World Rankings Analysis: Inside The Top 10

World rankings are any sport's most important stat. Who's the best in the world? Everyone wants to know.

But they're also the most complex stats in sports, and the BassFan World Rankings presented by Tru-Tungsten are no different. Toss in the fact that bass fishing's Rankings have to make apples-to-apples comparisons between anglers

fishing different tours with different formats and different schedules, and it becomes even more complex.

But the end result works, and that's the goal of all ranking systems – all of which, BassFan's included, are continually refined to try to make them more accurate.

In the case of the BassFan World Rankings, several different factors – all calculated by statistical algorithms – affect the rankings.

First is tournament finishes. Those finishes go into the database and then are affected by the size and the strength of the field. In simple terms, it's easier to beat 99 anglers than 199, and it's easier to finish 100th in a 100-boat field than in a 200-boat field. Likewise, it's tougher to beat higher-ranked anglers than lower-ranked ones.

Also, since the Rankings work on a 2-year rolling cycle, when an angler completes a tournament, that finish usually replaces another from 2 years ago. So if an angler finishes 10th, and that replaces a win from 2 years ago, it could temporarily influence his or her ranking in a negative way.

Then again, it might not because anglers are ranked relative to one another. In other words, first all the anglers' World Rankings points are calculated, then they're ranked based on those points.

So even if an angler's points go down, he might stay at the same rank or even move up if the points of the anglers around him decrease the same or more. Similarly, once in a while there's some counter-intuitive movement, where an angler finishes well and either doesn't move or falls within the Rankings.

The bottom line is that all anglers are treated the same, regardless of which tours they fish. BASS anglers fish more events, which gives them more chances to do well or do poorly. FLW Outdoors only has seven tour-level events right now, which means pros there fish fewer events relative to BASS pros. But each has its pluses and minuses.

For example, six 25th-place finishes are better than three. But six 100th-place finishes are worse than three.

Right now, bass fishing is different than other individual sports, like golf or tennis, by the fact that athletes don't simply fish the events they want. They're often stuck fishing just one tour or the other. Not only does that limit their potential rank – meaning all the best fishermen really never fish against one another – but they're also stuck within the limitations of that particular tour (e.g., large field size and just seven events on the FLW Tour).

Top 10 Breakdown

With the above in mind, what follows is a breakdown of the Top 10 anglers in the world as they sit right now – their finishes over the last 2 years, and a brief analysis.

First, though, the current Top 10 Rankings:

1. Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 222.370
2. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL -- 218.969
3. Skeet Reese -- Auburn, CA -- 206.747
4. Michael Iaconelli -- Voorhees, NJ -- 206.222
5. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA -- 197.675
6. Aaron Martens -- Leeds, AL -- 194.457
7. Gerald Swindle -- Hayden, AL -- 191.781
8. Shinichi Fukae -- Osaka, JP -- 191.012
9. Anthony Gagliardi -- Prosperity, SC -- 184.680
10. Dave Lefebre -- Union City, PA -- 184.206

1st: Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, Mich.

> Finishes over prior 2 years:

DATE -- VENUE -- FIELD SIZE -- TYPE -- FINISH
3/31/05 -- Table Rock Lake -- 148 -- BASS -- 4
4/20/05 -- Smith Lake -- 50 -- E50 -- 5
5/18/05 -- Lake Dardanelle -- 50 -- E50 -- 10
6/1/05 -- Lewisville Lake -- 50 -- E50 -- 1
6/15/05 -- Lake Wissota -- 50 -- E50 -- 1
7/29/05 -- Three Rivers -- 47 -- Classic -- 1
2/24/06 -- Lake Tohopekaliga -- 51 -- Classic -- 5
3/9/06 -- Lake Amistad -- 106 -- BASS -- 6
3/16/06 -- Sam Rayburn Reservoir -- 105 -- BASS -- 3
3/30/06 -- Santee-Cooper -- 105 -- BASS -- 104
4/20/06 -- Lake Guntersville -- 104 -- BASS -- 4
5/4/06 -- Clarks Hill Reservoir -- 104 -- BASS -- 50
5/18/06 -- Eagle Mountain Lake -- 55 -- Major -- 26
6/1/06 -- Grand Lake -- 103 -- BASS -- 22
6/15/06 -- Kentucky Lake -- 102 -- BASS -- 3
7/6/06 -- Oneida Lake -- 102 -- BASS -- 3
7/13/06 -- Lake Champlain -- 102 -- BASS -- 9
7/27/06 -- Lake Wylie -- 55 -- Major -- 2
8/10/06 -- Potomac River -- 102 -- BASS -- 30
8/24/06 -- Arkansas River -- 55 -- Major -- 11.5
9/14/06 -- Table Rock Lake -- 101 -- BASS -- 13
2/23/07 -- Lay Lake -- 3rd -- Classic -- 3
3/8/07 -- Lake Amistad -- 108 -- BASS -- 5
3/22/07 -- California Delta -- 108 -- BASS -- 6
3/29/07 -- Clear Lake -- 108 -- BASS -- 19

> Finish most recently dropped:
3/17/2005 -- Lake Norman -- 154 -- BASS -- 17

> Next finish to drop:
3/31/2005 -- Table Rock Lake -- 148 -- BASS -- 4

> Analysis: Prior to his last event, VanDam had a massive 13-point lead over 2nd-place Mike Iaconelli. But Steve Kennedy moved into the 2nd-place spot after BASS's western swing and cut VanDam's lead to a little more than 3 points. VanDam still has the strength of three consecutive wins from 2005, which he'll carry until about the mid-point of this season. And he followed those wins up with three Top 6s. Plus, he made the Top 6 twice to start this year, after a 3rd at the Lay Lake Classic. And note that his previous three Classic finishes are 1st, 5th, and 3rd, and are weighted more heavily than regular-season events. The bottom line, though, is he needs to continue his blistering pace if he hopes to hold off Kennedy.

2nd: Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, Ala.

> Finishes over prior 2 years:

DATE -- VENUE -- FIELD SIZE -- TYPE -- FINISH
4/13/05 -- Beaver Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 158
5/11/05 -- Wheeler Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 91
6/22/05 -- Potomac River -- 200 -- FLW -- 21
7/13/05 -- Lake Hamilton -- 48 -- FLWTC -- 34
1/18/06 -- Lake Okeechobee -- 202 -- FLW -- 98
2/8/06 -- Lake Murray -- 200 -- FLW -- 22
3/1/06 -- Pickwick Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 148
3/9/06 -- Lake Amistad -- 106 -- BASS -- 5
3/16/06 -- Sam Rayburn Reservoir -- 105 -- BASS -- 57.5
3/30/06 -- Santee-Cooper -- 105 -- BASS -- 4
4/5/06 -- Beaver Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 96
4/20/06 -- Lake Guntersville -- 104 -- BASS -- 3
5/4/06 -- Clarks Hill Reservoir -- 104 -- BASS -- 31
5/10/06 -- Kentucky Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 1
5/18/06 -- Eagle Mountain Lake -- 55 -- Major -- 13.5
6/1/06 -- Grand Lake -- 103 -- BASS -- 26
6/15/06 -- Kentucky Lake -- 102 -- BASS -- 33
6/21/06 -- Lake Champlain -- 200 -- FLW -- 46.5
7/6/06 -- Oneida Lake -- 102 -- BASS -- 30
7/13/06 -- Lake Champlain -- 102 -- BASS -- 15
7/27/06 -- Lake Wylie -- 55 -- Major -- 47
8/2/06 -- Logan Martin Lake -- 48 -- FLWTC -- 7
8/10/06 -- Potomac River -- 102 -- BASS -- 3
8/24/06 -- Arkansas River -- 55 -- Major -- 7
9/14/06 -- Table Rock Lake -- 101 -- BASS -- 47
10/11/06 -- Lake of the Ozarks -- 196 -- FLW -- 7
11/15/06 -- Lewis Smith Lake -- 187 -- FLW -- 24
2/23/07 -- Lay Lake -- 50 -- Classic -- 8
3/8/07 -- Lake Amistad -- 108 -- BASS -- 3
3/22/07 -- California Delta -- 108 -- BASS -- 61
3/29/07 -- Clear Lake -- 108 -- BASS -- 1

> Finish most recently dropped:
3/9/2005 -- Ouachita River -- 200 -- FLW -- 11

> Next finish to drop:
4/13/2005 -- Beaver Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 158

> Analysis: Kennedy recently moved up two spots, helped by his win at Clear Lake. But his climb was even more dramatic than a two-spot move, because he moved well within striking distance of VanDam. And the good news for Kennedy is that he'll soon drop a big-time bomb – his 158th from Beaver. It's fair to say that no angler, except VanDam, has been hotter than Kennedy since the start of the 2006 season. Another VanDam/Kennedy parallel – they each have one lone black mark in March 2006. VanDam, of course, was DQd at Santee Cooper and finished last. Kennedy stumbled 30 days before that with a 148th at Pickwick. Also notable is that among the Top 10 anglers, Kennedy's fished the most ranked events during the prior 2 calendar years (28). That's because he became a two-tour angler in 2006, and fished the FLW Series as well. He also qualified for each of the Bassmaster Majors due to his lead in the BASS Rookie of the Year points (even though he wasn't a true rookie).

3rd: Skeet Reese -- Auburn, Calif.

> Finishes over prior 2 years:

DATE -- VENUE -- FIELD SIZE -- TYPE -- FINISH
3/31/05 -- Table Rock Lake -- 148 -- BASS -- 70
4/20/05 -- Smith Lake -- 50 -- E50 -- 10
5/18/05 -- Lake Dardanelle -- 50 -- E50 -- 29.5
6/1/05 -- Lewisville Lake -- 50 -- E50 -- 34
6/15/05 -- Lake Wissota -- 50 -- E50 -- 14
7/29/05 -- Three Rivers -- 47 -- Classic -- 8
8/12/05 -- Eagle Mountain Lake -- 25 -- Top Gun -- 12
2/24/06 -- Lake Tohopekaliga -- 51 -- Classic -- 24
3/9/06 -- Lake Amistad -- 106 -- BASS -- 57
3/16/06 -- Sam Rayburn Reservoir -- 105 -- BASS -- 14
3/30/06 -- Santee-Cooper -- 105 -- BASS -- 3
4/20/06 -- Lake Guntersville -- 104 -- BASS -- 34
5/4/06 -- Clarks Hill Reservoir -- 104 -- BASS -- 46
5/18/06 -- Eagle Mountain Lake -- 55 -- Major -- 5
6/1/06 -- Grand Lake -- 103 -- BASS -- 70
6/15/06 -- Kentucky Lake -- 102 -- BASS -- 4
7/6/06 -- Oneida Lake -- 102 -- BASS -- 43
7/13/06 -- Lake Champlain -- 102 -- BASS -- 41
7/27/06 -- Lake Wylie -- 55 -- Major -- 29
8/10/06 -- Potomac River -- 102 -- BASS -- 2
8/24/06 -- Arkansas River -- 55 -- Major -- 43
9/14/06 -- Table Rock Lake -- 101 -- BASS -- 10
2/23/07 -- Lay Lake -- 50 -- Classic -- 2
3/8/07 -- Lake Amistad -- 108 -- BASS -- 9
3/22/07 -- California Delta -- 108 -- BASS -- 4
3/29/07 -- Clear Lake -- 108 -- BASS -- 2

> Finish most recently dropped:
3/17/2005 -- Lake Norman -- 154 -- BASS -- 15

> Next finish to drop:
3/31/2005 -- Table Rock Lake -- 148 -- BASS -- 70

> Analysis: Reese was ranked No. 1 twice in early 2005, and for the most part has been consistent. He climbed two spots in the most recent edition of the Rankings, helped by an exceptionally strong western swing through his home water. He's always maintained that AOY is his primary goal, which might be the reason he only has one tour-level win to his credit (he values consistency first). Consistent fishing, of course, is crucial to a high ranking, but the two above him (VanDam and Kennedy) have won multiple times over the past few years. Good news for Reese is that's he's about to drop his 70th from T-Rock. The bad news is he trails VanDam by almost 16 points.

4th: Mike Iaconelli -- Voorhees, N.J.

> Finishes over prior 2 years:

DATE -- VENUE -- FIELD SIZE -- TYPE -- FINISH
3/31/05 -- Table Rock Lake -- 148 -- BASS -- 77
4/13/05 -- Beaver Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 55
4/20/05 -- Smith Lake -- 50 -- E50 -- 9
5/11/05 -- Wheeler Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 45
5/18/05 -- Lake Dardanelle -- 50 -- E50 -- 2
6/1/05 -- Lewisville Lake -- 50 -- E50 -- 3
6/15/05 -- Lake Wissota -- 50 -- E50 -- 9
6/22/05 -- Potomac River -- 200 -- FLW -- 1
7/29/05 -- Three Rivers -- 47 -- Classic -- 5
8/12/05 -- Eagle Mountain Lake -- 25 -- Top Gun -- 17
2/24/06 -- Lake Tohopekaliga -- 51 -- Classic -- 51
3/9/06 -- Lake Amistad -- 106 -- BASS -- 16
3/16/06 -- Sam Rayburn Reservoir -- 105 -- BASS -- 13
3/30/06 -- Santee-Cooper -- 105 -- BASS -- 18.5
4/20/06 -- Lake Guntersville -- 104 -- BASS -- 1
5/4/06 -- Clarks Hill Reservoir -- 104 -- BASS -- 12
5/18/06 -- Eagle Mountain Lake -- 55 -- Major -- 2
6/1/06 -- Grand Lake -- 103 -- BASS -- 10
6/15/06 -- Kentucky Lake -- 102 -- BASS -- 39
7/6/06 -- Oneida Lake -- 102 -- BASS -- 6.5
7/13/06 -- Lake Champlain -- 102 -- BASS -- 66
7/27/06 -- Lake Wylie -- 55 -- Major -- 37
8/10/06 -- Potomac River -- 102 -- BASS -- 4
8/24/06 -- Arkansas River -- 55 -- Major -- 16
9/14/06 -- Table Rock Lake -- 101 -- BASS -- 41
2/23/07 -- Lay Lake -- 50 -- Classic -- 23
3/8/07 -- Lake Amistad -- 108 -- BASS -- 2
3/22/07 -- California Delta -- 108 -- BASS -- 54
3/29/07 -- Clear Lake -- 108 -- BASS -- 56

> Finish most recently dropped:
3/17/2005 -- Lake Norman -- 154 -- BASS -- 13.5

> Next finish to drop:
3/31/2005 -- Table Rock Lake -- 148 -- BASS -- 77

> Analysis: Ike has fished very well over the past 2 years, evidenced by his BASS Angler of the Year (AOY) win in 2006. Strong notes include a Top 10 in each of the 2005 Elite 50s, plus two wins – the Potomac FLW Tour and Guntersville Elite Series – and a 2nd at Amistad last month. Black marks are the 2006 Toho Classic (last place after a day-1 DQ), a middle-of-the pack finish at the 2007 Lay Lake Classic, a 77th at Table Rock in 2005 (which he'll drop soon), a 66th at Champlain, and a disappointing western BASS swing (he missed the cut at both events).

5th: Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, La.

> Finishes over prior 2 years:

DATE -- VENUE -- FIELD SIZE -- TYPE -- FINISH
3/31/05 -- Table Rock Lake -- 148 -- BASS -- 1
4/13/05 -- Beaver Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 46
5/11/05 -- Wheeler Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 4
6/22/05 -- Potomac River -- 200 -- FLW -- 4
7/13/05 -- Lake Hamilton -- 48 -- FLWTC -- 22
7/29/05 -- Three Rivers -- 47 -- BASS -- 44.5
8/12/05 -- Eagle Mountain Lake -- 25 -- Top Gun -- 10
2/24/06 -- Lake Tohopekaliga -- 51 -- Classic -- 19.5
3/9/06 -- Lake Amistad -- 106 -- BASS -- 4
3/16/06 -- Sam Rayburn Reservoir -- 105 -- BASS -- 1
3/30/06 -- Santee-Cooper -- 105 -- BASS -- 11
4/20/06 -- Lake Guntersville -- 104 -- BASS -- 43
5/4/06 -- Clarks Hill Reservoir -- 104 -- BASS -- 41.5
5/18/06 -- Eagle Mountain Lake -- 55 -- Major -- 6
6/1/06 -- Grand Lake -- 103 -- BASS -- 35
6/15/06 -- Kentucky Lake -- 102 -- BASS -- 45
7/6/06 -- Oneida Lake -- 102 -- BASS -- 65
7/13/06 -- Lake Champlain -- 102 -- BASS -- 54.5
7/27/06 -- Lake Wylie -- 55 -- Major -- 13
8/10/06 -- Potomac River -- 102 -- BASS -- 12
8/24/06 -- Arkansas River -- 55 -- Major -- 2
9/14/06 -- Table Rock Lake -- 101 -- BASS -- 32
2/23/07 -- Lay Lake -- 50 -- Classic -- 30
3/8/07 -- Lake Amistad -- 108 -- BASS -- 42
3/22/07 -- California Delta -- 108 -- BASS -- 10
3/29/07 -- Clear Lake -- 108 -- BASS -- 50

> Finish most recently dropped:
3/17/2005 -- Lake Norman -- 154 -- BASS -- 4

> Next finish to drop:
3/31/2005 -- Table Rock Lake -- 148 -- BASS -- 1

> Analysis: BassFans know that Greg Hackney finished the 2006 season ranked No. 1, but he quickly faded as 2007 began. One of Hackney's major hang-ups is the Classic. It's a heavily weighted event, and traditionally, it's one of his worst (44th, 19th and 30th). He's just never really shown up. And he does have one Top 10 this year, but he also has a 42nd and 50th. Those are definitely un-Hack-like numbers. More bad news – he's about to drop a 1st from Table Rock in 2005, but after that, he'll drop a 46th (Beaver). No matter what he drops, though, the bottom line is he needs to get back to his high of 2004-05, when he won FLW AOY and finished 5th in the BASS points, after finishing 2nd in both points races the year before. Another side note: Hack did miss the chance for some high finishes in 2005 when he had to sit the Elite 50s out. He was red-hot, but BASS filled the Elite 50s based on a 2-year points system, and '05 was his first year with BASS.

6th: Aaron Martens -- Leeds, Ala.

> Finishes over prior 2 years:

DATE -- VENUE -- FIELD SIZE -- TYPE -- FINISH
3/31/05 -- Table Rock Lake -- 148 -- BASS -- 2
4/13/05 -- Beaver Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 83
4/20/05 -- Smith Lake -- 50 -- E50 -- 30
5/11/05 -- Wheeler Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 55
5/18/05 -- Lake Dardanelle -- 50 -- E50 -- 3
6/1/05 -- Lewisville Lake -- 50 -- E50 -- 7
6/15/05 -- Lake Wissota -- 50 -- E50 -- 26
6/22/05 -- Potomac River -- 200 -- FLW -- 191
7/29/05 -- Three Rivers -- 47 -- Classic -- 2
1/18/06 -- Lake Okeechobee -- 202 -- FLW -- 181
2/8/06 -- Lake Murray -- 200 -- FLW -- 99
2/24/06 -- Lake Tohopekaliga -- 51 -- Classic -- 17
3/9/06 -- Lake Amistad -- 106 -- BASS -- 60
3/16/06 -- Sam Rayburn Reservoir -- 105 -- BASS -- 18
3/30/06 -- Santee-Cooper -- 105 -- BASS -- 2
4/5/06 -- Beaver Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 11
4/20/06 -- Lake Guntersville -- 104 -- BASS -- 17
5/4/06 -- Clarks Hill Reservoir -- 104 -- BASS -- 43
5/18/06 -- Eagle Mountain Lake -- 55 -- Major -- 28.5
6/1/06 -- Grand Lake -- 103 -- BASS -- 9
6/15/06 -- Kentucky Lake -- 102 -- BASS -- 38
7/6/06 -- Oneida Lake -- 102 -- BASS -- 14
7/13/06 -- Lake Champlain -- 102 -- BASS -- 16
7/27/06 -- Lake Wylie -- 55 -- Major -- 22
8/10/06 -- Potomac River -- 102 -- BASS -- 13
8/24/06 -- Arkansas River -- 55 -- Major -- 13
9/14/06 -- Table Rock Lake -- 101 -- BASS -- 14
11/15/06 -- Lewis Smith Lake -- 187 -- FLW -- 23
2/23/07 -- Lay Lake -- 50 -- Classic -- 25
3/8/07 -- Lake Amistad -- 108 -- BASS -- 60
3/22/07 -- California Delta -- 108 -- BASS -- 1
3/29/07 -- Clear Lake -- 108 -- BASS -- 35

> Finish most recently dropped:
3/17/2005 -- Lake Norman -- 154 -- BASS -- 16

> Next finish to drop:
3/31/2005 -- Table Rock Lake -- 148 -- BASS -- 2

> Analysis: Martens won BASS AOY in 2005, but most of those finishes have already been dropped. What's most noticeable about Martens is his varied performance between both tours. Alongside his BASS Top 10s and 2nd-place finish at the Three Rivers Classic, there's a spate of miserable FLW finishes. He's known as an angler who fishes everything he possibly can, like a single FLW Series event last year at Lewis Smith. But for the most part, his FLW finishes hurt him: 83rd at Beaver, 55th at Wheeler, 191st at the Potomac, 181st at Okeechobee. He did move up seven spots a few weeks ago when he won at the Delta, but would likely be ranked higher without the miserable FLW Tour outings.

7th: Gerald Swindle -- Hayden, Ala.

> Finishes over prior 2 years:

DATE -- VENUE -- FIELD SIZE -- TYPE -- FINISH
3/31/05 -- Table Rock Lake -- 148 -- BASS -- 131
4/20/05 -- Smith Lake -- 50 -- E50 -- 13
5/18/05 -- Lake Dardanelle -- 50 -- E50 -- 15
6/1/05 -- Lewisville Lake -- 50 -- E50 -- 10
6/15/05 -- Lake Wissota -- 50 -- E50 -- 8
7/29/05 -- Three Rivers -- 47 -- Classic -- 3
8/12/05 -- Eagle Mountain Lake -- 25 -- Top Gun -- 9
2/24/06 -- Lake Tohopekaliga -- 51 -- Classic -- 25
3/9/06 -- Lake Amistad -- 106 -- BASS -- 13
3/16/06 -- Sam Rayburn Reservoir -- 105 -- BASS -- 26
3/30/06 -- Santee-Cooper -- 105 -- BASS -- 28
4/20/06 -- Lake Guntersville -- 104 -- BASS -- 5
5/4/06 -- Clarks Hill Reservoir -- 104 -- BASS -- 14
5/18/06 -- Eagle Mountain Lake -- 55 -- Major -- 19.5
6/1/06 -- Grand Lake -- 103 -- BASS -- 61
6/15/06 -- Kentucky Lake -- 102 -- BASS -- 22
7/6/06 -- Oneida Lake -- 102 -- BASS -- 79.5
7/13/06 -- Lake Champlain -- 102 -- BASS -- 38
7/27/06 -- Lake Wylie -- 55 -- Major -- 3
8/10/06 -- Potomac River -- 102 -- BASS -- 7
8/24/06 -- Arkansas River -- 55 -- Major -- 6
9/14/06 -- Table Rock Lake -- 101 -- BASS -- 60
11/15/06 -- Lewis Smith Lake -- 187 -- FLW -- 3
2/23/07 -- Lay Lake -- 50 -- Classic -- 45
3/8/07 -- Lake Amistad -- 108 -- BASS -- 33
3/22/07 -- California Delta -- 108 -- BASS -- 89
3/29/07 -- Clear Lake -- 108 -- BASS -- 4

> Finish most recently dropped:
3/17/2005 -- Lake Norman -- 154 -- BASS -- 105

> Next finish to drop:
3/31/2005 -- Table Rock Lake -- 148 -- BASS -- 131

> Analysis: Swindle moved up two spots in the most recent edition of the Rankings, and he's a few weeks away from finally erasing his disastrous 2005 regular season, when he ended with three consecutive 100th-plus finishes after winning the 2004 BASS AOY. He dropped one of those (Norman), and will soon drop Table Rock. At the same time, though, he's put up some strong numbers, like a 4th at Clear Lake, a 3rd at last year's Lewis Smith FLW Series (his first FLW event since 2003), and three consecutive Top 10s last July and August. His real turnaround began at the Three Rivers Classic, when he scraped and clawed his way up to 3rd. That seemed to set the stage for his comeback of sorts in 2006.

8th: Shinichi Fukae -- Osaka, Japan

> Finishes over prior 2 years:

DATE -- VENUE -- FIELD SIZE -- TYPE -- FINISH
4/13/05 -- Beaver Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 19
5/11/05 -- Wheeler Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 90
6/22/05 -- Potomac River -- 200 -- FLW -- 81
1/18/06 -- Lake Okeechobee -- 202 -- FLW -- 1
2/8/06 -- Lake Murray -- 200 -- FLW -- 72
3/1/06 -- Pickwick Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 158
3/8/06 -- Lake Lanier -- 200 -- FLW -- 3
4/5/06 -- Beaver Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 1
5/3/06 -- Lake Cumberland -- 200 -- FLW -- 56
5/10/06 -- Kentucky Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 116
5/31/06 -- Old Hickory Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 61
6/21/06 -- Lake Champlain -- 200 -- FLW -- 5
8/2/06 -- Logan Martin Lake -- 48 -- FLWTC -- 4
10/11/06 -- Lake of the Ozarks -- 196 -- FLW -- 20
11/15/06 -- Lewis Smith Lake -- 187 -- FLW -- 92
2/15/07 -- Lake Travis -- 200 -- FLW -- 35
3/29/07 -- Fort Loudoun-Tellico -- 200 -- FLW -- 5

> Finish most recently dropped:
3/9/2005 -- Ouachita River -- 200 -- FLW -- 133

> Next finish to drop:
4/13/2005 -- Beaver Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 19

> Analysis: Remember when Greg Hackney finished 2nd in the FLW points in 2004? It was Fukae who beat him. But Fukae's follow-up to that was anything but impressive – he finished 99th in the points and missed the Championship. In that regard, he sort of followed a similar path as Swindle, and he climbed back up by replacing 2005 misery with present-day blue sky. Especially key for Fukae was his two wins last year (Okeechobee and Beaver), plus a 3rd at the Lanier FLW Series. Also note his 158th at Pickwick though, and a 92nd at Lewis Smith to end 2006 – evidence he still has problems with drastic ups and downs. He moved up three spots in the most current edition of the Rankings.

9th: Anthony Gagliardi -- Prosperity, S.C.

> Finishes over prior 2 years:

DATE -- VENUE -- FIELD SIZE -- TYPE -- FINISH
4/13/05 -- Beaver Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 34
5/11/05 -- Wheeler Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 17
6/22/05 -- Potomac River -- 200 -- FLW -- 37
7/13/05 -- Lake Hamilton -- 48 -- FLWTC -- 5
8/12/05 -- Eagle Mountain Lake -- 25 -- Top Gun -- 23
1/18/06 -- Lake Okeechobee -- 202 -- FLW -- 30
2/8/06 -- Lake Murray -- 200 -- FLW -- 1
3/1/06 -- Pickwick Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 49
3/8/06 -- Lake Lanier -- 200 -- FLW -- 101
4/5/06 -- Beaver Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 30
5/3/06 -- Lake Cumberland -- 200 -- FLW -- 44
5/10/06 -- Kentucky Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 27
5/31/06 -- Old Hickory Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 15
6/21/06 -- Lake Champlain -- 200 -- FLW -- 44
8/2/06 -- Logan Martin Lake -- 48 -- FLWTC -- 10
10/11/06 -- Lake of the Ozarks -- 196 -- FLW -- 14
11/15/06 -- Lewis Smith Lake -- 187 -- FLW -- 108
2/15/07 -- Lake Travis -- 200 -- FLW -- 82
3/29/07 -- Fort Loudoun-Tellico -- 200 -- FLW -- 16

> Finish most recently dropped:
3/9/2005 -- Ouachita River -- 200 -- FLW -- 27

> Next finish to drop:
4/13/2005 -- Beaver Lake 200 -- FLW -- 34

> Analysis: Gags is sort of like a silent killer. He's always there, somewhere in the background. He was heavy in the FLW AOY hunt in 2005, then lost it at the Potomac. And of course, he won it last year. His two FLW Tour Championship finishes are especially strong – 5th and 10th – which helps him, as does a 16th at Loudoun–Tellico. In fact, he moved up three places after Lou-Tel, which is a very significant move at the top level of the Rankings. Also notable: In the 16 events he currently carries, only twice has he finished above 100th. Both of those were FLW Series events. Remember though, that he's been ranked as high as 4th before.

10th: Dave Lefebre -- Union City, Penn.

> Finishes over prior 2 years:

DATE -- VENUE -- FIELD SIZE -- TYPE -- FINISH
4/13/05 -- Beaver Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 98
5/11/05 -- Wheeler Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 21
6/22/05 -- Potomac River -- 200 -- FLW -- 17
7/13/05 -- Lake Hamilton -- 48 -- FLWTC -- 32
8/12/05 -- Eagle Mountain Lake -- 25 -- Top Gun -- 20
1/18/06 -- Lake Okeechobee -- 202 -- FLW -- 110
2/8/06 -- Lake Murray -- 200 -- FLW -- 32
3/1/06 -- Pickwick Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 8
3/8/06 -- Lake Lanier -- 200 -- FLW -- 14
4/5/06 -- Beaver Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 93
5/3/06 -- Lake Cumberland -- 200 -- FLW -- 37
5/10/06 -- Kentucky Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 121
5/31/06 -- Old Hickory Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 64
6/21/06 -- Lake Champlain -- 200 -- FLW -- 53
8/2/06 -- Logan Martin Lake -- 48 -- FLWTC -- 32
10/11/06 -- Lake of the Ozarks -- 196 -- FLW -- 5
11/15/06 -- Lewis Smith Lake -- 187 -- FLW -- 32
2/15/07 -- Lake Travis -- 200 -- FLW -- 7
3/29/07 -- Fort Loudoun-Tellico -- 200 -- FLW -- 2

> Finish most recently dropped:
3/9/2005 -- Ouachita River -- 200 -- FLW -- 42

> Next finish to drop:
4/13/2005 -- Beaver Lake -- 200 -- FLW -- 98

> Analysis: Lefebre, who's on fire right now, moved up a big four spots after Loudoun–Tellico, where he finished 2nd. That marked his second Top 10 in as many events, and his third in the last four. Unlike Gagliardi (but like Hackney), Lefebre can't seem to piece together a good championship. His two previous FLWTCs are sore spots (32nd both times out of 48 anglers, which means he failed to clear the first-round bracket), and his Top Gun finish was lackluster (20th of 25). One interesting note about this year is that the schedule seems to favor him. Yes, Travis was a little bit of a surprise, but he fished spawning smallies at Loudoun–Tellico (his strong suit), and the Tour visits the Detroit River this year (he rules on Erie). And he'll launch at Beaver Lake, his Achilles' heel, a month later this year, which could help him break that jinx.

Notable

> Three of the Top 10 are FLW-only anglers, but Kennedy, Iaconelli, Hackney and Martens were recently two-tour anglers. So another way to look at it is to say that seven of the Top 10 anglers currently fish, or did recently fish, FLW. Note that two-tour anglers were forced into a single tour this year when the Elite Series and FLW Tour schedules overlapped.

> For BASS anglers, their next event is the Clarks Hill Bassmaster Elite Series (April 19–21). They fish Guntersville the week after. FLW Tour anglers next fish Norman, the same weekend as the Guntersville event.

> The Eastern and Western FLW Series are not factored into the Rankings this year.