CELEBRATION, Fla. — Fishing fans will turn their full attention on Sept. 13-16 to the 11th and final event of the Bassmaster Elite Series season, the Sunshine Showdown presented by Allstate Boat Insurance on Lake Tohopekaliga out of Kissimmee, Fla.
In addition to crowning the final Elite Series event winner of 2007, one angler will emerge as the winner of the season-long points competition for bass fishing’s highest honor: the $125,000 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.All the drama of the Sunshine Showdown can be viewed on The Bassmasters on ESPN2 at 9 a.m. ET, Saturday, Sept. 29.Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., is in the best position to sew up the prestigious annual AOY award, but three-time winner Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., isn’t far behind. The outcome of the AOY race hinges on how many points Reese and VanDam are able to rack up at Toho.
Elite anglers no longer in contention for the AOY title still are very focused on the points; 36 Bassmaster Classic berths are awarded to the Elite anglers with the highest number of points. The Sunshine Showdown is the pros’ last chance to build points totals high enough to qualify for the 2008 Classic, Feb. 22-24 on Lake Hartwell out of Greenville, S.C.
The Lake Toho event also will be decisive in who wins this season’s Toyota Rookie of the Year title, the Toyota Moving Forward Award and who qualifies for the 2008 Bassmaster Elite Series season. The top-84 anglers in the AOY standings will qualify for the 2008 season.
The pros will launch their boats in Lake Toho at 6:50 a.m. ET, Sept. 13-16, from Kissimmee Lakefront Park in the city of Kissimmee. Daily weigh-ins at the park are set for 3 p.m. ET.
Pros will begin and end on Lake Toho, but the bass of the other lakes of the Kissimmee chain are fair game. Two Elite pros from Florida — Terry Scroggins of San Mateo and Chris Lane of Winter Haven — expect much of the field to spread out into Cypress, Hatchineha and Kissimmee, the chain’s other three main lakes.
“I believe that whoever wins this event will have to run patterns throughout the whole chain,” said Scroggins, winner of the 2005 and 2007 Bassmaster Open-level events on the Kissimmee chain, and fifth in the current AOY standings. “You’re going to see multiple patterns: schooling fish are going to be important, there will be a topwater bite and flipping to matted grass will play a role as well.”
Lane, who has fished the Kissimmee chain since he was a child, said he did not have time to scout the lakes before they were off limits to Elite anglers, which started on Aug. 12.”I will burn a lot of gas in practice, I promise you that,” said Lane, now 15th in the AOY standings. “Any of the four lakes could produce a winning bag.”
He said working a soft-plastic swimming frog in grass will be one of his main patterns.
According to Kissimmee lakes expert and Kissimmee resident Terry Segraves, Elite anglers will encounter a lot of grass. He noted that the pros will have to be extra sharp at the wheel as they navigate the skinny-water fishery, even in the boat trails. Vegetation, especially hydrilla, has proliferated during the long growing season, he said, and is now topped out in areas of Toho.
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
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Place Name St Pts
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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
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Place Name St Pts
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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
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Place Name 2006 Finish 2007 Standings
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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