By Ken Duke
Special to BassFan


(First of two parts)

If you've watched more than a couple of Bassmaster Elite Series weigh-ins or read more than a few tournament recap stories, you know certain anglers have a reputation for catching big bass. Some even have nicknames referencing their lunker-catching prowess.

Some of the reputations and nicknames are deserved. Some are hype.

Unlike baseball, football and basketball – where claims of power hitting, passing efficiency and rebounding are clearly visible in statistics that are readily accessible to fans – tournament bass fishing is light on numbers and heavy on hyperbole. Just because someone says or types it doesn't make it true. Just because the nickname rhymes doesn't mean it fits. Just because it's easy doesn't mean it's accurate.

The Best at Big Bass

So who's the best on the Bassmaster Elite Series at catching big bass – the daily lunkers that make news releases and win prizes? There's only one way to find out, and it doesn't involve polling the fans or pundits. The answer is in the numbers.

Most Big Bass of the Tournament

Kelly Jordon -- 4
Aaron Martens -- 4
Greg Hackney -- 3 1/2
Takahiro Omori -- 3
Terry Scroggins -- 3

The numbers next to the names above represent the number of times they caught the biggest bass of an entire Elite tournament. Greg Hackney scores 3 1/2 because he tied for big bass at the California Delta in 2010. Three other times he won outright.

But there's more data! (Please, hold your applause until the end!) We also have daily big bass:

Most Daily Big Bass

Todd Faircloth -- 12
Dean Rojas -- 9 1/2
Kelly Jordon -- 9 1/3
Edwin Evers -- 9
Greg Hackney -- 8 2/3
Aaron Martens -- 8 1/2
Brent Chapman -- 7 1/2
Randy Howell -- 7
Chris Lane -- 7
Brandon Palaniuk -- 7

You get some fractions when two or three anglers tie for big fish.

Behind the Numbers

Some of the names may surprise you. In particular, Edwin Evers, Aaron Martens and Randy Howell don't have big reputations for catching big bass, but maybe they should. Most fans think of them as consistent performers rather than lunker-hunters, but let that be our first lesson in what it takes to catch tournament big bass.

If you look at the names of the anglers who have caught six or more daily big bass, the main thing they have in common is that they're all very good, have had successful Elite careers and catch more bass than the average Elite angler.

In the 89-event history of the Elite Series, the average angler brings 4.50 bass to the scales each day. I call that "bassing average." Everyone in the Top 10 of the daily lunker list does better than that. Six of them are in the Top 14 of active Elites and the others are not far behind. (Martens leads with 4.81; Jordon ranks last in the group at 4.59 – still considerably better than average.)

The correlation between numbers of bass and big bass is undeniable and unmistakable. If you catch a lot of fish, you have more opportunities to catch a big fish. So, if you want a list of the guys who catch the most big bass, you could do worse than to start with a list of the guys who catch the most keepers.



B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito
Photo: B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito

In addition to all of his other accolades, Aaron Martens is also a frequent big-fish catcher.

There are two reasons for this. First, the guys who catch the most keepers are filtering through more bass, getting more bites, culling more and generally giving themselves more opportunities to catch a fish that might just be the biggest of the day.

Second, once an angler has a limit (and this happens more often and faster for the guys who catch a lot of fish), he can gamble, try something different, upgrade baits and tackle, etc., all in hopes of catching a "kicker."

Add it all up, and it's no wonder the guys who catch the most bass also tend to catch the most keeper bass.

Survive and Advance

Closely related to catching a lot of bass is making a lot of cuts. If you're not in the Top 50 anglers in the field after the second day, you're done – no more chances to catch a big fish. No more opportunities to be a hero.

It's yet another area where the Top 10 lunker anglers excel. Whereas the average Elite pro makes the first cut a little less than half the time, our group makes it nearly 70 percent of the time. (Kevin VanDam, who just missed the Top 10, advances to the third round 87.5 percent of the time. Of the Top 10 lunker-catchers, Faircloth and Martens make it past the first cut most often at more than 75 percent. Palaniuk brings up the rear at a respectable 55 percent.)

More days on the water equal more chances to catch a big bass. And of the nearly 100 daily big bass the group has claimed, almost 60 percent came on days 3 or 4, not on the first 2 days when the full Elite field is on the water. On Day 4, when there are only 12 anglers competing, our group has claimed big-fish honors 29.5 times! It's not all about being "big bass specialists." It's about getting to the finals where – all other things being equal – you have a 1-in-12 shot of catching the biggest fish of the day.

In Part 2, I'll break down the true "big bass specialists" and show you who among Elite anglers has a real knack for catching lunkers.

End part 1 (of 2)

(Ken Duke is managing editor for Fishing Tackle Retailer and is a former senior editor of B.A.S.S. publications.)