Lane, Davis Catch 22-Plus To Set Early Pace

By BassFan Staff

All kinds of potential storylines unfolded on day 1 of the Lake St. Clair Bassmaster Elite Series. The final event of the 2013 season now has a chance to become one of the most intriguing and entertaining regular-season derbies in quite some time.

Chris Lane, the 2012 Bassmaster Classic champion who needs a victory to qualify for the 2014 version at his adopted home (Lake Guntersville), bolted to the lead with a 22-09 stringer that was partially compiled from remote Lake Huron. Veteran Mark Davis, who won the Classic in 1995 and probably needs a Top-12 finish to make his 17th appearance in the event, was a half-pound back with 22-01.

Then there's Aaron Martens, who's resided very near the top of every Elite Series leaderboard since April. With a 21-14 sack, he put himself in prime position to again contend for the win, and also claim the Angler of the Year title after beginning the season with an 85th-place showing.

Michael Simonton, who hasn't finished higher than 46th in two Elite campaigns, grabbed the No. 4 slot with 21-02. Fifth was shared by a couple of smallmouth aces, as Kota Kiriyama and Brandon Palaniuk (the winner 2 weeks ago at the St. Lawrence River) both scaled 20-07.

Here's how the initial Top 12 stacks up, with red numbers in parentheses indicating deficit margin from the leader:

1. Chris Lane: 22-09
2. Mark Davis: 22-01 (0-08)
3. Aaron Martens: 21-14 (0-11)
4. Michael Simonton: 21-02 (1-07)
5. (tie) Kota Kiriyama: 20-07 (2-02)
5. (tie) Brandon Palaniuk: 20-07 (2-02)
7. Cliff Pace: 20-05 (2-04)
8. (tie) Keith Combs: 20-04 (2-05)
8. (tie) Randy Howell: 20-04 (2-05)
10. Derek Remitz: 19-10 (2-15)
11. Keith Poche: 19-07 (3-02)
12. Jeremy Starks: 18-13 (3-12)

Edwin Evers gave Martens a huge assist in his quest for his second career AOY. Evers, who's led the points chase ever since the season's third event, sits in 79th place after catching a paltry 13-01.

Evers came in with a 30-point lead, but even a 35th-place tournament finish might not hold off the blistering Martens, who's finished among the Top 8 in each of the last four events. The Oklahoman has a tremendous amount of work to do tomorrow just to get inside the Top 50 for a chance to make headway on Saturday.

Kevin VanDam, the other prime AOY contender and a seven-time winner of the award, is also in danger of missing the cut. He boxed 15-06 and sits in 49th.

Some of the competitors trying to protect positions in the points chase fished St. Clair, but most of the field made the run to Lake Erie despite rugged conditions this morning. The wind blew in the 20-mph range and created rollers that pushed 4 feet in height before laying down at about 10 o'clock.

Lane picked up a couple of weigh-in fish from St. Clair, but pre-tournament predictions that the tournament will be won somewhere else appear to be accurate. St. Clair, which normally gives neighboring Erie a run for its money in terms of quality, is currently full of skinny fish that aren't in the same class as the best specimens from the big lake.

Navigation of the Detroit River system on day 2 should be a little smoother as lighter winds (to 10 mph) are in the forecast, which also calls for sunny skies and a high temperature of 79 degrees.

The Top 50 will advance to Saturday before the field is cut to 12 for the final round. The winner will be determined Sunday based on highest cumulative weight.

Lane on a Mission

> Day 1: 5, 22-09

Lane said he's fishing without much anxiety this week because his objective is clear-cut.

"I'm pretty excited about it, but I've still got a lot of work to do," he said. "I'm not going to get overly happy about today because I need to stay focused on what I have to do over the next few days."

His run to Huron covered about 60 miles, which is approximately the distance traveled by many of the competitors who went the other direction to Erie.

"I had a good practice and moved around a lot, and I have a couple of backup places where I caught fish today, too. I've got that stuff to myself, and that's a good thing. I was one of the last boats out today, so I'll have more fishing time tomorrow."

His bag was topped by a 5 3/4-pounder that bit at about 9 o'clock (it was his fourth fish). He caught everything on a dropshot rig.

"I caught 15 or 20 keepers and I didn't lose any. That's a different story than 2 weeks ago (at the St. Lawrence).

"I'm relaxed and I'm not nervous or anything like that. I know what I have to do here – I have to catch them every day. I'm just going out and having fun."

2nd: Not Many Bites for Davis

> Day 1: 5, 22-01

Davis got only about 4 hours of fishing time on Erie and got just seven bites for the day. Fortunately for him, the bites were good ones.

"I made a big run and found those fish in practice, and I knew the whole deal was real risky," he said. "I'm not getting a lot of bites and I don't have a lot of time.

"It worked today, but I don't know whether it'll work again tomorrow. A lot's going to depend on the weather."

He lost his first two bites, which he estimated as 5- and 4-pound fish. His bag was topped by a 5 1/2-pounder.

"I'm catching them on a Strike King Dream Shot in 18 to 25 feet (of water). Those fish are real finicky.

"There's a chance they'll bite there tomorrow. I'm in a later flight so I'll have a longer day, and I'll have that day under my belt of making the run and knowing where to get gas and all that. I've got some of the little details ironed out and it could work out well, but the weather will play a big role in it."

3rd: Martens Rolling Again

> Day 1, 5, 21-14

Martens came in wanting a victory for its own sake (he hasn't had one since 2009) and also to give him his best chance at snatching the AOY from Evers. He's in a solid position to make a run at both, thanks partially to Evers' stumble.

"I wanted to win this so I'd know I did all I could do, even if (Evers) comes back and wins the Angler of the Year," he said. "Anything could happen, just like it happened to me at the first tournament of the year (when he logged his 85th at the Sabine River."

He's sharing a large area on Erie with Simon, where both are dropshotting. He boated 15 keepers, the best of which went 4-11.

"It wasn't as good as it was in practice, but I got some quality bites. They were biting really funny in the morning and my first three bites all jumped off. I had a hard time getting a hook in them.

"I'm going to try to bust 20 pounds every day, but it's going to get harder. We had the wind today, and when the weekend comes we're going to have the ocean cruisers and all the other big boats. And if the wind changes (direction), I don't know what that'll do."

4th: Simonton Feels at Home

> Day 1: 5, 21-02

Simonton, who's finished among the Top 50 just twice in 15 Elite events and is 94th in this year's points race, is in unfamiliar territory.

"I'm not uncomfortable, but it definitely feels weird," he said. "I kind of feel like I'm back in the Opens again – I was usually in a good position a lot more often back then."

He lives in Fremont, Ohio (just 30 miles from the western basin of Erie) and is quite familiar with the lake. He's somewhat surprised that big fish are occupying the place that he and Martens shared today.

"I've been fishing it for probably 10 years and they're usually either gone from there by this time of year, or they're 3 pounds or less. For whatever reason, they're on it right now."

He had just two fish in his well at 11 o'clock as he had difficulty generating strikes under the cloudy, windy conditions. The action picked up when the sun came out and the wind died, and he ended up with a quartet of 4 1/2-pounders and one that was a little over 3.

"It's nice running around and being familiar with the style of fishing and understanding the seasonal transitions. Knowing what a good summer spot looks like here has helped tremendously."

88th: Herren Caught Snakes

> Day 1: 5, 11-11

Matt Heren's miserable season appears as if it'll end on another sour note and he stayed on St. Clair and weighed a bag full of skinny fish that was shy of the 12-pound mark.

"I don't know what's wrong with these fish here," he said. "They should've been 3 1/4 or 3 1/2 (pounds), all of them, but they're not. It's almost like they've got no food and they're burning off the little bit they take in just to stay alive."

He'll likely head for Erie on day 2.

"I thought it'd be kind of crazy to run off and leave that many fish (in St. Clair), but it's been one of those years where it works out for the guys who make the runs. It's usuallly not that way.

"I'll probably go tomorrow. Why not? I've got nothing else to lose."

Notable

> Day 1 stats: 99 anglers, 92 limits, 4 fours, 1 two, 2 zeroes.

Weather Forecast

> Fri., Aug. 23 – Sunny – 79°/58°
- Wind: From the NNE at 10 mph

> Sat., Aug. 24 –Sunny – 79°/61°
- Wind: From the E at 6 mph

> Sun., Aug. 25 – Partly Cloudy – 83°/67°
- Wind: From the S at 8 mph

Day 1 Standings

1. Chris Lane -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 22-09 -- 99
Day 1: 5, 22-09

2. Mark Davis -- Mount Ida, AR -- 5, 22-01 -- 98
Day 1: 5, 22-01

3. Aaron Martens -- Leeds, AL -- 5, 21-14 -- 97
Day 1: 5, 21-14

4. Michael Simonton -- Fremont, OH -- 5, 21-02 -- 96
Day 1: 5, 21-02

5. Kotaro Kiriyama -- Moody, AL -- 5, 20-07 -- 95
Day 1: 5, 20-07

5. Brandon Palaniuk -- Rathdrum, ID -- 5, 20-07 -- 95
Day 1: 5, 20-07

7. Cliff Pace -- Petal, MS -- 5, 20-05 -- 93
Day 1: 5, 20-05

8. Keith Combs -- Huntington, TX -- 5, 20-04 -- 92
Day 1: 5, 20-04

8. Randy Howell -- Springville, AL -- 5, 20-04 -- 92
Day 1: 5, 20-04

10. Derek Remitz -- Grant, AL -- 5, 19-10 -- 90
Day 1: 5, 19-10

11. Keith Poche -- Pike Road, AL -- 5, 19-07 -- 89
Day 1: 5, 19-07

12. Jeremy Starks -- Scott Depot, WV -- 5, 18-13 -- 88
Day 1: 5, 18-13

13. Josh Bertrand -- Gilbert, AZ -- 5, 18-11 -- 87
Day 1: 5, 18-11

14. Takahiro Omori -- Emory, TX -- 5, 18-02 -- 86
Day 1: 5, 18-02

15. Jamie Horton -- Centerville, AL -- 5, 18-01 -- 85
Day 1: 5, 18-01

16. Tommy Biffle -- Wagoner, OK -- 5, 17-14 -- 84
Day 1: 5, 17-14

16. Gary Klein -- Weatherford, TX -- 5, 17-14 -- 84
Day 1: 5, 17-14

18. Rick Clunn -- Ava, MO -- 5, 17-12 -- 82
Day 1: 5, 17-12

19. John Crews -- Salem, VA -- 5, 17-08 -- 81
Day 1: 5, 17-08

20. Brandon Card -- Caryville, TN -- 5, 17-07 -- 80
Day 1: 5, 17-07

21. Nate Wellman -- Newaygo, MI -- 5, 17-07 -- 79
Day 1: 5, 17-07

22. Morizo Shimizu -- Osaka JAPAN -- 5, 17-00 -- 78
Day 1: 5, 17-00

23. BJ Haseotes -- Centerville, MA -- 5, 16-12 -- 77
Day 1: 5, 16-12

24. Ish Monroe -- Hughson, CA -- 5, 16-10 -- 76
Day 1: 5, 16-10

24. Pete Ponds -- Madison, MS -- 5, 16-10 -- 76
Day 1: 5, 16-10

26. Jason Christie -- Park Hill, OK -- 5, 16-09 -- 74
Day 1: 5, 16-09

26. Terry Scroggins -- San Mateo, FL -- 5, 16-09 -- 74
Day 1: 5, 16-09

28. Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, TX -- 5, 16-08 -- 72
Day 1: 5, 16-08

28. Billy McCaghren -- Mayflower, AR -- 5, 16-08 -- 72
Day 1: 5, 16-08

28. Brian Snowden -- Reeds Spring, MO -- 5, 16-08 -- 72
Day 1: 5, 16-08

31. John Murray -- Phoenix, AZ -- 5, 16-07 -- 69
Day 1: 5, 16-07

32. Matt Reed -- Madisonville, TX -- 5, 16-04 -- 68
Day 1: 5, 16-04

33. Alton Jones -- Lorena, TX -- 5, 16-01 -- 67
Day 1: 5, 16-01

34. Rick Morris -- Lake Gaston, VA -- 5, 16-00 -- 66
Day 1: 5, 16-00

34. Chris Zaldain -- San Jose, CA -- 5, 16-00 -- 66
Day 1: 5, 16-00

36. Scott Ashmore -- Broken Arrow, OK -- 5, 16-00 -- 64
Day 1: 5, 16-00

37. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA -- 5, 15-15 -- 63
Day 1: 5, 15-15

37. Bobby Lane -- Lakeland, FL -- 5, 15-15 -- 63
Day 1: 5, 15-15

39. Matt Greenblatt -- Port St Lucie, FL -- 5, 15-14 -- 61
Day 1: 5, 15-14

40. Hank Cherry -- Maiden, NC -- 5, 15-13 -- 60
Day 1: 5, 15-13

41. Greg Vinson -- Wetumpka, AL -- 5, 15-12 -- 59
Day 1: 5, 15-12

42. Brent Chapman -- Lake Quivira, KS -- 5, 15-11 -- 58
Day 1: 5, 15-11

42. Boyd Duckett -- Demopolis, AL -- 5, 15-11 -- 58
Day 1: 5, 15-11

42. Jonathon VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 5, 15-11 -- 58
Day 1: 5, 15-11

45. Shaw E Grigsby Jr. -- Gainesville, FL -- 5, 15-10 -- 55
Day 1: 5, 15-10

46. Fletcher Shryock -- New Philadelphia, OH -- 5, 15-08 -- 54
Day 1: 5, 15-08

47. Ott DeFoe -- Knoxville, TN -- 5, 15-07 -- 53
Day 1: 5, 15-07

47. Chad Pipkens -- Holt, MI -- 5, 15-07 -- 53
Day 1: 5, 15-07

49. Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 5, 15-06 -- 51
Day 1: 5, 15-06

50. Skeet Reese -- Auburn, CA -- 5, 15-05 -- 50
Day 1: 5, 15-05

51. Charlie Hartley -- Grove City, OH -- 5, 15-04 -- 49
Day 1: 5, 15-04

51. Jared Lintner -- Arroyo Grande, CA -- 5, 15-04 -- 49
Day 1: 5, 15-04

53. Cliff Prince -- Palatka, FL -- 5, 15-03 -- 47
Day 1: 5, 15-03

54. Jared Miller -- Norman, OK -- 5, 15-02 -- 46
Day 1: 5, 15-02

55. Jason Quinn -- Rock Hill, SC -- 5, 15-00 -- 45
Day 1: 5, 15-00

56. Jason Williamson -- Aiken, SC -- 5, 15-00 -- 44
Day 1: 5, 15-00

57. Kenyon Hill -- Norman, OK -- 5, 14-15 -- 43
Day 1: 5, 14-15

58. Kelley Jaye -- Dadeville, AL -- 5, 14-14 -- 42
Day 1: 5, 14-14

59. Casey D Ashley -- Donalds, SC -- 5, 14-13 -- 41
Day 1: 5, 14-13

60. Andy Montgomery -- Blacksburg, SC -- 5, 14-11 -- 40
Day 1: 5, 14-11

61. Russ Lane -- Prattville, AL -- 5, 14-10 -- 39
Day 1: 5, 14-10

62. Michael Iaconelli -- Pitts Grove, NJ -- 5, 14-08 -- 38
Day 1: 5, 14-08

63. Cliff Crochet -- Pierre Part, LA -- 5, 14-07 -- 37
Day 1: 5, 14-07

63. Fred Roumbanis -- Bixby, OK -- 5, 14-07 -- 37
Day 1: 5, 14-07

65. J Todd Tucker -- Moultrie, GA -- 5, 14-03 -- 35
Day 1: 5, 14-03

66. Kevin Hawk -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 14-01 -- 34
Day 1: 5, 14-01

66. Bradley Roy -- Lancaster, KY -- 5, 14-01 -- 34
Day 1: 5, 14-01

68. Stephen Browning -- Hot Springs, AR -- 5, 14-00 -- 32
Day 1: 5, 14-00

68. David Walker -- Sevierville, TN -- 5, 14-00 -- 32
Day 1: 5, 14-00

70. James Elam -- Tulsa, OK -- 5, 13-15 -- 30
Day 1: 5, 13-15

71. Gerald Swindle -- Warrior, AL -- 5, 13-14 -- 29
Day 1: 5, 13-14

72. Yusuke Miyazaki -- Forney, TX -- 5, 13-13 -- 28
Day 1: 5, 13-13

72. Bernie Schultz -- Gainesville, FL -- 5, 13-13 -- 28
Day 1: 5, 13-13

74. Mike McClelland -- Bella Vista, AR -- 5, 13-11 -- 26
Day 1: 5, 13-11

75. Kelly Jordon -- Palestine, TX -- 5, 13-11 -- 25
Day 1: 5, 13-11

76. Bill Lowen -- Brookville, IN -- 5, 13-05 -- 24
Day 1: 5, 13-05

77. Timmy Horton -- Muscle Shoals, AL -- 4, 13-03 -- 23
Day 1: 4, 13-03

78. Jeff Kriet -- Ardmore, OK -- 5, 13-02 -- 22
Day 1: 5, 13-02

79. Edwin Evers -- Talala, OK -- 5, 13-01 -- 21
Day 1: 5, 13-01

80. Kevin Short -- Mayflower, AR -- 5, 12-15 -- 20
Day 1: 5, 12-15

81. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, AZ -- 5, 12-14 -- 19
Day 1: 5, 12-14

82. Paul Elias -- Laurel, MS -- 5, 12-10 -- 18
Day 1: 5, 12-10

83. Jami Fralick -- Martin, SD -- 5, 12-06 -- 17
Day 1: 5, 12-06

83. Casey Scanlon -- Shawnee Mission, KS -- 5, 12-06 -- 17
Day 1: 5, 12-06

85. Britt Myers -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 4, 12-05 -- 15
Day 1: 4, 12-05

86. Kevin Ledoux -- Choctaw, OK -- 5, 12-02 -- 14
Day 1: 5, 12-02

87. Chip Porche -- Bixby, OK -- 5, 11-12 -- 13
Day 1: 5, 11-12

88. Matt Herren -- Trussville, AL -- 5, 11-11 -- 12
Day 1: 5, 11-11

89. James Niggemeyer -- Van, TX -- 5, 11-08 -- 11
Day 1: 5, 11-08

90. Scott Rook -- Little Rock, AR -- 5, 11-07 -- 10
Day 1: 5, 11-07

91. Kurt Dove -- Del Rio, TX -- 5, 11-04 -- 9
Day 1: 5, 11-04

92. Dean Rojas -- Lake Havasu City, AZ -- 5, 10-06 -- 8
Day 1: 5, 10-06

93. Dennis Tietje -- Roanoke, LA -- 5, 10-01 -- 7
Day 1: 5, 10-01

94. Zell Rowland -- Montgomery, TX -- 4, 08-12 -- 6
Day 1: 4, 08-12

95. Marty Robinson -- Lyman, SC -- 4, 08-09 -- 5
Day 1: 4, 08-09

96. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL -- 5, 08-08 -- 4
Day 1: 5, 08-08

97. Davy Hite -- Ninety Six, SC -- 2, 05-03 -- 3
Day 1: 2, 05-03

98. Grant Goldbeck -- Boerne, TX -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00

98. David Smith -- Del City, OK -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00