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Kansan Brent Chapman climbs to 26th
Alabama's Aaron Martens Inches Closer
to Fifth BASS Victory at Lake Guntersville Elite Series Event
May 9, 2009GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. They
say redemption is a dish best served cold but things have been
getting frigid for Aaron Martens. Consumed with a missed opportunity
at a 2008 Bassmaster Elite Series event on Texas' Lake Falcon,
Martens of Leeds, Ala., took one giant step towards exercising
some demons Saturday as he built his three-day total to 87 pounds,
9 ounces, enough for a commanding 6-plus pound lead at the Marine
Formula STA-BIL Southern Challenge on fish-factory Lake Guntersville.
But Martens, the 2005 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster
Angler of the Year, is not out of the woods yet as he has a host
of challengers Marty Stone of Fayetteville, N.C., is the
closest with 80-13 that will battle Sunday for the $100,000
top prize. Furthermore, the event at Falcon, a "disaster"
in Marten's mind, and this week are shaping up to be remarkably
similar. Both absolute slugfests, Martens cultivated a big lead
there too, only to falter on the final day.
So, it would be extra sweet for Martens to score
his fifth BASS victory in a similar situation.
"This would definitely make me feel better,"
said Martens, 36. "I still have some bad feelings surrounding
that week at Falcon. I just can't shake that event. But I have
a great opportunity to make it happen here."
Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water
action from the Southern Challenge on The Bassmasters, which
airs Saturday, May 16, at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2. The daily weigh-ins
for all regular-season Elite events and the two postseason events
will air live on ESPN360.com, ESPN's broadband sports network,
while a wealth of unique content will also be available at Bassmaster.com.
Fans can log on to Bassmaster.com throughout the competition
to catch live, daily Hooked Up updates with BASS emcee Keith
Alan.
Exhibiting consistency, Martens has posted daily
totals in the 28- to 29-pound range each day of competition while
others have ping-ponged around the leaderboard. And he is buoyed
by a late find of a spot Saturday that produced heavily.
Adapting to changing conditions, Martens has been
able to expand on some productive spots he found in practice.
He has also been looking for new water each day scouting for
"off-the-wall" stuff that isn't hampered by local boat
traffic.
Still, it has been three key spots, filled with
grass and rock, that have proved to be most productive for Martens.
One that he labels "ridiculous" will be where he starts
Sunday. As the tournament has progressed, Guntersville has slightly
slowed, and Martens lost some big bites in the morning. But
a switch in bait color proved to turn on the bigger bass.
"Changing the color made a world of difference,"
said Martens, who declined to discuss specifics of his bait selection
or color. "After that, it was like every cast. I figured
out something and I know how to make them bite."
A solid tournament for Martens could signal bigger
things to come. Heading into Guntersville, the West Coast product
was in ninth in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year
standings. A victory would move him up and put him in prime
position to qualify for the Bassmaster Elite Series Postseason,
which is set for Lake Jordan (Sept. 12-13) and the Alabama River
(Sept. 17-18).
While Martens has been consistent, Stone hit his
stride Saturday, vaulting into second place with a 30-pound,
1-ounce limit Saturday. However, Stone felt that he could have
exhausted his area. It was Stone's intention to just advance
to the final day but after a magical Saturday, he has put himself
in contention.
"I just lit it up today," said Stone,
43. "This is the first 30-pound limit I have ever weighed
in my career. It feels really good."
Stone said Sunday he would visit the same ultra-productive
spot and if it failed to produce, he had a few other secondary
areas he would visit. After three consecutive years of failing
to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic, Stone, with a solid finish
at Guntersville, is looking to finish in the top 36 in the Toyota
Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings and cinch up a
qualifying berth into the 2010 Bassmaster Classic, set for Feb.
19-21 on Lay Lake and Birmingham, Ala.
Just behind Stone in third was Mike Iaconelli of
Runnemede, N.J., with 80-2. The five-time BASS winner has been
on a tear this year save for a bomb at the Elite event
on Arkansas' Lake Dardanelle and is looking to claim his
second BASS victory on Guntersville.
Slipping from second to fourth was Mike McClelland
of Bella Vista, Ark., with 77-4. Climbing to fifth was Skeet
Reese of Auburn, Calif., with 76-9.
Heading into Guntersville, Reese, the 2009 Bassmaster
Classic champion, was second in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster
Angler of the Year race. With a strong showing in hand at Guntersville,
Reese is looking to gain on AOY leader Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo,
Mich.
VanDam, in a relative disappointment, finished
20th opening the door a little for Reese. Alton Jones, who was
third in the AOY race, is right behind Reese in sixth at Guntersville.
With just three regular-season events remaining, all three will
be packed near the top after Sunday.
Also finishing safely in the top-12 cutline and
advancing to Sunday were Jami Fralick of Martin, S.D. (seventh)
and Matt Reed of Madisonville, Texas (11th).
The real star of the tournament thus far has been
Guntersville. Anglers, in droves, have praised the famed fishery.
Over the course of three days, Guntersville has yielded more
than 5,000 pounds of bass and a number of anglers have reported
landing more than 100 fish each day.
A BASS favorite, Guntersville has been the site
of more than 20 previous BASS events, including the 1976 Bassmaster
Classic, won by Elite Series pro Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo. The last
time the Elite Series visited the popular fishery, in 2007, VanDam
outlasted the field to claim the trophy. His winning weight of
66 pounds, 3 ounces, was more than 7 pounds the better over St.
Louis' Mark Tucker, who finished second with 59-1.
The local sponsor of the Southern Challenge is
the Marshall County Convention & Visitor's Bureau.
Official sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series:
Toyota Trucks, Berkley, BOOYAH Baits, Evan Williams Bourbon,
Mercury, OPTIMA Batteries, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Outboards.
Supporting sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series:
Bass Pro Shops, Costa Del Mar, Ramada, SpongeTech and Triton
Boats.
DAY 3 STANDINGS - MARINE FORMULA STA-BIL SOUTHERN
CHALLENGE
2009 Marine Formula STA-BIL Southern Challenge
5/7-5/10
Lake Guntersville, Guntersville AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown
No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL
15 87-09 310
Day 1: 5 29-02 Day 2: 5 29-12 Day 3: 5 28-11
2. Marty Stone Fayetteville, NC 15 80-13
295
Day 1: 5 26-15 Day 2: 5 23-13 Day 3: 5 30-01
3. Michael Iaconelli Runnemede, NJ 15 80-02
290
Day 1: 5 27-05 Day 2: 5 27-05 Day 3: 5 25-08
4. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 15 77-04
285
Day 1: 5 30-10 Day 2: 5 26-13 Day 3: 5 19-13
5. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 15 76-09
280
Day 1: 5 25-09 Day 2: 5 24-14 Day 3: 5 26-02
6. Alton Jones Waco, TX 15 76-08
276
Day 1: 5 28-12 Day 2: 5 22-15 Day 3: 5 24-13
7. Jami Fralick Martin, SD 15 76-06
272
Day 1: 5 26-11 Day 2: 5 24-11 Day 3: 5 25-00
8. Byron Velvick Del Rio, TX 15 75-15
268
Day 1: 5 29-04 Day 2: 5 25-14 Day 3: 5 20-13
9. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 15 75-03
264
Day 1: 5 24-07 Day 2: 5 26-12 Day 3: 5 24-00
10. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 15 74-14
265
Day 1: 5 31-00 Day 2: 5 24-15 Day 3: 5 18-15
11. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 15 73-13
257
Day 1: 5 25-12 Day 2: 5 23-08 Day 3: 5 24-09
12. Kevin Wirth Crestwood, KY 15 73-00
254
Day 1: 5 24-06 Day 2: 5 27-04 Day 3: 5 21-06
13. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 72-14
251 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 22-02 Day 2: 5 27-00 Day 3: 5 23-12
14. Shaw E Grigsby Gainesville, FL 15 70-08
248 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 24-08 Day 2: 5 21-10 Day 3: 5 24-06
15. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 15 70-01
245 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 5 19-12 Day 3: 5 27-01
16. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 15 70-01
243 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 22-10 Day 2: 5 21-09 Day 3: 5 25-14
17. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 15 70-01
241 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 25-06 Day 2: 5 24-10 Day 3: 5 20-01
18. Denny Brauer Camdenton, MO 15 70-00
239 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 23-01 Day 2: 5 23-07 Day 3: 5 23-08
19. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 15 69-14
237 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 25-14 Day 2: 5 26-00 Day 3: 5 18-00
20. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 15 69-11
235 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 25-09 Day 2: 5 23-07 Day 3: 5 20-11
21. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 15 68-09
233 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 25-12 Day 2: 5 24-14 Day 3: 5 17-15
22. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 15 68-09
231 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 23-12 Day 3: 5 22-09
23. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 15 67-14
229 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 23-10 Day 2: 5 18-08 Day 3: 5 25-12
24. Wade Grooms Bonneau, SC 15 67-01
227 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 19-04 Day 2: 5 22-14 Day 3: 5 24-15
25. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 15 66-07
225 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 20-12 Day 2: 5 22-00 Day 3: 5 23-11
26. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 15 65-14
223 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 25-11 Day 3: 5 21-06
27. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 15 65-05
221 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 25-15 Day 3: 5 19-05
28. Randy Howell Springville, AL 15 65-04
219 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 26-13 Day 3: 5 17-06
29. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 15 64-08
217 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 24-00 Day 2: 5 20-12 Day 3: 5 19-12
30. Boyd Duckett Demopolis, AL 15 64-05
215 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 26-03 Day 2: 5 17-12 Day 3: 5 20-06
31. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 15 63-06
213 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 23-07 Day 2: 5 22-12 Day 3: 5 17-03
32. Terry Butcher Talala, OK 15 63-04
211 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 23-02 Day 3: 5 21-10
33. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 15 63-04
209 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 20-12 Day 2: 5 22-10 Day 3: 5 19-14
34. Dave Wolak Wake Forest, NC 15 63-03
207 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 25-03 Day 2: 5 17-07 Day 3: 5 20-09
35. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 15 63-02
205 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 20-04 Day 2: 5 23-05 Day 3: 5 19-09
36. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 15 63-00
203 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 24-12 Day 2: 5 26-05 Day 3: 5 11-15
37. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 15 62-13
201 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 26-14 Day 2: 5 21-11 Day 3: 5 14-04
38. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 15 62-09
199 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 21-00 Day 3: 5 21-00
39. Clark Reehm Russellville, AR 15 62-03
197 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 28-14 Day 3: 5 17-12
40. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 15 62-01
195 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 22-01 Day 2: 5 22-06 Day 3: 5 17-10
41. Bradley Hallman Norman, OK 15 61-12
193 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 24-14 Day 3: 5 16-05
42. Billy Mccaghren Mayflower, AR 15 60-14
191 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 22-13 Day 2: 5 21-04 Day 3: 5 16-13
43. Ken D Cook Lawton, OK 15 60-07
189 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 29-02 Day 2: 5 18-05 Day 3: 5 13-00
44. Bill Lowen North Bend, OH 15 59-14
187 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 5 20-13 Day 3: 5 15-13
45. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 15 59-10
185 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 22-02 Day 2: 5 22-06 Day 3: 5 15-02
46. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 15 59-08
183 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 22-15 Day 2: 5 21-02 Day 3: 5 15-07
47. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 15 59-05
181 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 20-04 Day 2: 5 22-01 Day 3: 5 17-00
48. Kelly Jordon Mineola, TX 15 58-07
179 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 20-05 Day 2: 5 26-14 Day 3: 5 11-04
49. Dustin Wilks Rocky Mount, NC 15 57-08
177 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 25-13 Day 3: 5 15-02
50. Mark Burgess Norton, MA 15 56-06
175 $9,506.00
Day 1: 5 21-04 Day 2: 5 22-00 Day 3: 5 13-02
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
BIG BASS
Day
1 Ken D Cook Lawton, OK 08-05
$0.00
2 Clark Reehm Russellville, AR 09-02
$0.00
3 Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 08-02
$0.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 96 488 2064-09
2 95 485 1999-04
3 50 250 1016-07
----------------------------------
241 1223 5080-04
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