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Iowa Awaits Bassmaster Elite Series’ First Visit for the Genuity River Rumble on Mighty Mississippi

Celebration, FL -(FishNLand.com)- The second longest river in America has been waiting for BASS for a while. The Bassmaster Elite Series travels this month to the Mississippi River out of Fort Madison, Iowa, for the Genuity River Rumble, marking the first Elite Series event for the state.

During the 2008 season, the Elite Series had to cancel the River Rumble in Fort Madison because of flooding along the river that affected nearly a dozen states.

Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water action from the River Rumble on The Bassmasters, which airs Saturday, June 20, 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.

The river last was host to a Bassmaster Tour event in 2006, when Elite angler Darrin Schwenkbeck won a Bassmaster Northern Tour competition with a three-day total of 42 pounds, 12 ounces. The river has previously been the site of four other BASS pro tournaments since 1983, including the 1995 Top 100 event won by current Elite Series pro Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla.

The Mississippi, which runs through or borders 10 states on its way to the Gulf of Mexico, has previously hosted BASS events across several states. The Elite pros will launch from Pool 19. Because water levels are always normal there while other parts of the river are at flood stage during rainy season, fish can spawn regularly in Pool 19.

Biffle, who won the 1995 event with a four-day total of 48 pounds, 8 ounces, isn’t sure whether the river will produce good-sized fish for weights similar to his winning total in 1995 or end up pushing overall weights lower.

“I would say it’ll take 15 to 18 pounds a day, maybe,” Biffle said. “It could be better than it used to be, but with the floods they’ve had it might take 45 pounds to win, it might be lower.”

Biffle added that he thought the Elite pros would go with typical river fishing, using crankbaits, spinnerbaits and some flipping.

The Genuity River Rumble includes a top prize of $100,000 and awards valuable points in the 2009 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title race. With 1,298 points heading into this week’s Tennessee Triumph at Kentucky Lake out of Paris, Tenn. Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., leads the AOY standings. Trailing him are 2009 Bassmaster Classic champion and 2007 AOY Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., in second with 1293 points, and 2008 Classic champion Alton Jones of Waco, Texas, in third with 1240 points.

The top 12 pros in the AOY standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the inaugural Bassmaster Elite Series postseason, when the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year will be determined. Toyota Trucks Championship Week is set for Sept. 10-18, and will be played out on two productive Alabama fisheries. The first of the two post-season tournaments will take place on Lake Jordan out of Wetumpka; the finale, the Evan Williams Bourbon Trophy Triumph, is slated for the Alabama River from Montgomery.

In the race to qualify for the 2010 Bassmaster Classic, set for Feb. 19-22 on Lay Lake out of Birmingham, Ala., Russ Lane of Prattville, Ala., and Gerald Swindle, of Warrior, Ala., are on the bubble. They are in a tie for 36th place in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 955 points. Another Alabaman, 2000 AOY Timmy Horton of Muscle Shoals, is right behind the pair, in 38th with 951 points. Two-time AOY and 1999 Bassmaster Classic winner Davy Hite of Ninety Six, S.C., trails by just a few more points, in 39th with 942 points. BASS qualifies the top 36 anglers in the AOY standings for the Classic, but Reese, the 2009 champion, will automatically qualify, thereby allowing the angler in 37th place to make the Classic cut as Reese is among the top 36 in AOY points.

Fans are encouraged to attend the Genuity River Rumble’s daily launches (7:15 a.m. CT) and weigh-ins (4 p.m.) Thursday through Sunday at Riverview Park, 902 4th St., Fort Madison. 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 River Rumble will begin at 1 p.m. CT at Riverview Park, featuring the popular Dog Training & Retriever Demonstrations Brought To You By SportDog; a children’s carnival with a bounce house and gummy-worm-eating contest; tethered balloon rides (for a nominal fee); and a live shooting of a cannon brought from Fort Mig.

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.

Also on-site as part of the consumer expo Saturday and Sunday, Monsanto will bring its Mobile Technology Unit (MTU) to the Riverview Marina offering tours free of charge every 30 minutes. The Mobile Technology Unit is a unique traveling exhibit showcasing Monsanto’s latest advances in plant breeding and trait technology.

Furthermore, with its sponsorship of the event, Genuity will be making a donation based on the number of pounds of fish caught during the tournament to the local organization Community Services Food Bank. There will be a check presentation at the final weigh in on Sunday, June 14.

Sunday’s activities will 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 Bassmaster.com, will preview Sunday’s final weigh-in.

All events at the Genuity River Rumble are free and open to the public. The Elite Series regular season culminates with the August 13-16 Champion’s Choice on Oneida Lake out of Syracuse, N.Y. At Oneida, the lineup will be determined for the top 12 anglers who will compete in the inaugural Bassmaster Elite Series postseason and a shot at the 2009 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.

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.

The local sponsor of the River Rumble is the Fort Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau.

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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Alabama’s Aaron Martens Holds On For Fifth Bass Victory At Bassmaster Elite Series Slugfest On Guntersville
Despite nearly relinquishing a 6-pound plus margin, Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., held on Sunday to score his fifth BASS victory – his first outside of the state of the California – at the Marine Formula STA-BIL Southern Challenge on Lake Guntersville.

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. -(FishNLand.com)- Despite nearly relinquishing a 6-pound plus margin, Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., held on Sunday to score his fifth BASS victory – his first outside of the state of the California – at the Marine Formula STA-BIL Southern Challenge on Lake Guntersville. The 36-year-old West Coast product, who totaled 107 pounds, 8 ounces, nearly let victory slip away to hard-charging Skeet Reese, but in the end, his versatility brought home the $100,000 top prize.

The day started inauspiciously enough for Martens as his first spot – roughly a 10-foot area – was filled by a local boat. The 2005 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year ran to his next spot, only to encounter the same boat, which Martens said intentionally stirred up his area to make it virtually unfishable.

To boot, Martens struggled through the morning and wasn’t connecting with the same class of fish he had the first three days of competition. But Martens had developed two distinctly different patterns. His best, a Lucky Craft RC 2.5 deep-diving crankbait, was paired with a worm and provided Martens the one-two punch necessary to win a Bassmaster Elite Series event.

“I was tense all day. It was horrible,” said Martens, who has accumulated nearly $1.5 million in BASS career earnings. “I had to work really hard today. But this feels really good.”

Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water action from the Southern Challenge on The Bassmasters, which airs Saturday, May 16, 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.

With the victory, Martens climbed to fourth in the 2009 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings and is within striking distance of points leader Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich. VanDam, in a relative struggle, finished 20th at Guntersville and left the door open for Reese, Alton Jones and Martens. The full standings can be found below and with just three regular-season events remaining, the race is shaping up to be epic.

Plagued all week by local traffic, Martens was forced to dig deep and thankfully he located 30 productive spots during his three-day practice period. He said he was only able to hit half of those and of those half, he only visited eight or so each day.

The best spots, he said, were ones that contained grass and shellbeds. In those spots, he would retrieve the crankbait in a unique fashion, very erratically and similar to the way you would retrieve a jerkbait. He felt his retrieve was key to enticing the bigger bass.

Each of the first three days, Martens had been able to fill his limit, upgrade relatively quickly and then spend some of the day trying to locate new water. This, he said, helped him to remain consistent while other anglers hammered on singular spots and saw their weights fall off dramatically.

“You just had to keep moving and keep looking,” said Martens. “I have never seen anything like this lake this week. I have seen other lakes that have bigger fish but nowhere else can you find this many spots that hold that many quality fish. It was just amazing.”

A relative afterthought after the first day, Reese moved up the leaderboard each day, eventually causing Martens to sweat. Like Martens, Reese worked a Lucky Craft RC 2.5 crankbait and capped off his week with an impressive 27-pound, 11 ounce, limit Sunday.

While Reese felt he cost himself with a few missed fish early in the tournament, he wasn’t sure if those fish would have made the difference. Saturday was the turning point for Reese when he identified an ultra-productive stretch that he relied upon for the final two days.

Sunday was frustrating for Reese in a different sense than most. He was landing 5-pounders galore but couldn’t find the bigger bite that would have put him over the top.

“Aaron and the rest of them left the door open a little bit,” said Reese, the 2007 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year. “But it was pretty hard to overcome that deficit in the end. Overall, I’m very pleased.”

Moving up nine spots to third was Kevin Wirth of Crestwood, Ky., with 102 pounds, 3 ounces. In fourth was Mike Iaconelli of Runnemede, N.J., with 101 pounds, 1 ounce. Slipping to fifth from second was Marty Stone of Fayetteville, N.C., with 99 pounds, 5 ounces.

Stone is one of many anglers battling to qualify for the 2010 Bassmaster Classic via the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. The top 36 will earn berths in the Feb. 19-21 Classic on Lay Lake and Birmingham, Ala. Also determined at the end of the regular season will be the top 12 competitors, who will qualify for the inaugural Bassmaster Elite Series Postseason. This past week, BASS announced the details with the Postseason being played out on Lake Jordan (Sept. 12-13) and the Alabama River (Sept. 17-18).

The real star of the tournament was by most accounts Guntersville. Anglers, in droves, praised the famed fishery and the final numbers were impressive. Elite anglers caught nearly 1,300 fish and more than 5,300 pounds over the course of four days.

A BASS favorite, Guntersville has been the site of more than 20 previous BASS events, including the 1976 Bassmaster Classic, won by Elite Series pro Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo.

Up next in the Elite Series is the June 3-6 SpongeTech Tennessee Triumph on Kentucky Lake out of Paris, Tenn.

For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit Bassmaster.com. Visit ESPNOutdoorsMedia.com for the latest releases photos and more.

The local sponsor of the Southern Challenge is the Marshall County Convention & Visitor’s Bureau.

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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Vandam Sews Up 15Th Victory At Bassmaster Elite Event On Smith Mountain Lake

Harkening back to his Michigan roots, four-time Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam picked apart a clear, deep fishery.

Kevin Van Dam Wins His 15th BASS Title

MONETA, Va. –(FishNLand.com)- Harkening back to his Michigan roots, four-time Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam picked apart a clear, deep fishery – just like he used to do years ago as a kid in Kalamazoo –  on Smith Mountain Lake, to the tune of 61 pounds, 13 ounces, enough to hold off Matt Herren of Trussville, Ala., for a victory by more than 2 pounds Sunday at the Advance Auto Parts Blue Ridge Brawl.

With a decidedly different approach than most in the Elite field, VanDam targeted smallmouth bass by sight on the way to his 15th BASS victory and the accompanying $100,000 top prize. While most were sight fishing, no one else was actively seeking smallmouth. To boot, VanDam used a technique that isn’t considered one of his strengths.

But VanDam has shaped an illustrious career – his 15 wins put him third on BASS’ all-time list – by adjusting to the conditions. Sunday, he boated 13 pounds, 14 ounces, and threw everything but the kitchen sink to close out the victory.

“It seemed like every time things weren’t going right, I made an adjustment and things would turn on again,” said VanDam, who is closing in on $3.5 million in BASS career earnings. “It was just one of those magical weeks where everything fell into place.  I’m just really proud of the decisions and adjustments I made.”

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 VanDam was technically sight fishing, he wasn’t executing the technique in the traditional sense. He was keying in on areas where shad – the main forage on Smith Mountain – were spawning and attracting the aggressive smallmouth. His main weapon of choice was a 1/8-ounce Strike King Shaky Head paired with a 4-inch finesse worm in dirt color.

In a twist of fate, VanDam, who is often plagued by throngs of spectator boats, felt he got a boost from the abundance of spectator traffic on the spacious fishery. He felt the traffic helped to disturb the waters, causing the bass to become more aggressive in sensing an easy meal.

Perhaps most importantly, VanDam has put himself in the driver’s seat in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with 1,063 points. A victory in the season long points race would be his fifth and his second straight. His credentials already match up favorably with any bass angler who has ever competed.

“Since Day One, I have been focused on the Angler of the Year,” said VanDam, also a two-time Bassmaster Classic champion. “This year, it’s going to be interesting. I just want to get on a pretty good run here so I can build some momentum heading into the postseason.”

The AOY race is shaping up to be intense and memorable. An angler just as hot as VanDam, Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., the 2009 Bassmaster Classic champ, is close behind in second, trailing by just 65 points.

Herren, an Elite Series rookie, came up short Sunday, but he scored his best Elite finish and, if not for a terrible morning, he might have edged VanDam.

“One fish probably cost me the tournament,” said Herren, 46. “I spent 2 ½ hours trying to get her in the boat and she just wouldn’t go. I had the darnedest luck today. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Still, Herren, who is seventh in the AOY standings, felt his biggest slip-up was on Friday, when he didn’t perform to his own lofty expectations. His four-day total of 59 pounds, 5 ounces was accumulated strictly sight fishing with a variety of lures, including a creature bait and lizard.

Holding onto third was Day One leader Kelly Jordon of Mineola, Texas, with 58-3. In fourth was Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., with 57-0. Moving up seven spots into fifth was Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., with 55-0. The field was cut to the top 12 for Sunday’s final day of competition.

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.

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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