Ashley Puts Practice Misery Behind Him With 17-10

By BassFan Staff

Casey Ashley, the man who spent a good portion of Monday night and early Tuesday morning stranded on a backwater sandbar in the upper Mississippi River, finds himself atop something way more enjoyable today – the Elite Series leaderboard.

Ashley, who came into the regular-season finale in 41st place in the Toyota Angler of the Year race – firmly on the bubble to qualify for the 2017 Bassmaster Classic – shrugged off his abbreviated and exhausting practice session by catching 17-10 to set the early pace in La Crosse, Wis.

It was an unexpected start for the 2015 Classic champ after his boat got lodged on a bar as he headed back to the ramp Monday evening. He was eventually brought to shore by a local fire department’s marine rescue team. His boat remained stranded until Tuesday.

Ott DeFoe caught 17-07 and trails Ashley by 3 ounces. Jordan Lee was only other competitor to crack the 17-pound mark and he’s in 3rd with 17-02.

Edwin Evers bagged 16-13, including a 4-06 kicker, which put him in 4th. Brandon Card, who was 5th at La Crosse in 2013, caught 16-09 and finds himself back in 5th, just over a pound behind Ashley.

The balance of this tournament will be a battle for ounces as competitors jockey for points needed to qualify either for next week’s Angler of the Year championship (Top 50) at Mille Lacs in Minnesota or next year’s Bassmaster Classic (Top 39 for the time being). Others still will try to get inside the Top 70, which would assure them of an invitation back for the 2017 Elite Series.

The race at the top of the standings remains largely unchanged after day 1 as the Top 5 in the AOY chase are all in the Top 24 on the leaderboard. Leader Gerald Swindle is 24th after catching 13-09. Keith Combs, who was 37 points behind Swindle, made up 4 points today as he sits in 20th after sacking 14-00.

Here's a look at the Top 12 following the first day of competition, with deficit margin from Ashley indicated by red numbers in parentheses:

1. Casey Ashley: 17-10
2. Ott DeFoe: 17-07 (0-03)
3. Jordan Lee: 17-02 (0-08)
4. Edwin Evers: 16-13 (0-13)
5. Brandon Card: 16-09 (1-01)
6. Mark Davis: 16-04 (1-06)
7. Bobby Lane: 15-09 (2-01)
8 (tie). Jared Lintner: 15-04 (2-06)
8 (tie). Jacob Powroznik: 15-04 (2-06)
10. Randall Tharp: 15-02 (2-08)
11. Justin Lucas: 14-15 (2-11)
12. Clifford Pirch: 14-13 (2-13)

After a practice session that was highlighted by constantly changing conditions amid fast-moving current, the field started to feel the effects of the deluge rain storm that rolled through Tuesday night and part of Wednesday. Some sections of the main river on pools 8 and 9 and even a few backwaters were coffee-like. Additional rain is likely Friday with clouds and thunderstorms in the forecast, which could favor those targeting largemouth as the current-related smallmouth locales have taken a beating from the fast-moving, rising water.

Mike McClelland, who came into the event 52nd in points and hoping to qualify for the AOY event, had his day-1 weight disqualified after his marshal reported him for culling in Minnesota waters, which is prohibited. It’s the same law/rule that led to the DQ of Brandon Palaniuk’s day-2 weight back in 2013 and took him out of contention for the win. McClelland had been in 74th with 10-13.

“As a member of the BASS advisory I am glad to see the marshal program is working,” McClelland wrote on his Facebook page Thursday evening. “Got caught up in the moment today trying to lock down from Pool 7 before a barge and made a bonehead mistake. After realizing I had plenty of time to get to the lock ahead of the barge, I stopped on the Minnesota side of the river just up from the lock and culled a bass, never even thinking about where the state line was. After weigh in I received a call from B.A.S.S. stating that my marshal thought I had unintentionally culled a fish in Minnesota. Big zero today. I'm sorry to all of my friends, family and sponsors. Thank you for all of the support.”

The field will be reduced to the Top 50 following Friday’s competition. The Top 12 after Saturday will compete on Sunday, when the winner will be determined by highest cumulative weight.

Ashley All By Himself

> Day 1: 5, 17-10

Ashley doesn’t pretend to be an expert on the upper Mississippi. He’s not sure if the fish he caught today were part of a group that was moving into the area or heading out. What he does know is that he’s going back there tomorrow with the hope that more of the same-sized bass are still there.

“I’m going to catch them until they stop biting,” he said. “I thought I could catch ‘em. I thought I could catch 13, maybe 14 pounds. I was surprised with almost 18. I didn’t catch anything like that in practice.”

He declined to disclose which pool he spent the day in, but said he had his weight by noon. He’s not too concerned about the dirty water encroaching on his area.

“If it changes drastically, everybody will be in trouble, I think,” he said. “As far as the mud goes, it wasn’t that bad today. Whatever is going to come this way, Saturday and Sunday are the days to worry about because it’s supposed to rain tomorrow. I think I’ll be fine. The only thing that worries me is other guys trying to slide in there. I never saw another boat today.”

2nd: All Largemouth for DeFoe

> Day 1: 5, 17-07

DeFoe figured if he were going to have a big bag today, his stringer would include at least one smallmouth. He made do with largemouth.

“Catching 17, I thought I’d have at least a couple smallies based on the practice I had,” he said.

He spent the bulk of his day in two areas, neither of which were impacted all that much by the rising water.

“Both areas changed some, but neither were in bad shape,” he said. “I’d have been happy with 15 (pounds). I felt like the potential was there. I caught some 3-pounders in practice and had a couple 3 1/2s, but nothing bigger. When your smallest fish is a 3 and your biggest is a 4, I’d say that was above my expectations.”

Tomorrow, he plans to return to the areas that produced for him, but will keep an open mind should the conditions dictate a change of scenery.

“I’m going back to what worked today,” he said. “I have other stuff I could fish if I have to. I hit the meat of my stuff today and it worked out, so I’m going back to the meat tomorrow.

“The water is changing so much. It must’ve come up a foot since yesterday. That’s going to change things. You just have to flow with that, but I think some areas will stay consistent.”

3rd: Frog Flurry for Lee

> Day 1: 5, 17-02

Lee, who was 7th in AOY points entering the tournament, stayed put in Pool 8 today and took a slow-and-steady approach that proved to be effective.

“I’m very pleased,” he said. “I wasn’t really expecting it.”

He started the day in Minnesota waters, but the water clarity deteriorated and he moved back into Wisconsin.

“I thought I could get a bite or two on a frog, but it turned into four really quick,” he said. “After that, I just slowed down and took my time.”

He tallied nine keepers, but they were the size he was looking for.

“They were just the right size and that’s what you want out here,” he said. “I hadn’t caught but one or two over 3 in practice. All of the better fish were in the same general stretch.”

4th: Evers Caught ‘Em Quick

> Day 1: 5, 16-13

Evers was hoping to tap into some smallmouth during practice, but when that fizzled he shifted his focus back to largemouth and that’s what carried him through day 1. After competing in two previous Elite Series events and participating in a Major League Fishing show on the Mississippi, all near La Crosse, Evers says he’s still learning how the river sets up in different conditions.

“I’ve learned a lot about it over the couple times we’ve been here, but I’m not sure I have it figured out,” he said. “I’d like to figure out the smallmouth deal because I think that’s how you win here. I tried in practice, but couldn’t get it done. It’s no doubt a different system this year.”

As boat 13, he was able to settle into an area pretty quick and the bites came in quick succession.

“I just ended up catching them fairly quick,” he said. “I had the area all to myself.”

He capped off the day with a 4-06 kicker that gave him a 1-pound plus upgrade. Tomorrow, he’s expecting to have to make adjustments.

“It’s going to be all different,” he said. “It’s supposed to be cloudy and raining so what I figured out today to get them to bite, I’m afraid it’ll be different tomorrow.”

5th: Quality Better Than Card Expected

> Day 1: 5, 16-09

Card came to La Crosse this week hoping to tap into some smallmouth. After a couple unproductive practice days, he shifted his focus to largemouth and it turned out to be a sound decision.

He didn’t catch near as many fish as he caught back in 2013, but the average quality was much better today, a scenario he hopes continues.

“I actually thought I could catch more fish, but I didn’t know about the size,” he said. “Our last time here, I averaged 14 pounds a day, but I caught 40 fish per day. This time, I probably caught 12 or 15 keepers, but they were decent fish. I was pleased with the size, but I definitely thought I’d catch a few more.

“I’d much rather catch some good ones than a half ton of mediocre ones.”

He’s going to be conscious of water clarity Friday, but he won’t shy away from off-colored water if he struggles elsewhere.

“I’m staying clear of the mud, but if I have to tomorrow, I’m going check some spots. Half of my spots before today had mud rolling through them. If I have to, I’ll revist some areas. In 2013 on the fourth day, the exact same thing happened – rain muddied up my area and I shied away from it. Then, other guys moved in and caught them there. I’m not going to shy away from it this time.”

6th: Davis Caught ‘Em In Multiple Areas

> Day 1: 5, 16-04

Based on how today unfolded and how the conditions are shaping up, Mark Davis is convinced largemouths will be the dominant species this week. They were for him on day 1 as he made a lengthy run after passing through a lock. He had company on his first spot, where he caught a limit, but later culled out those fish.

“I was fairly confident going out today,” he said. “You don’t ever know what’s going to happen on a river like this with the conditions changing. I had a pretty good practice. Some of the stuff went away, but obviously not all of it did.”

He said half of his plan was to target fish related to current, but those opportunities are gone for the time being with the current ripping harder now than it was in practice.

“With all this rain a lot of the smallmouth water got wiped out,” he said. “There’s still a little of it, but it’s not near like it was.”

He was left to fish for largemouths and he had his weight by 11:30 this morning. Two other anglers started on the same area as Davis, but they worked around each other before Davis departed for other spots.

“The bigger fish didn’t bite there for me,” he said. “In practice, I made one quick pass and it was all 3s and 4s, but today, they were all 2-pounders. I left and fished two spots and I was done.”

104th: Ehrler’s Areas Were Blown Out

> Day 1: 1, 2-12

The way Brent Ehrler’s practice went, he had located a few areas with fish, but they all seemed to be inconsequential size. Add to that the rapidly rising and dirty water and it resulted in a disastrous start for the Californian seeking to qualify for his second straight Classic. He was 31st in points before today and will need a major rally Friday to guard against falling too far out of the race.

“I had areas where I could catch a ton of fish, but the problem was getting a keeper,” he said. “I had planned on catching a couple early on and then relaxing and moving around, but everything was unfishable and blown out.”

He estimated an 8-mile stretch in Pool 8 was trashed to the point where he could barely make a cast without his bait getting fouled up.

“It was not only blown out with mud, but it was also unfishable because of the debris coming down the river,” he said. “It was clear and they’d have bitten, but there was so much debris I couldn’t make a clean cast.”

Eventually, his only keeper of the day came just before noon.

“I lost one other fish,” he said. “It was a grind all day. I have no excuses. I didn’t lose ‘em or make wrong decisions. I just didn’t have enough areas.”

Notable

> Day 1 stats – 107 anglers, 88 limits, 4 fours, 6 threes, 4 twos, 3 ones, 2 zeroes.

Weather Forecast

> Fri., Sept. 9 – Thunderstorms – 79°/60°
- Wind: From the SSE at 5 to 10 mph

> Sat., Sept. 10 – Partly Cloudy – 72°/53°
- Wind: From the WNW at 10 to 20 mph

> Sun., Sept. 11 – Sunny – 78°/59°
- Wind: From the S at 10 to 15 mph

Day 1 Standings

1. Casey Ashley -- Donalds, SC -- 5, 17-10 -- 110
Day 1: 5, 17-10

2. Ott DeFoe -- Knoxville, TN -- 5, 17-07 -- 109
Day 1: 5, 17-07

3. Jordan Lee -- Grant, AL -- 5, 17-02 -- 108
Day 1: 5, 17-02

4. Edwin Evers -- Talala, OK -- 5, 16-13 -- 107
Day 1: 5, 16-13

5. Brandon Card -- Caryville, TN -- 5, 16-09 -- 106
Day 1: 5, 16-09

6. Mark Davis -- Mount Ida, AR -- 5, 16-04 -- 105
Day 1: 5, 16-04

7. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL -- 5, 15-09 -- 104
Day 1: 5, 15-09

8. Jared Lintner -- Arroyo Grande, CA -- 5, 15-04 -- 103
Day 1: 5, 15-04

8. Jacob Powroznik -- Port Haywood, VA -- 5, 15-04 -- 103
Day 1: 5, 15-04

10. Randall Tharp -- Port St. Joe, FL -- 5, 15-02 -- 101
Day 1: 5, 15-02

11. Justin Lucas -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 14-15 -- 100
Day 1: 5, 14-15

12. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, AZ -- 5, 14-13 -- 99
Day 1: 5, 14-13

13. David Mullins -- Mt Carmel, TN -- 5, 14-12 -- 98
Day 1: 5, 14-12

14. Alton Jones -- Lorena, TX -- 5, 14-11 -- 97
Day 1: 5, 14-11

15. Matt Herren -- Ashville, AL -- 5, 14-09 -- 96
Day 1: 5, 14-09

16. Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, TX -- 5, 14-08 -- 95
Day 1: 5, 14-08

17. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA -- 5, 14-07 -- 94
Day 1: 5, 14-07

18. Jonathon VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 5, 14-06 -- 93
Day 1: 5, 14-06

19. Matt Lee -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 14-05 -- 92
Day 1: 5, 14-05

20. Keith Combs -- Huntington, TX -- 5, 14-00 -- 91
Day 1: 5, 14-00

20. Clent Davis -- Montevallo, AL -- 5, 14-00 -- 91
Day 1: 5, 14-00

22. Jeff Kriet -- Ardmore, OK -- 5, 13-11 -- 89
Day 1: 5, 13-11

23. Aaron Martens -- Leeds, AL -- 5, 13-10 -- 88
Day 1: 5, 13-10

24. Gerald Swindle -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 13-09 -- 87
Day 1: 5, 13-09

25. Jason Christie -- Park Hill, OK -- 5, 13-08 -- 86
Day 1: 5, 13-08

25. James Niggemeyer -- Van, TX -- 5, 13-08 -- 86
Day 1: 5, 13-08

25. Skeet Reese -- Auburn, CA -- 5, 13-08 -- 86
Day 1: 5, 13-08

28. David Williams -- Newton, NC -- 5, 13-06 -- 83
Day 1: 5, 13-06

29. Adrian Avena -- Vineland, NJ -- 5, 13-06 -- 82
Day 1: 5, 13-06

30. Jay Brainard -- Enid, OK -- 5, 13-05 -- 81
Day 1: 5, 13-05

30. Randy Howell -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 13-05 -- 81
Day 1: 5, 13-05

30. Chad Morgenthaler -- Reeds Spring, MO -- 5, 13-05 -- 81
Day 1: 5, 13-05

30. Takahiro Omori -- Emory, TX -- 5, 13-05 -- 81
Day 1: 5, 13-05

34. Gary Klein -- Weatherford, TX -- 5, 13-04 -- 77
Day 1: 5, 13-04

35. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL -- 5, 13-03 -- 76
Day 1: 5, 13-03

35. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL -- 5, 13-03 -- 76
Day 1: 5, 13-03

37. John Murray -- Spring City, TN -- 5, 13-02 -- 74
Day 1: 5, 13-02

37. Morizo Shimizu -- Suita, Osaka JAPAN -- 5, 13-02 -- 74
Day 1: 5, 13-02

39. Stephen Browning -- Hot Springs, AR -- 5, 13-01 -- 72
Day 1: 5, 13-01

39. Seth Feider -- Bloomington, MN -- 5, 13-01 -- 72
Day 1: 5, 13-01

41. Chris Zaldain -- Laughlin, NV -- 5, 13-00 -- 70
Day 1: 5, 13-00

42. Casey Scanlon -- Rocky Mount, MO -- 5, 12-15 -- 69
Day 1: 5, 12-15

43. Shane Lineberger -- Lincolnton, NC -- 5, 12-14 -- 68
Day 1: 5, 12-14

44. Jason Williamson -- Wagener, SC -- 5, 12-13 -- 67
Day 1: 5, 12-13

45. Greg Vinson -- Wetumpka, AL -- 5, 12-12 -- 66
Day 1: 5, 12-12

46. Drew Benton -- Panama City, FL -- 5, 12-09 -- 65
Day 1: 5, 12-09

46. Keith Poche -- Pike Road, AL -- 5, 12-09 -- 65
Day 1: 5, 12-09

46. Fred Roumbanis -- London, AR -- 5, 12-09 -- 65
Day 1: 5, 12-09

49. Hank Cherry Jr -- Maiden, NC -- 5, 12-06 -- 62
Day 1: 5, 12-06

50. Yusuke Miyazaki -- Forney, TX -- 5, 12-05 -- 61
Day 1: 5, 12-05

51. Brett Hite -- Phoenix, AZ -- 5, 12-04 -- 60
Day 1: 5, 12-04

52. Boyd Duckett -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 12-03 -- 59
Day 1: 5, 12-03

52. Ish Monroe -- Hughson, CA -- 5, 12-03 -- 59
Day 1: 5, 12-03

54. Brandon Coulter -- Knoxville, TN -- 5, 12-01 -- 57
Day 1: 5, 12-01

55. Kelly Jordon -- Flint, TX -- 5, 11-15 -- 56
Day 1: 5, 11-15

55. Russ Lane -- Prattville, AL -- 5, 11-15 -- 56
Day 1: 5, 11-15

55. Scott Rook -- Little Rock, AR -- 5, 11-15 -- 56
Day 1: 5, 11-15

58. J Todd Tucker -- Moultrie, GA -- 5, 11-14 -- 53
Day 1: 5, 11-14

59. Tommy Biffle -- Wagoner, OK -- 5, 11-11 -- 52
Day 1: 5, 11-11

59. Luke Clausen -- Otis Orchards, WA -- 5, 11-11 -- 52
Day 1: 5, 11-11

59. Tim Horton -- Muscle Shoals, AL -- 5, 11-11 -- 52
Day 1: 5, 11-11

59. Dave Lefebre -- Erie, PA -- 5, 11-11 -- 52
Day 1: 5, 11-11

59. Chad Pipkens -- Lansing, MI -- 5, 11-11 -- 52
Day 1: 5, 11-11

64. Kelley Jaye -- Dadeville, AL -- 5, 11-10 -- 47
Day 1: 5, 11-10

65. Fletcher Shryock -- New Philadelphia, OH -- 5, 11-08 -- 46
Day 1: 5, 11-08

66. Koby Kreiger -- Bokeelia, FL -- 5, 11-07 -- 45
Day 1: 5, 11-07

66. Britt Myers -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 5, 11-07 -- 45
Day 1: 5, 11-07

68. Andy Montgomery -- Blacksburg, SC -- 5, 11-03 -- 43
Day 1: 5, 11-03

69. Cliff Prince -- Palatka, FL -- 5, 11-02 -- 42
Day 1: 5, 11-02

69. Bradley Roy -- Lancaster, KY -- 5, 11-02 -- 42
Day 1: 5, 11-02

71. Fabian Rodriguez -- Ocean City, DE -- 5, 11-01 -- 40
Day 1: 5, 11-01

72. Brent Chapman -- Lake Quivira, KS -- 5, 10-15 -- 39
Day 1: 5, 10-15

73. James Elam -- Tulsa, OK -- 5, 10-14 -- 38
Day 1: 5, 10-14

74. Chad Grigsby -- Maple Grove, MN -- 5, 10-13 -- 37
Day 1: 5, 10-13

74. Brandon Palaniuk -- Rathdrum, ID -- 5, 10-13 -- 37
Day 1: 5, 10-13

74. Dean Rojas -- Lake Havasu City, AZ -- 5, 10-13 -- 37
Day 1: 5, 10-13

77. John Crews Jr -- Salem, VA -- 5, 10-12 -- 34
Day 1: 5, 10-12

78. David Walker -- Sevierville, TN -- 5, 10-12 -- 33
Day 1: 5, 10-12

79. Michael Iaconelli -- Pitts Grove, NJ -- 5, 10-11 -- 32
Day 1: 5, 10-11

79. Ken Iyobe -- Tokoname -- Aichi JAPAN -- 5, 10-11 -- 32
Day 1: 5, 10-11

81. Kotaro Kiriyama -- Moody, AL -- 4, 10-10 -- 30
Day 1: 4, 10-10

82. Chris Lane -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 10-08 -- 29
Day 1: 5, 10-08

82. Mark Menendez -- Paducah, KY -- 5, 10-08 -- 29
Day 1: 5, 10-08

84. Brandon Lester -- Fayetteville, TN -- 5, 10-07 -- 27
Day 1: 5, 10-07

85. Billy McCaghren Jr -- Mayflower, AR -- 5, 10-04 -- 26
Day 1: 5, 10-04

85. Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 5, 10-04 -- 26
Day 1: 5, 10-04

87. Brett Preuett -- Monroe, LA -- 5, 10-01 -- 24
Day 1: 5, 10-01

88. Cliff Pace -- Petal, MS -- 5, 09-13 -- 23
Day 1: 5, 09-13

89. Josh Bertrand -- Gilbert, AZ -- 5, 09-09 -- 22
Day 1: 5, 09-09

90. Marty Robinson -- Lyman, SC -- 4, 09-03 -- 21
Day 1: 4, 09-03

91. Rick Clunn -- Ava, MO -- 4, 08-07 -- 20
Day 1: 4, 08-07

92. Bill Lowen -- Brookville, IN -- 4, 08-01 -- 19
Day 1: 4, 08-01

93. Bernie Schultz -- Gainesville, FL -- 3, 06-14 -- 18
Day 1: 3, 06-14

94. Micah Frazier -- Newnan, GA -- 3, 06-13 -- 17
Day 1: 3, 06-13

95. Terry Scroggins -- San Mateo, FL -- 3, 06-11 -- 16
Day 1: 3, 06-11

96. Davy Hite -- Ninety Six, SC -- 3, 05-10 -- 15
Day 1: 3, 05-10

97. Cliff Crochet -- Pierre Part, LA -- 2, 05-08 -- 14
Day 1: 2, 05-08

98. Carl Jocumsen -- Queensland TX AUSTRALIA -- 3, 05-07 -- 13
Day 1: 3, 05-07

99. Paul Mueller -- Naugatuck, CT -- 2, 05-05 -- 12
Day 1: 2, 05-05

100. John Hunter Jr -- Shelbyville, KY -- 3, 04-07 -- 11
Day 1: 3, 04-07

101. Brock Mosley -- Collinsville, MS -- 2, 03-15 -- 10
Day 1: 2, 03-15

102. Dennis Tietje -- Roanoke, LA -- 2, 03-12 -- 9
Day 1: 2, 03-12

103. Brian Snowden -- Reeds Spring, MO -- 1, 02-13 -- 8
Day 1: 1, 02-13

104. Brent Ehrler -- Newport Beach, CA -- 1, 02-12 -- 7
Day 1: 1, 02-12

105. Randy Allen -- Shreveport, LA -- 1, 02-10 -- 6
Day 1: 1, 02-10

106. Paul Elias -- Laurel, MS -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00

106. Mike McClelland -- Bella Vista, AR -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00