The conclusion of the recent Oneida Bassmaster Elite Series marked the end of the 2009 tour season. Although the Top 12 in the Bassmaster Elite Series will fish the newly created BASS Championship Week in September, those events will not affect the BassFan World Rankings.

Below is a look at the final 2009 edition of BassFan World Rankings, as updated after Oneida.

VanDam Unstoppable

Kevin VanDam ends the year ranked No. 1 again – a familiar spot for the most dominating angler of the modern era.

VanDam's 26-point lead is simply massive.

In the 8 years since the Rankings were first published, VanDam has finished the season ranked No. 1 all but once (2005).



His accomplishments this year include a win at Smith Mt. Lake, two 2nds (Dardanelle and Kentucky Lake) and an 8th at Amistad. Another way to look at it is he finished within the Top 10 in 50% of the Elite Series events this year, and finished 1st or 2nd 38% of the time.

He leads the Toyota Tundra BASS Angler of the Year (AOY) race heading into Championship week.

He also leads all anglers in the career winning list, and is quickly closing in on the $4 million mark.

Battle For 2nd

FLW Tour pro Brent Ehrler and Bassmaster Elite Series pro Skeet Reese have flip-flopped each other at 2nd throughout the year. Ehrler finishes the year ranked 2nd, with Reese 3rd. The battle has generated quite a bit of controversy among BassFans, most of whom write to say Reese should be ranked 2nd.

Although the Rankings formula is statistical, and cannot be manipulated by human hand, the controversy is notable because it mirrors the ongoing discussion of which tour is more difficult – the Elite Series or FLW Tour.

That's for the public to decide, but Ehrler's accomplishments can't be understated. The FLW Tour fielded 200 boats in 2008, and roughly 150 boats this year. Across both years and the eight regular season events that currently count toward Ehrler's rank, he's recorded three Top 10s, plus five more finishes of 15th or better.

Reese displayed similar power. Across the 21 regular-season events that count in his rank, Reese scored five Top 10s, plus four finishes of 17th or better. Again, however, those must be measured against 100-odd boats (vs. 150 to 200 for the FLW Tour).

Reese, of course, added a Classic win to his scoresheet this year.

Ultimately, the World Rankings are nearly impossible to predict, and relative finishes are a poor measure because anglers are also affected by how they fare against other ranked anglers.

Rest of the Top 10

  • Alton Jones retains his 4th-place rank in this final edition.

  • FLW Tour pro Luke Clausen didn't fish Oneida, but improves a spot to finish the year ranked 5th.

  • Clark Wendlandt, who won his third FLW Tour AOY award this year, climbs two spots in this final edition to the rank of 6th.



    BassFan
    Photo: BassFan

    Brent Ehrler and Skeet Reese have battled for the No. 2 spot most of the season, but Ehrler claims the spot in the end.

  • Todd Faircloth continues to fish well. He began the year ranked 2nd, slipped to 9th, but moves up two spots to end the year ranked 7th.

  • Mike Iaconelli has torn it up lately, but a disappointing 54th at Oneida doesn't help him. He drops three spots in this final edition to 8th, despite 2nd-place finishes in both the Bassmaster Classic and Forrest Wood Cup.

  • Aaron Martens turned in a mind-boggling 93rd at Oneida, which dropped him out of the BASS Championship week, and he slides two spots to end the year ranked 9th.

  • After a 15th at Oneida, Mike McClelland retains his 10th-place rankings.

    Other Notable Movement

    There was significant movement outside the Top 10 in this final edition.

  • An 8th at Oneida helps Tommy Biffle improve 5 spots to 11th, but he can't quite crack the Top 10.

  • A 3rd at Oneida was the third Top 10 this season for Dean Rojas, and he moves up seven spots to end the year ranked 13th.

  • A 6th at Oneida marked Steve Kennedy's third consecutive Top 10. He moves up nine spots to 18th.

  • Forrest Wood Cup champion Greg Hackney also moves up nine spots (to 19th). A 7th at Oneida certainly helps Hack.

  • Bobby Lane lost his day-1 weight at Oneida due to a culling error. He went on to finish 97th and drops 10 spots to end the year ranked 22nd.

  • Former BASS AOY Gerald Swindle's on the upswing. His final three finishes of the year were 9th, 11th and 9th. He improves a whopping 24 spots to end the year ranked 35th.

  • Oneida runner-up Jeff Kriet leaps up 33 spots to 49th.

  • Like Lane, Bill Lowen also lost his day-1 weight at Oneida on a culling error, and he's down 22 spots in this final edition to 65th.

  • Oneida winner Chad Griffin, a rookie, is still well below the radar, but he does climb 50 spots in this edition to 182nd.

    End-Of-Year World Rankings: Top 100

    (To view the full BassFan World Rankings, click here).

    1. Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- Nitro/Mercury -- 228.345

    2. Brent Ehrler -- Redlands, CA -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 202.429

    3. Skeet Reese -- Auburn, CA -- Champion/Mercury -- 201.510

    4. Alton Jones -- Waco, TX -- Skeeter/Yamaha -- 197.892

    5. Luke Clausen -- Spokane, WA -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 193.137

    6. Clark Wendlandt -- Cedar Park, TX -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 191.149

    7. Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, TX -- Skeeter/Yamaha -- 191.067

    8. Michael Iaconelli -- Voorhees, NJ -- Bass Cat/Yamaha -- 190.057

    9. Aaron Martens -- Leeds, AL -- Triton/Mercury -- 182.555

    10. Mike McClelland -- Bella Vista, AR -- Champion/Mercury -- 180.406

    11. Tommy Biffle -- Wagoner, OK -- Ranger/Mercury -- 177.288

    12. Jacob Powroznik -- Prince George, VA -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 176.512

    13. Dean Rojas -- Lake Havasu City, AZ -- Skeeter/Yamaha -- 176.220

    14. Andy Morgan -- Dayton, TN -- Bass Cat/Evinrude -- 176.063

    15. Kelly Jordon -- Mineola, TX -- Skeeter/Yamaha -- 175.906

    16. Bryan Thrift -- Shelby, NC -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 174.354

    17. Mark Menendez -- Paducah, KY -- Skeeter/Yamaha -- 172.503

    18. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 171.578

    19. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA -- Triton/Mercury -- 171.517

    20. Randy Howell -- Springville, AL -- Triton/Mercury -- 169.862

    21. Anthony Gagliardi -- Prosperity, SC -- Ranger/Evinrude -- 169.862

    22. Bobby Lane -- Lakeland, FL -- Skeeter/Yamaha -- 169.476

    23. Gary Klein -- Weatherford, TX -- Triton/Mercury -- 169.310

    24. Ron Shuffield -- Bismarck, AR -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 169.249

    25. Jay Yelas -- Corvallis, OR -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 167.102

    26. Kevin Short -- Mayflower, AR -- Bass Cat/Mercury -- 164.895

    27. Kevin Wirth -- Crestwood, KY -- Triton/Mercury -- 164.830

    28. Shaw E. Grigsby, Jr. -- Gainesville, FL -- Triton/Mercury -- 164.166

    29. Mark Rose -- Marion, AR -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 163.183

    30. Michael Bennett -- Lincoln, CA -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 162.789

    31. Scott R. Martin -- Clewiston, FL -- Ranger/Evinrude -- 162.624

    32. Brent Chapman -- Lake Quivira, KS -- Triton/Mercury -- 162.467

    33. Larry Nixon -- Bee Branch, AR -- Stratos/Evinrude -- 162.278

    34. Mark Hardin -- Jasper, GA -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 161.798

    35. Gerald Swindle -- Hayden, AL -- Triton/Mercury -- 160.454

    36. Edwin Evers -- Talala, OK -- Nitro/Mercury -- 160.224

    37. Casey Ashley -- Donalds, SC -- Triton/Mercury -- 159.286

    38. Terry Scroggins -- San Mateo, FL -- Triton/Mercury -- 158.570

    39. Koby Kreiger -- Okeechobee, FL -- Ranger/Evinrude -- 157.495

    40. Shad Schenck -- Waynetown, IN -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 157.418

    41. Cliff Pace -- Petal, MS -- Skeeter/Yamaha -- 156.622

    42. Byron Velvick -- Del Rio, TX -- Triton/Mercury -- 156.340

    43. Shinichi Fukae -- Osaka, JP -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 155.954

    44. Takahiro Omori -- Emory, TX -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 155.872

    45. Andy Montgomery -- Blacksburg, SC -- Ranger/Evinrude -- 155.733

    46. Boyd Duckett -- Demopolis, AL -- Triton/Mercury -- 155.173

    47. Fred Roumbanis -- Bixby, OK -- Triton/Mercury -- 155.089

    48. Ott DeFoe -- Knoxville, TN -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 153.906

    49. Jeff Kriet -- Ardmore, OK -- Triton/Mercury -- 153.630

    50. Dave Lefebre -- Union City, PA -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 153.471

    51. Dan Morehead -- Paducah, KY -- Ranger/Evinrude -- 153.283

    52. Greg Pugh -- Cullman, AL -- Ranger/Evinrude -- 152.647

    53. Scott Canterbury -- Odenville, AL -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 152.634

    54. David Walker -- Sevierville, TN -- Ranger/Evinrude -- 151.625

    55. Alvin Shaw -- State Road, NC -- Ranger/Evinrude -- 151.239

    56. Sean Hoernke -- Magnolia, TX -- Skeeter/Yamaha -- 151.102

    57. Tim Horton -- Muscle Shoals, AL -- Nitro/ProCraft/Mercury -- 151.076

    58. Keith Williams -- Conway, AR -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 150.822

    59. Matthew Herren -- Trussville, AL -- Skeeter/Yamaha -- 150.410

    60. Dave Wolak -- Wake Forest, NC -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 150.110

    61. Jason Williamson -- Aiken, SC -- Triton/Mercury -- 150.030

    62. Kotaro Kiriyama -- Moody, AL -- Bass Cat/Yamaha -- 149.428

    63. Brian Snowden -- Reeds Springs, MO -- NItros/Mercury -- 149.156

    64. David Dudley -- Lynchburg, VA -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 148.946

    65. Bill Lowen -- Cincinnati, OH -- Skeeter/Yamaha -- 148.776

    66. Terry Baksay -- Monroe, CT -- Skeeter/Yamaha -- 148.079

    67. Craig Powers -- Rockwood, TN -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 147.196

    68. Gabriel Bolivar -- Oceanside, CA -- Ranger/Evinrude -- 146.875

    69. Chris Baumgardner -- Gastonia, NC -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 146.751

    70. Mike Hawkes -- Sabinal, TX -- Skeeter/Yamaha -- 146.529

    71. Greg Bohannan -- Rogers, AR -- Ranger/Evinrude -- 144.872

    72. Scott Suggs -- Alexander, AR -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 144.859

    73. Jami Fralick -- Martin, SD -- Nitro/Mercury -- 144.838

    74. Terry Bolton, Jr. -- Paducah, KY -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 144.731

    75. Dustin Wilks -- Rocky Mount, NC -- Skeeter/Yamaha -- 144.536

    76. Keith Combs -- Del Rio, TX -- Ranger/Evinrude -- 144.210

    77. Tracy Adams -- Wilkesboro, NC -- Ranger/Evinrude -- 144.186

    78. Mark Davis -- Mt. Ida, AR -- Skeeter/Yamaha -- 144.083

    79. Ramie Colson, Jr. -- Cadiz, KY -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 144.019

    80. John Murray -- Phoenix, AZ -- Ranger/Mercury -- 143.735

    81. Stephen Browning -- Hot Springs, AR -- Triton/Mercury -- 143.571

    82. Wesley Strader -- Spring City, TN -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 143.459

    83. Nate Wellman -- Jenison, MI -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 143.279

    84. Brett Hite -- Phoenix, AZ -- Ranger/Evinrude -- 143.211

    85. Darrel Robertson -- Jay, OK -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 142.786

    86. Bernie Schultz -- Gainesville, FL -- Ranger/Mercury -- 142.605

    87. Terry Butcher -- Talala, OK -- Bass Cat/Mercury -- 142.232

    88. Kevin Vida -- Clare, MI -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 142.221

    89. John Devere -- Berea, KY -- Ranger/Yamaha -- 142.094

    90. Art Ferguson III -- St. Clair Shores, MI -- Triton/Mercury -- 141.872

    91. Rick Morris -- Lanexa, VA -- Triton/Mercury -- 141.842

    92. Bryan Hudgins -- Orange Park, FL -- Ranger/Mercury -- 141.727

    93. Kenyon Hill -- Norman, OK -- Triton/Mercury -- 141.654

    94. Matt Reed -- Madisonville, TX -- Nitro/Mercury -- 141.515

    95. Davy Hite -- Ninety Six, SC -- Triton/Evinrude -- 141.433

    96. Bradley Hallman -- Norman, OK -- Skeeter/Yamaha -- 141.408

    97. Denny Brauer -- Camdenton, MO -- Ranger/Evinrude -- 140.961

    98. Jason Quinn -- Clover, SC -- Nitro/Mercury -- 140.539

    99. Rick Clunn -- Ava, MO -- Nitro/Mercury -- 140.348

    100. Craig Dowling -- Many, LA -- Legend/Mercury -- 139.652