By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor

Nine points was the deficit between the first- and second-place anglers in the Bassmaster Elite Series points standings entering the Angler of the Year Championship.

With day 1 of competition at Lake St. Clair in the books, the same nine-point margin is now what separates first and fourth place. Yes, things look a little different and a lot tighter at the top of the points race as St. Clair dished out about all the 50-man field could handle.

A typical Elite Series tournament lasts four days, but this three-day stop on the outskirts of Detroit looks to be taking on a marathon feel, especially for those vying for one of the sport’s marquee titles.

Heading into the AOY event, seven anglers had a mathematical shot to win the title and claim the $100,000 bonus that goes with it. It now appears to be a four-man race with Chris Zaldain taking over the points lead from Scott Canterbury after catching 20-12, a total that has him 11th on the tournament leaderboard.

“One down, two to go,” Zaldain said, dismissing the temptation to revel in being the new points leader. “Still a long ways to go.”

Thirteen other anglers eclipsed the 20-pound mark, including Stetson Blaylock, who bagged 24-12 and is tied for second in the event. He also moved up two spots to second in points, just two points behind Zaldain for the time being. Canterbury, meanwhile, slipped to third, just two points behind Blaylock, after salvaging 17-11 on a day the electronics on his bow were inoperable for virtually the entire round.

Cory Johnston, who came into the event third in points, also encountered mechanical issues, but got an assist from brother Chris, who swapped boats with Cory (with the approval of tournament officials). Cory Johnston cobbled together 19-07 and is tied for 15th, but now sits fourth in points, nine markers back of Zaldain.

Seth Feider was unable to make a cast on the best area he found in practice due to an easterly wind that made moving around the main lake treacherous. He made the most of some back-up areas today and leads the event with 26-12, anchored by a 6-12 kicker.

A name to keep an eye on over the next two days is Derek Hudnall. The rookie from Louisiana entered the event likely needing a top-10 finish and others to struggle in order to qualify for the Classic. Hudnall, who was disqualified from the Lake Hartwell Elite Series earlier this year for a violation of the rule governing the off-limits period, is tied with Blaylock for second after sacking 24-12.



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

Scott Canterbury made the most of a tough day, catching 17-11 despite not having functioning electronics on his bow all day.

Paul Mueller, who came in 42nd in points, which is expected to be the cutoff for Classic qualification, is off to a strong start with 22-06, which has him in fourth on the leaderboard. Shane Lehew caught 22-00 to round out the top 5.

Marine forecasts for Monday and Tuesday call for winds in the 5- to 10-knot range and waves two feet or less. If that holds true, that’ll be a welcome change compared to what the field was faced with for most of practice and the entirety of day 1.

Rookie Tyler Rivet, who was in contention to make the Bassmaster Classic, lost part of his day after his bilge pumps stopped working and his boat began taking on water. He struggled to get back, but was able to reach the launch ramp where his boat was repaired and he expects to finish the event.

For Zaldain, a tremendous amount of thought and preparation has gone into this event. He came out of practice with an assortment of game plans depending on the conditions. He has deep-water areas, shallow spots and a few mid-depth locales, with the challenge being identifying which ones to focus on based on what Mother Nature throws at him.

Today’s east wind was a new wrinkle, but he employed a system involving reaction baits, like a jerkbait, and finesse presentations (dropshot) to build some momentum.

“More important in my mindset and I’ve done it all year – keep an open mind,” he said. “I’m always focused on setting myself up for the following day. All year, I’ve used day 1 of the tournament as day 4 of practice. Whether it’s day 1 or day 4, the next day is always more important.”

That said, his goal Monday will be to keep Johnston in his rearview mirror, which won’t be an easy task knowing Johnston’s prowess on northern smallmouth fisheries.

“I figure if I can defend the guys behind me, I need a top-5 and nobody can pass me,” Zaldain said. “To do that, I think I’ll need 20 (pounds) a day.”

Blaylock was genuinely surprised by the weight he hauled in, noting it may be the biggest stringer of smallmouth he’s caught in his career. It could also wind up being one of the most important stringers of fish he’s ever caught, too.

“It could be interesting,” he said. “If I do my job, it’s up to everyone else to do theirs.”

He did most of his damage in one area and still has a variety of places to revisit that he found in practice.

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

Tournament leader Seth Feider caught the bulk of his weight in a 30-minute span today, all on a crankbait.

“If (the wind) lays down, I’d like to make a pass through some of the places,” he said. “Granted, I don’t think I can catch 24 again, but a low 20s bag would be great. It’s definitely doable. There are plenty of fish to do it. I hate to say it’s a grind, but it is. I just have to put my blinders on and get after it.”

If it were earlier in his career, Canterbury could see himself coming unglued mentally had he been faced with the adversity he dealt with this morning. Somehow, he maintained his focus and came away with a respectable bag that kept himself in the mix for AOY.

“I’m actually pretty happy with my weight, but I just didn’t get as many bites as I was hoping for,” he said. “I need to step it up a little.”

He says a couple blown fuses were the culprit for his front electronics not working beyond the first 10 minutes this morning. He spent much of the day walking from the trolling motor pedal to his console to see the sonar linked to a transducer mounted on his transom.

“It’s not like I was fishing isolated rocks, but I had waypoints I wanted to get around,” he said. “It could’ve been worse. I was still able to fish.”

Keeping his focus was the top priority, though.

“It was pretty hard,” he said. “I knew what I had to do and that was catch five. It’s not like it was easy. I knew if I went in (to get repairs), it could’ve taken two or three hours or just 20 minutes. I made the decision to stay out and keep a lure wet. I thought I could run into five with so many fish in the lake. Who knows, tomorrow with full graphs I might not catch anything.”

That’s unlikely considering he made eight of nine top-35 cuts this season.

“With the adversity I had, I was pretty happy and the good thing is I have lots of room to move up,” he added.

With the AOY title out of reach, Feider said his main focus for the event was to have some fun, but his morning was less than enjoyable. He opted against running to the best spot he’d found in practice because of the wind. Instead, he fished an area on the north side of the lake and caught four that weighed roughly eight pounds.

Hoping to finish his limit, he made a move to a known community spot and he had it to himself. In a 30-minute span, he caught 10 quality fish and space in his livewell suddenly became scarce.

“I caught a 4-pounder on my first cast and then busted them on a crankbait as quick as I could, and then it was over,” he said. “I just got dumb lucky. I’d caught them there four or five years ago, but almost every time I drive by there, there are boats there. I was just hoping to catch a 3-pounder to fill my limit. I was not expecting anything like that.”

A Rapala DT-10 in the Helsinki Shad finish was the key plug during the flurry, which was enough to make Feider add the spot to his day-2 game plan.

“I think I’ll start where I caught them today, but I won’t stay long,” he said. “Then I’m going to the only spot I caught them in practice.”

Weather Forecast

> Mon., Sept. 30 – Morning showers, then partly cloudy– 79°/70°
- Wind: From the SE at 10 mph

> Tues., Oct. 1 – Morning thunderstorms – 83°/66°
- Wind: From the SW at 13 mph

Notable

> With his 7-10 (two fish) stringer today, Drew Cook clinched the Rookie of the Year title, capping off a season that saw the Florida angler lead the overall points standings on two separate occasions.

Day 1 Results

1. Seth Feider -- New Market, MN -- 5, 26-12 -- 100
Day 1: 5, 26-12

2. Stetson Blaylock -- Benton, AR -- 5, 24-12 -- 99
Day 1: 5, 24-12

2. Derek Hudnall -- Baton Rouge, LA -- 5, 24-12 -- 99
Day 1: 5, 24-12

4. Paul Mueller -- Naugatuck, CT -- 5, 22-06 -- 97
Day 1: 5, 22-06

5. Shane LeHew -- Catawba, NC -- 5, 22-00 -- 96
Day 1: 5, 22-00

6. Skylar Hamilton -- Dandridge, TN -- 5, 21-13 -- 95
Day 1: 5, 21-13

7. Hunter Shryock -- Newcomerstown, OH -- 5, 21-08 -- 94
Day 1: 5, 21-08

7. Jake Whitaker -- Fairview, NC -- 5, 21-08 -- 94
Day 1: 5, 21-08

9. Cliff Prince -- Palatka, FL -- 5, 21-03 -- 92
Day 1: 5, 21-03

10. Todd Auten -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 5, 20-14 -- 91
Day 1: 5, 20-14

11. Chris Zaldain -- Fort Worth, TX -- 5, 20-12 -- 90
Day 1: 5, 20-12

12. Brandon Lester -- Fayetteville, TN -- 5, 20-08 -- 89
Day 1: 5, 20-08

12. Caleb Sumrall -- New Iberia, LA -- 5, 20-08 -- 89
Day 1: 5, 20-08

14. Micah Frazier -- Newnan, GA -- 5, 20-06 -- 87
Day 1: 5, 20-06

15. Matt Arey -- Shelby, NC -- 5, 19-07 -- 86
Day 1: 5, 19-07

15. Cory Johnston -- Cavan CANADA -- 5, 19-07 -- 86
Day 1: 5, 19-07

17. Clark Wendlandt -- Leander, TX -- 5, 18-14 -- 84
Day 1: 5, 18-14

18. Brandon Card -- Knoxville, TN -- 5, 18-06 -- 83
Day 1: 5, 18-06

19. Keith Combs -- Huntington, TX -- 5, 18-04 -- 82
Day 1: 5, 18-04

20. Mike Huff -- Corbin, KY -- 5, 18-01 -- 81
Day 1: 5, 18-01

21. Ed Loughran III -- Richmond, VA -- 5, 18-00 -- 80
Day 1: 5, 18-00

21. Mark Menendez -- Paducah, KY -- 5, 18-00 -- 80
Day 1: 5, 18-00

23. Jason Williamson -- Wagener, SC -- 5, 17-13 -- 78
Day 1: 5, 17-13

24. Scott Canterbury -- Odenville, AL -- 5, 17-11 -- 77
Day 1: 5, 17-11

25. Lee Livesay -- Gladewater, TX -- 5, 16-15 -- 76
Day 1: 5, 16-15

26. Jeff Gustafson -- Keewatin Ontario CANADA -- 5, 16-04 -- 75
Day 1: 5, 16-04

27. David Mullins -- Mt Carmel, TN -- 5, 16-00 -- 74
Day 1: 5, 16-00

28. Brandon Cobb -- Greenwood, SC -- 5, 15-09 -- 73
Day 1: 5, 15-09

29. Patrick Walters -- Summerville, SC -- 5, 15-05 -- 72
Day 1: 5, 15-05

30. Brock Mosley -- Collinsville, MS -- 5, 15-04 -- 71
Day 1: 5, 15-04

30. Jay Yelas -- Lincoln City, OR -- 5, 15-04 -- 71
Day 1: 5, 15-04

32. Luke Palmer -- Coalgate, OK -- 3, 14-05 -- 69
Day 1: 3, 14-05

33. Drew Benton -- Panama City, FL -- 5, 13-13 -- 68
Day 1: 5, 13-13

34. Clent Davis -- Montevallo, AL -- 5, 13-12 -- 67
Day 1: 5, 13-12

35. Jamie Hartman -- Newport, NY -- 5, 12-09 -- 66
Day 1: 5, 12-09

36. John Crews Jr -- Salem, VA -- 5, 12-04 -- 65
Day 1: 5, 12-04

37. Chad Morgenthaler -- Reeds Spring, MO -- 5, 12-01 -- 64
Day 1: 5, 12-01

38. Chad Pipkens -- Lansing, MI -- 3, 11-12 -- 63
Day 1: 3, 11-12

39. Chris Johnston -- Peterborough Ontario CA -- 5, 11-07 -- 62
Day 1: 5, 11-07

40. Brian Snowden -- Reeds Spring, MO -- 5, 11-04 -- 61
Day 1: 5, 11-04

41. Hank Cherry Jr -- Lincolnton, NC -- 3, 11-03 -- 60
Day 1: 3, 11-03

42. Kelley Jaye -- Dadeville, AL -- 4, 10-01 -- 59
Day 1: 4, 10-01

43. Tyler Rivet -- Raceland, LA -- 3, 09-12 -- 58
Day 1: 3, 09-12

44. Garrett Paquette -- Canton, MI -- 3, 09-11 -- 57
Day 1: 3, 09-11

45. Drew Cook -- Midway, FL -- 2, 07-10 -- 56
Day 1: 2, 07-10

46. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, AZ -- 2, 05-13 -- 55
Day 1: 2, 05-13

47. Bill Lowen -- Brookville, IN -- 2, 04-02 -- 54
Day 1: 2, 04-02

48. Matt Herren -- Ashville, AL -- 1, 04-02 -- 53
Day 1: 1, 04-02

49. Ray Hanselman Jr -- Del Rio, TX -- 1, 01-14 -- 52
Day 1: 1, 01-14

50. Greg DiPalma -- Millville, NJ -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00