Following is the final edition of the BassFan World Rankings for calendar year 2011. First, a look at the Top 10, followed by other notable movement.
Top 10
1. Kevin VanDam again ends the year ranked No. 1. He's the reigning 2011 Bassmaster Classic champ, 2011 B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year and the No. 1 ranked pro in the world by a huge margin.
2. Red-hot Edwin Evers ends the year ranked 2nd – the highest he's ever been ranked. A win this year at the St. Johns helped him big-time, as did another runner-up finish. Plus, Evers continues to drop some very weak FLW Tour finishes from 2010, when he fished both tours.
3. Mark Rose slips a spot in this final edition and ends the year ranked 3rd – just barely behind Evers. Rose has come into his own and is now recognized as the dominant river-ledge stick on the FLW Tour, and a deep-structure master in general. Posted a win at Pickwick and followed that up with a 3rd at the Forrest Wood Cup.
4. David Dudley's back big-time and ends the year ranked 4th. What's so remarkable is Dudley started the year ranked 67th, and his climb is by far the most dramatic of anyone's inside the Top 10.
5. Bryan Thrift was ultra-hot last year and for a time was ranked No. 1, but returned to human form this year. A 5th at Guntersville to end the season helps push thrift up two spots.
6. Brent Ehrler, who like Thrift has spent time in the No. 1 spot last year, ends 2011 ranked 6th. He slips three spots in total across the season.
7. Andy Morgan again begins and ends the year inside the Top 10. The highlight of Morgan's season was a 5th at the Cup. Other than that, he displayed the now-famous Morgan consistency at nearly every tour stop.
8. Terry Scroggins shows considerable improvement across the season and ends the year ranked 8th (up from 35th).
9. Mike Iaconelli battles back and ends the year inside the Top 10. Several runner-up finishes and Top 5s help him, while several out-of-the-money finishes still hurt him.
10. After a win at the Potomac this summer, then a 4th at the Cup, Luke Clausen ends the year ranked 10th – the highest he's finished in a long time.
Other Notable Movement
> Jason Christie took a big step toward solidifying his career this year and ends the season ranked 15th.
> Both Casey Ashley and Dean Rojas both won this year and climb significantly – Ashley to 14th and Rojas to 16th.
> Davy Hite (19th) and Randall Tharp (21st) likewise make huge strides.
> Skeet Reese started the year ranked No. 1 but tumbles all the way to 23rd.
> Tommy Biffle likewise suffers a cataclysmic tumble and drops 46 spots across the season to finish 50th.