Mississippi River by the numbers

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Numbers tell a story … especially on the Bassmaster Elite Series, which is all about pounds and ounces and Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points that can get an angler to the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic on Lake Conroe in Texas. <br><br>Here are the important numbers from the Elite event on the Mississippi River. <br><br><i>Captions by Ken Duke</i>
Numbers tell a story … especially on the Bassmaster Elite Series, which is all about pounds and ounces and Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points that can get an angler to the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic on Lake Conroe in Texas.
Here are the important numbers from the Elite event on the Mississippi River.
Captions by Ken Duke
<b>1</b> – Gerald Swindle is having a remarkable season. Not only does he lead the AOY race, but he was the only angler to earn a check in all nine Elite tournaments this season. His worst finish was 40th to open the season at the St. Johns River. Who was the last angler who’s “worst” was so good? You have to go back to 2011 when Kevin VanDam won his last AOY. That year his worst finish was 33rd. In 2009, Skeet Reese’s worst regular season finish was 29th, but a lackluster postseason cost him AOY honors.
1 – Gerald Swindle is having a remarkable season. Not only does he lead the AOY race, but he was the only angler to earn a check in all nine Elite tournaments this season. His worst finish was 40th to open the season at the St. Johns River. Who was the last angler who’s “worst” was so good? You have to go back to 2011 when Kevin VanDam won his last AOY. That year his worst finish was 33rd. In 2009, Skeet Reese’s worst regular season finish was 29th, but a lackluster postseason cost him AOY honors.
<b>2</b> — That’s the number of anglers with a mathematical chance of winning AOY — Gerald Swindle and Keith Combs. And, truth is, Combs’ chances rate somewhere between slim and none. He pretty much needs to win the tournament and hope that Swindle sleeps through his alarm clock and then misses the weigh-in.
2 — That’s the number of anglers with a mathematical chance of winning AOY — Gerald Swindle and Keith Combs. And, truth is, Combs’ chances rate somewhere between slim and none. He pretty much needs to win the tournament and hope that Swindle sleeps through his alarm clock and then misses the weigh-in.
<b>2 (again)</b> – The season started with 10 rookies, but only two will be competing in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship tournament on Mille Lacs in Minnesota — Drew Benton (who is a lock for Rookie of the Year honors and to qualify for his first Classic) and Adrian Avena (47th in AOY but still with an outside chance to qualify for the Classic). The rest of the rookie field finished 70th or worse. It’s reminiscent of 2008, when Bobby Lane ran away with ROY and no one else was better than 76th.
2 (again) – The season started with 10 rookies, but only two will be competing in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship tournament on Mille Lacs in Minnesota — Drew Benton (who is a lock for Rookie of the Year honors and to qualify for his first Classic) and Adrian Avena (47th in AOY but still with an outside chance to qualify for the Classic). The rest of the rookie field finished 70th or worse. It’s reminiscent of 2008, when Bobby Lane ran away with ROY and no one else was better than 76th.
<b>2-10</b> — With the 2016 regular season in the books, we can compare it with other Elite campaigns. The year was fairly ordinary in most respects, though the average bass was on the light side. This average fish brought to the scales weighed 2-10, second smallest in Elite history. The lightest was in 2011 — 2 pounds, 6 ounces. The average daily catch by an Elite pro this year was 12-1 — also the second lightest in history. The record for light bags came in 2011 (10-12). Tough tournaments on the Arkansas River, West Point Lake and Lake Murray pulled the average down that year. This year it was Winyah Bay.
2-10 — With the 2016 regular season in the books, we can compare it with other Elite campaigns. The year was fairly ordinary in most respects, though the average bass was on the light side. This average fish brought to the scales weighed 2-10, second smallest in Elite history. The lightest was in 2011 — 2 pounds, 6 ounces. The average daily catch by an Elite pro this year was 12-1 — also the second lightest in history. The record for light bags came in 2011 (10-12). Tough tournaments on the Arkansas River, West Point Lake and Lake Murray pulled the average down that year. This year it was Winyah Bay.
<b>3</b> — Three anglers limited every day they were on the water this season — Bobby Lane, Bradley Roy and Chris Zaldain. Todd Faircloth almost did it, but on Day 3 at the Mississippi River, he came in with just four bass. Lane becomes the first angler in Elite history to limit every day of an entire season more than once. He also did it as a rookie in 2008.
3 — Three anglers limited every day they were on the water this season — Bobby Lane, Bradley Roy and Chris Zaldain. Todd Faircloth almost did it, but on Day 3 at the Mississippi River, he came in with just four bass. Lane becomes the first angler in Elite history to limit every day of an entire season more than once. He also did it as a rookie in 2008.
<b>5</b> – Five anglers did not earn a single check in the 2016 Elite season. Byron Velvick and Matt Vermilyea dropped out early without cashing. Jay Brainard, Paul Elias and Fabian Rodriguez fished the entire season without a payday.
5 – Five anglers did not earn a single check in the 2016 Elite season. Byron Velvick and Matt Vermilyea dropped out early without cashing. Jay Brainard, Paul Elias and Fabian Rodriguez fished the entire season without a payday.
<b>6</b> – John Crews streak of consecutive Bassmaster Classic appearances ends at six. The Virginia pro is a fixture at the championship, but a disappointing season saw him finish 62nd in AOY points, so he’s out of the AOY Championship and out of Classic contention. Other streaks are in better shape. Michael Iaconelli will be headed to his 16th straight Classic. Aaron Martens will make it 14 in a row. Todd Faircloth seems destined for 11 in a row, and Bobby Lane and Dean Rojas will notch 10 and nine in a row, respectively. In jeopardy are the streaks of five consecutive Classic appearances posted by Randy Howell and Chris Lane. Both need good finishes at the AOY Championship to add to that number.
6 – John Crews streak of consecutive Bassmaster Classic appearances ends at six. The Virginia pro is a fixture at the championship, but a disappointing season saw him finish 62nd in AOY points, so he’s out of the AOY Championship and out of Classic contention. Other streaks are in better shape. Michael Iaconelli will be headed to his 16th straight Classic. Aaron Martens will make it 14 in a row. Todd Faircloth seems destined for 11 in a row, and Bobby Lane and Dean Rojas will notch 10 and nine in a row, respectively. In jeopardy are the streaks of five consecutive Classic appearances posted by Randy Howell and Chris Lane. Both need good finishes at the AOY Championship to add to that number.
<b>10</b> - That’s the number of anglers who have won multiple AOY titles. They include Roland Martin (9), Kevin VanDam (7), Bill Dance (3), Mark Davis (3), Aaron Martens (3), Guido Hibdon (2), Davy Hite (2), Jimmy Houston (2), Gary Klein (2), and Larry Nixon (2). Gerald Swindle is on a pace to make it 11 this year.
10 – That’s the number of anglers who have won multiple AOY titles. They include Roland Martin (9), Kevin VanDam (7), Bill Dance (3), Mark Davis (3), Aaron Martens (3), Guido Hibdon (2), Davy Hite (2), Jimmy Houston (2), Gary Klein (2), and Larry Nixon (2). Gerald Swindle is on a pace to make it 11 this year.
<b>12</b> — Gerald Swindle has been much better in 2016 than he was 12 years ago when he last won AOY. There were only six qualifying tournaments on the old Bassmaster Tour in 2004. No events were held north of Missouri’s Table Rock Lake, and half the schedule was in Swindle’s home state (Alabama). He had four finishes of 36th or worse, but he was good enough to edge Greg Hackney for the award. This year, Swindle has been relentlessly excellent. His worst finish is 40th, and he has six Top 12 finishes in nine events; that’s one more than Aaron Martens had in 2015 when he posted the best Elite season in history.
12 — Gerald Swindle has been much better in 2016 than he was 12 years ago when he last won AOY. There were only six qualifying tournaments on the old Bassmaster Tour in 2004. No events were held north of Missouri’s Table Rock Lake, and half the schedule was in Swindle’s home state (Alabama). He had four finishes of 36th or worse, but he was good enough to edge Greg Hackney for the award. This year, Swindle has been relentlessly excellent. His worst finish is 40th, and he has six Top 12 finishes in nine events; that’s one more than Aaron Martens had in 2015 when he posted the best Elite season in history.
<b>42</b> — Bradley Roy ranks 29th in AOY and is pretty much a shoo-in to qualify for his first Bassmaster Classic. What’s more, he has the longest consecutive limits streak of any Elite angler — 42 and counting. That ties him for fourth among such streaks. Kevin VanDam leads the way with 57. Bobby Lane strung together 46 straight limits in 2008-09. Mike Iaconelli had 46 in 2009-11, and Skeet Reese had 42 in 2007-08.
42 — Bradley Roy ranks 29th in AOY and is pretty much a shoo-in to qualify for his first Bassmaster Classic. What’s more, he has the longest consecutive limits streak of any Elite angler — 42 and counting. That ties him for fourth among such streaks. Kevin VanDam leads the way with 57. Bobby Lane strung together 46 straight limits in 2008-09. Mike Iaconelli had 46 in 2009-11, and Skeet Reese had 42 in 2007-08.
<b>43</b> — That’s the lead Gerald Swindle takes into the AOY Championship, and it’s even bigger than it looks. With only 50 anglers competing, the point differential between first and last is just 49. It means that Swindle can lock up AOY merely by finishing in the top 43. For Keith Combs to win, he basically has to win the event and have Swindle finish nearly last.
43 — That’s the lead Gerald Swindle takes into the AOY Championship, and it’s even bigger than it looks. With only 50 anglers competing, the point differential between first and last is just 49. It means that Swindle can lock up AOY merely by finishing in the top 43. For Keith Combs to win, he basically has to win the event and have Swindle finish nearly last.