Yesterday, Toho Elite Series leader Kelly Jordon told Scott Rook he wasn't sure if he'd catch a fish the next day. The problem? He'd been sight-fishing, and the predicted 20-plus mph winds threatened to envelop that bite.
The worst possible scenario for Jordon unfolded today in Florida, and he came to the scales with zero bass. His 7-13 lead not only evaporated, but the bagel bounced him back four giant spots to 5th, where he trails new leader Kevin VanDam by nearly 5 pounds.
VanDam's crankbait bite did take a nosedive today, but he again was saved by a big fish, and again, it was his first fish of the day. He weighed an 8-10 yesterday to anchor a 17-11 limit. Today his big fish weighed 6-10, which helped push his day-3 weight to 13-06 – a more than respectable bag given the wind-ravaged conditions.
VanDam, who's the No. 1 ranked angler in the world, had trouble hugging his offshore grasslines in the wind today, but he might have just the right mix tomorrow. Partly cloudy skies should position the fish where he needs them to be, but the predicted 15 mph winds could be a touch to the heavy side.
Whether those winds will allow more sight-fishing tomorrow is a tossup. Just as critical, though, is water clarity. A lot of areas were destroyed by today's wind, and may not settle out by tomorrow.
Scott Rook has hung tough each of the 3 days so far. He's working a bedding area, which he shared with Jason Quinn (who missed the cut and finished tied for 19th). Rook caught 13-06 today – about the same he weighed yesterday – and improved three spots to 2nd.
Another sight-fisherman who fell significantly today was Byron Velvick. He led day 1, slipped to 2nd on day 2, and after his two-fish, 3-02 day today, fell to finish 15th.
In the wake of the Jordon and Velvick misfires, several anglers scaled the Top 12 ladder. One of the most dramatic climbs came from Ray Sedgwick, who began the day in 20th, walloped 18-04, and moved up to 3rd.
The other came from Bryan Hudgins, who rebounded after a dismal 5-pound day 2 with 20-10 today. That launched him up 28 spots to 6th.
Bill Lowen also improved today. In his case, a 14-07 limit nudged him up from 9th to 4th.
Here's a look at the Top 12 who made the cut to fish tomorrow. Total weight is followed by distance from leader in red.
1. Kevin VanDam: 49-01
2. Scott Rook: 47-00 ((2-01))
3. Ray Sedgwick: 46-04 ((2-13))
4. Bill Lowen: 44-12 ((4-05))
5. Kelly Jordon: 44-03 ((4-14))
6. Bryan Hudgins: 43-07 ((5-10))
7. Kenyon Hill: 43-00 ((6-01))
8. Rick Morris: 42-15 ((6-02))
9. Alton Jones: 41-09 ((7-08))
10. Bobby Lane: 41-07 ((7-10))
11. Terry Scroggins: 41-05 ((7-12))
12. Jeff Reynolds: 40-13((8-04))
Even Reynolds, in 12th and 8-plus-pounds back, isn't out of it. A bunch of 25-pound bags are out there waiting, and anyone could nail 'em. As for those nearer the top, here's what's happening:
VanDam Got Blown
VanDam's one good fish today (6-10) accounted for more than half his weight – similar to his sack makeup yesterday. About whether he thinks he can rope another tomorrow pig morning, he said: "I hope I get four or five. Honestly, though, it was really hard today. I only got to fish my best spot for an hour and a half before it just got ridiculous.
"I couldn't keep the boat positioned right," he added. "For the short time I was there, it was difficult enough just to try to work your bait. Hopefully it'll lay down just a little bit and allow me to fish. I did catch one big fish this morning, but it was a challenge."
He's fishing way outside, so unlike those nearer the bank, he's not concerned with water clarity. There's so much grass in his area, it'll hold.
In case he does get blown off though, he said he's got some other spots. But the biggest factor is fish location. His fish are moving each day, and he's got to find them quickly tomorrow before the wind kicks up.
"If they move 20 or 30 yards, you can miss them by a mile. What you've got to do is fish until you find them, then be able to work that area real thoroughly. It's just one of those deals. A 10 mph wind would be perfect, but unfortunately, the forecast is for some bigger winds tomorrow."
He's scored Top 12s and other strong finishes at Toho, but a Florida win has always eluded him. About what it would mean to him to win tomorrow, he said: "It would be awesome. I don't think I've ever even led in Florida before. For me, mentally, it's hard to fish as slowly as I need to down here.
"The older you get though, the smarter you're supposed to be. I've learned from my mistakes in the past. But again, I'm just happy to be where I am right now. It's been a long time since I've led a tournament where I've had to work as hard as I have here."
Scott Rook's feeling, after he saw what Ray Sedgwick caught, is that more fish might be on the way.
2nd: Rook Might Have More Coming
About whether he thinks his area will produce for a fourth straight day tomorrow, Rook said: "I don't know. I thought today that maybe my fish were used up, and it was quite a bit harder today than it was yesterday. I don't know if the wind will affect it.
"What I do know is they bit totally different than the way they'd been biting," he added. "They'd hit the worm and come at me real fast. I was getting a lot of slack line and I missed a lot of fish, including a couple decent ones."
A note of optimism comes from his observation of Sedgwick, who as noted is fishing the outside parts of Rook's area. The fact that Sedgwick caught 20 pounds out there today has Rook thinking more fish might be coming. And Quinn told him he saw two big ones cruising the area.
"Like I said yesterday, I'm tickled to be where I am after the practice I had," Rook added. "It was absolutely one of the worst practices I've ever had, period."
About tomorrow, he said he'll camp in his area, even if it's dead. "That all I've got. I stayed there all day today. It took me a little longer, and I caught a lot fewer fish than I'd been catching. I missed 10 fish, and I got a fair amount of bites, but it's changed a little bit every day. I'll just try to keep up with them and do what I can do."
And like yesterday, he wanted to emphasize how cordial Quinn had been over the 3 days. "He's absolutely the best guy I've ever shared water with since I started fishing. He's a true professional. A great guy. And I still truly believe that if one of us had that spot all to ourselves, that guy would definitely be leading this tournament."
3rd: Sedgwick Watching Water Clarity
Sedgwick ended day 1 in 12th, slipped to 20th on day 2, then launched into 3rd with the second-best bag in the field today (18-04).
"I feel pretty good about it," he said. "The only thing I don't like is the wind starting to blow and muddying up where I'm at. Florida fish don't like muddy water. There's no telling what's going to happen. I may have to move a little tomorrow – readjust, that sort of thing. I'll be out there swinging anyway."
He noted he's catching a few on a Spro Aruku Shad, which he throws in the morning for a small limit. He did catch a 5-poudner on it today, though.
Later, he's working a Zoom Z-Nail Worm – a Senko-style bait – which he's pitching to pads. He's also swimming a Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed worm.
About trailing VanDam, the biggest name in the sport right now, he said: "That's not unusual at all. He's always there. The man's the best there is. It'd be neat if I could beat him. He's beatable. You just have to do it. But he's the best of the best – no doubt about it."
And he does have a backup area tomorrow in case his water clarity heads south. It's a toad spot (topwater), but his feeling is it's been pretty beat up by others this week. So he's really banking on his outside bite.
Ray Sedgwick thinks more fish might arrive in his area overnight – his main concern is water clarity.
"I'm looking forward to it," Sedgwick said. This is an area that I feel can replenish itself, if the fish would just come. It's holding a lot of good fish. Hopefully the wind won't mess it up too bad."
6th: Hudgins Stoked
Home-stater Hudgins, from Orange Park, was one of the pre-tournament favorites. On a day when other homers like Bobby Lane (10th) and Terry Scroggins (11th) weighed a combined 14 1/2 pounds, Hudgins hammered the day's big bag at 20-10 and moved up from 28th to 6th.
"After yesterday, a little bit of revenge was in order," he said. "I stunk it up yesterday (with 5 pounds). Some days you're the bug on the windshield, and some days you're the windshield. Yesterday, I was the bug.
"It was bad decisions," he added. "I just stuck with what I had going and didn't break off. Today, I just went fishing. That's all there was to it. What makes me mad is, I had four fish today at about 1:30. I decided to move to a spot where I'd caught some good fish in November."
What happened as soon as he arrived was explosive.
"I (quickly) caught my fifth – about a 2 1/2-pounder," he said. "Then I turned and made about five casts and caught a 6-pounder. I fished in a little, came back out, fired out, and hooked one between 8 and 10 pounds. I lost her. Then I turned around and made a cast behind me and caught a 4-pounder. Then it was time to go.
"So I'm really excited about tomorrow. I cannot wait to get out there."
He believes they're post-spawn fish, and the spot's a "highway" they're using, then stopping at to recuperate.
About whether or not he thinks he can win, he said: "There's enough big fish in that area. I haven't been on any concentrations of fish this whole tournament, until today. I finally got on some fish. I think if I can get five of the right bites tomorrow, Kevin VanDam had better watch out."
Kelly Jordon's bed bite was a bust, so he ran to Kissimmee to fish but struck out.
Additional Notes
Notable
> Day 3 stats – 50 anglers, 36 limits, 5 fours, 2 threes, 4 twos, 1 one, 1 zero (Gerald Swindle, see below).
> VanDam noted that he has two nephews bent on becoming pro anglers. One, Jonathan VanDam (JVD) is already competing as a pro in the Bassmaster Opens. But his other nephew Steve (SVD?) played for the Michigan state high-school basketball championship today. "He wants to be a pro angler," VanDam said. "He'll probably get a basketball scholarship and go fishing. We want him to do both. I have a couple of nephews coming up and wanting to follow in my footsteps. I can't wait for them to get out here."
> Gerald Swindle did not compete today. He lost his brother Tony yesterday, who succumbed to a battle with cancer. Swindle previously asked BassFans for their prayers, and the Swindle family needs them now more than ever.
> Swindle isn't the only pro to suffer family tragedy. James Kennedy lost his dad last week. And Kenyon Hill noted today that his father is in the last stages of a battle with cancer. Hill had already made arrangements to fly home from this week's event if necessary.
> Butch Tucker, who fished with Hill today, won the co-angler division with a 3-day total of 26-10. "This is my first Elite as a co-angler," he said. "I've fished very few tournaments as a co-angler. This has been a tremendous experience. (Hill) didn't know I was leading – I didn't tell him. When we got to the scales and he found out I had one fish, I think he felt kind of bad. But I wouldn't have gotten in his way for anything."
Weather Forecast
Here's the weather forecast for the final tournament day. For more weather information, including satellite and radar imagery, visit OutdoorsFanWeather.com.
> Sun., March 16 - Partly Cloudy - 85°/60°
- Wind: From the W/NW at 15 mph
Day 3 Standings
1. Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 15, 49-01 -- 305
Day 1: 5, 18-00 -- Day 2: 5, 17-11 -- Day 3: 5, 13-06
2. Scott Rook -- Little Rock, AR -- 15, 47-00 -- 295
Day 1: 5, 19-14 -- Day 2: 5, 13-12 -- Day 3: 5, 13-06
3. Ray Sedgwick -- Cross, SC -- 15, 46-04 -- 290
Day 1: 5, 17-02 -- Day 2: 5, 10-14 -- Day 3: 5, 18-04
4. Bill Lowen -- North Bend, OH -- 15, 44-12 -- 285
Day 1: 5, 16-15 -- Day 2: 5, 13-06 -- Day 3: 5, 14-07
5. Kelly Jordon -- Mineola, TX -- 10, 44-03 -- 285
Day 1: 5, 22-14 -- Day 2: 5, 21-05 -- Day 3: 0, 00-00
6. Bryan Hudgins -- Orange Park, FL -- 13, 43-07 -- 276
Day 1: 5, 17-09 -- Day 2: 3, 05-04 -- Day 3: 5, 20-10
7. Kenyon Hill -- Norman, OK -- 15, 43-00 -- 272
Day 1: 5, 15-10 -- Day 2: 5, 17-13 -- Day 3: 5, 09-09
8. Rick Morris -- Virginia Beach, VA -- 15, 42-15 -- 268
Day 1: 5, 13-09 -- Day 2: 5, 19-04 -- Day 3: 5, 10-02
9. Alton Jones -- Waco, TX -- 15, 41-09 -- 264
Day 1: 5, 15-13 -- Day 2: 5, 13-00 -- Day 3: 5, 12-12
10. Bobby Lane -- Lakeland, FL -- 15, 41-07 -- 260
Day 1: 5, 18-10 -- Day 2: 5, 14-13 -- Day 3: 5, 08-00
11. Terry Scroggins -- San Mateo, FL -- 15, 41-05 -- 257
Day 1: 5, 23-02 -- Day 2: 5, 11-11 -- Day 3: 5, 06-08
12. Jeff Reynolds -- Idabel, OK -- 15, 40-13 -- 254
Day 1: 5, 20-12 -- Day 2: 5, 08-05 -- Day 3: 5, 11-12
The following anglers didn't make the cut and won't be fishing tomorrow:
13. Wade Grooms -- Bonneau, SC -- 15, 40-05 -- 251 -- $10,800
Day 1: 5, 12-09 -- Day 2: 5, 14-02 -- Day 3: 5, 13-10
14. Zell Rowland -- Montgomery, TX -- 15, 39-11 -- 248 -- $10,700
Day 1: 5, 12-01 -- Day 2: 5, 17-13 -- Day 3: 5, 09-13
15. Byron Velvick -- Del Rio, TX -- 12, 39-08 -- 250 -- $11,600
Day 1: 5, 25-00 -- Day 2: 5, 11-06 -- Day 3: 2, 03-02
16. Brent Chapman -- Lake Quivira, KS -- 15, 38-11 -- 243 -- $10,500
Day 1: 5, 17-12 -- Day 2: 5, 07-15 -- Day 3: 5, 13-00
17. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL -- 15, 38-05 -- 241 -- $10,500
Day 1: 5, 17-07 -- Day 2: 5, 12-04 -- Day 3: 5, 08-10
18. Mark Davis -- Mount Ida, AR -- 15, 38-02 -- 239 -- $10,500
Day 1: 5, 10-02 -- Day 2: 5, 20-03 -- Day 3: 5, 07-13
19. Mike McClelland -- Bella Vista, AR -- 15, 38-01 -- 236 -- $10,500
Day 1: 5, 15-00 -- Day 2: 5, 11-09 -- Day 3: 5, 11-08
19. Jason Quinn -- York, SC -- 14, 38-01 -- 236 -- $10,500
Day 1: 5, 14-09 -- Day 2: 5, 13-15 -- Day 3: 4, 09-09
21. Dean Rojas -- Lake Havasu City, AZ -- 15, 37-05 -- 233 -- $10,250
Day 1: 5, 18-13 -- Day 2: 5, 10-00 -- Day 3: 5, 08-08
22. Skeet Reese -- Auburn, CA -- 15, 37-03 -- 231 -- $10,250
Day 1: 5, 12-12 -- Day 2: 5, 10-03 -- Day 3: 5, 14-04
23. Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, TX -- 15, 36-12 -- 229 -- $10,250
Day 1: 5, 15-03 -- Day 2: 5, 13-00 -- Day 3: 5, 08-09
24. Jay Fuller -- Kingston, OK -- 13, 36-07 -- 227 -- $11,250
Day 1: 5, 07-02 -- Day 2: 5, 22-08 -- Day 3: 3, 06-13
25. Randy Howell -- Springville, AL -- 15, 35-13 -- 225 -- $10,250
Day 1: 5, 07-11 -- Day 2: 5, 16-09 -- Day 3: 5, 11-09
26. Peter E Thliveros -- St Augustine, FL -- 15, 35-12 -- 223 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 12-11 -- Day 2: 5, 12-04 -- Day 3: 5, 10-13
27. Jared Lintner -- Arroyo Grande, CA -- 14, 33-08 -- 221 -- $11,000
Day 1: 5, 15-00 -- Day 2: 5, 08-03 -- Day 3: 4, 10-05
28. Casey Ashley -- Donalds, SC -- 14, 33-00 -- 219 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 06-11 -- Day 2: 5, 18-07 -- Day 3: 4, 07-14
29. Ishama Monroe -- Hughson, CA -- 14, 32-14 -- 217 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 10-02 -- Day 2: 5, 13-13 -- Day 3: 4, 08-15
30. Mike Wurm -- Hot Springs, AR -- 15, 31-12 -- 215 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 08-09 -- Day 2: 5, 15-08 -- Day 3: 5, 07-11
31. Fred Roumbanis -- Bixby, CA -- 12, 31-06 -- 213 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 11-13 -- Day 2: 5, 17-11 -- Day 3: 2, 01-14
32. Terry Butcher -- Talala, OK -- 15, 31-04 -- 211 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 09-12 -- Day 2: 5, 10-09 -- Day 3: 5, 10-15
33. Derek Remitz -- Grant, AL -- 15, 31-01 -- 209 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 11-01 -- Day 2: 5, 10-02 -- Day 3: 5, 09-14
34. Billy Brewer -- Bruceville, TX -- 15, 30-15 -- 207 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 10-10 -- Day 2: 5, 10-11 -- Day 3: 5, 09-10
35. Edwin Evers -- Talala, OK -- 15, 30-11 -- 205 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 12-05 -- Day 2: 5, 10-07 -- Day 3: 5, 07-15
36. Shaw E Grigsby -- Gainesville, FL -- 15, 30-08 -- 203 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 09-04 -- Day 2: 5, 12-01 -- Day 3: 5, 09-03
37. Bernard Schultz -- Gainesville, FL -- 15, 30-05 -- 201 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 09-07 -- Day 2: 5, 15-03 -- Day 3: 5, 05-11
38. Britt Myers -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 15, 30-00 -- 199 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 11-05 -- Day 2: 5, 10-11 -- Day 3: 5, 08-00
39. Guy Eaker -- Cherryville, NC -- 15, 29-12 -- 197 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 10-00 -- Day 2: 5, 09-10 -- Day 3: 5, 10-02
40. Charlie Hartley -- Grove City, OH -- 15, 29-06 -- 195 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 06-08 -- Day 2: 5, 13-11 -- Day 3: 5, 09-03
41. Rick Clunn -- Ava, MO -- 15, 28-09 -- 193 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 08-01 -- Day 2: 5, 12-03 -- Day 3: 5, 08-05
42. Dave Wolak -- Wake Forest, NC -- 15, 28-05 -- 191 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 08-14 -- Day 2: 5, 11-08 -- Day 3: 5, 07-15
43. Mark Menendez -- Paducah, KY -- 15, 28-01 -- 189 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 13-13 -- Day 2: 5, 07-07 -- Day 3: 5, 06-13
44. Pat Golden -- High Point, NC -- 15, 27-14 -- 186 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 09-06 -- Day 2: 5, 12-11 -- Day 3: 5, 05-13
44. John Crews -- Salem, VA -- 14, 27-14 -- 186 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 10-05 -- Day 2: 5, 12-02 -- Day 3: 4, 05-07
46. Michael Iaconelli -- Runnemede, NJ -- 13, 27-00 -- 183 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 11-02 -- Day 2: 5, 12-00 -- Day 3: 3, 03-14
47. Dustin Wilks -- Rocky Mount, NC -- 11, 26-04 -- 181 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 11-00 -- Day 2: 5, 14-04 -- Day 3: 1, 01-00
48. James Kennedy -- Lacombe, LA -- 12, 24-11 -- 179 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 11-05 -- Day 2: 5, 11-00 -- Day 3: 2, 02-06
49. Jami Fralick -- Martin, SD -- 12, 22-04 -- 177 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 10-08 -- Day 2: 5, 09-13 -- Day 3: 2, 01-15
50. Gerald Swindle -- Warrior, AL -- 10, 20-09 -- 175 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 05-13 -- Day 2: 5, 14-12 -- Day 3: 0, 00-00
Big Bass
> Day 3 -- Ray Sedgwick -- Cross, SC -- 07-07 -- $1,000
> Day 2 -- Kenyon Hill -- Norman, OK -- 10-03 -- $1,000
> Day 1 -- Jared Lintner -- Arroyo Grande, CA -- 08-13 -- $1,000
