VanDam's 24-05 Leads After 'Incredible' Day 1

By BassFan Staff

“Good Lord,” was Chris Lane’s reaction.

“Incredible. I don't think anyone expected them to be this good,” Justin Lucas wrote in a text message.

“It’s not quite Falcon (Lake), but it was definitely the best weigh-in I’ve been a part of,” added Fletcher Shryock – and he struggled today.

“You better catch ‘em,” said Bill Lowen after glancing down the leaderboard after day 1 of the St. Lawrence River Elite Series today.

Astonishment pretty well summed up the reaction of many competitors as the Elite Series kicked off what amounts to the stretch drive of the season with an exceptional day in northern New York as nearly half the field (50 anglers) caught 18 pounds or more. There were 20 stringers that topped the 20-pound mark, twice the number that were caught 20 on day 1 at Waddington two years ago. Another 15 weighed 19-plus.

As it stands, it might take 36 pounds to collect a paycheck when Friday’s weigh-in concludes.

Leading the way is Kevin VanDam, who bagged 24-05, including a 6-01 kicker that was big fish of the day. He started the event 33 points out of the lead in the Angler of the Year standings and his fast start has him up to 2nd place, just 11 points behind Casey Ashley.

Bill Lowen, who’s coming off two straight missed cuts, had two 5-pounders anchoring his 23-06 stringer and is less than a pound back in 2nd. Seth Feider, a smallmouth expert from Minnesota, is 3rd with 22-11 while Brent Ehrler sits in 4th after catching 22-09.

South Carolina’s Marty Robinson is 5th with 22-04.

It’s hard to imagine any fishery being able to keep up such a pace, but the St. Lawrence may be one of the few that can. With so much fishable water and the smallmouth being positioned by the swift current in predictable areas, it’s conceivable Friday could be just as good.

Here's a look at the top 12 after the first day of competition, with deficit margin from VanDam indicated by red numbers in parentheses:

1. Kevin VanDam: 24-05
2. Bill Lowen: 23-06 (0-15)
3. Seth Feider: 22-11 (1-10)
4. Brent Ehrler: 22-09 (1-12)
5. Marty Robinson: 22-04 (2-01)
6. Casey Ashley: 21-14 (2-07)
7. James Elam: 21-12 (2-09)
8. Bernie Schultz: 21-12 (2-09)
9. Dave Lefebre: 21-11 (2-10)
10. Jesse Wiggins: 21-10 (2-11)
11. Justin Lucas: 21-08 (2-14)
12. Edwin Evers: 21-02 (3-03)

The hand-wringing over the Iroquois Dam turned out to be for naught as anglers were able to pass under the walk-through locks adjacent to the lock to access the part of the river to the west of Waddington.

As the season draws closer to its conclusion, the focus on the AOY standings will intensify by the day. Ott DeFoe had the lead coming in, but is down in 60th place in the tournament standings after catching 16-12. Ashley moved to the top of the points race with a 21-14 bag that has him in 6th.

While some surmised that largemouth could hold someone over for a couple days, it appears smallmouth will be the dominant species this week – and there was some chatter about some still hanging around beds. Dave Lefebre did manage to bag an all-largemouth stringer that weighed 21-11, but he’s concerned he burned through too many fish to reach that total.

The weather is supposed to remain stable with partly cloudy skies and slight breeze out of the west Friday when the field gets reduced to the top 51.

VanDam Thrilled With Start

> Day 1: 5, 24-05

VanDam had a good feeling coming into the tournament, but he didn’t anticipate having the kind of day he wound up having. He moved around a fair bit and had most of his weight by 11 a.m.

“I knew if everything went right, I might be able to catch five good ones,” he said. “I didn’t expect to do that. It’s not like I have a spot with 600 million fish on it. It’s hard work.”

He said there’s been a noticeable spike in the goby population since the Elite Series last visited and that’s likely the reason the bass appear to be so well-fed.

“It’s the same fish,” he said. “There is a ridiculous amount of gobies out there. They’re constantly biting your stuff.”

He did most of his damage off the bank and he knows he’ll need a similar stringer Friday to stay near the top of the leaderboard.

“The biggest thing I learned is by looking at the leaderboard, I’m going to have to catch quality,” he said. “Being consistent here for 4 days is going to be tough. Each tournament we’ve had here in the river, you’ve had to catch them every day and that’s hard to do. I know I’m thrilled to have the start I’ve got.”

2nd: Lowen Taking It In Stride

> Day 1: 5, 23-06

Lowen’s sentiment mentioned earlier sums up his reluctance to get too smitten with any area or pattern when smallmouth are involved. He knows all too well that their nomadic nature can burn any angler at any given time.

“The St. Lawrence River is phenomenal – it’s full of big ones, but they’re smallmouth and they can disappear just as quick as they showed up,” he said. “Tomorrow will be interesting.”

Asked if he felt that the day-1 pace could be maintained throughout the event, he sounded skeptical.

“It’s fishing good, but I don’t know. That’d be super strong,” he said.

He targeted shallow rock today and knows the more water he covers, the more opportunities he’ll have. That said, he only needed one spot today to amass his stringer.

“I’m fortunate in that I didn’t have to burn a bunch of fish to get what I had,” he noted. “I started on good stuff thinking I could catch a limit quick. When that didn’t work, I went to shallow stuff. I got to my good area about 9:30 and by 11, I had what I had. I went out deep again after that.”

3rd: Feider Pulled Chute Too Early

> Day 1: 5, 22-11

Feider thought he “was killing it” this morning, but when he realized others had similarly good days, he regretted laying off his best spot as early as he did.

“I laid off around 10 a.m. and only made one cull after that,” he said. “I won’t be letting off anything the rest of the week. I have a lot of spots I still haven’t checked.”

He said roughly half the spots he fished today were productive and the other half were “ghost towns.” He’s aware things could flip-flop tomorrow.

“You can tell right away if it’s happening,” he said. “You get bit on your second or third cast at some spots.”

He said the fishing quality is about the same as it was in the 2015 event in which he finished 12th, but he’s keeping an open mind as to where to be and what to focus on.

“There are wolfpacks shallow and I think they’re moving out,” he said. “The deeper bite could improve. I’m just going to play the conditions.”

4th: Ehrler Encouraged

> Day 1: 5, 22-09

Ehrler’s glad he waited until today to have the best day of the week so far. He weeded through numerous small fish, but felt fortunate to connect with a few quality bites.

“I caught plenty of fish, but it’s harder to get the bigger bites,” he said. “I was hoping for 17 pounds, but then you start linking some stuff together, and get in a rhythm and everything went right.”

He expected the fishing to be multi-faceted and it has been so far. He spent time in deep water and part of the day shallow, employing faster-moving baits and slower presentations.

“It’s about what I expected,” he said. “They’re everywhere – shallow, deep and everywhere in between.”

While others capitalized on early flurries and were in practice mode by mid-day, his biggest fish – a 5-pound smallmouth – came around 2 p.m. He’s anxious to get back out there Friday.

“I have a couple areas where I think I can catch them and one area with no one around,” he added. “I didn’t spent much time there and caught two big ones. I’m excited to get back there and see what happens. I felt like something could happen there.”

5th: Robinson All In On Smallies

> Day 1: 5, 22-04

Robinson doesn’t fancy himself to be a smallmouth expert by any means, but he’s hoping that by applying what he’s learned over the years, he can lock up a quality finish this week as he tries to maneuver into position to qualify for the AOY Championship.

“It wasn’t a bad start for here,” he said. “It’s about what you need to stay close. I caught them quick this morning then hit a dry spell, then caught them good around noon.”

He stayed in one general area and plans to remain focused on smallmouth.

“I’m living and dying with the brown ones this week,” he said, adding that he employed a variety of presentations (spinnerbait, crankbait, dropshot) through the day.

Despite being in the top 5, he knows it’s easy to get a false sense of confidence around smallmouth.

“I’m not known to be a good smallmouth angler, but I’m just going to try to get a few bites tomorrow,” he said.

22nd: Lane Stayed Mentally Tough

> Day 1: 5, 19-12

Lane has competed at some prolific smallmouth fisheries and even won an Elite Series at Lake St. Clair a couple years ago. Nothing compares to the St. Lawrence in his mind, though.

“The size is unreal,” he said. “When you pick them up they seem to weigh a half-pound heavier. They’re healthy.”

He’s had a miserable season to this point so he said it felt good to have a solid day to start the tournament. He knows he won’t be able to let up tomorrow, though.

“It really turned on in the last couple hours and that made a big difference,” he said. “My intent was to catch 20 pounds (today) and then try to catch 14 or 15 pounds of largemouth Friday. That’s not the case anymore. I’m going need 18 to 20 each day of smallmouth or largemouth.”

He weighed all smallmouth and said staying focused was key today.

“My key was mental 100 percent,” he added. “All the way to the last cast and trying to not let my year decide where I was going to finish this tournament. I stayed focused to the last cast and caught a 4-pounder. That’s the difference between being in 50th and 22nd.”

84th: Shyrock Stymied by Smallmouth

> Day 1: 5, 14-15

Shyrock was thankful he had a backup plan today. Otherwise, he’d have come in lighter than he did.

“I’m glad I had backup largemouth to run to,” he said. “My deal was I had a bunch of stuff and I had to sample some largemouth stuff and sample smallmouth stuff. I thought I’d catch fish all day. I didn’t know how or when, but figured it’d all pan out.”

He caught all of his weight in the span of an hour and figured he could target bigger smallmouth to upgrade.

“When I caught 15 I thought I’d catch two big smallies blindfolded, but that didn’t happen,” he said. “They’re definitely the post-spawn tricky ones, but I figured I could catch a few of them.”

Execution-wise, it wasn’t his strongest day either. He had several fish follow his bait and a few that committed, but he was too quick on the hookset.

“I had about 20 pounds shark me to the boat or I’d jerk and miss them,” he said. “I know where they’re sitting and know them by name. I just can’t catch them.”

He wound up weighing in four largemouth and one smallmouth.

“I can still see myself grinding out a good bag tomorrow,” he added. “The potential is there for 20 pounds.”

Notable

> Day 1 stats – 109 anglers, 105 limits, 2 fours, 1 three, 1 one.

> Boyd Duckett said he was ticketed and fined by New York State authorities for violating the no-wake zone speed limit. The no-wake zone was extended to 600 feet from any shoreline in New York waters last month.

> The average weight of the fish that crossed the scale today was 3.45 pounds.

Weather Forecast

> Fri., July 21 – Partly Cloudy - 81°/62°
- Wind: From the WSW at 5 to 10 mph

> Sat., July 22 – Partly Cloudy - 77°/59°
- Wind: Light and variable

> Sun., July 23 – Mostly Cloudy - 73°/58°
- Wind: From the ENE at 10 to 15 mph

Day 1 Standings

1. Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 5, 24-05 -- 110
Day 1: 5, 24-05

2. Bill Lowen -- Brookville, IN -- 5, 23-06 -- 109
Day 1: 5, 23-06

3. Seth Feider -- Isle, MN -- 5, 22-11 -- 108
Day 1: 5, 22-11

4. Brent Ehrler -- Redlands, CA -- 5, 22-09 -- 107
Day 1: 5, 22-09

5. Marty Robinson -- Lyman, SC -- 5, 22-04 -- 106
Day 1: 5, 22-04

6. Casey Ashley -- Donalds, SC -- 5, 21-14 -- 105
Day 1: 5, 21-14

7. James Elam -- Tulsa, OK -- 5, 21-12 -- 104
Day 1: 5, 21-12

8. Bernie Schultz -- Gainesville, FL -- 5, 21-12 -- 103
Day 1: 5, 21-12

9. Dave Lefebre -- Erie, PA -- 5, 21-11 -- 102
Day 1: 5, 21-11

10. Jesse Wiggins -- Cullman, AL -- 5, 21-10 -- 101
Day 1: 5, 21-10

11. Justin Lucas -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 21-08 -- 100
Day 1: 5, 21-08

12. Edwin Evers -- Talala, OK -- 5, 21-02 -- 99
Day 1: 5, 21-02

13. Randall Tharp -- Port St. Joe, FL -- 5, 20-11 -- 98
Day 1: 5, 20-11

14. Michael Iaconelli -- Pitts Grove, NJ -- 5, 20-09 -- 97
Day 1: 5, 20-09

14. Jonathon VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 5, 20-09 -- 97
Day 1: 5, 20-09

16. Keith Combs -- Huntington, TX -- 5, 20-08 -- 95
Day 1: 5, 20-08

16. Russ Lane -- Prattville, AL -- 5, 20-08 -- 95
Day 1: 5, 20-08

16. Brock Mosley -- Collinsville, MS -- 5, 20-08 -- 95
Day 1: 5, 20-08

19. Alton Jones -- Lorena, TX -- 5, 20-06 -- 92
Day 1: 5, 20-06

20. Takahiro Omori -- Emory, TX -- 5, 20-01 -- 91
Day 1: 5, 20-01

21. Brett Hite -- Phoenix, AZ -- 5, 19-14 -- 90
Day 1: 5, 19-14

22. Chris Lane -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 19-12 -- 89
Day 1: 5, 19-12

23. Jared Lintner -- Arroyo Grande, CA -- 5, 19-11 -- 88
Day 1: 5, 19-11

24. Brandon Coulter -- Knoxville, TN -- 5, 19-10 -- 87
Day 1: 5, 19-10

25. Dustin Connell -- Clanton, AL -- 5, 19-09 -- 86
Day 1: 5, 19-09

25. Mike McClelland -- Bella Vista, AR -- 5, 19-09 -- 86
Day 1: 5, 19-09

27. Jason Christie -- Park Hill, OK -- 5, 19-09 -- 84
Day 1: 5, 19-09

28. Josh Bertrand -- San Tan Valley, AZ -- 5, 19-07 -- 83
Day 1: 5, 19-07

29. John Crews Jr -- Salem, VA -- 5, 19-07 -- 82
Day 1: 5, 19-07

30. Kelley Jaye -- Dadeville, AL -- 5, 19-05 -- 81
Day 1: 5, 19-05

31. Gary Klein -- Mingus, TX -- 5, 19-03 -- 80
Day 1: 5, 19-03

31. Britt Myers -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 5, 19-03 -- 80
Day 1: 5, 19-03

33. David Walker -- Sevierville, TN -- 5, 19-02 -- 78
Day 1: 5, 19-02

34. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA -- 5, 19-01 -- 77
Day 1: 5, 19-01

35. Jamie Hartman -- Newport, NY -- 5, 19-00 -- 76
Day 1: 5, 19-00

36. Brian Snowden -- Reeds Spring, MO -- 5, 18-15 -- 75
Day 1: 5, 18-15

37. Chad Pipkens -- Lansing, MI -- 5, 18-15 -- 74
Day 1: 5, 18-15

38. John Murray -- Spring City, TN -- 5, 18-14 -- 73
Day 1: 5, 18-14

39. Mark Daniels Jr. Tuskegee, AL -- 5, 18-13 -- 72
Day 1: 5, 18-13

39. Koby Kreiger -- Bokeelia, FL -- 5, 18-13 -- 72
Day 1: 5, 18-13

41. Gerald Swindle -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 18-12 -- 70
Day 1: 5, 18-12

42. Adrian Avena -- Vineland, NJ -- 5, 18-10 -- 69
Day 1: 5, 18-10

42. Matt Lee -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 18-10 -- 69
Day 1: 5, 18-10

44. Brandon Card -- Knoxville, TN -- 5, 18-05 -- 67
Day 1: 5, 18-05

44. Robbie Latuso -- Gonzales, LA -- 5, 18-05 -- 67
Day 1: 5, 18-05

44. Jordan Lee -- Grant, AL -- 5, 18-05 -- 67
Day 1: 5, 18-05

44. David Williams -- Newton, NC -- 5, 18-05 -- 67
Day 1: 5, 18-05

48. Micah Frazier -- Newnan, GA -- 5, 18-04 -- 63
Day 1: 5, 18-04

49. Greg Vinson -- Wetumpka, AL -- 5, 18-03 -- 62
Day 1: 5, 18-03

50. Jacob Wheeler -- Harrison, TN -- 5, 18-00 -- 61
Day 1: 5, 18-00

51. Mark Davis -- Mount Ida, AR -- 5, 17-10 -- 60
Day 1: 5, 17-10

51. Matt Herren -- Ashville, AL -- 5, 17-10 -- 60
Day 1: 5, 17-10

53. Skeet Reese -- Auburn, CA -- 5, 17-07 -- 58
Day 1: 5, 17-07

54. Cliff Pace -- Petal, MS -- 5, 17-06 -- 57
Day 1: 5, 17-06

54. Jason Williamson -- Wagener, SC -- 5, 17-06 -- 57
Day 1: 5, 17-06

56. Scott Rook -- Little Rock, AR -- 5, 17-05 -- 55
Day 1: 5, 17-05

57. Luke Clausen -- Otis Orchards, WA -- 5, 17-04 -- 54
Day 1: 5, 17-04

57. Jacob Powroznik -- North Prince George, VA -- 5, 17-04 -- 54
Day 1: 5, 17-04

59. Bradley Roy -- Lancaster, KY -- 5, 16-15 -- 52
Day 1: 5, 16-15

60. Ott DeFoe -- Knoxville, TN -- 5, 16-12 -- 51
Day 1: 5, 16-12

61. Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, TX -- 5, 16-11 -- 50
Day 1: 5, 16-11

62. Hank Cherry Jr -- Lincolnton, NC -- 5, 16-10 -- 49
Day 1: 5, 16-10

62. Aaron Martens -- Leeds, AL -- 5, 16-10 -- 49
Day 1: 5, 16-10

64. Jesse Tacoronte -- Orlando, FL -- 5, 16-07 -- 47
Day 1: 5, 16-07

65. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, AZ -- 5, 16-05 -- 46
Day 1: 5, 16-05

66. Terry Scroggins -- San Mateo, FL -- 5, 16-04 -- 45
Day 1: 5, 16-04

67. Cliff Crochet -- Pierre Part, LA -- 5, 16-03 -- 44
Day 1: 5, 16-03

67. Kelly Jordon -- Flint, TX -- 5, 16-03 -- 44
Day 1: 5, 16-03

67. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL -- 5, 16-03 -- 44
Day 1: 5, 16-03

67. Cliff Prince -- Palatka, FL -- 5, 16-03 -- 44
Day 1: 5, 16-03

71. James Niggemeyer -- Van, TX -- 5, 16-01 -- 40
Day 1: 5, 16-01

72. Brandon Palaniuk -- Hayden, ID -- 5, 15-15 -- 39
Day 1: 5, 15-15

73. Fred Roumbanis -- London, AR -- 5, 15-13 -- 38
Day 1: 5, 15-13

74. Brandon Lester -- Fayetteville, TN -- 5, 15-10 -- 37
Day 1: 5, 15-10

75. Boyd Duckett -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 15-07 -- 36
Day 1: 5, 15-07

75. Randy Howell -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 15-07 -- 36
Day 1: 5, 15-07

77. Stetson Blaylock -- Benton, AR -- 5, 15-06 -- 34
Day 1: 5, 15-06

78. Tommy Biffle -- Wagoner, OK -- 5, 15-05 -- 33
Day 1: 5, 15-05

78. Jeff Kriet -- Ardmore, OK -- 5, 15-05 -- 33
Day 1: 5, 15-05

80. Mark Menendez -- Paducah, KY -- 5, 15-04 -- 31
Day 1: 5, 15-04

81. Stephen Browning -- Hot Springs, AR -- 5, 15-04 -- 30
Day 1: 5, 15-04

82. Ish Monroe -- Hughson, CA -- 5, 15-01 -- 29
Day 1: 5, 15-01

83. Alton Jones Jr. Lorena, TX -- 5, 15-00 -- 28
Day 1: 5, 15-00

84. David Mullins -- Mt Carmel, TN -- 5, 14-15 -- 27
Day 1: 5, 14-15

84. Fletcher Shryock -- New Philadelphia, OH -- 5, 14-15 -- 27
Day 1: 5, 14-15

86. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL -- 5, 14-11 -- 25
Day 1: 5, 14-11

87. Drew Benton -- Panama City, FL -- 5, 14-07 -- 24
Day 1: 5, 14-07

88. Clent Davis -- Montevallo, AL -- 5, 14-06 -- 23
Day 1: 5, 14-06

89. Paul Mueller -- Naugatuck, CT -- 5, 14-05 -- 22
Day 1: 5, 14-05

90. Brent Chapman -- Lake Quivira, KS -- 5, 14-03 -- 21
Day 1: 5, 14-03

91. Morizo Shimizu -- Suita, Osaka JAPAN -- 5, 14-01 -- 20
Day 1: 5, 14-01

92. Darrell Ocamica -- New Plymouth, ID -- 5, 13-13 -- 19
Day 1: 5, 13-13

93. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL -- 5, 13-12 -- 18
Day 1: 5, 13-12

94. Tim Horton -- Muscle Shoals, AL -- 5, 13-10 -- 17
Day 1: 5, 13-10

95. Chad Morgenthaler -- Reeds Spring, MO -- 5, 13-09 -- 16
Day 1: 5, 13-09

96. Gerald Spohrer -- Gonzales, LA -- 5, 13-07 -- 15
Day 1: 5, 13-07

97. Rick Clunn -- Ava, MO -- 5, 12-14 -- 14
Day 1: 5, 12-14

98. John Hunter Jr -- Shelbyville, KY -- 5, 12-07 -- 13
Day 1: 5, 12-07

99. Dean Rojas -- Lake Havasu City, AZ -- 5, 12-06 -- 12
Day 1: 5, 12-06

100. Brett Preuett -- Monroe, LA -- 5, 11-10 -- 11
Day 1: 5, 11-10

101. Andy Montgomery -- Blacksburg, SC -- 5, 11-07 -- 10
Day 1: 5, 11-07

102. Paul Elias -- Laurel, MS -- 5, 10-10 -- 9
Day 1: 5, 10-10

103. Skylar Hamilton -- Dandridge, TN -- 4, 10-02 -- 8
Day 1: 4, 10-02

104. Chris Zaldain -- Laughlin, NV -- 4, 10-01 -- 7
Day 1: 4, 10-01

105. Shane Lineberger -- Lincolnton, NC -- 3, 09-12 -- 6
Day 1: 3, 09-12

106. Keith Poche -- Pike Road, AL -- 5, 09-05 -- 5
Day 1: 5, 09-05

107. David Fritts -- Lexington, NC -- 5, 09-02 -- 4
Day 1: 5, 09-02

108. Tyler Carriere -- Youngsville, LA -- 5, 08-07 -- 3
Day 1: 5, 08-07

109. Chad Grigsby -- Maple Grove, MN -- 1, 05-09 -- 2
Day 1: 1, 05-09