The 2008 Bassmaster Elite Series tour makes "the turn" this week at Carolina Clash presented by Evan Williams. It's the sixth tournament in the 11-event season.Twelve Elite Series pros were asked to pick their three favorites to win this event on South Carolina's 50,000-acre Lake Murray, the site of 10 previous BASS events but a first-time Elite Series site.
Chris Lane
1. Dean Rojas — There's a (topwater) frog bite.
2. Jason Quinn — He knows this lake probably better than anybody.
3. Davy Hite — He's on a roll, and he knows this lake.
Mark Davis
1. Kevin VanDam— Just because he's Kevin VanDam.
2. Tommy Biffle — This lake is high, and he might find find something (flipping) that the rest of this field won't find.
3. Alton Jones — He's just on a roll right now.
Kevin Short
1. Casey Ashley — Because he's grown up close to here. He's got local knowledge.
2. Dave Wolak — These fish are scattered all over the place. If anybody can catch them in a situation like this, he can.
3. Jason Quinn —He's from South Carolina, and he's still pissed off that he didn't catch them at Clarks Hill (two weeks ago).
Cliff Pace
1. Jeff Kriet — Just because I like him, and I think he'll catch them here.
2. Greg Hackney — Because the river is good here, and he's a good shallow-water fisherman.
3. Edwin Evers — He did well in the last tournament, and these lakes (Clarks Hill and Murray) fish the same.
Bill Lowen
1. Fred Roumbanis — There's a swimbait bite, and he'll throw it all day long.
2. Brian Snowden — Because he always seems to find a flipping bite when the rest of us can't.
3. Kotaro Kiriyama — He's a good drop-shot fisherman. These fish aren't acting like they should. He might find a way to make them bite.
Derek Remitz
1. Mike McClelland — He'll probably fishing deeper stuff that not another soul is looking for.
2. Tommy Biffle — There are enough willows in the water for him to do good.
3. Davy Hite — He lived on this lake for a long time. He probably knows more about this lake than anyone else out here.
Stephen Browning
1. Kevin VanDam Run-and-gun. I know there are going to be fish caught that way here this week.
2. Davy Hite — The home lake advantage. And he normally wins one about every May. This is the merry month of May.
3. Jeremy Starks — He's having one of the worst years he's ever had. This would be a good one to change things around.
Matt Sphar
1. Davy Hite — Local knowledge.
2. Tommy Biffle — He might be able to get the big ones flipping in that dirty water.
3. Terry Scroggins — I just think he's on top of his game right now.
Aaron Martens
1. Todd Faircloth — It's his kind of bite. He's on a roll. He did well at Clarks Hill.
2. Terry Scroggins — He did good at Clarks Hill, and he probably knows this lake well.
3. John Crews — I've seen him a lot this week (during practice). I've seen him every day and sometimes in places 10 to 20 miles apart. He's doing the right thing.
Randy Howell
1. Davy Hite — He lived on this lake for many years. He's got a lot of local knowledge.
2. Kenyon Hill — He's hot, and it's the same kind of bite he had at Clarks Hill.
3. Aaron Martens — He's really good at catching finnicky fish. And I think he'll redeem himself from Clarks Hill.
Britt Myers
1. Terry Scroggins — I just think he's due. I've seen him all week (during practice), and I think he's doing the right thing to win this.
2. Kenyon Hill — He's an old Pencil Popper guy from way back, and there should be a good topwater bite.
3. Randy Howell — He's got a lot of friends around here to help him out. (Editor's note: that's an inside joke; Elite Series anglers aren't allowed to get advice from local anglers.)
John Crews
1. Mike Iaconelli — It's a spaz tournament. You've got to fish like a spaz
2. Edwin Evers — He did well (at Clarks Hill). I think he'll continue that.
3. Peter Thliveros — Because he does well in these post-spawn tournaments. He likes throw a Carolina rig, and we're in Carolina.