Notes From The Rest Of The Field

The Bassmaster Classic field is down to 25 anglers for day 3. BassFan's day-2 coverage included interviews with most of the anglers who made the cut, but a few who are fishing today are part of this report.

20th: Kriet Fished Down-Lake

Jeff Kriet caught 11-06 on day 2, which kept him in the cut, but he begins day 3 a big 9 pounds behind leader Kevin VanDam.

"If I caught one (on day 2), I caught 35," he said. "I absolutely caught the heck out of them. The spots are better where I'm fishing, but for some reason, I keep catching largemouths.

"I stayed on the lower end all day and just kept thinking I'd catch a big one," he added. "I fished well, and didn't lose anything that would have hurt me. They were just all the same size."

He weighed four largemouths and one spot.

21st: Quinn Will Expand

Jason Quinn caught 19 keepers on day 2 and weighed 12-15, which was enough to guarantee him a spot inside the cut.

"I went largemouth fishing, because I felt the largemouths would be starting to bite, but I caught spots (on day 2)," he said. "I'm totally confused. But I did something (on day 2) I hadn't done yet – I caught them jerking a Rapala X-Rap. They smoked it. I caught all 19 keepers on it."

Today. He plans to expand that jerkbait pattern and try to find a bigger bite.

"I caught my fish on a big flat with sharp breaks from 4 to 8 feet. All those fish are right there. It's off the beaten path. You have to look around for that kind of stuff."

21st: Niggemeyer Left Numbers

Texan James Niggemeyer made the cut with 23-15 total (13-07, 10-08).

About his day 2, he said: "I didn't get some of the bigger bites I was hoping to. I kind of thought I'd adjust and go for the win fishing for bigger fish.

"So I left some of my numbers areas, and spent some really uneventful time. I feel I left those (numbers areas) too early, and went to bigger-fish water too soon, because I didn't catch anything."

23rd: Dennington on 'Easy' Pattern

Along with Terry McWilliams, Royce Dennington is the only other Federation Nation angler to make the Top 25 cut. Dennington won the National Championship (and the Central division) to earn his berth.

He weighed 9-15 on day 1, but rebounded with 13-13 on day 2.

"It was awesome – I kicked their butts (on day 2)," he said. "I could very easily catch 13 or 14 pounds again (on day 3).

"I really got on them. I stated running a pattern, on new water, and started catching largemouths. When I was catching them, I was thinking VanDam must be killing them, because I was flying and they were biting."

He added: "It was real easy to pattern them, and you could tell exactly where the fish were going to be.

"And it's great being able to fish 1 more day. That extra $2,000 (for making the cut) is a big thing for me. I'm a schoolteacher, so that's a month's salary if I get to fish another day."

24th: Green Ones Eluded Faircloth

Todd Faircloth had hoped to catch a couple of kicker largemouths that would put him up closer to the leaders, but that didn't happen.

"I ended up catching a couple, but I just haven't seen many big ones. A 4- or 5-pounder would have made a big difference."

He's been consistent – his 11-04 bag on day 2 was just a half-pound off his day-1 catch.

"I've caught a lot of fish, but there's been no real size to them. The wind got progressively stronger through the middle of the day and my thoughts were that would help the bite, so I picked up a spinnerbait and started covering water. I just never really got anything going."

25th: Lane Makes Prediction

Hometown ace Russ Lane grabbed the final cut position with an 8-10 limit on day 2. Many had picked him to win because of his glorious history on Lay, but now he knows why so many anglers have had such a tough time winning at home.

"I don't think the local favorite is ever going to win this tournament," he said. "It's not the spectators and it's not the media – it's knowing so much about the lake. No matter what you do, you can't get past history out of your mind."

He burned up 3/4 of a tank of gas on day 2 – far more than normal.

"You can't help but made decisions based on history, even when you know you should be fishing the conditions that are right in front of your face. I actually thought I was fishing the conditions, but I still found myself going back."

Despite all of his running around, he caught only five keepers on day 2.

"Normally at this time of year, this system is high and muddy from on dam to the next. I get out a flipping stick and go to work, and catching 18 to 20 pounds usually isn't that hard to do.

"That was the way I expected to win this tournament, but those aren't the conditions right now."

26th: Hamlin First Out

Georgia's Tom Hamlin, who qualified for the Classic through the Tours, is headed home. With a 12-12 total, he missed the cut 2 by ounces.

"I didn't let any of them get away today – I put the clutch on them," he said. "I let one bite get off yesterday, and that cost me (the cut)."

About fishing his second Classic, he said: "The first time, it blew by like nuclear speed. This has been an easier tournament to fish. I'm more relaxed, but I'm still tired. I'm wore completely out."

27th: Reynolds Couldn't Find Size

Oklahoma's Jeff Reynolds weighed a total of 22-01 for 2 days and missed the cut by 6 ounces.

"I'm disappointed, of course, but I did what I could do," he said. "I did what I planned on doing and caught limits of fish. I had no trouble doing that. I just couldn't catch the big ones."

He said that, looking back, he wouldn't have done anything different. His one regret is that he didn't have a greater selection of areas in which to try for big fish.

28th: Charlesworth Drops

James Charlesworth, who qualified through the Northern Tour, caught a 9-03 bag on day 2. That was more than 3 pounds less than on the previous day.

"It never warmed up like it did (on day 1) and I think that hurt me. I went south and fished for spots. I had to bail on my largemouths because they were so stubborn."

29th: Tsukiyama Solid

Federation Nation qualifer Shigeru Tsukiyama of Japan caught 11-08 on day 2, his second straight double-digit limit.

He fished brushpiles and visible structure, as he did on day 1.

"Today I caught more keepers," he said. "The wind blew, and I made a little adjustment."

30th: Hackney Crushed

Greg Hackney may be one of the most dominant anglers in the sport today (he's currently ranked 3rd in the BassFan World Rankings presented by Tru-Tungsten), but the Classic continues to be his Achilles' heel. He's never finished better than 19th, and typically finishes somewhere in the 30s.

"I swung," he said. "I wasn't on the fish to swing, but I went to some areas and tried to beef it up and fish for better fish. I had one opportunity, and it came off."

About his continuing Classic struggles, he said: "It crushes me emotionally. It's just not a very good tournament for me. I can't explain it.

"I could have caught a lot more if I'd stayed and fished for spots, but I couldn't have won the Classic doing that. So I left and, really, just practiced. It didn't work out."

31st: No Regrets for Evers

This seemed like just the right kind of bite for Evers, but he never got things together in terms of size. With 21-05 total, he missed the cut by 1-02.

"I have no regrets," he said. "I fished as hard as I could. I fished the tournament to win it.

"I did what I thought I should do, but it was the wrong move. Now it's on to next year."

About his "wrong" move, he said: "Obviously, I wasn't in the right area, or using the right technique, to win. I was swimming a jig mainly, and flipping mats."

32nd: Bailey Had Tough Day

Lee Bailey, Jr. added 9-04 on day 2 and finished with 20-15 total – 1 1/2 pounds in back of the cut.

"It was tough for me (on day 2)," he said. "I really don't think they pulled much water, and the big Kentuckies I was catching stopped biting."

He said his finish was "poor."

"I had a halfway decent practice, and felt like I could be in a Top 10 position in the tournament. I just didn't get it together."

34th: Remitz Not Bummed

Derek Remitz was satisfied with his day-2 performance (11-02).

"I had a pretty good day," he said. "It was kind of slow this morning, so I bailed and found some new places where I caught some largemouths. I think they'll be biting for those guys (who made the cut and will fish the final day)."

He flipped to catch the largemouths and used a jerkbait to catch his spots.

35th: Crews One Shy

John Crews lost several good fish on day 2 and came in with an 8-15 bag that was one fish short of a limit.

"I lost a 4-pounder that I saw eat the jig. I set the hook and had it on for a few seconds, then it just came off. I couldn't figure out why.

"I was fishing in the right areas, and it was frustrating to not execute. I think I lost more fish in this tournament than I did all last year on the Elite Series."

36th: Omori Mystified

Former Classic champion Takahiro Omori doesn't know quite what to think. He came to Lay with dreams of shallow largemouths, but busted with a 19-11 2-day total.

"I feel bad," he said. "I'm disappointed. Since they moved the Classic to this time of year, the pre-spawn and cold weather – it's my favorite time of year.

"I went in to fish largemouths, my strength. I felt like I had a good practice, but the last 2 days, I never had any big bites.

"It's springtime in Alabama. It's almost March. Where are those 5- and 6-pound largemouths?"

40th: Tough Day for Waterman

Kevin Waterman, a Federation Nation qualifier for Maryland, caught nearly 12 pounds on day 1. He managed just three fish for 5-01 on day 2.

"It was a bad day, and I just didn't get it done. I was committed to shallow largemouths, and I had some new water I should have hit earlier.

"But it's been an indescribable week for me, and I want to get back bad."

41st: Tucker Disappointed

Mark Tucker fished up the river on day 2 and caught just four keepers for 6-00. He should have stayed in the lake.

"There were only three tournament boats that were fishing up where I was, and I thought I was going to have unmolested water, but all the (spectator) boats running up ther muddied it up," he said. "I chose to live or die with that, and that's what I did – I died.

"As many fish as there are in this lake, it makes me sick that I couldn't go out and catch 12 to 15 pounds."

42nd: Mud Hurt Rowland

Zell Rowland said the area where he'd caught a 12-09 bag on day 1 was muddied from spectator-boat traffic on day 2. He boated three keepers for just 4-11.

"I tried to make the spot better than it actually was, and that's the price you pay," he said. "You don't come here to finish below first, and that's a gamble you have to take if you want to win it."

43rd: Horrid Start for Reed

Matt Reed caught nearly 14 pounds on day 1, but had just one keeper for 2-10 on day 2.

"When you miss your first three fish and they're all good ones, you know it probably isn't going to be your day," he said. "But if you don't want to have days like this, you'd better be doing something else because they're going to happen."

46th: Novack Needed Size

Federation Nation qualifier Chris Novack caught limits on both days, but both bags were in the 7-pound range.

"I definitely have the fever to do this again," he said. "Now that I've got this first one out of the way, I think I'll be a bit more relaxed if I make it back."

48th: Lashlee Got Crossed Up

Kentucky Lake ace Sam Lashlee caught a lot of good fish in practice, but they weren't there for him during the tournament. He caught four keepers today for 6-04.

"Where I live, those big females are on the creek-channel drops this time of year and they're not near the bank. This lake is laid out very similar to that, and I had a really good practice.

"But when the tournament started, they were gone."

49th: Long Catches 2 Again

Federation Nation qualifier Brent Long caught just two fish for the second straight day. is primary practice pattern was off when competition began and he didn't have a backup.

"I'm disappointed in my performance, but it was a great experience and I hope it makes me better down the road," he said. "It's a big honor just to make it and it means a lot to me."

50th: Colwell Disappointed

Russ Colwell of Baltimore, Md. won the Bassmaster Weekend Series Championship to qualify for the Classic. He weighed 7-07 total for 2 days and finished last.

"It's disappointing, but I'm just so glad to be here," he said. "It really doesn't hurt that bad, because I didn't expect to do much here. It was kind of short notice for me.

"I never caught a spot, and I've never fished Lay, so I spent half of practice learning how to navigate the lake. I only saw half the lake.

"Whatever it takes, I'll be back."

He added: "The neatest thing about being here is when you're sitting home watching TV, you're thinking, 'If I was there, I'd have done this or that. I'd catch them.'

"But I got my butt kicked, and these guys still caught them. That really impresses me. I can't wait to see how they did it."