 1: 5, 10-07

93. Kevin Ledoux -- Choctaw, OK -- 5, 10-06 -- 6
Day 1: 5, 10-06

94. Kenyon Hill -- Norman, OK -- 5, 10-01 -- 5
Day 1: 5, 10-01

95. Jeremy Starks -- Scott Depot, WV -- 5, 09-10 -- 4
Day 1: 5, 09-10

96. Chad Griffin -- Cresson, TX -- 4, 08-07 -- 3
Day 1: 4, 08-07

97. Tommy Biffle -- Wagoner, OK -- 3, 06-10 -- 2
Day 1: 3, 06-10

98. Scott Ashmore -- Broken Arrow, OK -- 1, 02-07 -- 1
Day 1: 1, 02-07