Brauer Takes Full Command With 19-07 Sack

With 16 B.A.S.S. victories to his credit, there's no question that Denny Brauer knows how to close out a victory once he's put himself in position. He has a massive lead at the midway point of the Arkansas River Bassmaster Elite Series, but things could get interesting over the weekend due to factors beyond his control.

The veteran from Missouri caught a 19-07 sack today – the biggest of the event by 4 1/2 pounds – to improve his 2-day total to 34-01. It gave him an advantage of nearly 8 1/2 pounds.

But here's the catch: He's fishing the Pine Bluff pool – two locks downstream from the launch in Little Rock. He had about 25 spectator boats on him today, and some of those undoubtedly carried competitors in a major 2-day local event that gets under way in that pool tomorrow.

It'll be at 9 a.m. or so when he arrives tomorrow and the local-derby anglers will have been on the water for a couple of hours. "There's a real good chance that by the time I get there, I won't have anything to fish," he said.

Compounding matters, his closest pursuer is the top-ranked angler in the game – a guy who's threatening to take a commanding lead in the points race in pursuit of his fourth consecutive Angler of the Year (AOY) title. That'd be Kevin VanDam, who bagged 12-15 today to jack his total to 25-11.

Billy McCaghren, who's become the flag-bearer at this event among the large contingent of locals, caught 11-04 today to move up one place to 3rd with 24-07. John Murray, who's fishing in the vicinity of Brauer, boated an 11-12 stringer and gained five positions to 4th with 23-03.

Takahiro Omori rounded out the Top 5 with a 12-01 sack today for a 22-06 total.

Here's how the Top 12 stands, with deficit margin from leader indicated by red numbers in parentheses:

1. Denny Brauer: 34-01
2. Kevin VanDam: 25-11 (8-06)
3. Billy McCaghren: 24-07 (9-10)
4. John Murray: 23-03 (10-14)
5. Takahiro Omori: 22-06 (8-06)
6. Aaron Martens: 21-06 (12-11)
7. Greg Vinson: 21-05 (12-12)
8. Ish Monroe: 20-15 (13-02)
9. Clark Reehm: 20-12 (13-05)
10. Gerald Swindle: 20-11 (13-06)
11. Brent Chapman: 19-12 (14-05)
12. Keith Combs: 19-10 (14-07)

Terry Scroggins, who entered as the AOY leader, ended up 84th and Alton Jones, who entered tied for 2nd with VanDam (19 points back) finished 69th. Unless KVD tanks over the weekend – a highly unlikely scenario – he'll depart for next week's regular-season finale at Wheeler with an advantage somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 points.

Steve Kennedy and Edwin Evers, the other members of the AOY Top 5 coming in, are in 28th and 29th place, respectively.

The tournament standings saw a 50% turnover among the Top 12 today. Moving in were Takahiro Omori (15th to 5th with a 12-01 sack), Aaron Martens (13th to 6th, 10-14), Greg Vinson (14th to 7th, 10-15), Gerald Swindle (33rd to 10th, 12-07), Brent Chapman (22nd to 11th, 10-03) and Keith Combs (24th to 12th, 10-06).

The most notable mover in the wrong direction was Shaw Grigbsy, who started the day in 5th but zeroed and plummeted to 47th. Jared Lintner suffered a similar fate, falling from 8th to 48th after weighing a single 11-ouncer. Andy Montgomery, 11th after day 1, dropped out of the cut with a one-fish, 1-10 bag that sunk him from 11th to 52nd.

Several anglers in the first flight took zeroes for the day when they were assessed B.A.S.S.'s pound-per-minute penalty for late check-in. They were among a large group of competitors forced to wait for a barge to clear a lock this afternoon. The second-flight anglers made it back with just a couple of minutes to spare.

Isolated thunderstorms are in the weather forecast for the weekend, but high temperatures will remain in the low- to mid-90s with only mild breezes.

The field was cut to 50 after today's weigh-in and will be reduced to 12 tomorrow. The winner will be determined Sunday by highest 4-day weight.

Brauer Concerned

> Day 2: 5, 19-07 (10, 34-01)

The 62-year-old Brauer is virtually assured of making his third 12-cut in seven outings this season. But he also has 94th- and 84th-place finishes on his ledger and that brought him in at No. 41 in the points – a few spots higher than where the Bassmaster Classic cutoff is expected to fall.

He could eliminate his Classic worries with a win, which would be his first since 2006 at Champlain. But his best area, which he described as "fairly small," could get overrun tomorrow.

"I've got a few other areas where I might get a bite or two, but I don't know if those will be covered up, either," he said. "There's a lot of unknowns."

The first bite he had was a 6-pound-class fish that jumped off, but his day was stellar after that. He boated eight keepers and the five he weighed were all at or near 4 pounds.

He's catching post-spawn fish from an area adjacent to deeper water. He's had crowding issues from the get-go and he said two competitors who didn't fish there on day 1 moved in today.

“We suddenly got more company today, so I don’t know if it will hold up. Tomorrow is a Saturday, the area I’m fishing is going to have a lot of traffic and a lot of people know where I’m fishing.

“I’m looking for many of the fish to be leaving, going to the main river, and that’s what worries me. That can happen overnight."

2nd: VanDam on the Move

> Day 2: 5, 12-15 (10, 25-11)

VanDam said he's working multiple patterns in multiple pools. He's started each of the first 2 days in the launch pool and then worked his way downstream.

"I guess (his weight) is pretty good for here, but it's been a grind," he said. "I've caught a lot of short fish – this place gets a lot of pressure.

"I'm covering a lot of water and it changes every day, with the water level and the currents fluctuating. It can be very perplexing and it's not like you can get a power-generation schedule and look at it and say you're going to do this or that. You don't have any idea what's going on until you get out there."

He has a lot of work to do to catch Brauer, but he plans to keep applying as much pressure on the leader as he can.

"Tomorrow's Saturday, and you never know. I've had lots of people watching me and I'm sure he's had plenty watching him, and there'll be local tournaments going on and stuff like that.

"He's one of the best closers in the business – he knows what to do and how to do it. But the one thing I know is that where he's going, he isn't starting to fish until 9:00."

3rd: McCaghren Feels Fortunate

> Day 2: 4, 11-04 (9, 24-07)

McCaghren, a third-year pro and resident of nearby Mayflower, is faring considerably better than the more well-known locals in the field.

"I've been pretty fortunate this week," he said. "Some of those other guys are a lot better out here than I am and I feel lucky that I've been able to catch some good fish."

He got six keeper bites today, but two never made it into his boat and his bag was thus one fish shy of a limit. His sack was topped by a 3 1/2-pounder.

He said his best area is fairly large, but it's being divvied up numerous ways.

"I've got plenty of room, but I'm just not getting to fish everything I want to fish. If I had to, I could probably come out and fish (the main channel), but I'm pretty committed to where I am. I think I can win there.

"I think I can catch them again tomorrow, but with this being the (Arkansas) River, you never know. The water dropped some again, which is pretty common for where I'm at. It repositions the fish a little, but they don't move out completely.

"One thing I know for sure is I'm enjoying sleeping in my own bed."

4th: Murray Boated Everything

> Day 2: 5, 11-12 (10, 23-03)

Murray got only five keeper bites today and put all of them in the boat. His best was a 3 1/2-pounder.

"I've got one little stretch that's producing half of my fish or more," he said. "There's a couple of key brushpiles there. It's close to Denny, but on the other side of the river.

"I don't think my spot will be hurt too bad (by local weekend competitors), but I've still only got a limited time to fish before I have to head back."

He caught the 3 1/2 on a crankbait before he even reached the Pine Bluff pool, and that fish pretty much assured he'd make the cut. He might spend more time in that place tomorrow if his main area is heavily pressured.

"I've gotten my biggest fish there each day. I've got a couple of areas that I don't think anybody's fishing and a couple different techniques I can try."

47th: All Shorts for Grigsby

> Day 2: 0, 0-00 (5, 13-00)

Grigsby didn't change anything from day 1, but his bites shrunk considerably.

"I caught 17 or 18 bass and none of them went 15 inches," he said, referring to the river's minimum-length requirement for largemouths. "I fished the same areas I fished yesterday real hard and I fished places I didn't go yesterday. What I found was that they don't replenish.

"This is not a great river. I enjoy fishing it, but it's not a great river."

He said he spent a great deal of time toward the end of the day fishing for a single 12-inch spotted bass. He figured he'd make the 50-cut on his day-1 weight alone, but such a fish would've given him some insurance.

He caught one 14-inch largemouth that he also boated yesterday – he could identify it due to a deformed tail. "It had moved about a hundred yards."

Tomorrow he'll fish a place he exploited in 2006 en route to a 4th-place finish in the Legends Major.

"I went there in practice and it was really good, but I just didn't go there today."

Notable

> Day 2 stats – 99 anglers, 27 limits (1 fewer than day 1), 13 fours, 23 threes, 14 twos, 11 ones, 11 zeroes (5 more than day 1).

> Rookie Jonathon VanDam had an even better day than his famous uncle – after blanking on day 1, he caught 15-10 today (a bag bested only by Brauer's) and made the cut in 30th place.

> Scott Rook, a Little Rock resident who won the Legends Major in '06, was first out of the cut.

Weather Forecast

> Sat., June 11 - Isolated T-Storms - 92°/73°
- Wind: From the W/SW at 7 mph

> Sun., June 12 - Isolated T-Storms - 95°/74°
- Wind: From the SE at 5 mph

Day 2 Standings

1. Denny Brauer -- Camdenton, MO -- 10, 34-01 -- 310
Day 1: 5, 14-10 -- Day 2: 5, 19-07

2. Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 10, 25-11 -- 295
Day 1: 5, 12-12 -- Day 2: 5, 12-15

3. Billy McCaghren -- Mayflower, AR -- 9, 24-07 -- 290
Day 1: 5, 13-03 -- Day 2: 4, 11-04

4. John Murray -- Phoenix, AZ -- 10, 23-03 -- 285
Day 1: 5, 11-07 -- Day 2: 5, 11-12

5. Takahiro Omori -- Emory, TX -- 10, 22-06 -- 280
Day 1: 5, 10-05 -- Day 2: 5, 12-01

6. Aaron Martens -- Leeds, AL -- 10, 21-06 -- 276
Day 1: 5, 10-08 -- Day 2: 5, 10-14

7. Greg Vinson -- Wetumpka, AL -- 10, 21-05 -- 272
Day 1: 5, 10-06 -- Day 2: 5, 10-15

8. Ish Monroe -- Hughson, CA -- 9, 20-15 -- 268
Day 1: 5, 14-08 -- Day 2: 4, 06-07

9. Clark Reehm -- Lufkin, TX -- 10, 20-12 -- 264
Day 1: 5, 12-06 -- Day 2: 5, 08-06

10. Gerald Swindle -- Warrior, AL -- 9, 20-11 -- 260
Day 1: 4, 08-04 -- Day 2: 5, 12-07

11. Brent Chapman -- Lake Quivira, KS -- 10, 19-12 -- 257
Day 1: 5, 09-09 -- Day 2: 5, 10-03

12. Keith Combs -- Huntington, TX -- 10, 19-10 -- 254
Day 1: 5, 09-04 -- Day 2: 5, 10-06

13. Rick Clunn -- Ava, MO -- 7, 19-08 -- 251
Day 1: 3, 09-02 -- Day 2: 4, 10-06

14. Jason Quinn -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 9, 19-02 -- 248
Day 1: 5, 07-09 -- Day 2: 4, 11-09

15. Kenyon Hill -- Norman, OK -- 7, 19-00 -- 245
Day 1: 2, 04-03 -- Day 2: 5, 14-13

16. Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, TX -- 8, 18-10 -- 243
Day 1: 4, 07-00 -- Day 2: 4, 11-10

17. Jason Williamson -- Aiken, SC -- 8, 18-06 -- 241
Day 1: 5, 11-00 -- Day 2: 3, 07-06

18. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA -- 10, 17-12 -- 239
Day 1: 5, 08-06 -- Day 2: 5, 09-06

18. Randy Howell -- Springville, AL -- 10, 17-12 -- 239
Day 1: 5, 09-06 -- Day 2: 5, 08-06

20. John Crews -- Salem, VA -- 10, 17-00 -- 235
Day 1: 5, 10-01 -- Day 2: 5, 06-15

21. Brandon Palaniuk -- Rathdrum, ID -- 6, 16-10 -- 233
Day 1: 1, 03-10 -- Day 2: 5, 13-00

22. Keith Poche -- Troy, AL -- 7, 16-07 -- 231
Day 1: 5, 13-08 -- Day 2: 2, 02-15

23. Matt Reed -- Madisonville, TX -- 7, 16-07 -- 229
Day 1: 3, 07-06 -- Day 2: 4, 09-01

24. Michael Iaconelli -- Pitts Grove, NJ -- 10, 16-03 -- 227
Day 1: 5, 07-11 -- Day 2: 5, 08-08

25. Russ Lane -- Prattville, AL -- 7, 16-03 -- 225
Day 1: 5, 10-04 -- Day 2: 2, 05-15

26. Cliff Pace -- Petal, MS -- 7, 16-02 -- 223
Day 1: 4, 09-12 -- Day 2: 3, 06-06

27. Bobby Lane -- Lakeland, FL -- 10, 16-00 -- 221
Day 1: 5, 08-12 -- Day 2: 5, 07-04

28. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL -- 8, 16-00 -- 219
Day 1: 5, 10-02 -- Day 2: 3, 05-14

29. Edwin Evers -- Talala, OK -- 7, 15-14 -- 217
Day 1: 4, 08-07 -- Day 2: 3, 07-07

30. Jonathon VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 5, 15-10 -- 215
Day 1: 0, 00-00 -- Day 2: 5, 15-10

31. Davy Hite -- Ninety Six, SC -- 8, 15-09 -- 213
Day 1: 4, 07-09 -- Day 2: 4, 08-00

32. Ben Parker -- Springville, TN -- 8, 14-15 -- 211
Day 1: 3, 06-11 -- Day 2: 5, 08-04

33. Stephen Browning -- Hot Springs, AR -- 8, 14-12 -- 209
Day 1: 5, 10-00 -- Day 2: 3, 04-12

34. Rick Morris -- Virginia Beach, VA -- 9, 14-11 -- 207
Day 1: 4, 07-03 -- Day 2: 5, 07-08

35. Gary Klein -- Weatherford, TX -- 7, 14-09 -- 205
Day 1: 4, 08-09 -- Day 2: 3, 06-00

36. Skeet Reese -- Auburn, CA -- 6, 14-08 -- 203
Day 1: 1, 02-01 -- Day 2: 5, 12-07

37. David Smith -- Del City, OK -- 7, 14-07 -- 201
Day 1: 5, 10-05 -- Day 2: 2, 04-02

38. Britt Myers -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 6, 14-07 -- 199
Day 1: 3, 08-02 -- Day 2: 3, 06-05

39. Pete Ponds -- Madison, MS -- 6, 14-06 -- 197
Day 1: 4, 10-11 -- Day 2: 2, 03-11

40. Timmy Horton -- Muscle Shoals, AL -- 6, 13-12 -- 195
Day 1: 2, 04-09 -- Day 2: 4, 09-03

41. Dean Alexander -- Georgetown, TX -- 7, 13-11 -- 193
Day 1: 2, 03-15 -- Day 2: 5, 09-12

42. Morizo Shimizu -- Matsugaoka JAPAN -- 7, 13-09 -- 191
Day 1: 4, 08-02 -- Day 2: 3, 05-07

43. Scott Ashmore -- Broken Arrow, OK -- 6, 13-08 -- 189
Day 1: 4, 07-05 -- Day 2: 2, 06-03

44. Kevin Short -- Mayflower, AR -- 8, 13-06 -- 187
Day 1: 4, 06-14 -- Day 2: 4, 06-08

45. James Niggemeyer -- Van, TX -- 5, 13-05 -- 185
Day 1: 2, 05-05 -- Day 2: 3, 08-00

46. Marty Robinson -- Lyman, SC -- 6, 13-01 -- 183
Day 1: 4, 08-08 -- Day 2: 2, 04-09

47. Shaw E Grigsby -- Gainesville, FL -- 5, 13-00 -- 181
Day 1: 5, 13-00 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00

48. Jared Lintner -- Arroyo Grande, CA -- 6, 12-11 -- 179
Day 1: 5, 12-00 -- Day 2: 1, 00-11

49. Charlie Hartley -- Grove City, OH -- 6, 12-10 -- 177
Day 1: 3, 06-07 -- Day 2: 3, 06-03

50. Casey Ashley -- Donalds, SC -- 6, 12-08 -- 175
Day 1: 2, 02-12 -- Day 2: 4, 09-12

The following anglers did not make the cut and will not fish on day 3.

51. Scott Rook -- Little Rock, AR -- 7, 12-07 -- 173
Day 1: 3, 06-07 -- Day 2: 4, 06-00

52. Andy Montgomery -- Blacksburg, SC -- 6, 12-07 -- 171
Day 1: 5, 10-13 -- Day 2: 1, 01-10

53. Zell Rowland -- Austin, TX -- 4, 12-00 -- 169
Day 1: 2, 05-02 -- Day 2: 2, 06-14

54. Yusuke Miyazaki -- Forney, TX -- 6, 11-12 -- 167
Day 1: 1, 01-08 -- Day 2: 5, 10-04

55. Tommy Biffle -- Wagoner, OK -- 8, 11-09 -- 165
Day 1: 5, 06-03 -- Day 2: 3, 05-06

56. Craig Schuff -- Watauga, TX -- 7, 11-09 -- 163
Day 1: 4, 06-10 -- Day 2: 3, 04-15

57. Jeff Connella -- Bentley, LA -- 7, 11-09 -- 161
Day 1: 2, 04-04 -- Day 2: 5, 07-05

58. Ott DeFoe -- Knoxville, TN -- 9, 11-08 -- 159
Day 1: 4, 05-14 -- Day 2: 5, 05-10

59. Kelly Jordon -- Palestine, TX -- 7, 11-06 -- 157
Day 1: 2, 03-08 -- Day 2: 5, 07-14

60. Bill Lowen -- Brookville, IN -- 6, 11-05 -- 155
Day 1: 5, 08-05 -- Day 2: 1, 03-00

61. James Stricklin -- Texarkania, TX -- 6, 10-07 -- 153
Day 1: 3, 06-04 -- Day 2: 3, 04-03

62. Derek Remitz -- Grant, AL -- 5, 10-01 -- 151
Day 1: 2, 03-02 -- Day 2: 3, 06-15

63. Paul Elias -- Laurel, MS -- 5, 09-11 -- 149
Day 1: 1, 00-13 -- Day 2: 4, 08-14

64. Ryan Said -- Wixom, MI -- 5, 09-07 -- 147
Day 1: 2, 04-02 -- Day 2: 3, 05-05

65. Mark Menendez -- Paducah, KY -- 6, 09-05 -- 145
Day 1: 3, 03-15 -- Day 2: 3, 05-06

66. Dustin Wilks -- Rocky Mount, NC -- 5, 09-01 -- 143
Day 1: 3, 06-12 -- Day 2: 2, 02-05

67. Chris Lane -- Guntersville, AL -- 4, 08-12 -- 141
Day 1: 1, 01-05 -- Day 2: 3, 07-07

68. Mark Davis -- Mount Ida, AR -- 4, 08-10 -- 139
Day 1: 4, 08-10 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00

69. Alton Jones -- Waco, TX -- 6, 08-07 -- 137
Day 1: 4, 05-03 -- Day 2: 2, 03-04

70. Cliff Crochet -- Pierre Part, LA -- 3, 08-06 -- 135
Day 1: 0, 00-00 -- Day 2: 3, 08-06

71. Kotaro Kiriyama -- Moody, AL -- 4, 07-15 -- 133
Day 1: 1, 01-15 -- Day 2: 3, 06-00

72. Fred Roumbanis -- Bixby, OK -- 4, 07-12 -- 131
Day 1: 3, 05-08 -- Day 2: 1, 02-04

73. Matt Greenblatt -- Port St Lucie, FL -- 3, 07-11 -- 129
Day 1: 3, 07-11 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00

74. Dave Wolak -- Wake Forest, NC -- 6, 07-09 -- 127
Day 1: 3, 03-02 -- Day 2: 3, 04-07

75. Boyd Duckett -- Demopolis, AL -- 4, 07-08 -- 125
Day 1: 4, 07-08 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00

76. Bernie Schultz -- Gainesville, FL -- 3, 07-05 -- 123
Day 1: 2, 04-00 -- Day 2: 1, 03-05

77. Dennis Tietje -- Roanoke, LA -- 3, 07-03 -- 121
Day 1: 0, 00-00 -- Day 2: 3, 07-03

78. Peter E Thliveros -- St Augustine, FL -- 3, 07-03 -- 119
Day 1: 2, 04-10 -- Day 2: 1, 02-09

79. Pat Golden -- High Point, NC -- 3, 06-07 -- 117
Day 1: 1, 01-01 -- Day 2: 2, 05-06

80. J Todd Tucker -- Moultrie, GA -- 3, 06-05 -- 115
Day 1: 1, 01-02 -- Day 2: 2, 05-03

81. Terry Butcher -- Talala, OK -- 4, 06-04 -- 113
Day 1: 2, 02-14 -- Day 2: 2, 03-06

82. Dean Rojas -- Lake Havasu City, AZ -- 3, 05-11 -- 111
Day 1: 3, 05-11 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00

83. Jeff Kriet -- Ardmore, OK -- 4, 05-10 -- 109
Day 1: 3, 03-12 -- Day 2: 1, 01-14

84. Terry Scroggins -- San Mateo, FL -- 3, 05-10 -- 107
Day 1: 2, 03-13 -- Day 2: 1, 01-13

85. Mike McClelland -- Bella Vista, AR -- 5, 05-09 -- 105
Day 1: 1, 01-13 -- Day 2: 4, 03-12

86. Nate Wellman -- Newaygo, MI -- 4, 05-09 -- 103
Day 1: 2, 02-12 -- Day 2: 2, 02-13

87. Jami Fralick -- Martin, SD -- 3, 05-08 -- 101
Day 1: 3, 05-08 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00

88. Bradley Hallman -- Norman, OK -- 2, 05-01 -- 99
Day 1: 2, 05-01 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00

89. Travis Manson -- De Pere, WI -- 3, 04-14 -- 97
Day 1: 0, 00-00 -- Day 2: 3, 04-14

90. Brian Snowden -- Reeds Spring, MO -- 2, 04-12 -- 95
Day 1: 2, 04-12 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00

91. Russell Parrish -- Riesel, TX -- 2, 04-09 -- 93
Day 1: 1, 02-12 -- Day 2: 1, 01-13

92. Matt Herren -- Trussville, AL -- 4, 04-08 -- 91
Day 1: 4, 04-08 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00

93. Kevin Wirth -- Crestwood, KY -- 4, 04-06 -- 89
Day 1: 2, 01-13 -- Day 2: 2, 02-09

94. Brent Broderick -- Oregonia, OH -- 2, 04-01 -- 87
Day 1: 1, 02-05 -- Day 2: 1, 01-12

95. Grant Goldbeck -- Boerne, TX -- 1, 02-08 -- 85
Day 1: 0, 00-00 -- Day 2: 1, 02-08

96. Lee Sisson -- Winter Haven, FL -- 1, 01-14 -- 83
Day 1: 1, 01-14 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00

97. Chad Griffin -- Cresson, TX -- 1, 01-07 -- 81
Day 1: 1, 01-07 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00

98. David Walker -- Sevierville, TN -- 4, 00-12 -- 79
Day 1: 1, 00-12 -- Day 2: 3, 00-00

99. Bradley Roy -- Lancaster, KY -- 5, 00-00 -- 77
Day 1: 0, 00-00 -- Day 2: 5, 00-00