Bassmaster Elite Series Pros Face Tough Conditions in Sunshine Showdown

$673,150 in cash to the top 50 Elite pros, and valuable points in the race for the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year award. In addition to crowning the final Elite Series event winner of 2007, one angler will emerge as the winner of bass fishing's highest honor: the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title. Also to be awarded: the Toyota Rookie of the Year award, and the Toyota Moving Forward Award. Additionally, 36 Bassmaster Classic berths will be awarded to the Elite anglers with the highest number of points, and the top 84 anglers in the AOY standings will qualify for the 2008 season.

What’s at stake: $673,150 in cash to the top 50 Elite pros, and valuable points in the race for the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year award. In addition to crowning the final Elite Series event winner of 2007, one angler will emerge as the winner of bass fishing’s highest honor: the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title. Also to be awarded: the Toyota Rookie of the Year award, and the Toyota Moving Forward Award. Additionally, 36 Bassmaster Classic berths will be awarded to the Elite anglers with the highest number of points, and the top 84 anglers in the AOY standings will qualify for the 2008 season.

 Telecast: The Sunshine Showdown presented by Allstate Boat Insurance on Lake Tohopekaliga in Kissimmee, Fla., will be aired on ESPN2’s The Bassmasters Saturday, Sept. 29, at 9 a.m. ET.

 The Pros Said It

“Right now practice is pretty slow and I’ve yet to get a limit of bites in one day. I’m still hunting and pecking, trying to find a glory hole or solid pattern where I can go catch a limit each day. The fish are biting first thing in the morning and then they really shut down. If anything, I’ve eliminated a lot of stuff. I’m hoping to find something today and then let the derby begin! As long as I beat Kevin (VanDam) by one point (in the AOY race), that’s all that matters.” — Skeet Reese, 38, Auburn, Calif., eight-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier and 2007 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points leader headed into final event

 “I can sum up the practice in one word: challenging. There’s something wrong with the water clarity in the lake, it’s off-color and there’s no current moving. When you combine those two things it makes it really tough. It’s going to be one tough event to win and I think you’re going to have to fish two or three patterns to do it. It’s tough enough to fish here four days when the fishing is good, and the conditions right now are making it much more difficult.” — Terry Scroggins, 38, San Mateo, Fla., four-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier, fifth in combined Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings for 2006 and 2007

 “The lake’s fishing pretty tough right now. I’m doing a lot of flipping but it’s sporadic and it’s hard to get a big bite and duplicate on the conditions that we have. I’m looking for that magic spot and have to almost win this tournament as well as Skeet (Reese) have a bad tournament for me to win Angler of the Year. I’ve seen enough good things happen that it gets me excited, but I’m also a realist. I’m looking for five big ones in fives casts and haven’t found that yet.” — Kevin VanDam, 39, Kalamazoo, Mich., two-time Bassmaster Classic Winner, now second in the 2007 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points standings

 The Strategy

 Reese: The leader in Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points is playing up his fishing strengths by flipping grass beds and hoping it will work to his advantage in the final event. He is fishing a variety of lures including crankbaits, top-water baits, Carolina rigs and a variety of soft plastics. He is moving often and targeting several areas, including shallow-water grassy areas, deep-water grassy areas, pockets and points. The spinnerbait and jig are not factors in his strategy.

 Scroggins: Before practicing for the Sunshine Showdown, the Floridian estimated that it would take 17 to 20 pounds to win the event, but now he believes it will be far less: an estimated 13 pounds per day to win. He is fishing a variety of lures, including a Carolina rig with Houdini worm and flipping a Big Show Craw lure. Scroggins is planning to cover as much water as possible. He has identified a little bit of schooling activity but says it is limited.

 VanDam: He’s moving often and covering lots of water. While he has fished Lake Toho several times in the past, he has never fished it at this time of year, which is making it tough. The Michigan pro is targeting Kissimmee grass, reeds, hydrilla and matted vegetation, as well as searching for structure and deeper water. VanDam estimates that pros will need 13 pounds a day on average, and 50 to 55 pounds overall will likely win.

 Location and Field

 Sunshine Showdown

 Lake Tohopekaliga

 Kissimmee, FL

 Sept. 13-16, 2007

 Field

 108 pros, 108 co-anglers

 Cut to top 50 after Day 2

 Cut to top 12 pro anglers after Day 3

 

 

Launch/Weigh-in

 

Kissimmee Lake Front Park

 

698 Lakeshore Blvd.

 

Kissimmee, Blvd. 34744

 

6:50 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. ET

 

 

 

Background

 

Previous BASS events

 

2006 Bassmaster Classic

 

2006 ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series

 

2005 ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series Championship

 

2005 BASS Southern Open

 

2005 ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series

 

2005 Bassmaster Tour

 

2001 Bassmaster Tour

 

2001 Bassmaster Top 150

 

2000 Bassmaster Top 150

 

1999 Bassmaster Top 150

 

1982 BASS Invitational

 

1980 BASS Invitational

 

1978 BASS Invitational

 

1977 Bassmaster Classic

 

 

Previous winners on lake

 

56-2, Luke Clausen, 2006

 

15-8, Josh Guess, 2006

 

27-11, Jeff Coble, 2005

 

39-9, Terry Scroggins, 2005

 

21-7, Charlie Coleman, 2005

 

50-11, Takahiro Omori, 2005

 

61-4, Tim Horton, 2001

 

108-12, Dean Rojas, 2001

 

53-11, Shaw Grigsby, 2000

 

41-0, Danny Kirk, 1999

 

30-1, Ken Cook, 1982

 

33-11, Horace Phipps, 1980

 

David Gliebe, 1978

 

Rick Clunn, 1977

 

 

Heaviest winning weight

 

108-12, Dean Rojas, 2001

 

 

Lowest winning weight

 

15-8, Josh Guess, 2006

 

 

Temperature

 

90 degrees

 

 

Lake level

 

0 ft. above mean sea level

 

 

Local sponsors: Central Florida Sports Commission and the Kissimmee Convention and Visitors Bureau.

 

Bassmaster Elite Series sponsors: Sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series include Toyota Tundra, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Advance Auto Parts, Lowrance Electronics, MotorGuide, Evan Williams Bourbon, Ramada Worldwide and Costa Del Mar.

 

Live, streaming video of the Sunshine Showdown’s daily weigh-ins begins at 3 p.m. ET at www.ESPNOutdoors.com. Also live on www.ESPNOutdoors.com, the pre-show Hooked Up will preview the final weigh-in Sunday. ESPN2 Outdoors personalities Mark Zona and Tommy Sanders return as the Hooked Up hosts.

 

For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit www.bassmaster.com. Visit www.espnmediazone.com for ESPN’s latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video and audio clips and more.

 

 

News exclusives, audio and video clips of bass fishing’s biggest stars, loads of discounts and more are all part of BASS Insider, an exclusive membership, now available at www.bassmaster.com.

 

 

BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, staging more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation Nation annually. Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it has for nearly 40 years.

 

 

BASS stages and sanctions bass fishing tournaments for every skill level culminating with the Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth programs, aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia platforms, BASS offers the industry’s widest array of services and support to its nearly 530,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

 

 

 

 2007 TOYOTA TUNDRA BASSMASTER ANGLER OF THE YEAR STANDINGS

 

 -------------------------------------------

 

 Place  Name               St            Pts

 

 -------------------------------------------

 

 1 Skeet Reese           Calif.       2579

 

 2 Kevin VanDam          Mich.        2472

 

 3 Jared Lintner         Calif.       2276

 

 4 Steve Kennedy         Ala.         2178

 

 5 Terry Scroggins       Fla.         2166

 

 6 Aaron Martens         Ala.         2165

 

 7 Fred Roumbanis        Calif.       2136

 

 8 Kelly Jordon          Texas        2133

 

 9 Todd Faircloth        Texas        2109

 

 10 Boyd Duckett          Ala.         2063

 

 11 Scott Rook            Ark.         2054

 

 12 Edwin Evers           Okla.        2053

 

 13 Tommy Biffle          Okla.        2038

 

 14 Greg Hackney          La.          2037

 

 15 Chris Lane            Fla.         2030

 

 16 Jeff Kriet            Okla.        2027

 

 16 Kevin Wirth           Ky.          2027

 

 18 Ishama Monroe         Calif.       2024

 

 19 Stephen Browning      Ark.         2023

 

 20 Gary Klein            Texas        1999

 

 21 Brent Chapman         Kan.         1979

 

 22 Derek Remitz          Texas        1978

 

 23 John Murray           Ariz.        1976

 

 24 Peter Thliveros       Fla.         1972

 

 25 Cliff Pace            Miss.        1964

 

 26 Timmy Horton          Ala.         1954

 

 27 Michael Iaconelli     N.J.         1929

 

 28 Takahiro Omori        Texas        1922

 

 29 Casey Ashley          S.C.         1917

 

 30 Mark Tyler            Okla.        1878

 

 31 Mike McClelland       Ark.         1852

 

 32 Randy Howell          Ala.         1834

 

 33 Alton Jones           Texas        1830

 

 33 Matthew Sphar         N.Y.         1830

 

 35 Jason Quinn           S.C.         1805

 

 36 John Crews            Va.          1803

 

 37 Dave Wolak            N.C.         1799

 

 38 Davy Hite             S.C.         1794

 

 38 Matt Reed             Texas        1794

 

 40 Jason Williamson      S.C.         1784

 

 41 Dean Rojas            Texas        1783

 

 42 Kevin Short           Ark.         1782

 

 43 Mark Menendez         Ky.          1781

 

 44 Jeff Reynolds         Okla.        1779

 

 45 Shaw Grigsby, Jr      Fla.         1772

 

 46 Kotaro Kiriyama       Ala.         1770

 

 47 Scott Campbell        Mo.          1756

 

 48 Mike Wurm             Ark.         1755

 

 49 Gerald Swindle        Ala.         1751

 

 50 Brian Snowden         Mo.          1741

 

 51 Rick Morris           Va.          1735

 

 51 Yusuke Miyazaki       Texas        1735

 

 53 Britt Myers           S.C.         1720

 

 54 Morizo Shimizu        Calif.       1719

 

 55 Bill Lowen            Ohio         1715

 

 56 Marty Robinson        S.C.         1712

 

 57 Denny Brauer          Mo.          1700

 

 58 James Niggemeyer      Texas        1673

 

 59 Ray Sedgwick          S.C.         1668

 

 60 Kenyon Hill           Okla.        1657

 

 61 Mark Tucker           Mo.          1653

 

 62 Kurt Dove             Va.          1638

 

 63 Jami Fralick          S.D.         1636

 

 64 Rick Clunn            Mo.          1632

 

 65 Bernie Schultz        Fla.         1621

 

 66 Bryan Hudgins         Fla.         1618

 

 67 Paul Elias            Miss.        1612

 

 68 Ken Cook              Okla.        1609

 

 69 Bradley Hallman       Okla.        1585

 

 70 Russ Lane             Ala.         1566

 

 71 Pete Ponds            Miss.        1558

 

 72 Grant Goldbeck        Md.          1553

 

 73 Jeremy Starks         W.Va.        1552

 

 74 Ben Matsubu           Texas        1549

 

 75 James Kennedy         La.          1521

 

 76 Lee Bailey            Ala.         1509

 

 77 Jim Murray            Ga.          1502

 

 78 Jimmy Mize            Ark.         1498

 

 79 Jeff Connella         La.          1497

 

 80 Charlie Hartley       Ohio         1466

 

 81 Preston Clark         Fla.         1461

 

 82 Ken Brodeur           Conn.        1438

 

 83 Paul Hirosky          Pa.          1432

 

 84 Greg Gutierrez        Calif.       1407

 

 85 Mark Rogers           Fla.         1393

 

 86 Kevin Langill         N.C.         1391

 

 87 Marty Stone           N.C.         1390

 

 88 Matt Amedeo           Ohio         1388

 

 89 James Charlesworth    Fla.         1372

 

 90 Terry Butcher         Okla.        1349

 

 91 Guy Eaker             N.C.         1329

 

 92 Glenn Delong          Ohio         1298

 

 93 Zell Rowland          Texas        1295

 

 94 Dave Smith            Okla.        1259

 

 95 Bill Smith            Ky.          1253

 

 95 Keith Phillips        Ala.         1253

 

 97 Steve Daniel          Fla.         1240

 

 98 Darrin Schwenkbeck    N.Y.         1232

 

 99 Doc Merkin            Ill.         1181

 

 100 Bradley Stringer      Texas        1173

 

 101 Frank Scalish         Ohio         1172

 

 102 Jon Bondy             Canada       1152

 

 103 Eric Nethery          Ga.          1142

 

 104 Jimmy Mason           Ala.         1099

 

 105 Byron Velvick         Texas        1065

 

 106 Rick Ash              Pa.           985

 

 107 Charlie Youngers      Fla.          980

 

 108 Elton Luce Jr         Texas         855

 

 2007 TOYOTA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR RACE

 

 2007 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

 

 After Potomac River, Charles County, MD ending 08-12-2007, Day 4

 

 -------------------------------------------

 

 Place  Name               St            Pts

 

 -------------------------------------------

 

 1 Derek Remitz          Texas        1978

 

 2 Casey Ashley          S.C.         1917

 

 3 Matthew Sphar         N.Y.         1830

 

 4 Jason Williamson      S.C.         1784

 

 5 Scott Campbell        Mo.          1756

 

 6 Marty Robinson        S.C.         1712

 

 7 James Niggemeyer      Texas        1673

 

 8 Bryan Hudgins         Fla.         1618

 

 9 James Kennedy         La.          1521

 

 10 Matt Amedeo           Ohio         1388

 

 11 James Charlesworth    Fla.         1372

 

 12 Glenn Delong          Ohio         1298

 

 2007 TOYOTA MOVING FORWARD AWARD

 

 ---------------------------------------------------------

 

 Place  Name               2006 Finish   2007 Standings

 

 ---------------------------------------------------------

 

 1 Fred Roumbanis            69             7

 

 2 Chris Lane                61            15

 

 3 Scott Rook                47            11

 

 4 Mark Tyler                64            30

 

 5 Rick Morris               81            51

 

 6 Stephen Browning          45            19

 

 6 Terry Scroggins           31             5

 

 8 Mark Menendez             68            43

 

 8 Kevin Short               67            42

 

 10 Britt Myers               76            53

 

 11 Kurt Dove                 82            62

 

 11 Brent Chapman             41            21

 

 13 Ishama Monroe             37            18

 

 14 Jeff Kriet                33            16

 

 15 Grant Goldbeck            88            72

 

 15 Ken Brodeur               98            82

 

 15 Gary Klein                36            20

 

 18 Jared Lintner             18             3

 

 19 Todd Faircloth            23             9

 

 19 Mark Rogers               99            85

 

 21 Pete Ponds                83            71

 

 22 Takahiro Omori            35            28

 

 23 David Wolak               43            37

 

 23 Skeet Reese                7             1

 

 25 Ken D Cook                73            68

 

 26 Timmy Horton              30            26

 

 26 Yusuke Miyazaki           55            51

 

 26 Brian Snowden             54            50

 

 29 Charlie Hartley           83            80

 

 29 Jami Fralick              66            63

 

 31 Davy Hite                 40            38

 

 31 Kelly Jordon              10             8

 

 33 Kevin VanDam               3             2