Texas’ Kelly Jordon Jumps to Day One Advantage at Bassmaster Elite Series Event on Smith Mountain Lake
MONETA, Va. – Looking to turn around a mediocre season, Kelly Jordon of Mineola, Texas, stuck to what he knows best and sight-fished his way to the Day One lead at the Advance Auto Parts Blue Ridge Brawl on picturesque Smith Mountain Lake. Jordon, a four-time BASS winner, amassed 20 pounds, 9 ounces -- enough to hold off another sight-fishing specialist, Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., by more than 2 pounds.
A perennial Bassmaster Classic qualifier, Jordon is working to shake off a slow start to his 2009 season. He is 47th in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings, but a solid finish at Smith Mountain would put him in prime position to qualify for his eighth Bassmaster Classic.
With three events in the books, the competition for the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year and its $200,000 top prize is heating up. Heading into the tournament, Alton Jones of Waco, Texas, held a slight margin over Stephen Browning of Hot Springs, Ark. Both faltered Thursday -- Jones is in 86th and Browning is 96th -- and the door is wide open for luminaries such as four-time AOY Kevin VanDam (fifth) and 2009 Bassmaster Classic champion Skeet Reese (seventh). At the end of the regular season, the top 36 will advance to the 2010 Bassmaster Classic, set for Feb. 19-21 on Lay Lake out of Birmingham, Ala.
“This certainly helps,” Jordon said. “I had a pretty solid practice so I expected to do well. It should be interesting the next couple of days. If the fish move up on the beds like they should, it will be wide open.”
Predicting that a 30-pound bag was possible, Jordon was confident that he could continue to pile on the pounds. What he wasn’t sure of was which day would be best for the sight-fishing bite. He also was unsure of how recreational boat traffic – a virtual certainty on Smith Mountain – would affect the sight bite.
“It could get magical here in the next couple of days,” said Jordon, 38. “I just can’t wait to get back out there.”
Meanwhile, Rojas, despite a draw for a late launch Thursday morning, caught all of his 18 pounds, 7 ounces, by 9 a.m. He was in areas that were void of other competitors and felt his seclusion was important. He used the rest of his competition day to look around and essentially practice for the remaining three days.
He has located several areas that are holding bedding bass and feels that another solid limit is well within his grasp Friday. Like Jordon, he felt that the spacious fishery could really turn on, but he was unsure of when.
Rojas, 37, fished flawlessly and while he could have upgraded his weight – perhaps within Jordon’s range – he made the decision to search for new water. He played it close to the vest on specifics of his pattern.
“Things are in motion right now and the lake is changing every day,” said Rojas, who has eclipsed $1 million in BASS career earnings. “Friday should be good, but I just don’t know what is in store for Saturday and Sunday.”
In third was Matthew Sphar of Pavilion, N.Y., with 17-13. In fourth was Elite rookie Matt Herren of Trussville, Ala., (17-11) and fifth was Derek Remitz of Grant, Ala. (16-15).
A deep, clear fishery, Smith Mountain showed its true colors as a productive bass fishery Thursday as 90 anglers boated five-fish limits. The scenic 20,600-acre lake nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains has been featured in four previous BASS events, the last of which was the 2007 Bassmaster Elite Series event won by then-rookie Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C. Ashley made history as the youngest pro – he was 23 at the time – to win an Elite Series event.
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.
DAY 1 STANDINGS- ADVANCE AUTO PARTS BLUE RIDGE BRAWL
2009 Advance Auto Parts Blue Ridge Brawl 4/23-4/26
Smith Mountain Lake, Moneta VA.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Kelly Jordon Mineola, TX 5 20-09 305
Day 1: 5 20-09
2. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 5 18-07 295
Day 1: 5 18-07
3. Matthew Sphar Pavilion, NY 5 17-13 290
Day 1: 5 17-13
4. Matt Herren Trussville, AL 5 17-11 285
Day 1: 5 17-11
5. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 5 16-15 280
Day 1: 5 16-15
6. Jeff Reynolds Idabel, OK 5 16-07 276
Day 1: 5 16-07
7. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 5 16-06 272
Day 1: 5 16-06
8. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 5 16-05 268
Day 1: 5 16-05
8. Dave Wolak Wake Forest, NC 5 16-05 268
Day 1: 5 16-05
10. Michael Iaconelli Runnemede, NJ 5 15-13 260
Day 1: 5 15-13
11. Marty Stone Fayetteville, NC 5 15-09 257
Day 1: 5 15-09
12. Terry Butcher Talala, OK 5 15-07 254
Day 1: 5 15-07
12. Mark Tyler Vian, OK 5 15-07 254
Day 1: 5 15-07
12. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 15-07 254
Day 1: 5 15-07
15. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 5 15-06 245
Day 1: 5 15-06
16. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 15-04 243
Day 1: 5 15-04
16. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 5 15-04 243
Day 1: 5 15-04
18. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 5 15-03 239
Day 1: 5 15-03
19. Shaw E Grigsby Gainesville, FL 5 15-02 237
Day 1: 5 15-02
19. Bradley Hallman Norman, OK 5 15-02 237
Day 1: 5 15-02
21. Billy Mccaghren Mayflower, AR 5 14-14 233
Day 1: 5 14-14
22. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 5 14-12 231
Day 1: 5 14-12
22. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 5 14-12 231
Day 1: 5 14-12
24. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 5 14-11 227
Day 1: 5 14-11
24. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 5 14-11 227
Day 1: 5 14-11
26. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 5 14-09 223
Day 1: 5 14-09
27. Mark Tucker Saint Louis, MO 5 14-07 221
Day 1: 5 14-07
28. Bill Lowen North Bend, OH 5 14-06 219
Day 1: 5 14-06
28. Morizo Shimizu Osaka JAPAN 5 14-06 219
Day 1: 5 14-06
30. Wade Grooms Bonneau, SC 5 14-04 215
Day 1: 5 14-04
31. Randy Howell Springville, AL 5 14-03 213
Day 1: 5 14-03
31. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 5 14-03 213
Day 1: 5 14-03
33. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 5 14-02 209
Day 1: 5 14-02
33. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 5 14-02 209
Day 1: 5 14-02
35. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 5 14-00 205
Day 1: 5 14-00
36. Boyd Duckett Demopolis, AL 5 13-14 203
Day 1: 5 13-14
37. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 13-13 201
Day 1: 5 13-13
38. Jason Quinn York, SC 5 13-12 199
Day 1: 5 13-12
39. Dustin Wilks Rocky Mount, NC 5 13-11 197
Day 1: 5 13-11
40. Timmy Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 5 13-10 195
Day 1: 5 13-10
41. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 5 13-09 193
Day 1: 5 13-09
41. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 5 13-09 193
Day 1: 5 13-09
43. Elton Luce Jr. Brookeland, TX 5 13-08 189
Day 1: 5 13-08
44. Byron Velvick Del Rio, TX 5 13-05 187
Day 1: 5 13-05
45. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 5 13-03 185
Day 1: 5 13-03
46. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 5 13-02 183
Day 1: 5 13-02
47. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 5 13-01 181
Day 1: 5 13-01
48. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 5 12-15 179
Day 1: 5 12-15
49. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 4 12-11 177
Day 1: 4 12-11
50. Chris Lane Lakeland, FL 5 12-10 175
Day 1: 5 12-10
50. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 5 12-10 175
Day 1: 5 12-10
52. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 5 12-08 171
Day 1: 5 12-08
53. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 5 12-07 169
Day 1: 5 12-07
54. Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 5 12-06 167
Day 1: 5 12-06
55. Brian Clark Haltom City, TX 5 12-04 165
Day 1: 5 12-04
56. Vince Fulks Purcell, OK 5 12-02 163
Day 1: 5 12-02
57. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 5 12-00 161
Day 1: 5 12-00
58. John Crews Salem, VA 5 11-15 159
Day 1: 5 11-15
59. Mike Wurm Hot Springs, AR 5 11-13 157
Day 1: 5 11-13
60. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 5 11-11 155
Day 1: 5 11-11
61. Pete Ponds Madison, MS 5 11-10 153
Day 1: 5 11-10
61. Jeremy Starks Charleston, WV 5 11-10 153
Day 1: 5 11-10
61. Kevin Wirth Crestwood, KY 5 11-10 153
Day 1: 5 11-10
64. Jeff Connella Bentley, LA 5 11-09 147
Day 1: 5 11-09
65. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 5 11-06 145
Day 1: 5 11-06
66. Guy Eaker Cherryville, NC 5 11-01 143
Day 1: 5 11-01
66. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 5 11-01 143
Day 1: 5 11-01
68. Jami Fralick Martin, SD 3 11-00 139
Day 1: 3 11-00
69. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 10-15 137
Day 1: 5 10-15
70. Scott Campbell Springfield, MO 5 10-14 135
Day 1: 5 10-14
71. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 5 10-13 133
Day 1: 5 10-13
71. Pat Golden High Point, NC 5 10-13 133
Day 1: 5 10-13
71. Rick Morris Virginia Beach, VA 5 10-13 133
Day 1: 5 10-13
74. Luke Gritter Kalamazoo, MI 5 10-10 127
Day 1: 5 10-10
75. Jimmy Mize Ben Lomond, AR 5 10-09 125
Day 1: 5 10-09
76. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 5 10-08 123
Day 1: 5 10-08
76. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 10-08 123
Day 1: 5 10-08
78. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 10-07 119
Day 1: 5 10-07
78. Jim Murray Arabi, GA 5 10-07 119
Day 1: 5 10-07
78. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 5 10-07 119
Day 1: 5 10-07
81. Clark Reehm Russellville, AR 5 10-03 113
Day 1: 5 10-03
82. David Smith Del City, OK 5 10-02 111
Day 1: 5 10-02
83. Grant Goldbeck Gaithersburg, MD 5 09-15 109
Day 1: 5 09-15
83. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 5 09-15 109
Day 1: 5 09-15
85. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 5 09-14 105
Day 1: 5 09-14
86. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 5 09-12 103
Day 1: 5 09-12
86. Alton Jones Waco, TX 5 09-12 103
Day 1: 5 09-12
88. Mark Burgess Norton, MA 5 09-10 99
Day 1: 5 09-10
89. Ken D Cook Lawton, OK 4 09-09 97
Day 1: 4 09-09
90. Kevin Langill Terrell, NC 5 09-08 95
Day 1: 5 09-08
91. Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 5 09-03 93
Day 1: 5 09-03
92. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 08-15 91
Day 1: 5 08-15
93. Denny Brauer Camdenton, MO 4 08-15 89
Day 1: 4 08-15
93. Peter E Thliveros St Augustine, FL 4 08-15 89
Day 1: 4 08-15
95. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 5 08-06 85
Day 1: 5 08-06
96. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 4 07-10 83
Day 1: 4 07-10
97. Chad Griffin Cresson, TX 3 05-03 81
Day 1: 3 05-03
98. Zell Rowland Montgomery, TX 2 04-11 79
Day 1: 2 04-11
99. Brent Broderick Oregonia, OH 1 01-04 77
Day 1: 1 01-04
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BIG BASS
Day
1 Wade Grooms Bonneau, SC 06-08 $0.00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 90 479 1244-06
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90 479 1244-06
