BRANSON, Mo. — Everyone’s saying Mark Davis is on fire.
Indeed he is. Friday he fanned that flame by taking the lead on the second day of the April 3-6 A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite on Table Rock Lake.
Inferno, anyone?
Davis moved up from second place by adding another 15 pounds, 3 ounces to his first-day weight of 18-8. The Mount Ida, Ark., pro’s two-day tally was 33 pounds, 11 ounces.
If Davis, who already owns three Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles, goes on to win Sunday, he would cement his early lead in the race for the 2014 AOY title. He earned the AOY lead by finishing in third place in each of the first two Elite events of the season.
“It’s been really, really hard to keep it going, but so far, so good,” said Davis, who also owns a Bassmaster Classic title from 1995.
Several pros in the Bassmaster Elite Series field still have a lot of say about Davis taking the title at “The Rock.” Chris Lane is one. Winner of the St. Johns River Bassmaster Elite tournament two weeks ago, Lane moved from third place into second with 33-1, just 10 ounces behind Davis.
Aaron Martens, 2013 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year, is another. The first-day leader, Martens ended the second round in third place at 33-0, just 11 ounces in back of Davis.
The list of immediate threats to Davis is longer. Trailing Davis by 1-7 was an old hand on Table Rock, Mike McClelland of Bella Vista, Ark. McClelland moved up from 12th place into fourth with 32-4. Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., who was tied for fourth place after Day 1, slipped into fifth place on the second day with 30-13.
But Evers is only 2-14 behind first place. And only 9-0 separates Davis from the last man into Friday’s 50-cut, Yusuke Miyazaki at 24-11.
The Top 50 move into Saturday’s third round. Sunday, only the Top 12 will compete for the first prize of $100,000 and a win-you’re-in entry in the 2015 Bassmaster Classic.
Davis said the key to his success over the past two days has been a technique and the lure he’s using to execute that technique.
He’s also playing a numbers game. He said he’s increasing his odds of catching larger bass simply by catching a lot of fish.
“I’m getting 60, 70, 80 bites a day. The law of averages will carry you — even though you can start to doubt yourself on that at times. You get enough bites on a lake like this, you’ll come up with a little better grade of fish,” he said.
His five-bass limit of 15-3 contained four largemouth bass, including a 4-pounder, and one spotted bass. But Davis was hooking into smallmouth too.
“With the technique I’m using, you’ll catch a smallmouth one cast, a spot the next, and a largemouth on the next,” he said.
Lane took second place by producing a limit Friday of one spotted bass, three largemouth and one smallmouth. They weighed 14-12.
“I’m not going through the numbers like other people are,” said Lane, who is working banks, “just fishing.”
Lane said he is targeting larger bass by using a red colored crankbait. He boated just eight or nine keepers Friday, he said.
“I caught two bigger ones early, but it was a grind after that,” he said. “The cold didn’t seem to bother them.”
Martens said that unlike Thursday, he did not go after largemouth Friday. In his bag of 14-5 were two smallmouth and three spotted bass.
He also went to different water Friday. But an 8-pounder did not appear for him as one did on Thursday, which had helped him to the lead.
A rainy cold front Thursday evening followed Friday by lower temperatures, wind and near-bluebird skies didn’t affect the bite of the prespawn bass on Table Rock, said McClelland, who weighed five largemouth that went 16-14.
“The water warmed up so much earlier this week, it would have to get cold and stay cold for three or four days to slow these fish down again. Once these fish decide to go to the bank, it won’t get cold enough to send them back,” he said.
The largest bass of the day was 6-10 caught by Cliff Pirch of Payson, Ariz. But Martens’ 8-0 of Thursday held on as the top candidate for the Carhartt Big Bass award of up to $1,500.
Cliff Prince of Palatka, Fla., produced the largest sack of the day, a 19-10. He became the front-runner for the event’s Berkley Heavyweight Award of $500.
The 50 Elite pros who made the cut will return Saturday to Table Rock Lake for the third round. The takeoff will be at 6:30 a.m. at State Park Marina (300 State Park Marina Drive, Branson, MO 65616).
Saturday and Sunday the weigh-ins will be at the Bass Pro Shops location at Branson Landing in Branson. Weigh-ins are scheduled to begin at 3:15 p.m. CT. At the same location, the Bassmaster Elite Series Expo will open at noon. Among the activities are free demo rides in Nitro, Triton and Skeeter boats powered by Yamaha and Mercury engines.
There’s no admission charge for any Bassmaster event.
ESPN2 will air coverage of the Table Rock event on The Bassmasters TV show Sunday, April 20 at 8 a.m. ET.
Local Host: Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, www.bransonchamber.com.
2014 Bassmaster Elite Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha
2014 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Booyah, Carhartt, Diet Mountain Dew, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Plano, Power-Pole, Rigid Industries, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series presented by Allstate, B.A.S.S. Nation events, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by Diet Mountain Dew and GoPro.
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Media Contact: Dave Precht, 205-313-0931, [email protected] or Helen Northcutt, 205-313-0944, [email protected].
2014 A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Table Rock Lake 4/3-4/6
Table Rock Lake, Branson MO.
Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 10 33-11 100 $500.00
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 15-03
2. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 10 33-01 99
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 14-12
3. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 10 33-00 98
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 14-05
4. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 10 32-04 97
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 16-14
5. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 10 30-13 96
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 13-09
6. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 30-10 95
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 14-10
7. Brandon Palaniuk Hayden, ID 10 30-07 94
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 13-10
8. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 10 30-05 93
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 17-15
9. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 10 29-13 92
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 18-06
10. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 10 29-08 91
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 14-06
11. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 10 29-07 90
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 5 14-15
12. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 29-00 89
Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 5 19-10
13. Morizo Shimizu Osaka JAPAN 10 28-15 88
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 16-06
14. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 10 28-14 87
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 12-14
15. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 10 28-14 86
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 14-04
16. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 10 28-10 85
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 15-08
17. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 10 28-02 84
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 17-02
18. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 10 27-14 83
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 12-05
19. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 10 27-13 82
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 11-05
20. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 27-13 81
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 14-13
21. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 10 27-10 80
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 5 13-02
22. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 10 27-08 79
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 15-03
23. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 10 27-04 78
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 13-02
24. Billy McCaghren Mayflower, AR 10 27-02 77
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 12-07
25. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 10 26-13 76
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 15-01
26. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 10 26-12 75
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 14-08
27. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 10 26-10 74
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 14-09
28. Kurt Dove Del Rio, TX 10 26-10 73
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 12-12
29. Kevin Hawk Guntersville, AL 10 26-09 72
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 16-03
29. Chad Morgenthaler Coulterville, IL 10 26-09 72
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 16-03
31. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 10 26-08 70
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 14-03
32. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 10 26-06 69
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 15-03
33. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 10 26-03 68
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 15-02
34. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 10 26-03 67
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 11-09
35. Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, VA 10 26-02 66
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 14-02
36. Casey Scanlon Lanexa, KS 10 26-01 65
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 12-03
37. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 10 26-00 64
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 12-00
38. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 10 26-00 63
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 13-10
39. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 10 25-15 62
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 11-12
40. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 9 25-09 61
Day 1: 4 10-13 Day 2: 5 14-12
41. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 25-08 60
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 14-02
42. Kelly Jordon Palestine, TX 10 25-03 59
Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 5 14-14
43. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 25-02 58
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 14-07
44. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 25-02 57
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 11-06
45. Randy Howell Springville, AL 10 25-02 56
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 12-12
46. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 10 24-15 55
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 13-04
47. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 24-14 54
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 12-15
48. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 10 24-13 53
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 11-09
49. Chad Pipkens Holt, MI 10 24-12 52
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 13-11
50. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 9 24-11 51
Day 1: 4 13-01 Day 2: 5 11-10
51. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 10 24-10 50
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 11-08
52. Glenn Browne Ocala, FL 10 24-09 49
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 12-13
53. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 10 24-09 48
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 12-07
54. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 10 24-08 47
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 11-01
55. Jared Miller Norman, OK 9 24-06 46
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 4 08-06
56. Matt Herren Trussville, AL 10 24-06 45
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 13-03
57. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 10 24-06 44
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 11-07
58. Randall Tharp Port Saint Joe, FL 10 24-04 43
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 10-11
59. James Elam Tulsa, OK 10 24-01 42
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 11-10
60. Hank Cherry Jr Maiden, NC 10 24-00 41
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 11-14
61. Jeremy Starks Scott Depot, WV 10 23-15 40
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 14-00
62. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 10 23-12 39
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 12-15
63. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 10 23-11 38
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 13-13
64. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 10 23-05 37
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 11-00
65. Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 10 23-03 36
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 10-12
66. Boo Woods Oneida, KY 10 23-01 35
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 11-03
67. David Walker Sevierville, TN 10 23-01 34
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 11-13
68. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 10 22-14 33
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 09-15
69. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 8 22-13 32
Day 1: 3 05-14 Day 2: 5 16-15
70. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 10 22-12 31
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 5 12-02
71. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 10 22-12 30
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 10-14
72. Jamie Horton Centerville, AL 8 22-11 29
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 3 05-07
73. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 10 22-09 28
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 09-06
74. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 10 22-09 27
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 12-07
75. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 10 22-08 26
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 11-11
76. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 9 22-07 25
Day 1: 4 08-09 Day 2: 5 13-14
77. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 10 22-06 24
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 11-01
78. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 9 22-00 23
Day 1: 4 09-10 Day 2: 5 12-06
79. BJ Haseotes Centerville, MA 10 21-14 22
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 12-06
80. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 10 21-14 21
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 10-06
81. Dennis Tietje Roanoke, LA 10 21-13 20
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 11-06
82. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 10 21-11 19
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 10-11
83. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 10 21-10 18
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 11-03
84. Tracy Adams Wilkesboro, NC 10 21-10 17
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 10-09
85. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 9 21-09 16
Day 1: 4 08-00 Day 2: 5 13-09
86. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 10 21-09 15
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 10-14
87. Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 10 21-05 14
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 09-12
88. Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 10 21-05 13
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 10-06
89. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 21-05 12
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 10-13
90. Zell Rowland Montgomery, TX 10 21-03 11
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 10-05
91. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 10 20-15 10
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 09-15
92. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 10 20-14 9
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 10-08
93. Joel Baker Talala, OK 9 20-10 8
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 4 10-15
94. Chris Zaldain San Jose, CA 10 20-10 7
Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 5 10-09
95. Joseph Sancho New Windsor, NY 10 20-01 6
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 09-02
96. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 10 20-01 5
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 09-08
97. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 10 19-12 4
Day 1: 5 09-01 Day 2: 5 10-11
98. Boyd Duckett Guntersville, AL 10 19-08 3
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 09-02
99. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 9 18-15 2
Day 1: 4 07-14 Day 2: 5 11-01
100. Pete Ponds Madison, MS 7 17-02 1
Day 1: 4 07-13 Day 2: 3 09-05
101. Mike Kernan Wylie, TX 9 16-13 0
Day 1: 5 09-00 Day 2: 4 07-13
102. Michael Simonton Fremont, OH 7 16-02 0
Day 1: 2 03-13 Day 2: 5 12-05
103. Trevor Romans Plano, TX 8 16-00 0
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 3 05-06
104. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 6 15-14 0
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 1 02-07
105. David Smith Del City, OK 8 15-09 0
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 3 05-11
106. Nate Wellman Newaygo, MI 6 14-12 0
Day 1: 3 05-12 Day 2: 3 09-00
107. Grant Goldbeck Boerne, TX 6 14-10 0
Day 1: 3 06-14 Day 2: 3 07-12
108. Byron Velvick Boenre, TX 7 14-06 0
Day 1: 2 04-08 Day 2: 5 09-14
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| —————————————– Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 96 521 1285-14 2 98 521 1330-14 ———————————- 194 1042 2616-12 |
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