Howell's 17-09 Tops An Ultra-Tight Leaderboard

Randy Howell took a big step toward nailing down a slot in the inaugural Bassmaster Elite Series postseason today with a 17-09 bag that gave him the day-1 lead in the regular-season finale at New York's Oneida Lake.

The Alabamian came into the event at No. 9 in the Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year (AOY) race and needs to finish among the Top 12 on that list to qualify for the two-event series in his home state that will determine the winner of that award. This also marked the second straight event he's led after the opening day.

He holds a 14-ounce edge over Takahiro Omori, the 2004 Bassmaster Classic champion who sacked 16-11 and is now on the verge of securing a berth in the 2010 edition of that event. The Texan by way of Japan entered at 25th in the points, and the Top 37 after this tournament can make plans to compete at Alabama's Lay Lake next February.

Two anglers who fished this year's Classic but have endured a difficult season staked claims to the 3rd and 4th positions. Dustin Wilks, who's 59th in the points, caught 16-04 and Peter Thliveros (78th) bagged 15-15. Thliveros won the 2007 Memorial Major – the first 2 days of which were contested here.

Tommy Biffle, who won here in 2006, rounded out the Top 5 with 15-13. He came in needing to move up just one place to gain a postseason berth.

Here's a look at the current Top 12 (red numbers in parentheses indicate deficit margin from leader):

1. Randy Howell: 17-09
2. Takahiro Omori: 16-11 (0-14)
3. Dustin Wilks: 16-04 (1-05)
4. Peter Thliveros: 15-15 (1-10)
5. Tommy Biffle: 15-13 (1-12)
6. Mark Menendez: 15-10 (1-15)
7. (tie) Gerald Swindle: 15-09 (2-00)
7. (tie) Pete Ponds: 15-09 (2-00)
9. Skeet Reese: 15-08 (2-01)
10. (tie) Bernie Schultz: 15-07 (2-02)
10. (tie) Jason Quinn: 15-07 (2-02)
12. Terry Butcher: 15-06 (2-03)

As is the norm for Oneida, the weights are ultra-tight and the majority of the leaders weighed at least one largemouth. The Top 35 are separated by less than 4 pounds and all but eight anglers in the bottom half of the field are within 2 pounds of the 50th-place cut position.

The day dawned foggy, but that quickly burned off and the sun presided over a very warm, humid, nearly windless day. More of the same is expected for the Syracuse area tomorrow as it looks like summer has finally arrived in the Northeast.

The field will be cut to the Top 50 after tomorrow's weigh-in, and then to the Top 12 for the final day. The winner will be determined Sunday by the highest 4-day weight.

Howell's Day 'Perfect'

Howell can't imagine how his day could've gone any better.

"It was pretty awesome and I'm excited about it," he said. "Today was one of those perfect days that went just like it was planned. I've got some areas and a few techniques that are working. Everything clicked just right."

He had about 16 pounds worth of smallmouths when he decided to flip a lone tree on his way back to the launch. That little detour produced a 4 1/4-pound largemouth.

His final tally was three smallmouths and two largemouths.

"I worked one big area all day with a lot of different lures – I caught them flipping, on a topwater, on a crankbait and on a jerkbait. I really mixed it up and I'll probably continue to do that. I've got more rods on the deck than I thought I would and and I feel like I can catch some more good smallmouths, although I can't count on the largemouth bites like that one I got.

"I have a lot of confidence in this lake. I pre-fished here 7 or 8 weeks ago and found these areas, and I'm excited to come back and have a shot at winning and making the (postseason). I haven't made a Top 10 this year but I'm 9th in the points, so I need a big finish here to justify being up there pretty high."

He conceded that a big payday would be nice, too.

"I'd love to win one on my last chance of the season. With the economy the way it is, a hundred grand would be nice going into the off-season."

2nd: Big One Boosts Omori

Omori had a good practice and expected to have a strong first day, but it turned out a little better than he'd anticipated.

"I was hoping for 14 pounds, but I caught a 4-pounder and that made it 16," he said. "One good bite made all the difference."

He focused exclusively on largemouths and caught more than a dozen keepers. He caught everything from water that was 5 feet or shallower and he used three different baits.

He's unsure whether the green fish will hold up for him.

"That's a good question and we'll find out tomorrow. I'm going to start with them, but I've got some backup stuff for smallmouths.

"This was the best day I've had here in 4 years – everything went perfectly. I didn't lose any fish and I caught a 4-pounder. I needed to have one good day to make the Classic, and I'm just glad I had this kind of day."

3rd: Wilks Feels Fortunate

Like Omori, Wilks came in with more weight than he'd counted on.

"I was confident, but not really that confident," he said. "I got fortunate to catch what I caught. I went to a couple of places from last year where I'd caught some decent ones, and fish that were small in practice ended up being big."

He caught more than 20 fish on the day and weighed four smallmouths and a 4-02 largemouth.

"Catching 25 smallmouths in a day is fun, but it's not that uncommon because they eat so much."

He spent a good part of the afternoon searching for another big largemouth bite, but never found it. He'll employ a similar gameplan tomorrow.

"It'll be tough (to repeat his weight) – it's always tough to get over 15 here. I might switch up the order of a couple of things."

He said he encountered few of his fellow competitors today.

"This lake is relatively small for us, but it's so shallow and so flat that it fishes big. You can stop in the very middle of the lake and possibly catch one, and a guy who's 50 feet closer (to the shore) is in a whole new section of water."

5th: Biffle Wary of Largemouths

Biffle, who won here with largemouths in '06, weighed a couple of them today, including a 4-pounder. He's still uncertain how much he can rely on them, though.

"I went and caught a limit of smallmouths before I went largemouth fishing," he said. "I think (the largemouths) are getting beaten up pretty bad.

"I had a couple of places where I shook off bites in practice, and I went to them and some were there. You really can't just fish down the bank and catch one – you have to know where they are, in a little area of grass or something."

The day was a superb start in his quest to move up that one position in the points and qualify for the postseason.

"I'm going to go out and catch everything I can tomorrow and I'd be tickled to death with 13 to 15 pounds. I need to catch all I can to get into that Top 12. I don't wish bad luck on anybody, but I hope those other guys (around the cutoff) stay a long ways behind me."

90th: Kennedy Struggles

Steve Kennedy, who came in at No. 20 in the points, had his postseason chances dashed by a 10-13 bag that left him near the bottom of the standings.

"The first practice day was incredible, but it's gone downhill for me ever since," he said. "Today we had very little wind and bright skies, and that doesn't help the largemouth bite – at least not the way I'm fishing for them.

"I started making the rounds of some of my better stuff and I kept running into guys. I ran into Biffle twice. The last hour I caught two that really helped, so I was lucky to get what I had."

He'll change things around tomorrow, particularly the rotation of his stops.

"I'll definitely cover some more water. There's one place where I missed one that I think was a 4-pounder, and I'll go there for sure.

"I felt like I was already in the Classic, so I gambled and went for the win. You can get yourself in trouble doing that sometimes."

97th: Lane's Error Hurts

Bobby Lane and Bill Lowen both had their day's catch disqualified under Elite Series Rule C16 (Scoring). They committed the same violation – having six fish (one more than the tournament limit) in their livewell.

Both self-reported the violations. Lowen called his into tournament director Trip Weldon midway through the day (for that story, click here). Lane was unaware he'd violated a rule until he learned of Lowen's DQ during the weigh-in, and he immediately notified BASS official Chuck Harbin that he'd done the same thing at one point during the day.

He caught 13-10 and would've been in 35th place without the mishap.

"I don't know how it happened and I've been doing this long enough that it shouldn't have happened," said Lane, who came in at No. 22 in the points but will in all likelihood end up somewhere around the 37th-place Classic cutoff. "I don't know what fish it was on or why I did it or anything else.

"It's very frustrating when you work your butt off all year and then some stupid mistake could cost you (making) the Classic. I just feel fortunate that I get to fish tomorrow."

Notable

> Day 1 stats – 98 anglers, 96 limits, 2 zeroes.

> Howell also led day 1 of the previous event at the Mississippi River before going on to finish a season-high 15th. He's placed no lower than 39th this year and, barring a complete disaster tomorrow, will pick up his eighth consecutive check.

> John Murray came into Oneida at 24th in the points, but his Classic hopes are in jeopardy. He weighed 10 1/2 pounds today and sits at 94th in the day-1 standings. To find out what went wrong, click here to go On Tour With the BassFan Big Sticks.

Weather Forecast

Here's the weather forecast for the remaining tournament days.

> Fri., Aug. 14 - Sunny - 87°/64°
- Wind: From the W/NW at 6 mph

> Sat., Aug. 15 - Sunny - 88°/67°
- Wind: From the W/SW at 6 mph

> Sun., Aug. 16 - Sunny - 90°/67°
- Wind: From the W at 5 mph

Day 1 Standings

1. Randy Howell -- Springville, AL -- 5, 17-09 -- 305
Day 1: 5, 17-09

2. Takahiro Omori -- Emory, TX -- 5, 16-11 -- 295
Day 1: 5, 16-11

3. Dustin Wilks -- Rocky Mount, NC -- 5, 16-04 -- 290
Day 1: 5, 16-04

4. Peter E Thliveros -- St Augustine, FL -- 5, 15-15 -- 285
Day 1: 5, 15-15

5. Tommy Biffle -- Wagoner, OK -- 5, 15-13 -- 280
Day 1: 5, 15-13

6. Mark Menendez -- Paducah, KY -- 5, 15-10 -- 276
Day 1: 5, 15-10

7. Pete Ponds -- Madison, MS -- 5, 15-09 -- 272
Day 1: 5, 15-09

7. Gerald Swindle -- Warrior, AL -- 5, 15-09 -- 272
Day 1: 5, 15-09

9. Skeet Reese -- Auburn, CA -- 5, 15-08 -- 264
Day 1: 5, 15-08

10. Jason Quinn -- York, SC -- 5, 15-07 -- 260
Day 1: 5, 15-07

10. Bernie Schultz -- Gainesville, FL -- 5, 15-07 -- 260
Day 1: 5, 15-07

12. Terry Butcher -- Talala, OK -- 5, 15-06 -- 254
Day 1: 5, 15-06

13. Edwin Evers -- Talala, OK -- 5, 15-03 -- 251
Day 1: 5, 15-03

13. Chad Griffin -- Cresson, TX -- 5, 15-03 -- 251
Day 1: 5, 15-03

13. Yusuke Miyazaki -- Forney, TX -- 5, 15-03 -- 251
Day 1: 5, 15-03

16. Britt Myers -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 5, 15-02 -- 243
Day 1: 5, 15-02

17. Jeff Connella -- Bentley, LA -- 5, 15-00 -- 241
Day 1: 5, 15-00

18. Kotaro Kiriyama -- Moody, AL -- 5, 14-11 -- 239
Day 1: 5, 14-11

19. Casey Ashley -- Donalds, SC -- 5, 14-10 -- 237
Day 1: 5, 14-10

19. Ish Monroe -- Hughson, CA -- 5, 14-10 -- 237
Day 1: 5, 14-10

21. Jeff Reynolds -- Platter, OK -- 5, 14-08 -- 233
Day 1: 5, 14-08

22. Dean Rojas -- Lake Havasu City, AZ -- 5, 14-08 -- 231
Day 1: 5, 14-08

23. Dave Wolak -- Wake Forest, NC -- 5, 14-07 -- 229
Day 1: 5, 14-07

24. Grant Goldbeck -- Gaithersburg, MD -- 5, 14-04 -- 227
Day 1: 5, 14-04

25. Jeremy Starks -- Charleston, WV -- 5, 14-03 -- 225
Day 1: 5, 14-03

26. John Crews -- Salem, VA -- 5, 14-00 -- 223
Day 1: 5, 14-00

26. Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 5, 14-00 -- 223
Day 1: 5, 14-00

28. Shaw E Grigsby -- Gainesville, FL -- 5, 13-15 -- 219
Day 1: 5, 13-15

28. Jason Williamson -- Aiken, SC -- 5, 13-15 -- 219
Day 1: 5, 13-15

30. Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, TX -- 5, 13-14 -- 215
Day 1: 5, 13-14

30. Clark Reehm -- Russellville, AR -- 5, 13-14 -- 215
Day 1: 5, 13-14

32. Jeff Kriet -- Ardmore, OK -- 5, 13-12 -- 211
Day 1: 5, 13-12

33. Alton Jones -- Waco, TX -- 5, 13-12 -- 209
Day 1: 5, 13-12

33. Cliff Pace -- Petal, MS -- 5, 13-12 -- 209
Day 1: 5, 13-12

35. Scott Campbell -- Springfield, MO -- 5, 13-10 -- 205
Day 1: 5, 13-10

36. Todd Auten -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 5, 13-08 -- 203
Day 1: 5, 13-08

37. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA -- 5, 13-07 -- 201
Day 1: 5, 13-07

37. Derek Remitz -- Grant, AL -- 5, 13-07 -- 201
Day 1: 5, 13-07

39. Morizo Shimizu -- Osaka JAPAN -- 5, 13-05 -- 197
Day 1: 5, 13-05

40. Guy Eaker -- Cherryville, NC -- 5, 13-04 -- 195
Day 1: 5, 13-04

40. Mike Wurm -- Hot Springs, AR -- 5, 13-04 -- 195
Day 1: 5, 13-04

42. Brian Clark -- Haltom City, TX -- 5, 13-03 -- 191
Day 1: 5, 13-03

42. Michael Iaconelli -- Runnemede, NJ -- 5, 13-03 -- 191
Day 1: 5, 13-03

42. Rick Morris -- Virginia Beach, VA -- 5, 13-03 -- 191
Day 1: 5, 13-03

45. Terry Scroggins -- San Mateo, FL -- 5, 13-02 -- 185
Day 1: 5, 13-02

46. Bradley Hallman -- Norman, OK -- 5, 13-01 -- 183
Day 1: 5, 13-01

46. Scott Rook -- Little Rock, AR -- 5, 13-01 -- 183
Day 1: 5, 13-01

48. Stephen Browning -- Hot Springs, AR -- 5, 12-14 -- 179
Day 1: 5, 12-14

48. Kelly Jordon -- Mineola, TX -- 5, 12-14 -- 179
Day 1: 5, 12-14

50. Pat Golden -- High Point, NC -- 5, 12-12 -- 175
Day 1: 5, 12-12

51. Kevin Wirth -- Crestwood, KY -- 5, 12-11 -- 173
Day 1: 5, 12-11

52. Paul Elias -- Laurel, MS -- 5, 12-09 -- 171
Day 1: 5, 12-09

52. Timmy Horton -- Muscle Shoals, AL -- 5, 12-09 -- 171
Day 1: 5, 12-09

52. J Todd Tucker -- Moultrie, GA -- 5, 12-09 -- 171
Day 1: 5, 12-09

55. Jami Fralick -- Martin, SD -- 5, 12-08 -- 165
Day 1: 5, 12-08

55. Wade Grooms -- Bonneau, SC -- 5, 12-08 -- 165
Day 1: 5, 12-08

57. Aaron Martens -- Leeds, AL -- 5, 12-07 -- 161
Day 1: 5, 12-07

57. Byron Velvick -- Del Rio, TX -- 5, 12-07 -- 161
Day 1: 5, 12-07

59. Ken D Cook -- Lawton, OK -- 5, 12-06 -- 157
Day 1: 5, 12-06

60. James Niggemeyer -- Van, TX -- 5, 12-04 -- 155
Day 1: 5, 12-04

60. Marty Stone -- Fayetteville, NC -- 5, 12-04 -- 155
Day 1: 5, 12-04

62. Mark Davis -- Mount Ida, AR -- 5, 12-03 -- 151
Day 1: 5, 12-03

63. Marty Robinson -- Lyman, SC -- 5, 12-02 -- 149
Day 1: 5, 12-02

64. Brent Chapman -- Lake Quivira, KS -- 5, 12-01 -- 147
Day 1: 5, 12-01

64. Chris Lane -- Lakeland, FL -- 5, 12-01 -- 147
Day 1: 5, 12-01

64. Elton Luce Jr. -- Brookeland, TX -- 5, 12-01 -- 147
Day 1: 5, 12-01

67. Matthew Sphar -- Pavilion, NY -- 5, 12-01 -- 141
Day 1: 5, 12-01

68. Luke Gritter -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 5, 11-14 -- 139
Day 1: 5, 11-14

69. Boyd Duckett -- Demopolis, AL -- 5, 11-13 -- 137
Day 1: 5, 11-13

70. Kenyon Hill -- Norman, OK -- 5, 11-13 -- 135
Day 1: 5, 11-13

71. Mike McClelland -- Bella Vista, AR -- 5, 11-12 -- 133
Day 1: 5, 11-12

71. Greg Vinson -- Wetumpka, AL -- 5, 11-12 -- 133
Day 1: 5, 11-12

73. Denny Brauer -- Camdenton, MO -- 5, 11-11 -- 129
Day 1: 5, 11-11

73. Jim Murray -- Arabi, GA -- 5, 11-11 -- 129
Day 1: 5, 11-11

75. Jared Lintner -- Arroyo Grande, CA -- 5, 11-10 -- 125
Day 1: 5, 11-10

76. Gary Klein -- Weatherford, TX -- 5, 11-09 -- 123
Day 1: 5, 11-09

76. David Smith -- Del City, OK -- 5, 11-09 -- 123
Day 1: 5, 11-09

76. Brian Snowden -- Reeds Spring, MO -- 5, 11-09 -- 123
Day 1: 5, 11-09

79. Charlie Hartley -- Grove City, OH -- 5, 11-08 -- 117
Day 1: 5, 11-08

79. Matt Reed -- Madisonville, TX -- 5, 11-08 -- 117
Day 1: 5, 11-08

79. Mark Tucker -- Saint Louis, MO -- 5, 11-08 -- 117
Day 1: 5, 11-08

82. Mark Burgess -- Norton, MA -- 5, 11-07 -- 111
Day 1: 5, 11-07

83. Matt Herren -- Trussville, AL -- 5, 11-04 -- 109
Day 1: 5, 11-04

84. Vince Fulks -- Purcell, OK -- 5, 11-02 -- 107
Day 1: 5, 11-02

85. Rick Clunn -- Ava, MO -- 5, 11-00 -- 105
Day 1: 5, 11-00

86. Jimmy Mize -- Ben Lomond, AR -- 5, 10-15 -- 103
Day 1: 5, 10-15

87. Billy McCaghren -- Mayflower, AR -- 5, 10-14 -- 101
Day 1: 5, 10-14

87. Fred Roumbanis -- Bixby, OK -- 5, 10-14 -- 101
Day 1: 5, 10-14

87. Mark Tyler -- Vian, OK -- 5, 10-14 -- 101
Day 1: 5, 10-14

90. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL -- 5, 10-13 -- 95
Day 1: 5, 10-13

91. Davy Hite -- Ninety Six, SC -- 5, 10-11 -- 93
Day 1: 5, 10-11

92. Kevin Short -- Mayflower, AR -- 5, 10-10 -- 91
Day 1: 5, 10-10

93. Russ Lane -- Prattville, AL -- 5, 10-09 -- 89
Day 1: 5, 10-09

94. John Murray -- Phoenix, AZ -- 5, 10-08 -- 87
Day 1: 5, 10-08

95. Brent Broderick -- Oregonia, OH -- 5, 09-14 -- 85
Day 1: 5, 09-14

96. Zell Rowland -- Montgomery, TX -- 5, 09-00 -- 83
Day 1: 5, 09-00

97. Bobby Lane -- Lakeland, FL -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00

97. Bill Lowen -- North Bend, OH -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00

Big Bass

Day 1: Chad Griffin -- Cresson, TX -- 5-08