Rankings, Rookies, AOY Race Top Watch List

(Editor's note: This story went to press before BASS announced changes to its Elite Series qualification system, which makes some information in this story out of date. To read about the qualification changes, which were announced last night, click here.)

Anglers launch this morning for day 1 of the Clarks Hill

Bassmaster Elite Series near Augusta, Georgia. They face a lake, and a situation, that poses a particular problem for some.

Here's the deal: The wild April weather has the fish, and fishermen, all mixed up. It's a similar story to what occurred at the recent Ft. Loudoun–Tellico FLW Tour, and the Toyota Texas Bass Classic.

An unusually warm early weather pattern was followed by a severe downturn in temperature. That affected the spawn and pushed a number of fish back from their beds. Then, over last weekend, a massive and violent front moved through the eastern half of the U.S.

Things have settled out now, and the Clarks Hill field has fairly stable weather to look forward to after today. Still, the bite is squirrelly. The fish are scattered and the famous Clarks Hill schools haven't formed up yet.

Much of the field has little to go on, save three or four areas where they at least connected with some bites.

The overall plan for most is to rotate through whatever they've got, then basically cover water looking for other bites, which could signify the beginnings of schooling activity.

And with stable weather, bed-fish are a possibility. Many feel a second wave is due any day.

In all, there's plenty of questions right now and not a lot of answers. But things will become a whole lot clearer later today when the scales eventually close.

What follows are a few of the subplots to follow at today's event, plus a recommendation on the Top 10 anglers to watch.

KVD vs. Kennedy

Before BASS went west, Kevin VanDam had a commanding lead in the BassFan World Rankings presented by Tru-Tungsten. After it came back, his lead was down to a little more than 3 points.

That's because Steve Kennedy continues to tear up the standings, and he's got a genuine shot at surpassing VanDam over the next month or two.

They're definitely the hottest two anglers in the world.

For a while, it used to be KVD vs. Hackney. Now it's KVD vs. Kennedy.

The Rookies

Jared Linter, the 2005 BassFan Rookie of the Year (ROY), finished strong here with a 7th last year.

Derek Remitz leads this year's ROY race, but he faces a unique situation this week because fellow rookies Casey Ashley and Jason Williamson both call Clarks Hill their home lake. Williamson lives there, and Ashley lives up the road in Donalds, S.C.

Ashley is currently 3rd in the Rookie Race (21 points behind Remitz), while Williamson is 8th.

Williamson noted about his practice: "It's really tough for me, to be honest. (Local knowledge) is helping a little, but the fish are in transition. We had 40 mph winds for 2 days, and a lot of my areas are orange mud, so local knowledge can only take you so far.

"I think we're a day or two away from the bite being really good," he added. "It could be great by the end of the tournament. Those fish have to be ready to pull the trigger sometime. I think they'll turn loose, and then maybe my local knowledge will come into play."

The Points

BASS Angler of the Year (AOY) points are critical for a few reasons. One, they're used for Bassmaster Classic qualifying. They're also used to determine who requalifies for next year's Elite Series.

BASS has previously stated that only the Top 50 in the points will automatically requalify for next year's Elite Series. Many feel the league will eventually soften its policy, but in the meantime, a lot of veterans have to make hay this weekend to avoid the danger zone.

Included on that list would be: Shaw Grigsby (93rd in the points), Mike Wurm (89th), Rick Clunn (83rd), Bernie Schultz (82nd), Guy Eaker (78th), Marty Stone (76th), Peter Thliveros (62nd), Denny Brauer (62nd), Edwin Evers (58th), and Zell Rowland (55th).

The Top 36 in the points qualify for the Bassmaster Classic. James Charlesworth, in 37th, is currently first out of the Classic.

Then there's the battle at the top of the point for the AOY title. It's still early in the season, but every point counts. Here's a look at the current Top 10 in the AOY race, followed by their points total. In red is how they finished at Clarks Hill last year. In green is how they finished at Clarks Hill in 2005.

1. Skeet Reese -- Auburn, CA -- 844 (46th, 65th)

2. Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 793 (50th, 12th)

3. Jared Lintner -- Arroyo Grande, CA -- 786 (7th, N/A)

4. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL -- 758 (31st, N/A)

5. Derek Remitz -- Madison, AL -- 735 (N/A, N/A)

6. Fred Roumbanis -- Auburn, CA -- 705 (27th, 152nd)

7. Brent Chapman -- Shawnee, KS -- 704 (67th, 51st)

8. Mark Tyler -- Scottsdale, AZ -- 702 (53rd, 40th)

9. Jeff Kriet -- Ardmore, OK -- 701 (39th, 8th)

10. Stephen Browning -- Hot Springs, AR -- 700 (59th, 42nd)

Top 10 To Watch

Here, in no particular order, is BassFan's recommendation on the Top 10 to watch at this event.

1. Kevin VanDam – It's hard to imagine a more perfect setup for the world's most dangerous angler. He's nearly unbeatable on scattered fish, and he's a strong favorite to outright win.

2. Davy Hite – He won here last year, and has significant experience on the lake. But he won on a schooling-fish pattern, which isn't available this time (yet). He recorded a Top 10 at Amistad, then missed the cut at the Delta and finished in the 30s at Clear Lake. Remember that he missed the Classic last year, so the pressure's on right now.

3. Jason Quinn – Like Hite, Quinn has significant experience here. That showed last year when he finished 3rd. It didn't show the year before when he finished 138th. He's near the bottom of the points, and any turnaround has to start right now.

4. Mike Iaconelli – Ike recently fell to No. 3 in the world after a disappointing western campaign. He's finished in the Top 12 here twice, so he has a relationship with the water. What bears particular watching is whether he can bear down and fish, or if the frustrations of California follow him here.

5. Steve Kennedy – He's fresh off a win at Clear Lake where he shattered the BASS all-time 4-day weight record, and there's nobody hotter. He doesn't have any distractions, either. He just tools around the country in an RV with his dog and his wife Julia. Was mediocre here last year for his first visit, but remember that he's a Georgia guy, so this is home territory.

6. Skeet Reese – Right there with KVD and Kennedy on the hot meter. He leads the AOY race, and he's good at fishing fast. Starting with the Classic in February, his four finishes this year are 2nd, 4th, 9th, and 2nd. Wow!

7. Derek Remitz – Some have called him "the next Hackney," but he's still got a lot to prove, and Clarks has historically been a scene of heartbreak for novitiates. He outfoxed everyone at Amistad, rocked the Delta, then tripped and fell at Clear Lake. Definitely bears watching.

8. Aaron Martens – What's up Aaron? He won at the Delta, but logged mediocre finishes to either side. At 14th, he's well within the AOY hunt, and this bite seems to set up pretty well for him.

9. Greg Guiterrez – Time to see if this guy can do more outside of his zip code. He moved up a huge 22 points in the AOY race after Clear Lake (33rd to 11th), but rarely gets inside the Top 10. A dark horse.

10. Fred Roumbanis – The swimbait could be the ticket for quality on this scattered bite, and Roumbanis has been fairly hot. Like Gutierrez, he's got a lot to prove this year, number one being that he can avoid the inconsistency that's plagued him in the past.

Others To Watch

> Jason Williamson – As noted, a rookie fishing his home water.

> Casey Ashley – Another rookie who knows the lake.

> Stephen Browning – Having his best season in a while.

> Jared Lintner – 3rd in the AOY points and very consistent.

> Tommy Biffle – Something says he'll find quality.

> Takahiro Omori – He's due.

> Edwin Evers – All the way down at 58th in the points, he needs to get going.

Notes from the Field

What follows are additional notes from two anglers about their practice.

Jeff Kriet

"I've been able to get 20 to 25 bites a day. I haven't seen very many on beds, and I haven't seen the right ones. The schooling deal is not going very good right now, so I think a guy's going to have to just fish for them. When it warmed up, I did see a few school today.

"There isn't much to fish in this lake, and the fish move around a lot. I don't know how high the weights will be. I've heard a lot of crying, but I think it'll take about the same to make the cut as last year – 21 or 22 pounds."

Brent Chapman

"I've caught fish several different ways, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I'm not 100% sold on the way I want to fish. I want to buckle down in an area, but the fish seem to be scattered. Yesterday I caught two in two casts from a point, but couldn't catch any more doing exactly the same thing.

"Yesterday was the first nice day we've had since that front moved through, and I think the fish are probably still a little shocked from that whole system. But it's April, and somebody's going to find them."

Notable

> John Murray has never cashed a check here, and he had another mediocre practice. For his practice report, click here to go On Tour With The BassFan Big Sticks.

> Mike Reynolds, who won here in 2005, no longer fishes the Elite Series.

> One reason the Clarks Hill fish move so much is they feed on blueback herring – a species that's more pelagic in nature than shad.

> Weigh-in begins at 3 p.m. Eastern today. Watch for BassFan's day-1 coverage soon after weigh-in concludes.

Weather Forecast

> Thurs., April 19 – Isolated T-Storms – 75°/49°
- Wind: From the S at 9 mph

> Fri., April 20 – Mostly Sunny – 73°/49°
- Wind: From the N/NE at 10 mph

> Sat., April 21 – Sunny – 77°/50°
- Wind: From the N/NE at 5 mph

> Sun., April 22 – Sunny – 80°/53°
- Wind: From the S/SW at 6 mph