By BassFan Staff

Todd Faircloth has generally held his own catching smallmouths over the years, but prior to Sunday his predominant memory of northern bronzeback venues was an unpleasant one. In 2008 he led the Angler of the Year (AOY) race heading into the season finale at Lake Oneida, but turned in a 93rd-place bomb and watched Kevin VanDam garner one of his seven points titles.

That bad recollection from 7 years ago will now be supplanted by a much better one as the soft-spoken Texan snatched his fifth career Elite Series triumph with a stellar final day at Lake St. Clair in Michigan. His 22-02 stringer gave him a 4-day total of 84-07 that left the rest of the Top-12 field far in his wake.

It was also another banner day for Aaron Martens, who overslept and launched 30 minutes late, but still caught a 19-06 stringer that moved him up five places in the final standings. That jump boosted his lead in the AOY race to 102 points, which means he'll be uncatchable at next month's AOY Championship event at Wisconsin's Sturgeon Bay even if he remains at home in Alabama. The points title is the third of his career and second in the past 3 seasons (for more on that, click here).

Brandon Palaniuk, who led days 2 and 3, finished as the tournament runner-up to Faircloth with a 78-06 total. The hot spot up the St. Clair River near Lake Huron that he'd shared with 10th-place finisher James Elam throughout the event was totally unproductive on day 4 and he had to settle for a 14-pound bag from the host lake.

Chris Lane, the 2013 winner of this event, ended up 3rd with 77-08 after sacking 19-02 on day 4. Michigan native son Chad Pipkens was 4th – his second straight single-digit placement – after an 18-14 bag from Lake Erie gave him a 77-02 aggregate.

Greg Vinson, who struggled badly throughout the 2014 season, wrapped up a solid '15 campaign with a 5th-place finish. He boxed 18-11 on Sunday for a 76-04 total.

Here are the final numbers for the remainder of the Top 12:

6. Aaron Martens: 75-07
7. Jason Christie: 75-04
8. Jonathon VanDam: 75-02
9. Brett Hite: 74-02
10. James Elam: 73-04
11. Keith Poche: 72-15
12. Fletcher Shryock: 72-01

It was a difficult day for Poche, who fell one place in the standings from day 3 and out of the 50-angler field for the AOY Championship. Ironically, his drop gave Ish Monroe, with whom Poche had a heated confrontation that turned physical at the Lake Toho Southern Open last winter, the final spot for that event. Monroe, Poche and Andy Montgomery tied for the 50th position with 380 points, but Monroe won the tiebreaker (most total weight on full-field days throughout the season).

From a wins perspective, 2015 was dominated by veterans who'd been there and done that. Justin Lucas (Sacramento River/California Delta) was the lone first-time champion. The other winners (Martens twice, Edwin Evers twice, Lane, Skeet Reese and Faircloth) have 22 blue trophies between them.



B.A.S.S./Gary Tramontina
Photo: B.A.S.S./Gary Tramontina

The spot near Lake Huron that had given Brandon Palaniuk a lot of good fish over the first 3 days was completely fruitless on day 4.

Faircloth is now tied with Reese and Evers for the second-most career Elite wins (Kevin VanDam leads with six).

Berths for the 2016 Classic from the Elite points list will be determined at the AOY championship, which runs Sept. 17-20. The cutoff point to go to Grand Lake in Oklahoma next March will eventually settle somewhere around 40th place.

Faircloth Feeling Good

> Day 4: 5, 22-02 (20, 24-07)

Faircloth said this win carries some added significance due to the slump he endured for much of the season (he missed five consecutive money cuts following the opener at the Sabine River).

"They're all special, but considering the year I had, this one's pretty sweet," he said. "I wasn't feeling too good about the season as a whole going into the Chesapeake.

"When I looked at the points before the Chesapeake, I felt like there was no way I could make the Classic. I was just hoping to cash two checks and end the season on a positive note, and now I've got a shot at the Classic (he's up to 40th in the points). It's definitely turned around for me."

Day 4 went about as well as he could've scripted it. He had a limit by 8 o'clock that included a pair of 4-pounders and culled throughout the day – including on his final cast when he replaced a 3 1/2-pounder with a 4.

He stayed on a large flat in Lake St. Clair all week and used dropshot rigs tipped with Strike King plastics to snatch fish from irregularities in the grass.

"I made good decisions throughout the tournament and after I'd catch my fish on the first 3 days, I'd go looking for new spots. It was a little bit different each day."

Full details of his winning pattern, as well as those of the other top finishers, will be published in the coming days."

2nd: Palaniuk not Too Bummed

> Day 4: 5, 14-01 (20, 78-06)

Palaniuk had mixed feelings about his runner-up finish.

"Obviously I'm disappointed not to close out the win because it's so hard to get into that position," he said. "I've fished enough now to know that those opportunities don't come along all the time.

"On the bright side, I hadn't looked at the points (standings) since the second event because I felt like they were having a negative effect on the way I fished. So when I looked at them again today (and saw he was in 13th place), that eased the pain a little bit."

He fished his St. Clair River hole for about 2 1/2 hours without a bite. He had to come back to the home lake to box his pedestrian limit.

B.A.S.S./Gary Tramontina
Photo: B.A.S.S./Gary Tramontina

Chris Lane had 1st- and 3rd-place finishes in his last two visits to Lake St. Clair.

"The first place I stopped in St. Clair I caught a 4 1/4 and I was like, 'Okay, here we go,''' he said. "I just need four more bites like that.

"But for the rest of the day I probably caught 40 fish between 2 1/4 and 2 1/2 pounds. It was nonstop all day long, but I never even had a 3-pounder."

3rd: Good Pain for Lane

> Day 4: 5, 19-02 (20, 77-08)

Lane was in a bit of physical discomfort at the conclusion of day 4, but he wasn't complaining.

"I know one thing, after fishing St. Clair your hands hurt so bad from those big smallmouth that it's unbelievable," he said. "It was an awesome event all the way around and I thoroughly enjoyed ever bit of it."

He boated 10 keepers Sunday, including one that was nearly 5 pounds. He didn't lose any that would've helped him.

After winning the 2013 event from the southern tip of Lake Huron, he never ventured that direction this time.

"I knew there was potential in St. Clair just from the size of the fish I saw in practice. I knew if I could ground out five of those a day, I could do just as good, if not better, than the guys in Huron."

4th: Pipkens Climbs Again

> Day 4: 5, 19-14 (20, 77-02)

Pipkens has been on the best roll of his career in recent weeks – including a Bassmaster Northern Open at Oneida Lake, he's finished 7th or better in each of his last three outings.

"It's been good, man," he said. "I've moved up 60 places (to 32nd) in the last three Elite events. I feel good about everything that's been going on.

"It's funny, but I've felt that way ever since the second day at Guntersville (in the second event of the season). I was in 90-something place after day 1, and on day 2 I just went in the other direction and caught 20 pounds and just missed a check. Kentucky Lake (where he finished 110th at BASSFest) was a weird deal, but everywhere else I've fished a lot more loosely and it's worked out."

He spent the event on the north shore of Lake Erie.

"I pulled up to a place this morning and fish were like noodled up on the graph, and I thought they were drum. Then I dropped down and caught (a smallmouth) and I told my marshal that if those were all bass, I was going to crush them.

"I probably caught 20 in an hour and a half, all between 3 1/4 and 4 pounds. I culled more weight in that time than I caught yesterday (16-07)."

5th: Vinson Relieved

> Day 4: 5, 18-11 (20, 76-04)

Vinson came in riding the wrong kind of momentum, having missed three straight cuts after a strong start to the campaign, but he virtually assured himself of a Classic slot with his second single-digit placement of the campaign.

"I'm both relieved and excited," he said. "These last 2 days were the only tournament days I had all year that I could just enjoy and fish relaxed and not worry so much about point.

"I could just fish this tournament for what it was, and I really enjoyed that."

He feared smallmouth dominated events early in his career, but that's not the case anymore.

"I'm by no means an expert at catching them, but I've learned a lot about them and now I'm able to keep up with (their movements) better once I find them."

Notable

> Day 4 stats – 12 anglers, 12 limits.

Day 4 (Final) Standings

1. Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, TX -- 20, 84-07 -- 100 -- $101,750
Day 1: 5, 20-01 -- Day 2: 5, 20-09 -- Day 3: 5, 21-11 -- Day 4: 5, 22-02

2. Brandon Palaniuk -- Rathdrum, ID -- 20, 78-06 -- 99 -- $27,250
Day 1: 5, 23-04 -- Day 2: 5, 21-01 -- Day 3: 5, 20-00 -- Day 4: 5, 14-01

3. Chris Lane -- Guntersville, AL -- 20, 77-08 -- 98 -- $21,000
Day 1: 5, 17-09 -- Day 2: 5, 16-13 -- Day 3: 5, 24-00 -- Day 4: 5, 19-02

4. Chad Pipkens -- Holt, MI -- 20, 77-02 -- 97 -- $15,000
Day 1: 5, 18-12 -- Day 2: 5, 22-01 -- Day 3: 5, 16-07 -- Day 4: 5, 19-14

5. Greg Vinson -- Wetumpka, AL -- 20, 76-04 -- 96 -- $14,000
Day 1: 5, 19-03 -- Day 2: 5, 19-09 -- Day 3: 5, 18-13 -- Day 4: 5, 18-11

6. Aaron Martens -- Leeds, AL -- 20, 75-07 -- 95 -- $14,500
Day 1: 5, 18-05 -- Day 2: 5, 18-08 -- Day 3: 5, 19-04 -- Day 4: 5, 19-06

7. Jason Christie -- Park Hill, OK -- 20, 75-04 -- 94 -- $13,000
Day 1: 5, 17-01 -- Day 2: 5, 17-05 -- Day 3: 5, 21-04 -- Day 4: 5, 19-10

8. Jonathon VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 20, 75-02 -- 93 -- $12,500
Day 1: 5, 20-06 -- Day 2: 5, 19-03 -- Day 3: 5, 18-02 -- Day 4: 5, 17-07

9. Brett Hite -- Phoenix, AZ -- 20, 74-02 -- 92 -- $12,000
Day 1: 5, 17-12 -- Day 2: 5, 20-07 -- Day 3: 5, 19-05 -- Day 4: 5, 16-10

10. James Elam -- Tulsa, OK -- 20, 73-04 -- 91 -- $11,500
Day 1: 5, 23-07 -- Day 2: 5, 20-05 -- Day 3: 5, 17-12 -- Day 4: 5, 11-12

11. Keith Poche -- Pike Road, AL -- 20, 72-15 -- 90 -- $11,000
Day 1: 5, 18-03 -- Day 2: 5, 17-01 -- Day 3: 5, 21-04 -- Day 4: 5, 16-07

12. Fletcher Shryock -- New Philadelphia, OH -- 20, 72-01 -- 89 -- $10,500
Day 1: 5, 17-05 -- Day 2: 5, 22-01 -- Day 3: 5, 17-08 -- Day 4: 5, 15-03