KVD Overcomes Miscue To Take A 3-Ounce Lead

If you've never won a Bassmaster Classic or an Angler of the Year (AOY) title and you don't hold any world records, then you have no business sniffing around the top of the leaderboard at the Rayburn Bassmaster Elite Series.

Okay, so there's a couple of up-and-comers in there who've yet to lay claim to one of the sport's top distinctions. But no semi-serious BassFan will look at any of the names and wonder, "Who's that?"

Kevin VanDam, No. 1 in the BassFan World Rankings and the man with three wins and three other Top 6 finishes in his last six BASS events, caught 17-05 today to move up one spot and into the lead with a 2-day total of 39-06. Dean Rojas (18-03 today) is just 3 ounces back with 39-03 and day 1 leader Greg Hackney fell to 3rd with 16-13 today and a 38-15 total. John Crews (17-03 today) and Tim Horton (19-06) are tied for 4th.

The rest of the Top 10 looks like this:

6. Edwin Evers: 37-03
7. Takahiro Omori: 36-06
8. Matt Reed: 35-15
9. John Murray: 34-14
10. Skeet Reese: 34-09

Among the Top 7, Van Dam and Omori have won Classics, and Van Dam, Hackney and Horton possess AOY trophies. Rojas, of course, holds the BASS 1-day and 4-day weight records and the 31-year-old Evers is one of the fastest-rising stars in the game.

Day 1's idyllic fishing weather was followed by a mix of clouds, wind and sun today, and overall weights dropped. There were only two 20-pound bags (Omori caught 20-06 and Jeff Reynolds boated 20-01) after nine on day 1.

At least some of the leaders are sight-fishing, but that might be tough tomorrow if there's substantial rain, as predicted. Most aren't looking at everything they catch though, and there aren't any one-trick ponies in contention.

Among those who plunged out of the cut were Jeff Kriet (9-03 today, 59th) and Robert Hamilton Jr. (5-08, 70th). Alton Jones incurred a 5-pound penalty that will prevent him from fishing tomorrow (more on that below).

The field was reduced to 50 today, and will be cut to 12 tomorrow. The winner will be determined by highest 4-day weight.

VanDam Missed One

Just because you're the best in the world doesn't mean you're immune to mistakes. VanDam had his best fish of the day into the boat first thing this morning, but then it got back out.

"I had a 5-pounder and I swung it in too hard," he said. "It was really hot, and it hit the rod box on one side and then flopped across to the other side, and then right out of the boat.

"It was a blunder, and the camera guy got the whole thing on film, so I'm sure it'll be on TV tomorrow morning. They showed the footage of it (at the weigh-in) today and Hackney was the only guy cheering. He thought it was funny."

He said the wind was a big factor for him today – it made it difficult to properly position the boat. He anticipates the same problem tomorrow, so adjustments are called for.

"I'm going to have to change areas – that's for sure," he said.

He figures 15 pounds will get him into the Top 12 cut. "I'm not really concerned about that though. I'm trying to figure out how to win this thing. If I can get 18 pounds a day for the next 2 days, I think I'll be in pretty good shape."

Rojas Left a Few

Rojas had a solid limit in his well by 10:00, then went in search of additional spots. "I found some more areas that are conducive to the way I'm fishing," he said. "Everything looks good.

"I could have had a bigger bag today, but I needed to save some for tomorrow."

He caught nine keepers, and the biggest was just shy of 5 pounds. "I really thought I'd catch 15 or 16 pounds," he said. "But I had one good bite, and there were a couple of others that I just kind of came across. I found a few good ones that'll just have to wait until tomorrow."

He'll shoot for a similar bag on day 3. "I'll probably need about the same again tomorrow, and I think I'm in the right area to do that. Hopefully everything will fall in my favor."

Crews Mixing it Up

Crews caught his second straight solid bag. He's sight-fishing when conditions are right, but he's catching some unseen ones as well.

"I'm doing a little bit of both," he said. "When it's sunny, I'm looking at a few. When it's cloudy, I'm just fishing. I had to scramble a little bit today to catch what I caught, but it ended up turning out all right."

He's not sure what he can catch if it rains tomorrow. "I haven't really just gone fishing all day. I think I can do halfway decent and get enough to make the cut. I'll probably need at least 15 pounds.

"I caught a 3 1/2-pounder today and lost a good one that pulled off that I wasn't looking at. I should be able to catch some no matter what, but I'd rather sight-fish."

Murray Ready to Gamble

BassFan Big Stick John Murray's objective today was to make sure he made the cut. He did that easily, so now he'll shift to win-mode.

"Tomorrow I'll gamble a little more and try for some big fish," he said. "I accomplished my goals for today, so I'll set some new ones tomorrow."

He continued to rely primarily on a Yamamoto Senko, but said he also threw some other baits today and caught a couple of fish on topwater plugs. He has a specific target weight in mind for tomorrow.

"I think I'll need at least 16 pounds to make the final 12, so I'll have to go for some good ones tomorrow. I played it pretty safe today and just did sort of a weird route as to the timing. I'll switch them around tomorrow and hit different areas at different times, and it could be a better day."

"I've got a lot of confidence. I saw some big ones today, so it'll be a matter of getting them to bite. Tomorrow might be a little tougher because there's going to be a lot of people out there."

He hasn't had any trouble with crowds thus far. "I've been fishing some different types of stuff, and everybody's been pretty good about staying out of the way."

Good Day for Gutierrez

Gutierrez caught a 19-02 bag and jumped from 46th to a tie for 12th. It was anchored by a 7-07 brute that was the big fish of the day.

"I probably caught at least 20 fish," he said. "They're moving in (to his area) and there were more there today than there was yesterday."

He said the spot is about 200 yards long and roughly the same width, and the water is very shallow. "I'm just pounding it over and over and over, just picking them off as they come in. I'm not sight-fishing – I'm just fishing."

He might not get a 7 1/2-pounder again tomorrow, but he thinks he can catch at least 15 pounds. "There are fish of that quality in there. I've seen a bunch and they're starting to get active chasing bait. Things are really starting to liven up in that place."

If the spot peters out, he has some other options to turn to. "I've got a couple of contingency plans, and there's one big bed fish I'm sitting on that I haven't been to yet."

He's funding the season out of his own pocket, so the big bag was a huge relief – it secured his first check of the Tour campaign. "This really lifts a lot of the pressure."

Jones' Costly Mistake

Alton Jones cost himself $10,000 and a berth in the Top 50 by arriving at the launch 5 minutes past the deadline. The penalty for tardiness is a pound a minute.

That reduced his 13-08 bag to 8-08. He would have been in 29th place and fishing tomorrow, but instead finished 66th.

"It was just a mental lapse," he said. "All day I had the right weigh-in time in my head. Then I got to the last pocket and got locked up on a big fish and lost track of time. When I realized it, I about had a heart attack.

"The worst part is I really felt good about (the fish) I found today. I think I would've had a chance to fish for the Top 12.

"In 16 years of my career, I've had this happen one other time, and that was about 10 years ago. I can handle it once every decade, but it doesn't feel very good today."

Notable

> Day 2 stats – 105 anglers, 90 limits, no zeroes.

> Horton, who's tied for 4th, isn't concerned about the prospects for wet weather. "I think it'll make them bite better. But if there's lightning, I'll be looking for the bank."

> Jeff Reynolds climbed 66 spots to 19th with his 20-pound bag. He caught most of it sight-fishing, but also used a soft jerkbait. When asked if he could catch a similar sack tomorrow, he said, "I really don't know. There's a lot of fish in there, but there's also a lot of local pressure. If it's windy and rainy, I don't know what it'll take to get them to bite."

> Ish Monroe, Jeff Kriet, Scott Rook, Gary Klein, Davy Hite, Todd Faircloth, Zell Rowland, Jimmy Houston and Brent Chapman were among those who missed the cut.

> BassFan News is brought to you by Rapala.

Weather Forecast

Here's the Weather Channel's forecast for the remaining tournament days:

> Sat., March 18 – Rain/Thunder – 67°/58°
- Wind: From the E at 9 mph

> Sun., March 19 – Thunderstorms – 73°/64°
- Wind: From the SE at 9 mph

Day 2 Standings

1. Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, Mich. -- 10, 39-06 -- 305
Day 1: 5, 22-01 -- Day 2: 5, 17-05

2. Dean Rojas -- Lake Havasu, Ariz. -- 10, 39-03 -- 295
Day 1: 5, 21-00 -- Day 2: 5, 18-03

3. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, La. -- 10, 38-15 -- 295
Day 1: 5, 22-02 -- Day 2: 5, 16-13

4. John Crews -- Salem, Va. -- 10, 37-09 -- 282
Day 1: 5, 20-06 -- Day 2: 5, 17-03

4. Tim Horton -- Muscle Shoals, Ala. -- 10, 37-09 -- 282
Day 1: 5, 18-03 -- Day 2: 5, 19-06

6. Edwin Evers -- Talala, Okla. -- 10, 37-03 -- 276
Day 1: 5, 20-12 -- Day 2: 5, 16-07

7. Takahiro Omori -- Emory, Texas -- 10, 36-06 -- 272
Day 1: 5, 16-00 -- Day 2: 5, 20-06

8. Matt Reed -- Madisonville, Texas -- 10, 35-15 -- 268
Day 1: 5, 17-04 -- Day 2: 5, 18-11

9. John Murray -- Phoenix, Ariz. -- 10, 34-14 -- 264
Day 1: 5, 20-11 -- Day 2: 5, 14-03

10. Skeet Reese -- Auburn, Calif. -- 10, 34-09 -- 260
Day 1: 5, 19-03 -- Day 2: 5, 15-06

11. Stephen Browning -- Hot Springs, Ark. -- 10, 34-03 -- 257
Day 1: 5, 14-04 -- Day 2: 5, 19-15
12. Michael Iaconelli -- Runnemede, N.J. -- 10, 34-00 -- 252
Day 1: 5, 21-08 -- Day 2: 5, 12-08
12. Greg Gutierrez -- Red Bluff, Calif. -- 10, 34-00 -- 252
Day 1: 5, 14-14 -- Day 2: 5, 19-02
14. Jarrett Edwards -- Page, Ariz. -- 10, 33-05 -- 248
Day 1: 5, 15-11 -- Day 2: 5, 17-10
15. Bill Lowen -- Cincinnati, Ohio -- 10, 33-03 -- 245
Day 1: 5, 20-01 -- Day 2: 5, 13-02
16. Bradley Hallman -- Norman, Okla. -- 10, 33-02 -- 243
Day 1: 5, 18-02 -- Day 2: 5, 15-00
17. Rick Ash -- Pottstown, Pa. -- 10, 32-13 -- 241
Day 1: 5, 20-07 -- Day 2: 5, 12-06
18. Jeff Connella -- Bentley, La. -- 10, 32-00 -- 239
Day 1: 5, 17-04 -- Day 2: 5, 14-12
19. Jeff Reynolds -- Idabel, Okla. -- 10, 31-14 -- 237
Day 1: 5, 11-13 -- Day 2: 5, 20-01
20. Kenyon Hill -- Norman, Okla. -- 10, 31-13 -- 235
Day 1: 5, 15-05 -- Day 2: 5, 16-08
21. Kelly Jordon -- Mineola, Texas -- 10, 31-12 -- 233
Day 1: 5, 18-14 -- Day 2: 5, 12-14
22. Ray Sedgwick -- Cross, S.C. -- 10, 31-10 -- 231
Day 1: 5, 13-07 -- Day 2: 5, 18-03
23. Terry Scroggins -- Palatka, Fla. -- 10, 31-05 -- 229
Day 1: 5, 18-03 -- Day 2: 5, 13-02
24. Brooks Rogers -- Quitman, Texas -- 10, 31-03 -- 227
Day 1: 5, 14-09 -- Day 2: 5, 16-10
25. Gerald Swindle -- Hayden, Ala. -- 10, 30-14 -- 225
Day 1: 5, 14-09 -- Day 2: 5, 16-05
26. Bernie Schultz -- Gainesville, Fla. -- 10, 30-13 -- 223
Day 1: 5, 17-07 -- Day 2: 5, 13-06
27. Randy Howell -- Springville, Ala. -- 10, 30-12 -- 220
Day 1: 5, 18-07 -- Day 2: 5, 12-05
27. Peter E Thliveros -- Jacksonville, Fla. -- 10, 30-12 -- 220
Day 1: 5, 18-04 -- Day 2: 5, 12-08
29. Kevin Wirth -- Crestwood, Ky. -- 10, 30-05 -- 217
Day 1: 5, 18-12 -- Day 2: 5, 11-09
30. Grant Goldbeck -- Gaithersburg, Md. -- 10, 30-04 -- 215
Day 1: 5, 15-07 -- Day 2: 5, 14-13
31. Tommy Biffle -- Wagoner, Okla. -- 10, 30-03 -- 213
Day 1: 5, 14-04 -- Day 2: 5, 15-15
32. Chris Lane -- Winter Haven, Fla. -- 10, 30-00 -- 211
Day 1: 5, 18-06 -- Day 2: 5, 11-10
33. Keith Phillips -- Calera, Ala. -- 10, 29-13 -- 209
Day 1: 5, 15-14 -- Day 2: 5, 13-15
34. Denny Brauer -- Camdenton, Mo. -- 10, 29-12 -- 207
Day 1: 5, 15-04 -- Day 2: 5, 14-08
35. Mike Wurm -- Hot Springs, Ark. -- 10, 29-10 -- 205
Day 1: 5, 17-05 -- Day 2: 5, 12-05
36. Aaron Martens -- Leeds, Ala. -- 10, 29-09 -- 203
Day 1: 5, 16-00 -- Day 2: 5, 13-09
37. Preston Clark -- Palatka, Fla. -- 9, 29-08 -- 201
Day 1: 4, 13-04 -- Day 2: 5, 16-04
38. Jason Quinn -- York, S.C. -- 10, 29-06 -- 198
Day 1: 5, 18-12 -- Day 2: 5, 10-10
38. Lee Bailey -- Boaz, Ala. -- 10, 29-06 -- 198
Day 1: 5, 14-02 -- Day 2: 5, 15-04
40. Byron Velvick -- Boulder City, Nev. -- 10, 29-05 -- 195
Day 1: 5, 15-02 -- Day 2: 5, 14-03
41. Britt Myers -- Mt. Holly, N.C. -- 10, 28-14 -- 193
Day 1: 5, 14-00 -- Day 2: 5, 14-14
42. Paul Hirosky -- Guys Mills, Pa. -- 10, 28-12 -- 191
Day 1: 5, 15-14 -- Day 2: 5, 12-14
43. William Smith, Jr -- Somerset, Ky. -- 10, 28-09 -- 189
Day 1: 5, 17-03 -- Day 2: 5, 11-06
44. Mark Tyler -- Scottsdale, Ariz. -- 10, 28-08 -- 187
Day 1: 5, 13-06 -- Day 2: 5, 15-02
45. Terry Butcher -- Talala, Okla. -- 10, 28-07 -- 184
Day 1: 5, 12-03 -- Day 2: 5, 16-04
45. Jon Bondy -- Windsor, Canada -- 10, 28-07 -- 184
Day 1: 5, 14-14 -- Day 2: 5, 13-09
47. Shaw E Grigsby, Jr -- Gainesville, Fla. -- 10, 28-02 -- 181
Day 1: 5, 16-14 -- Day 2: 5, 11-04
48. Marty Stone -- Linden, N.C. -- 10, 27-15 -- 179
Day 1: 5, 12-09 -- Day 2: 5, 15-06
49. Rick Clunn -- Ava, Mo. -- 10, 27-11 -- 177
Day 1: 5, 14-05 -- Day 2: 5, 13-06
50. Dave Smith -- Del City, Okla. -- 10, 27-10 -- 175
Day 1: 5, 18-07 -- Day 2: 5, 9-03

The following anglers didn't make the cut and won't be fishing tomorrow.

51. Russ Lane -- Prattville, Ala. -- 10, 27-09 -- 173
Day 1: 5, 15-14 -- Day 2: 5, 11-11
52. Yusuke Miyazaki -- Mineola, Texas -- 9, 27-08 -- 171
Day 1: 5, 17-11 -- Day 2: 4, 9-13
53. Joe Thomas -- Milford, Ohio -- 10, 27-06 -- 168
Day 1: 5, 12-03 -- Day 2: 5, 15-03
53. Mike McClelland -- Bella Vista, Ark. -- 10, 27-06 -- 168
Day 1: 5, 14-06 -- Day 2: 5, 13-00
55. Ishama Monroe -- Hughson, Calif. -- 10, 27-05 -- 164
Day 1: 5, 11-13 -- Day 2: 5, 15-08
55. Steve Daniel -- Clewiston, Fla. -- 9, 27-05 -- 164
Day 1: 5, 16-01 -- Day 2: 4, 11-04
57. Jeremy Starks -- Charleston, W.Va. -- 10, 27-02 -- 160
Day 1: 5, 11-15 -- Day 2: 5, 15-03
57. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, Ala. -- 10, 27-02 -- 160
Day 1: 5, 13-15 -- Day 2: 5, 13-03
59. Jeff Kriet -- Ardmore, Okla. -- 10, 26-14 -- 157
Day 1: 5, 17-11 -- Day 2: 5, 9-03
60. Scott Rook -- Little Rock, Ark. -- 10, 26-13 -- 155
Day 1: 5, 13-00 -- Day 2: 5, 13-13
61. Morizo Shimizu -- Murrita, Calif. -- 10, 26-12 -- 153
Day 1: 5, 17-10 -- Day 2: 5, 9-02
62. Mark Tucker -- Saint Louis, Mo. -- 10, 26-10 -- 151
Day 1: 5, 13-11 -- Day 2: 5, 12-15
63. Gary Klein -- Weatherford, Texas -- 10, 26-08 -- 149
Day 1: 5, 15-07 -- Day 2: 5, 11-01
64. Jared Lintner -- Arroyo Grande, Calif. -- 10, 26-03 -- 147
Day 1: 5, 13-13 -- Day 2: 5, 12-06
65. Darrin Schwenkbeck -- Silver Spring, Md. -- 10, 25-13 -- 145
Day 1: 5, 14-04 -- Day 2: 5, 11-09
66. Alton Jones -- Waco, Texas -- 10, 25-08 -- 142
Day 1: 5, 17-00 -- Day 2: 5, 8-08
66. Kotaro Kiriyama -- Moody, Ala. -- 10, 25-08 -- 142
Day 1: 5, 12-02 -- Day 2: 5, 13-06
68. Charlie Hartley -- Grove City, Ohio -- 10, 25-06 -- 138
Day 1: 5, 14-13 -- Day 2: 5, 10-09
68. Vince Hurtado -- Waterford, Calif. -- 10, 25-06 -- 138
Day 1: 5, 14-00 -- Day 2: 5, 11-06
70. Robert Hamilton Jr -- Nashville, Tenn. -- 9, 25-03 -- 135
Day 1: 5, 19-11 -- Day 2: 4, 5-08
71. Rick Morris -- Virginia, Va. -- 9, 24-15 -- 133
Day 1: 5, 16-15 -- Day 2: 4, 8-00
72. Charlie Youngers -- Oviedo, Fla. -- 8, 24-14 -- 131
Day 1: 3, 9-01 -- Day 2: 5, 15-13
73. Elton Luce Jr -- Brookeland, Texas -- 10, 24-13 -- 129
Day 1: 5, 13-04 -- Day 2: 5, 11-09
74. Chad Brauer -- Osage Beach, Mo. -- 10, 24-11 -- 127
Day 1: 5, 14-11 -- Day 2: 5, 10-00
75. Kevin Short -- Mayflower, Ark. -- 10, 24-09 -- 125
Day 1: 5, 15-07 -- Day 2: 5, 9-02
76. Mark Menendez -- Paducah, Ky. -- 10, 24-06 -- 123
Day 1: 5, 12-15 -- Day 2: 5, 11-07
77. Ken Cook -- Lawton, Okla. -- 10, 23-10 -- 121
Day 1: 5, 11-13 -- Day 2: 5, 11-13
78. Kevin Langill -- Terrell, N.C. -- 10, 23-05 -- 117
Day 1: 5, 10-12 -- Day 2: 5, 12-09
78. Doc Merkin -- Downers Grove, Ill. -- 10, 23-05 -- 117
Day 1: 5, 12-05 -- Day 2: 5, 11-00
78. Davy Hite -- Ninety Six, S.C. -- 10, 23-05 -- 117
Day 1: 5, 11-15 -- Day 2: 5, 11-06
81. Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, Texas -- 10, 23-02 -- 113
Day 1: 5, 12-01 -- Day 2: 5, 11-01
82. Mike Reynolds -- Modesto, Calif. -- 10, 22-15 -- 111
Day 1: 5, 14-04 -- Day 2: 5, 8-11
83. Kurt Dove -- Warrenton, Va. -- 10, 22-13 -- 109
Day 1: 5, 14-08 -- Day 2: 5, 8-05
84. Pete Ponds -- Madison, Miss. -- 10, 22-12 -- 107
Day 1: 5, 12-07 -- Day 2: 5, 10-05
85. Mike O'Shea -- Westlake Village, Cali 10 -- 22-09 -- 105
Day 1: 5, 10-12 -- Day 2: 5, 11-13
86. Zell Rowland -- Montgomery, Texas -- 10, 22-08 -- 103
Day 1: 5, 11-03 -- Day 2: 5, 11-05
87. Jimmy Houston -- Cookson, Okla. -- 9, 21-13 -- 101
Day 1: 5, 13-15 -- Day 2: 4, 7-14
88. Guy Eaker -- Cherryville, N.C. -- 10, 21-06 -- 99
Day 1: 5, 10-11 -- Day 2: 5, 10-11
89. Bradley Stringer -- Huntington, Texas -- 10, 21-03 -- 97
Day 1: 5, 10-05 -- Day 2: 5, 10-14
90. Mark Rogers -- Naples, Fla. -- 10, 20-13 -- 95
Day 1: 5, 11-13 -- Day 2: 5, 9-00
91. Jimmy Mize -- Ben Lomond, Ark. -- 10, 20-07 -- 93
Day 1: 5, 12-06 -- Day 2: 5, 8-01
92. Bink Desaro -- Boise, Idaho -- 8, 19-12 -- 91
Day 1: 4, 10-12 -- Day 2: 4, 9-00
93. Dave Wolak -- Warrior Run, Pa. -- 8, 19-03 -- 89
Day 1: 5, 12-14 -- Day 2: 3, 6-05
94. Brian Snowden -- Reeds Spring, Mo. -- 9, 19-00 -- 87
Day 1: 5, 11-11 -- Day 2: 4, 7-05
95. Fred Roumbanis -- Auburn, Calif. -- 10, 18-08 -- 85
Day 1: 5, 9-02 -- Day 2: 5, 9-06
96. David Gliebe -- Benton, Ky. -- 9, 18-07 -- 83
Day 1: 4, 7-07 -- Day 2: 5, 11-00
97. Terry Segraves -- Kissimmee, Fla. -- 9, 18-01 -- 81
Day 1: 4, 6-01 -- Day 2: 5, 12-00
98. Jami Fralick -- Martin, S.D. -- 9, 17-11 -- 79
Day 1: 5, 8-14 -- Day 2: 4, 8-13
99. Paul Elias -- Laurel, Miss. -- 8, 17-10 -- 77
Day 1: 5, 11-08 -- Day 2: 3, 6-02
100. Charlie Weyer -- West Hills, Calif. -- 8, 17-01 -- 76
Day 1: 3, 6-05 -- Day 2: 5, 10-12
101. Conrad Picou -- Scott, La. -- 6, 16-09 -- 75
Day 1: 5, 13-13 -- Day 2: 1, 2-12
102. Frank Scalish -- Cleveland Heights, Oh -- 8, 16-08 -- 74
Day 1: 4, 8-07 -- Day 2: 4, 8-01
103. Ken Brodeur -- Niantic, Conn. -- 7, 16-04 -- 73
Day 1: 5, 9-14 -- Day 2: 2, 6-06
104. Brent Chapman -- Lake Quivira, Kan. -- 7, 15-06 -- 72
Day 1: 5, 12-12 -- Day 2: 2, 2-10
105. Randy Yarnall -- Womelsdorf, Pa. -- 9, 15-01 -- 71
Day 1: 5, 8-07 -- Day 2: 4, 6-10

Big Bass

Day 2: Greg Gutierrez -- Red Bluff, Calif. -- 7-07 -- $1,000
Day 1: Randy Howell -- Springville, Ala. -- 6-07 -- $1,000