AOY leaders say all could change:
Even after leading the Bassmaster Elite Series anglers in points for
two consecutive events, Alton Jones and Terry Scroggins said Saturday
that they aren’t ready to stake any claims in the Toyota Tundra
Bassmaster
Angler of the Year race.
“It’s too early to feel confident,” said Jones, in first place with
853 points after the season’s third event concluded last Saturday. “All
a lead really means is that whatever the mark will be for AOY, I need
fewer (additional) points than anybody else
does.”
Jones, now the one setting that mark, has a streak going. In eighth
place after one event, he took the top spot after the second event. His
lead is the product of consistency: three consecutive final-day, Top 12
cuts.
Any wind at Jones’ back may be the breath of Scroggins, who also has three Top 12s and is now 30 points behind Jones.
“There are five events left and a lot of fishing to do, so being
second doesn’t mean anything right now,” Scroggins said Saturday as the
Alabama Charge on Pickwick Lake concluded.
He said his mindset is not to shoot for the AOY leader, but rather
to remain consistent. He has managed a steady-as-she-goes performance so
far: 10th, second and eighth, respectively, in the first, second and
third Elite Series competitions of the season.
Both Jones and Scroggins are mindful of the anglers at their backs.
Not the least on that list is six-time AOY Kevin VanDam, who held on to
the No. 3 spot Saturday. VanDam, the reigning AOY, was 80 points behind
Jones, and 50 short of Scroggins.
A new Toledo Bend: The Bassmaster Elite Series field was on
Toledo Bend on Monday morning for the first of three days of practice
for the TroKar Battle on the Bayou. The April 14-17 event will mark the
halfway point in the eight-event regular season,
and the halfway point in the 2011 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the
Year race.
AOY leader Alton Jones, a five-time Bassmaster winner (including
the 2008 Bassmaster Classic), said he last competed on Toledo Bend in
2003. Ditto for AOY runner-up Terry Scroggins, as far as Bassmaster
events go.
But any potential disadvantage may only exist on paper. Jones
pointed out that fishing conditions at Toledo are so skewed from normal,
he has just as good a chance there as anyone who competed there
recently.
“It’s about 8 feet low, so it will be a ‘new’ lake for me, just like for everybody else,” Jones said.
Bonus time: Three bonus checks were awarded to anglers last week on stage at the Alabama Charge.
Earned at the March 17-20 Bassmaster Elite Series Power-Pole Citrus Slam:
* $1,000 from Toyota to Alton Jones for leading the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race;
* $1,000 from Power-Pole to Power-Pole Citrus Slam winner Edwin
Evers, who cashed in on the Power-Pole Captain’s Cash contingency
program; and
* $500 from Berkley to Jason Williamson for his 10-pound, 3-ounce lunker, the Berkley Big Bass of the Tournament.
Lane second — again: “Second again this year!” Bobby Lane declared Saturday as the Alabama Charge winner, Davy Hite, weighed in.
Lane was smiling, but he was obviously disappointed about being the
runner-up for the second time this year. He also finished second on
Lake Tohopekaliga in January at the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern
Open.
“Second never gets old, but you want to win,” Lane said. “I stayed consistent all week and was very happy about my fishing.”
Lane said much of his catch came out of a shallow area of Pickwick
Lake that held a lot of fish — and a lot of fellow competitors.
“I keyed in on little things that (other) guys weren’t looking
for,” Lane said. “If it was a hole, a log, a tree on the bank, a bush
behind a tree, I tried to get a cast in there. I think guys overlooked
that pattern all week; I keyed in on it and made
it work.”
Lane saluted winner Hite for the 21-1 sack he managed at the Wilson
Dam the final day to win by a margin of 8 pounds. Lane said he did not
regret his choice, made before the first cast, to stay away from the
tailrace.
“I told myself I will never go to the tailrace, and after this
tournament, I promise you I’ll never go to the tailrace,” he said.
He stuck with his strengths.
“I don’t fish well in that kind of water, and smallmouth are fun to
catch, but I don’t have all the techniques and tactics to catch them,”
Lane said. “I like to stay on the move, find new fish, fish swimbaits
and jigs and football jigs.”
DeFoe still leads ROY contest: After finishing 20th in the
April 6-9 Alabama Charge, Ott DeFoe of Knoxville, Tenn., stayed in front
in the 15-rookie race for 2011 Bassmaster Rookie of the Year honors.
DeFoe widened his ROY lead to 120 points over his nearest
challenger, now Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C., who moved up from
sixth place to take over the runner-up spot.
Keith Combs of Del Rio, Texas, dropped from second to third.
Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, landed in fourth place, rising from
10th. Jonathon VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., and nephew of the famous
Kevin VanDam, sat in fifth place after three events.
The Rookie of the Year title will be awarded June 19 at the conclusion of the regular season’s eight events.
Power-Pole new for Schuff: Rookie Craig Schuff of Watauga, Texas, has added Power-Pole to his roster of 2011 sponsors.
