BASSfest 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. <p> Here are the important numbers from BASSfest on Lake Texoma. <p> <em>All captions: Ken Duke</em>
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.

Here are the important numbers from BASSfest on Lake Texoma.

All captions: Ken Duke

2 – Just two anglers have finished in the money in each of the first six tournaments – Greg Hackney and Gerald Swindle. Not coincidentally, they rank first and second in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. At Texoma, they ranked first and third, respectively.
2 – Just two anglers have finished in the money in each of the first six tournaments – Greg Hackney and Gerald Swindle. Not coincidentally, they rank first and second in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. At Texoma, they ranked first and third, respectively.
4 – We now have “presumptive” nominees in the presidential race for each of the two major political parties. In the world of pro bass fishing, Greg Hackney is the presumptive Angler of the Year. Too soon? Not really. We’re now two-thirds of the way through and he has a significant lead and some momentum coming off a win at Texoma. That’s no small thing. With the exception of years when there was a postseason to determine AOY, no eventual AOY has ranked worse than fourth after six events (Aaron Martens in 2013). The rest ranked first or second.
4 – We now have “presumptive” nominees in the presidential race for each of the two major political parties. In the world of pro bass fishing, Greg Hackney is the presumptive Angler of the Year. Too soon? Not really. We’re now two-thirds of the way through and he has a significant lead and some momentum coming off a win at Texoma. That’s no small thing. With the exception of years when there was a postseason to determine AOY, no eventual AOY has ranked worse than fourth after six events (Aaron Martens in 2013). The rest ranked first or second.
6 – On the flip side of the prize money coin are the six anglers who have yet to earn a check in 2016. Going into Texoma, there were 10 pros who had not finished in the money all year. Four of them broke through at Texoma – Chad Grigsby, Yusuke Miyazaki, Brett Preuett and David Walker. The six who have yet to earn a payday include a retiree (Byron Velvick left after one event for health reasons), a dropout (Matt Vermilyea bailed out after two tournaments), a pair of rookies (Jay Brainard and Fabian Rodriguez) and a couple of veterans (Paul Elias and Kotaro Kiriyama). Of the six, Brainard came the closest to cashing – 55th at the St. Johns River.
6 – On the flip side of the prize money coin are the six anglers who have yet to earn a check in 2016. Going into Texoma, there were 10 pros who had not finished in the money all year. Four of them broke through at Texoma – Chad Grigsby, Yusuke Miyazaki, Brett Preuett and David Walker. The six who have yet to earn a payday include a retiree (Byron Velvick left after one event for health reasons), a dropout (Matt Vermilyea bailed out after two tournaments), a pair of rookies (Jay Brainard and Fabian Rodriguez) and a couple of veterans (Paul Elias and Kotaro Kiriyama). Of the six, Brainard came the closest to cashing – 55th at the St. Johns River.
10 – We’re now two-thirds of the way through the Elite season, and there are 10 anglers who have limited each day they’ve been on the water – Adrian Avena, Todd Faircloth, Greg Hackney, Bobby Lane, Russ Lane, Jared Lintner, Jacob Powroznik, Bradley Roy, Gerald Swindle and Chris Zaldain. Of course, the number can only go down, and it’s likely to take its biggest hit at the Potomac River (August), where fishing is traditionally tougher than average. Things could be challenging on the Mississippi River (September), too, depending on water color and level. Catch rates should be higher than average at Cayuga in a couple of weeks.
10 – We’re now two-thirds of the way through the Elite season, and there are 10 anglers who have limited each day they’ve been on the water – Adrian Avena, Todd Faircloth, Greg Hackney, Bobby Lane, Russ Lane, Jared Lintner, Jacob Powroznik, Bradley Roy, Gerald Swindle and Chris Zaldain. Of course, the number can only go down, and it’s likely to take its biggest hit at the Potomac River (August), where fishing is traditionally tougher than average. Things could be challenging on the Mississippi River (September), too, depending on water color and level. Catch rates should be higher than average at Cayuga in a couple of weeks.
10 (continued) – Though it’s not unprecedented for an angler to limit each day on the water for an entire season, no one’s done it since 2012. Of the 10 remaining anglers who have limited each day, three have done it before: Todd Faircloth (2008), Bobby Lane (2008) and Gerald Swindle (2012). <p> Of the 10 anglers who have limited every day on the water in 2016, all are having pretty fair seasons except Russ Lane (71st in AOY). No angler has ever limited every day on the water and failed to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic, but Lane might change that.
10 (continued) – Though it’s not unprecedented for an angler to limit each day on the water for an entire season, no one’s done it since 2012. Of the 10 remaining anglers who have limited each day, three have done it before: Todd Faircloth (2008), Bobby Lane (2008) and Gerald Swindle (2012).

Of the 10 anglers who have limited every day on the water in 2016, all are having pretty fair seasons except Russ Lane (71st in AOY). No angler has ever limited every day on the water and failed to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic, but Lane might change that.

20 – Take a look at the top 20 or so anglers in the AOY race and pencil them in for a 2017 Classic berth. The chances of all of them making it are about 90 percent, and the chances of the anglers currently ranked in the top 10 making it are very close to 100 percent. Only once in the last decade has an angler ranked in the top 10 after six events failed to qualify, and that was back in 2008 when the regular season was much longer – 11 tournaments.
20 – Take a look at the top 20 or so anglers in the AOY race and pencil them in for a 2017 Classic berth. The chances of all of them making it are about 90 percent, and the chances of the anglers currently ranked in the top 10 making it are very close to 100 percent. Only once in the last decade has an angler ranked in the top 10 after six events failed to qualify, and that was back in 2008 when the regular season was much longer – 11 tournaments.
34 – Has Bradley Roy turned a corner in his career? After winning the Bassmaster Rookie of the Year crown in 2010 with a 40th-place finish in the AOY standings (worst ever for an ROY), the young angler has posted AOY finishes of 65th, 68th, 68th, 85th and 63rd. That’s remarkably consistent … and pretty awful. This year, though, Roy has been stellar. He ranks 14th in AOY and seems a lock to qualify for his first Classic.
34 – Has Bradley Roy turned a corner in his career? After winning the Bassmaster Rookie of the Year crown in 2010 with a 40th-place finish in the AOY standings (worst ever for an ROY), the young angler has posted AOY finishes of 65th, 68th, 68th, 85th and 63rd. That’s remarkably consistent … and pretty awful. This year, though, Roy has been stellar. He ranks 14th in AOY and seems a lock to qualify for his first Classic.
34 (continued) – When did Roy turn things around? Maybe it started last year at Guntersville. Since that tournament, he’s limited every day on the water — 34 straight. It’s the longest active streak of any Elite angler. If he can keep it up for six more rounds, he’ll join some impressive company. Only eight anglers have posted consecutive limit streaks of 40 days or more. Kevin VanDam leads the way with 57.
34 (continued) – When did Roy turn things around? Maybe it started last year at Guntersville. Since that tournament, he’s limited every day on the water — 34 straight. It’s the longest active streak of any Elite angler. If he can keep it up for six more rounds, he’ll join some impressive company. Only eight anglers have posted consecutive limit streaks of 40 days or more. Kevin VanDam leads the way with 57.
45 – Of the top 10 anglers in this year’s AOY race, four (Gerald Swindle, Randall Tharp, Takahiro Omori and Steve Kennedy) are older than 45. Two of the top 10 are younger than 35 (Chris Zaldain and Justin Lucas). The other four (Greg Hackney, Keith Combs, Jacob Powroznik and Hank Cherry) are between 38 and 43. I’m not saying the older guys can’t win AOY. I’m just saying no one that old has ever done it before.
45 – Of the top 10 anglers in this year’s AOY race, four (Gerald Swindle, Randall Tharp, Takahiro Omori and Steve Kennedy) are older than 45. Two of the top 10 are younger than 35 (Chris Zaldain and Justin Lucas). The other four (Greg Hackney, Keith Combs, Jacob Powroznik and Hank Cherry) are between 38 and 43. I’m not saying the older guys can’t win AOY. I’m just saying no one that old has ever done it before.
45 (continued) – I’m also not saying the younger guys can’t win AOY. I’m just saying that the last eight AOYs have all been between 38 and 43 (and seven were between 40 and 43). Those are the anglers who tend to combine youth and experience – a combination that can do great things. Roland Martin was the oldest angler ever to win AOY. He was 45 when he won his ninth title in 1985.
45 (continued) – I’m also not saying the younger guys can’t win AOY. I’m just saying that the last eight AOYs have all been between 38 and 43 (and seven were between 40 and 43). Those are the anglers who tend to combine youth and experience – a combination that can do great things. Roland Martin was the oldest angler ever to win AOY. He was 45 when he won his ninth title in 1985.