Feider Wins; Swindle Secures 2nd AOY

By BassFan Staff

Veteran Gerald Swindle and second-year pro Seth Feider both achieved their primary goals at the Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship. The former wrapped up his second career points title and the latter showed the bass-fishing world what his home lake is capable of producing.

The normally loquacious Swindle was overcome by emotion and had a difficult time expressing his sentiments after the final fish had gone on the scale in Onamia, Minn. Feider, meanwhile was ready to party with his buddies and watch the Minnesota Vikings duel the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football.

Swindle finally caught a strong bag (22-08) from Mille Lacs Lake, which lived up to its billing as one of the country's top smallmouth venues. It moved him up only three places in the final tournament standings (from 49th to 46th), but it nailed down what had basically been a formality since it became clear that Keith Combs, who came in as the only angler with a mathematical shot at overtaking him in the points, wouldn't achieve the high finish he needed.

Swindle became the 11th angler to win multiple Bassmaster AOYs.

"It's overwhelming," he said on stage after being presented the trophy. "I was so mad at myself after day 1 and day 2 because I fished scared and I don't know why. Today I left it all out there."

As for Feider, his 26-02 final-day stringer was the second-heaviest of the tournament behind Takahiro Omori's 26-07 haul on day 1. He finished with a 76-05 total that left him 6 1/2 pounds clear of the field.

"It was a really special week," he said. "I didn't think I even had a chance of making it here (he claimed the last spot in the field via his runner-up finish in the regular-season finale last week at the Mississippi River). I love showing off this fishery.

"This place is so good; there's so many spots where you can catch a 25-pound bag that it's ridiculous. There's at least 50 spots where you can catch bags like that – that's how good this place is."

Brent Ehrler, who fished his way into the Classic at this event, ended up 2nd after a 23-10 bag gave him a 69-13 total. Dave Lefebre, who came in right on the Classic cutline, was 3rd with 23-10 after boxing 23-03.

Tommy Biffle's quest to get into the field at Texas' Lake Conroe came up four places shy after his 4th-place finish with 67-05 (21-11 on day 3). James Elam wrapped up a solid campaign as he completed the Top 5 with 67-03 (22-10).

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

6. Alton Jones: 67-00
7. Jason Williamson: 66-08
8. Matt Herren: 66-06
9. Drew Benton: 64-15
10. Kevin VanDam: 64-03
11. Brandon Palaniuk: 63-14
12. Boyd Duckett: 63-14

Swindle joined Kevin VanDam (seven), Aaron Martens (3), Mark Davis (3), Davy Hite (2) and Gary Klein (2) as active Elite Series anglers with more than one AOY crown. His earned his first in 2004.

From a title perspective, it made no difference how much weight he caught today as Combs failed to move into the Top 6 (which was the position from where he could surpass Swindle if the latter finished last in the 50-man field). Nonetheless, it was a huge boost for his morale.

"As much as I want to fish and want to have fun, when you've got the biggest title in the sport on the line, sometimes it's hard to have fun," he said. "I proved that on day 1 and day 2.

"Today I decided I was going to throw a jerkbait and a ChatterBait and I didn't care how anybody else caught them – I was going to fish the way I wanted to fish instead of doing what I thought I needed to do to get the trophy. You can't go against your gut and fish conservative against the best in the world because they'll eat you alive. I knew that, I knew it when I did it the first 2 days, and it won't happen anymore.

"Catching them today meant as much as anything I've done this year," he continued. "I didn't want to lay my rods and reels down and have my season be over knowing I didn't catch them (in the final event).

Former Classic champions Boyd Duckett and Randy Howell fished their way into next year's edition at this derby. Howell did it with a 25-04 sack on Sunday – his best of the event by 7 pounds – that moved him up a whopping six places in the points.

Those who fished their way out of next year's Classic at Mille Lacs included Chris Lane (another former champion of the event), Fred Roumbanis and Ish Monroe. The latter two were in solid shape going in at Nos. 31 and 32 in the points, respectively.

Andy Montgomery is currently the last angler in for Conroe at 39th on the AOY list. Monroe could get in if an already-qualified anglers wins one of the final three Bassmaster Opens, or if one of those tournaments is won by a competitor who did not compete in all three events in that geographic division.

Third Stop Charm for Feider

> Day 3: 5, 26-02 (15, 76-05)

Feider caught all of his final-day weigh-in fish from the same location.

"I knew today was going to be different (from when the field was last on the water on Friday), but I just didn't know how," he said. "I struck out at my first two places to day, then at the third one I caught all my fish.

"It's an awesome feeling, especially having so many friends and family here."

He stayed on that one locale – which featured four large boulders – from 8 o'clock until noon.

"I just kind of milked it. I caught six big ones (that weighed 4 pounds or more) and a handful of 3-somethings. I ended up weighing two 6-pounders and three that were like high-4s.

"I've gotten a big confidence boost these last 2 weeks. I've started fishing like I do back home in a 50-boat tournament. I'm not trying to get a check, I'm trying to win. I'm not going to fish for 50th place (on the Elite Series) anymore, I'm going to fish for 1st. Of course, it won't work out all that often."

He caught all of his fish on a dropshot rig with a 4-inch unnamed stickbait in 15 to 20 feet of water. Full details of his winning pattern will be posted early this week.

2nd: Big Relief for Ehrler

> Day 3: 5, 23-10 (15, 69-13)

Ehrler said he was highly stressed coming into the event due to his position outside the Classic cutoff.

"An unbelievable weight has been lifted off me," he said. "I had so much self-induced pressure. My season was like a nightmare because it was so up and down. Out of nine tournaments, in seven of them I had one good day and then one really bad day.

"I'd be up in the Top 10 or Top 20, then I'd fall out of the Top 50. I hadn't been able to link 2 days together the entire season. I knew I had to catch them here or I wasn't going to make (the Classic).

The 6-10 bruiser he caught on the final day was the biggest fish of the tournament.

"When I got back today (VanDam) asked me how I did and I told him I had a big one. He'd been fishing near me and asked me if the fish had a bunch of healed-up scars on its side, and when I told him it did, he said, 'I think I caught that fish in practice. I thought it was a 7.'''

He fished a dropshot rig with a 4 1/2-inch Roboworm (nose-hooked) and a 5-inch Yamamoto Thin Senko (wacky-rigged).

3rd: Lefebre Thrilled

> Day 3: 5, 23-03 (15, 67-12)

Lefebre was pumped to have made the Classic in his first season on the Elite Series following a long stint on the FLW Tour.

"I'm as happy as I've ever been in 15 years of doing this," he said. "I've never felt so much stress, knowing I had to catch 20 pounds a day.

"I had a pretty good day 2 and I figured I needed about 18 pounds today to ice it, and I didn't have that until probably 12:30. My first limit weighed 10 or 11 pounds and then I ended up slowly working my way up. I didn't get the big bites until after 1 o'clock."

He rotated between three spots – one with two boulders and two others with one each. They were all within 300 yards of each other and his fish came from about 18 feet of water.

He primarily fished 4-inch Senkos (in a variety of colors based on green-pumpkin) on a dropshot rig. On day 2, he caught two 5-pounders on a Rapala Shadow Rap jerkbait.

"I think this was the first tournament in my life where I never lost a single fish. Some of them took me 5 minutes to land."

4th: Biffle Comes Up Shy

> Day 3: 5, 21-11 (15, 67-05)

Biffle moved up one spot in the tournament standings on day 3, but it wasn't quite enough to gain him a Classic berth.

"I never lost any or anything like that today – I just didn't get enough really big bites," he said. "I had one close to 5 (pounds), but the rest were 4s.

"It was kind of slow today. When the sun came out I thought it was going to be really good and so did a lot of other people, but they didn't really bite that well today."

He caught everything on an 11/16-ounce Gene Larew Biffle Hardhead with a Biffle Bug in the Sooner run color.

"I had about 10 keepers total and about 20 walleye. Several of the walleye were big ones. It's kind of disheartening when you get bit and you're needing and hoping for a big smallmouth and it ends up being a walleye."

Notable

> Day 3 stats – 50 anglers, 45 limits, 2 fours, 1 three, 1 two, 1 zero.

Final Points Standings

1 -- Gerald Swindle -- Guntersville, AL -- 908
2 -- Keith Combs -- Huntington, TX -- 881
3 -- Randall Tharp -- Port St. Joe, FL -- 852
4 -- Jacob Powroznik -- Port Haywood, VA -- 830
5 -- Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA -- 830
6 -- Jordan Lee -- Grant, AL -- 829
7 -- Chris Zaldain -- Laughlin, NV -- 808
8 -- Justin Lucas -- Guntersville, AL -- 802
9 -- Ott DeFoe -- Knoxville, TN -- 797 --
10 -- Jason Christie -- Park Hill, OK -- 780
11 -- Drew Benton -- Panama City, FL -- 774
12 -- Edwin Evers -- Talala, OK -- 770
13 -- Hank Cherry Jr -- Maiden, NC -- 768
14 -- Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL -- 763
15 -- Alton Jones -- Lorena, TX -- 763
16 -- Takahiro Omori -- Emory, TX -- 761
17 -- Brandon Palaniuk -- Rathdrum, ID -- 759
18 -- Michael Iaconelli -- Pitts Grove, NJ -- 753
19 -- Bobby Lane Jr. -- Lakeland, FL -- 750
20 -- Dean Rojas -- Lake Havasu City, AZ 749
21 -- Matt Herren -- Ashville, AL -- 737
22 -- Aaron Martens -- Leeds, AL -- 728
23 -- James Elam -- Tulsa, OK -- 728
24 -- Brett Hite -- Phoenix, AZ -- 727
25 -- Bill Lowen -- Brookville, IN -- 715
26 -- Jared Lintner -- Arroyo Grande, CA -- 714
27 -- Skeet Reese -- Auburn, CA -- 703
28 -- Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, TX -- 701
29 -- Jason Williamson -- Wagener, SC -- 683
30 -- Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 681
31 -- Dave Lefebre -- Erie, PA -- 677
32 -- Bradley Roy -- Lancaster, KY -- 673
33 -- Casey Ashley -- Donalds, SC -- 672
34 -- Brent Ehrler -- Newport Beach, CA -- 671
35 -- Shaw Grigsby Jr. -- Gainesville, FL -- 667
36 -- Clifford Pirch -- Payson, AZ -- 659
37 -- Boyd Duckett -- Guntersville, AL -- 658
38 -- Randy Howell -- Guntersville, AL -- 653
39 -- Andy Montgomery -- Blacksburg, SC -- 651
Current Classic Cutoff
40 -- Ish Monroe -- Hughson, CA -- 650
41 -- Keith Poche -- Pike Road, AL -- 649
42 -- Fred Roumbanis -- London, AR -- 648
43 -- Tommy Biffle -- Wagoner, OK -- 646
44 -- Chris Lane -- Guntersville, AL -- 644
45 -- Adrian Avena -- Vineland, NJ -- 639
46 -- Cliff Pace -- Petal, MS -- 638
47 -- Seth Feider -- Bloomington, MN -- 637
48 -- Gary Klein -- Weatherford, TX -- 634
49 -- Stephen Browning -- Hot Springs, AR -- 621
50 -- Kelly Jordon -- Flint, TX -- 605