MONETA, Va. – Despite experiencing a “slow day,” four-time Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., managed a two-day total of 32 pounds, 9 ounces – enough to take the lead at the Advance Auto Parts Blue Ridge Brawl on Smith Mountain Lake. A notoriously fast angler, VanDam’s patience was tested Friday, but the reigning AOY ably managed to adapt.
VanDam, a 14-time BASS winner, was running a defined pattern in different areas, primarily focusing on smallmouth bass. He mixed in sight fishing – a technique used by many in the top tier of the field – along with a number of blind casts. A key to his success was stealthy boat operation, as he said it was important to identify a fish and quickly cast to it before it sensed him.
“I was pretty fortunate today because it was definitely a struggle out there,” said VanDam, who leads the BASS career earnings list with more than $3 million. “The fish were in a pretty funny mood today and it was important to be patient.”
Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water action from the Blue Ridge Brawl on The Bassmasters, which airs Saturday, May 9, at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2. The daily weigh-ins for all regular-season Elite events and the two postseason events will air live on ESPN360.com, ESPN’s broadband sports network, while a wealth of unique content will also be available at Bassmaster.com.
While he has established a slim lead – 14 ounces over Fred Roumbanis of Bixby, Okla., -- VanDam said he would search for new water as he had tapped into many of the productive spots he located in practice. He said he knew that the fish were relating to bottom but couldn’t identify exactly what about the bottom the larger bass liked.
Similar to last year, VanDam is making his performance count just when the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race is getting interesting. Nearly halfway through the regular season, with a solid finish here, VanDam could grab hold of the AOY lead. Dangerous with any lead, VanDam is excited about the new Bassmaster Elite Series postseason.
“This year, especially, there is going to be a ton of drama,” said VanDam, 41. “I’m on a pretty good roll right now but it’s important to peak right near the postseason. Anything can happen this year.”
While VanDam’s pattern was defined, Roumbanis was all over the place Friday. He had 15 rods strapped to the deck and used every one of them while junk fishing around spacious Smith Mountain. A skilled sight fisherman, Roumbanis tried that tactic but came up empty-handed Friday. He did, however, locate some bedding bass that he plans to go to Saturday.
His day started quickly – he boated a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass one hour into his competition day.
“The water is so clear so you can cover a huge area with one cast,” said Roumbanis, 30, who called his style “slow-fast.”
“So you don’t need to get to keyed in to any one area. I had the trolling motor on full all day. But at the same time, you need to patient.”
Roumbanis scored a 16th-place finish on Smith Mountain in 2007 but conditions were much different at that event. Searching for his third BASS victory, Roumbanis is 33rd in the AOY standings and in solid position to qualify for his third Bassmaster Classic.
Behind Roumbanis by 1 ounce was Day One leader Kelly Jordon of Mineola Texas, with 31-10. Jumping to fourth was Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., with 30-13. Holding steady in fifth was Matthew Sphar of Pavilion, N.Y., with 30-10.
Another talented sight-fisherman, Dean Rojas was lurking close in sixth with 30 pounds, 0 ounces. The field was cut to the top 50 anglers for Saturday’s competition, and only the top 12 will advance to Sunday’s final day of competition.
Other anglers safely in the cut included Japan’s Morizo Shimizu (13th), Elite rookie J Todd Tucker of Moultrie, Ga.. (18th) and home-state pro John Crews of Salem (45th). The 2007 Blue Ridge Brawl champion, Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., just missed the cut and finished 56th.
Several anglers noted that Smith Mountain could really turn on in the final two days. Jordon was giddy at the possibilities and figured that a 30-pound bag was still possible. Rojas, too, was encouraged and felt that the final day could be a slugfest.
The Blue Ridge Brawl includes a top prize of $100,000 and awards valuable points in the 2009 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title race. The top 12 pros in the AOY standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the two-event postseason, during which the Angler of the Year will be determined.
Fans are encouraged to attend the Blue Ridge Brawl’s daily launches (7:15 a.m. ET) and weigh-ins (4 p.m.) through Sunday at Parkway Marina, 16918 Smith Mountain Lake Parkway, Huddleston, Va. After Day Two’s competition Friday, the field will be cut to the top 50 anglers for Day Three. Only the top 12 will go on to compete in Day Four.
Other activities Saturday and Sunday at the Blue Ridge Brawl will begin at 1 p.m. ET at Parkway Marina, featuring the popular Dog Training & Retriever Demonstrations Brought To You By SportDog. The fun also includes a Saturday performance by local band Jordan Road, from 1:30-3 p.m.; a Bassmaster CastingKids event Saturday, hosted by the Virginia BASS Federation Nation; Skeeter boat demos; cooking demonstrations; and a beer garden from 1-4:15 p.m. both days.
At 1:30 p.m. Saturday, fans are invited to experience Bassmaster University, which includes the “Ask the Experts” session with Elite pros at 3 p.m.
Sunday’s activities include the live taping of Hooked Up, hosted by ESPN Outdoors personalities Mark Zona and Tommy Sanders. The show, which will air live at 3:30 p.m. ET on www.bassmaster.com, will preview Sunday’s final weigh-in. All events at the Advance Auto Parts Blue Ridge Brawl are free and open to the public. Up next in the Elite Series is the May 7-10 Marine Formula STA-BIL Southern Challenge on Lake Guntersville out of Guntersville, Ala.
For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit Bassmaster.com. Visit ESPNMediaZone.com for ESPN's latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video, audio clips and more.
Local sponsors of the Blue Ridge Brawl are Franklin and Bedford counties.
Official sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series: Toyota Trucks, Berkley, BOOYAH Baits, Evan Williams Bourbon, Mercury, OPTIMA Batteries, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Outboards
Supporting sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series: Bass Pro Shops, Costa Del Mar, Ramada, SpongeTech and Triton Boats.
About BASS
For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. With its considerable multimedia platforms and expansive tournament trail, BASS is guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer and comprehensive Web properties in ESPN360.com, ESPN’s broadband sports network, Bassmaster.com, BASSInsider.com and ESPNOutdoors.com, the organization is committed to delivering content true to the lifestyle. Additionally, television programming on ESPN2 continues to provide relevant content – from tips and techniques to in-depth tournament coverage – to passionate audiences.
The organization oversees the prestigious Bassmaster tournament trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, Academy Sports + Outdoors Women’s Bassmaster Tour and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic. Through its grassroots network, the BASS Federation Nation, BASS annually sanctions more than 20,000 events.
BASS also offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.
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