2011 Dixie Duel: Day One On the Water

Greg Vinson idles past a barge tied up on the main river channel. 

Kevin VanDam drew a crowd of spectator boats on Day One of the Dixie Duel. 

Lack of current was evident as you boated past channel buoys.

Mike Iaconelli was fishing a channel ledge along the main river channel early in the day. 

Popular channel drops quickly became crowded places to fish. 

Dean Rojas was away from the crowds casting his signature series Spro frog. 

Chris Lane dropped to 13^th place in the Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year points race after a 67^th place finish last week on the Arkansas River. 

Todd Faircloth was fishing a location where he caught several of his fish during the last Elite Series event on Lake Wheeler. 

Greg Vinson fishes a ledge next to a barge. 

Todd Faircloth speeds past a barge while making a move downriver. 

James Niggemeyer fishes near several barges tied off within sight of downtown Decatur. 

Reports that the grass is no longer there, didn’t keep anglers from fishing a popular area known as the Decatur Flats. 

Dave Wolak makes a cast as his Day One Marshal takes in the day of fishing. 

Wolak takes a quick drink as he makes a move. 

Kevin VanDam was culling fish early in the day. 

VanDam fished near a discharge from a nearby plant. 

VanDam clips a culling bulb on a fish, while Wes Miller captures the action on a pole-mounted camera. 

VanDam gets back to work. 

VanDam kneels to ease a fish to the boat that is barely hooked. 

VanDam pulls the fish slowly in by hand. 

The tactic worked and VanDam boats another keeper. 

Time for KVD to make some culling decisions. 

VanDam makes his choice and releases his smallest bass. 

VanDam had culled through 14 bass in only 45 minutes on the water. 

VanDam moved to a ledge occupied by Jason Williamson and Marty Robinson.

Dennis Tietje fires a cast with a crankbait. 

Tietje was rewarded with a small keeper that came off a main river ledge. 

Keith Combs is trying to run down Ott Defoe for Rookie of the Year honors. 

J. Todd Tucker speeds around a large recreational boat on his way to another waypoint. 

Scott Rook pulls up to a ledge just occupied by Greg Vinson. 

Mike Iaconelli eases a fish over the side of the boat. 

Iaconelli was culling early. 

Iaconelli quickly hung another short fish. 

Bobby Lane was running short of the soft plastics he was fishing, but Matt Greenblatt agreed to help with the re-supply. 

Matt Greenblatt, Bobby Lane, Mike Iaconelli and Matt Herren were fishing just yards apart. 

Iaconelli and Lane were visiting and had no issues while sharing the same water. 

Bobby Lane fires a long cast with a drop bait

B.A.S.S. emcee Dave Mercer did a BASSCam video with Bobby Lane that can be viewed on Bassmaster.com.