2009 Elite Series Blue Ridge Brawl, Insider’s Look

So far this season, however, our pattern predictions haven't been that accurate. Instead of finding bass in prespawn as expected at the first three events, the pros have encountered bass in all phases of the spawn, including postspawn, and at all depths.

2009 Elite Series Blue Ridge Brawl, AOY

At the season's halfway point, while none of the remaining competitors is conceding anything, some patterns and probabilities are starting to take root with respect to the end-of-year standings.

2009 Elite Series Blue Ridge Brawl, Field of Dreams

Kevin VanDam will scratch and claw to get to the Top 12 every week and on the rare occasions when he doesn't make it to Sunday, heaven help anyone who gets in his way at the next event.

Crew(sine)

On the work bench, mega-RPM high torque power wrenches and a Teflon coated BBQ cooking set (black and very stylish BTW). Metric and mayonnaise, horsepower and horseradish coexist. As I turn, I watch as the ENTIRE service crew walk down the gravel boatyard road to a BBQ shootout with the local food vendors.

2009 Elite Series Blue Ridge Brawl, Day Three, Cut

James Niggemeyer, Jeff Connella and Skeet Reese each acknowledged that it would take a superhuman effort to erase Kevin VanDam's nearly 7-pound lead.

2009 Elite Series Blue Ridge Brawl, Day Three, KVD

If there was a technique Kevin VanDam hasn't quite mastered, most would agree that sight-fishing would be it.

2009 Elite Series Blue Ridge Brawl, Day Three, Notes

Coming out of practice, Steve Kennedy had located both sight fish and swimbait fish. He chose to target the swimbait fish first, but struggled because the cold nights had pushed them down.

2009 Elite Series Blue Ridge Brawl, Day Three, Disappearing

After two days of 100 Elite Series anglers picking over the bedding bass on Smith Mountain Lake, many experienced disappointment when few remained on Day Three.

2009 Elite Series Blue Ridge Brawl, Day Three, Blurry

A number of circumstances, both natural and man-made, conspired to keep some of the anglers from seeing their finned quarry.

2009 Elite Series Blue Ridge Brawl, Day Three, West Coast

Heading into the third day of competition, five of the top twelve anglers in the standings were either born in California, raised there, or at some point called it home.