"The ledge was the only place I got quality fish, so I bent the hook on my jig and made one pass and I had 11 bites on one pass on that bluff. That's where I stayed."
"It's wonderful. Points winner is a great title to have on my resume — and I'm going to the Classic, a lifetime dream," said the 43-year-old Hartley, a veteran Elite pro who's been competing in BASS events since 1996.
The father of a 7-month-old son and owner of a car dealership — two factors that keep him too busy to compete as much as he'd like to — Ippoliti, 44, posted close to 15 pounds each day, a consistency he credited to a technique which he preferred not to discuss.
Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., took the lead Thursday at the season finale of the 2007 Bassmaster Southern Open out of Decatur, Ala.