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Kriet Celebrates Birthday in Style with Lead at Clarks Hill Lake

Category: press release

 May 20th, 2010 by OutdoorsFIRST 

Modified May 20th, 2010 at 12:00 AM

Getting in contention at Elite Series tournaments has not been a problem for Jeff Kriet.  But finishing them has been a different story.  Kriet of Ardmore, Okla., has a knack of putting himself in the mix and then falling short at the last minute.  This week, buoyed by a little birthday magic – Kriet celebrated his 41st Thursday – Kriet is hoping to break the curse at the Pride of Georgia on Clarks Hill Lake.

Jeff Kriet (Photo BASS)

“I’m 41 years old today and by now, you would have thought I would have won one of these,” said Kriet, who does hold a BASS victory — albeit in the Invitational format.  “But I’m getting close and I can taste it.”

Kriet torched the field Thursday amassing 18 pounds, 4 ounces, capitalizing on an early bite.  Terry Scroggins of Palatka, Fla., executed early and late to post a 17-1 total.  In third was shallow-water expert Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla., with 15-13.  Two Alabama pros rounded out the top five with Matt Herren (14-15) of Trussville besting Steve Kennedy (14-14) of Auburn by 1 ounce.

Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water action from the Pride of Georgia on The Bassmasters, which airs Sunday, June 6, at 10:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2. Also, the daily weigh-ins for all regular-season Elite events and the postseason will air live on ESPN3.com.  Bassmaster.com will follow the Pride of Georgia each day with BASSCast, BASSCam, real-time leaderboards during weigh-ins, photo galleries, daily results, and Hooked Up with ESPN Outdoors personalities Mark Zona and Tommy Sanders. Live, streaming video will be carried by ESPN3.com.

Clarks Hill has showed its true colors in past Elite tournaments – yielding 68-plus pound winning totals the past two events.  But this week, something is off and most anglers agree that the blueback herring spawn – so critical to the bite – has ended and rising water levels have spread the bass out.  The bite was so tough that white-hot Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., couldn’t even muster up a limit, settling for 78th place.

But Kriet relishes a tough bite and was able to milk three offshore spots for all of his weight.  Like many in the field, the six-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier, was rotating spots.  His stay at each spot was determined by how quick he could entice a bite.  If he couldn’t, his stay was ultra-short – not even 15 minutes sometimes – and he would move to the next area

While Kriet didn’t divulge full details of his pattern, he did say he caught fish on a jig and a spook.  His first bite came quick and his last bite occurred at 1:27 p.m., translating into more than two hours of fruitless competition time.

“The rule of thumb on this lake is the shallower you are, the bigger the fish are,” said Kriet.  “But I know I can catch them a little bit deeper in some places.  It’s really tough out there.  I mean, 10 pounds is a pretty good day.  There just aren’t a ton of keepers to be had.”

While Kriet is pining away for his first Elite victory, he is also posing a threat in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race.  He was 13th in those standings heading into this week and with Reese and others in the top positions struggling, Kriet is making a case for sticking around.

Taking advantage of an early starting position, Scroggins paired the typical early Clarks bite with a strong late bite. The five-time Bassmaster winner scoured points – where he ran into plenty of other Elite company – and was able to boat an early limit.  Where Scroggins was really able to make hay was late in the day when he landed two 4-plus pounders in 15-20 feet of water.

His bite was non-existent from 9 a.m. to noon and he felt most of his success came as a result of his dedication to do things differently than most in the field.

“It could be a different story tomorrow (Friday),” said Scroggins, 41, who will have the tables turned and start in a late position Friday.  “I’ll just have to fish what’s available early in the morning.  I hope I can get on the deep bite again late.”

With three events, including this one, left in the AOY regular-season race, crunch time is here for Elite pros.  With Reese showing signs that he is human, the time is now for an angler to make a run.  Reese’s closest competition in the AOY standings, Edwin Evers and Dave Wolak both failed to capitalize, posting sub-60th place finishes.

Along with the top prize of $100,000, the Pride of Georgia awards valuable points in the 2010 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race. The top 12 pros in the AOY standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the 2010 Bassmaster Elite Series postseason, in which the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year will be determined.  The top 36 will qualify for the 2011 Bassmaster Classic.

The tournament will run through Sunday with the top 47 qualifying for Saturday’s competition and the top 12 moving on to Sunday.  Defending champion Kenyon Hill, who won in 2008, was in a tie for 14th.

Clarks Hill is a 71,535-acre fishery, an impoundment 39 miles in length located 22 miles north of Augusta. It forms part of the border between Georgia and South Carolina and is renowned for its topwater fishing.

The public is invited to attend the Pride of Georgia’s daily launches at 6:10 a.m. ET at Wildwood Park, 6212 Holloway Rd., Appling, Ga., 30802. After Day 2’s competition Friday, the field will be cut to the top 50 anglers for Day 3. Only the top 12 will go on to compete in Day 4. Also free and open to the public, the daily weigh-ins are set for 3:30 p.m. at Wildwood Park.

Local sponsor of the Pride of Georgia: Columbia County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

After the Pride of Georgia, the 2010 regular season will have just two events remaining. Up next is the June 9-12 Tennessee Triumph on Kentucky Lake out of Paris, Tenn.

Bassmaster Elite Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Skeeter, Yamaha and Bass Pro Shops.

Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Lowrance, Triton Boats, Nitro Boats and Ramada.

 

About BASS

For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing.  The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and its expansive tournament structure while championing efforts to connect directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.

 

As the flagship offering of ESPN Outdoors, the Bassmaster brand and its considerable multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer; comprehensive Web properties in Bassmaster.com, BASSInsider.com, ESPNOutdoors.com and ESPN360.com, and ESPN2 television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.

 

BASS oversees the prestigious Bassmaster Tournament Trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, BASS Federation Nation and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.

 

BASS offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

 

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DAY 1 STANDINGS- PRIDE OF GEORGIA

 

2010 Evans, GA 5/20-5/23

Clarks Hill Lake, Evans  GA.

(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1

 

   Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

 

1.  Jeff Kriet             Ardmore, OK              5  18-04  305

  Day 1: 5   18-04 

2.  Terry Scroggins        San Mateo, FL            5  17-01  295

  Day 1: 5   17-01 

3.  Tommy Biffle           Wagoner, OK              5  15-13  290

  Day 1: 5   15-13 

4.  Matt Herren            Trussville, AL           5  14-15  285

  Day 1: 5   14-15 

5.  Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               5  14-14  280

  Day 1: 5   14-14 

6.  Mark Davis             Mount Ida, AR            5  14-12  276

  Day 1: 5   14-12 

7.  Derek Remitz           Grant, AL                5  14-04  272

  Day 1: 5   14-04 

8.  John Crews             Salem, VA                5  14-03  268

  Day 1: 5   14-03 

9.  J Todd Tucker          Moultrie, GA             5  14-01  264

  Day 1: 5   14-01 

10. Gary Klein             Weatherford, TX          5  13-14  260

  Day 1: 5   13-14 

11. Marty Robinson         Lyman, SC                5  13-12  257

  Day 1: 5   13-12 

11. Morizo Shimizu         Osaka JAPAN              5  13-12  257

  Day 1: 5   13-12 

13. Chris Lane             Guntersville, AL         5  13-11  251

  Day 1: 5   13-11 

14. Kenyon Hill            Norman, OK               5  13-09  248

  Day 1: 5   13-09 

14. Bobby Lane             Lakeland, FL             5  13-09  248

  Day 1: 5   13-09 

16. Boyd Duckett           Demopolis, AL            5  12-15  243

  Day 1: 5   12-15 

17. Cliff Pace             Petal, MS                5  12-13  241

  Day 1: 5   12-13 

18. Terry Butcher          Talala, OK               5  12-10  239

  Day 1: 5   12-10 

19. Mike McClelland        Bella Vista, AR          5  12-08  237

  Day 1: 5   12-08 

20. Cliff Crochet          Pierre Part, LA          5  12-07  235

  Day 1: 5   12-07 

21. Pat Golden             High Point, NC           5  12-06  233

  Day 1: 5   12-06 

22. Kotaro Kiriyama        Moody, AL                5  12-05  231

  Day 1: 5   12-05 

23. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA             5  12-03  229

  Day 1: 5   12-03 

23. Jason Williamson       Aiken, SC                5  12-03  229

  Day 1: 5   12-03 

25. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ          5  12-02  225

  Day 1: 5   12-02 

26. Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira, KS         5  12-01  223

  Day 1: 5   12-01 

27. Gerald Swindle         Warrior, AL              5  11-09  221

  Day 1: 5   11-09 

28. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  5  11-06  219

  Day 1: 5   11-06 

29. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          5  11-02  217

  Day 1: 5   11-02 

30. Shaw E Grigsby         Gainesville, FL          5  10-15  215

  Day 1: 5   10-15 

31. Bradley Roy            Lancaster, KY            5  10-12  213

  Day 1: 5   10-12 

32. Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA        5  10-11  211

  Day 1: 5   10-11 

33. Bradley Hallman        Norman, OK               5  10-08  209

  Day 1: 5   10-08 

34. Yusuke Miyazaki        Forney, TX               5  10-07  207

  Day 1: 5   10-07 

35. Wade Grooms            Bonneau, SC              5  10-05  205

  Day 1: 5   10-05 

35. Aaron Martens          Leeds, AL                5  10-05  205

  Day 1: 5   10-05 

35. Dean Rojas             Lake Havasu City, AZ     5  10-05  205

  Day 1: 5   10-05 

35. Dustin Wilks           Rocky Mount, NC          5  10-05  205

  Day 1: 5   10-05 

39. Scott Rook             Little Rock, AR          5  10-04  197

  Day 1: 5   10-04 

40. Marty Stone            Fayetteville, NC         5  10-01  195

  Day 1: 5   10-01 

41. Bill Lowen             North Bend, OH           5  10-00  193

  Day 1: 5   10-00 

42. Denny Brauer           Camdenton, MO            5  09-14  191

  Day 1: 5   09-14 

42. Jason Quinn            Lake Wylie, SC           5  09-14  191

  Day 1: 5   09-14 

44. Davy Hite              Ninety Six, SC           5  09-11  187

  Day 1: 5   09-11 

45. Russ Lane              Prattville, AL           5  09-09  185

  Day 1: 5   09-09 

45. Matt Reed              Madisonville, TX         5  09-09  185

  Day 1: 5   09-09 

47. Kevin Wirth            Crestwood, KY            5  09-08  181

  Day 1: 5   09-08 

48. Clark Reehm            Russellville, AR         5  09-07  179

  Day 1: 5   09-07 

49. Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI            5  09-03  177

  Day 1: 5   09-03 

50. Timmy Horton           Muscle Shoals, AL        5  09-01  175

  Day 1: 5   09-01 

50. Mark Tyler             Vian, OK                 5  09-01  175

  Day 1: 5   09-01 

52. Chad Griffin           Cresson, TX              5  09-00  171

  Day 1: 5   09-00 

53. Peter E Thliveros      St Augustine, FL         5  08-12  169

  Day 1: 5   08-12 

54. Byron Haseotes         Centerville, MA          2  08-11  167

  Day 1: 2   08-11 

55. Grant Goldbeck         Gaithersburg, MD         5  08-09  165

  Day 1: 5   08-09 

55. Zell Rowland           Austin, TX               5  08-09  165

  Day 1: 5   08-09 

55. Mark Tucker            Saint Louis, MO          5  08-09  165

  Day 1: 5   08-09 

58. Charlie Hartley        Grove City, OH           5  08-07  159

  Day 1: 5   08-07 

59. Kelly Jordon           Mineola, TX              5  08-06  157

  Day 1: 5   08-06 

60. Casey Ashley           Donalds, SC              5  08-03  155

  Day 1: 5   08-03 

61. Britt Myers            Lake Wylie, SC           4  07-15  153

  Day 1: 4   07-15 

62. Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX               5  07-13  151

  Day 1: 5   07-13 

63. Alton Jones            Waco, TX                 5  07-12  149

  Day 1: 5   07-12 

64. Dave Wolak             Wake Forest, NC          5  07-10  147

  Day 1: 5   07-10 

65. Billy McCaghren        Mayflower, AR            5  07-08  145

  Day 1: 5   07-08 

66. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY              5  07-02  143

  Day 1: 5   07-02 

67. Rick Morris            Virginia Beach, VA       5  07-01  141

  Day 1: 5   07-01 

68. Edwin Evers            Talala, OK               5  06-15  139

  Day 1: 5   06-15 

69. James Niggemeyer       Van, TX                  3  06-09  137

  Day 1: 3   06-09 

70. Paul Elias             Laurel, MS               5  06-06  135

  Day 1: 5   06-06 

71. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO         5  06-05  133

  Day 1: 5   06-05 

72. Byron Velvick          Del Rio, TX              5  06-03  131

  Day 1: 5   06-03 

73. Jeff Connella          Bentley, LA              5  06-02  129

  Day 1: 5   06-02 

74. Randy Howell           Springville, AL          4  05-13  127

  Day 1: 4   05-13 

75. Ish Monroe             Hughson, CA              5  05-11  125

  Day 1: 5   05-11 

76. Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR          5  05-09  123

  Day 1: 5   05-09 

77. Vince Fulks            Purcell, OK              4  05-07  121

  Day 1: 4   05-07 

78. Skeet Reese            Auburn, CA               3  05-07  119

  Day 1: 3   05-07 

79. Greg Vinson            Wetumpka, AL             5  05-04  117

  Day 1: 5   05-04 

80. Takahiro Omori         Emory, TX                4  05-04  115

  Day 1: 4   05-04 

81. Fred Roumbanis         Bixby, OK                4  05-02  113

  Day 1: 4   05-02 

82. Guy Eaker              Cherryville, NC          5  05-01  111

  Day 1: 5   05-01 

83. John Murray            Phoenix, AZ              4  05-01  109

  Day 1: 4   05-01 

83. Kevin Short            Mayflower, AR            4  05-01  109

  Day 1: 4   05-01 

85. David Smith            Del City, OK             5  04-14  105

  Day 1: 5   04-14 

86. Mark Burgess           Norton, MA               3  04-06  103

  Day 1: 3   04-06 

87. Matt Greenblatt        Palm Beach Gardens, FL   4  03-15  101

  Day 1: 4   03-15 

88. Jeremy Starks          Charleston, WV           3  03-14   99

  Day 1: 3   03-14 

89. Scott Ashmore          Broken Arrow, OK         3  03-09   97

  Day 1: 3   03-09 

90. Jami Fralick           Martin, SD               2  02-07   95

  Day 1: 2   02-07 

91. Keith Poche            Troy, AL                 2  02-06   93

  Day 1: 2   02-06 

92. Dennis Tietje          Roanoke, LA              1  01-14   91

  Day 1: 1   01-14 

93. Pete Ponds             Madison, MS              1  00-06   89

  Day 1: 1   00-06 

———————————————————————–

Totals

Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight

 1        75       430       865-09

———————————-

          75       430       865-09

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