Texas’ Alton Jones, in Position to Threaten AOY Leaders, Masters Mississippi for Elite Lead
Category: press release
Jun 12th, 2009 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Jun 12th, 2009 at 12:00 AM
FORT MADISON, Iowa – Perhaps it was too soon to declare the battle for the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year a two-horse race. Alton Jones, in a distant third in the AOY standings heading into this week’s Elite event, reminded fishing fans of his versatility by grabbing the lead with a two-day total of 24 pounds, 1 ounce, at the Genuity River Rumble on the Mississippi River.
In what has turned into a grind-it-out event, Jones of Waco, Texas, has been the model of consistency, weighing 12-1 Friday after posting 12-0 on Thursday. With tough conditions on the mighty Mississippi, many anglers have been forced into wholesale adjustments, causing dramatic changes in the leaderboard from the first to the second day.
“I’m running a long way so I’m pretty much committed to this area at this point and don’t have many alternatives,” said Jones, who is closing in on $2 million in BASS career earnings. “I think it has the potential to replenish but it’s hard to say what is going to happen. If it doesn’t carry over into tomorrow, I’ll be prepared with an excuse.”
Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water action from the River Rumble on The Bassmasters, Saturday, June 20, 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.
A victory for Jones, the 2008 Bassmaster Classic champion, would be worth $100,000, but perhaps of most importance would be the points he would gain in the AOY standings. Heading into the Mississippi event, AOY leader Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., and Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., were scorching hot and each had a 100-point advantages over Jones. But both have cooled off a bit here – after two days, VanDam was 10th and Reese was 30th – while Jones moved into the lead from 11th place.
The three have established themselves as virtual lock-ins on places in the inaugural Bassmaster Elite Series postseason, the Toyota Trucks Championship Week. The postseason, set for Sept. 10-18, will be played out on two productive Alabama fisheries. The first of the two postseason tournaments will take place on Lake Jordan out of Wetumpka; the finale, the Evan Williams Bourbon Trophy Triumph, is slated for the Alabama River from Montgomery. Only the top 12 anglers in the AOY standings will advance to the postseason.
Buoyed by a quick start – Jones landed two 3-pounders within 30 minutes of his first cast – the five-time BASS winner was then able to survive a long period of inactivity, rounding out his five-fish limit late in the day. He is in an area filled with a number of Elite competitors but has etched out a small stretch he and fellow Texan Kelly Jordan (fourth place with 23-2) are sharing.
Like most of the field, Jones is flipping to shallow water. He said his bait selection is similar to most in the field but he has a slight variation in his presentation method that’s key to enticing the right bites.
Moving up from fourth position to second place was Billy McCaghren of Mayflower, Ark. The established river angler – McCaghren has been fishing the Arkansas River for years – is just 6 ounces behind Jones.
McCaghren said he lost two fish – both estimated at just under 3 pounds – that could cost him and, like Jones, is in an area shared by a number of Elite competitors.
“I’m in one of those dead-end sloughs so it’s tough to say if my area could hold up,” McCaghren said. “But I figured out something yesterday that gets them to bite pretty good. I’m just trying to get what I need from the area and leave it alone so I don’t burn it out.”
Scott Campbell of Springfield, Mo., was third with 23-8 while Jordon of Mineola, Texas, tallied 23-2 for fourth. Thursday leader Randy Howell stumbled Friday to fifth with 23-0.
The pros have been forced to quickly change gears after slugfests in the previous two Elite events at big-bass factories Lake Guntersville and Kentucky Lake. Perhaps the toughest tournament since the inception of the Elite Series, on Friday only 22 pros landed five-fish limits and a number of anglers failed to register a keeper-sized fish.
The field was reduced to the top 50 after Friday with notables like four-time Classic winner Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo. (20th) and BASS veteran Zell Rowland (21st) of Montgomery, Texas, qualifying. The most impressive turnaround has to go to Terry Scroggins, who rebounded from 0 pounds Thursday to land 13 pounds, 8 ounces, Friday and finish in 32nd.
During the 2008 season, the Elite Series had to cancel the River Rumble in Fort Madison because of flooding along the river that affected nearly a dozen states. The river last was host to a Bassmaster Tour event in 2006, when Elite angler Darrin Schwenkbeck won a Bassmaster Northern Tour competition with a three-day total of 42 pounds, 12 ounces.
Fans are encouraged to attend the Genuity River Rumble’s daily launches (6 a.m. CT) and weigh-ins (4 p.m.) through Sunday at Riverview Park, 902 Fourth St. in Fort Madison. The field was cut to the top 50 anglers for Day 3. Only the top 12 will go on to compete in Day 4.
Other activities Saturday and Sunday at the River Rumble will begin at 1 p.m. CT at Riverview Park, featuring the popular Dog Training & Retriever Demonstrations Brought To You By SportDog; a children’s carnival with a bounce house and gummy-worm-eating contest; tethered balloon rides (for a nominal fee); and a live shooting of a cannon brought from Fort Mig.
At 1:30 p.m. Saturday, fans are invited to experience Bassmaster University, which includes the “Ask the Experts” session with Elite pros at 3 p.m.
Also on site as part of the consumer expo Saturday and Sunday, Monsanto will bring its Mobile Technology Unit (MTU) to the Riverview Marina offering tours free of charge every 30 minutes. The Mobile Technology Unit is a unique traveling exhibit showcasing Monsanto’s latest advances in plant breeding and trait technology.
With its sponsorship of the event, Genuity will make a donation to the local organization Community Services Food Bank based on the cumulative weight of fish caught during the tournament. There will be a check presentation at the final weigh-in Sunday, June 14.
Sunday’s activities will include the live taping of Hooked Up, hosted by ESPN Outdoors personalities Mark Zona and Tommy Sanders. The show, which will air live at 3:30 p.m. ET on Bassmaster.com, will preview Sunday’s final weigh-in.
All events at the Genuity River Rumble are free and open to the public. The Elite Series regular season culminates with the August 13-16 Champion’s Choice on Oneida Lake out of Syracuse, N.Y. At Oneida, the lineup will be determined for the top 12 anglers who will compete in the inaugural Bassmaster Elite Series postseason and a shot at the 2009 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.
For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit Bassmaster.com. Visit ESPNOutdoorsMedia.com for the latest releases, schedules and photos.
The local sponsor of the River Rumble is the Fort Madison Convention & Visitors 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.
About BASS
For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. With its considerable multimedia platforms and expansive tournament trail, BASS is guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer and comprehensive Web properties in ESPN360.com, ESPN’s broadband sports network, Bassmaster.com, BASSInsider.com and ESPNOutdoors.com, the organization is committed to delivering content true to the lifestyle. Additionally, television programming on ESPN2 continues to provide relevant content – from tips and techniques to in-depth tournament coverage – to passionate audiences.
The organization oversees the prestigious Bassmaster tournament trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, Academy Sports + Outdoors Women’s Bassmaster Tour and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic. Through its grassroots network, the BASS Federation Nation, BASS annually sanctions more than 20,000 events.
BASS also 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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Media Contact: Doug Grassian; (407) 566-2216 or [email protected]
DAY 2 STANDINGS- GENUITY RIVER RUMBLE
2009 Genuity River Rumble 6/11-6/14
Mississippi River, Fort Madison IA.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Alton Jones Waco, TX 10 24-01 305
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 12-01
2. Billy Mccaghren Mayflower, AR 10 23-11 295
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 10-10
3. Scott Campbell Springfield, MO 10 23-08 290
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 12-00
4. Kelly Jordon Mineola, TX 10 23-02 285
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 11-01
5. Randy Howell Springville, AL 8 23-00 285
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 3 06-12
6. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 10 22-15 276
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 10-12
7. Shaw E Grigsby Gainesville, FL 10 22-08 272
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 10-00
8. Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 10 21-14 268
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 5 11-04
9. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 10 21-08 264
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 09-15
10. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 10 21-05 260
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 09-01
11. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 10 21-00 257
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 09-11
12. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 20-11 254
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 10-04
13. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 8 20-10 251
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 3 06-00
14. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 9 19-13 248
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 4 06-12
15. Elton Luce Jr. Brookeland, TX 9 19-07 245
Day 1: 4 09-05 Day 2: 5 10-02
16. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 10 19-04 243
Day 1: 5 08-05 Day 2: 5 10-15
17. Marty Stone Fayetteville, NC 9 18-12 241
Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 4 08-11
18. Peter E Thliveros St Augustine, FL 9 17-11 239
Day 1: 4 08-03 Day 2: 5 09-08
19. Boyd Duckett Demopolis, AL 9 17-08 237
Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 4 07-07
20. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 10 17-07 235
Day 1: 5 08-14 Day 2: 5 08-09
21. Zell Rowland Montgomery, TX 7 16-13 233
Day 1: 3 09-00 Day 2: 4 07-13
22. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 9 16-06 231
Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 4 06-12
23. Matt Herren Trussville, AL 6 16-06 229
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 1 01-13
24. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 8 15-14 227
Day 1: 5 09-01 Day 2: 3 06-13
25. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 7 15-12 225
Day 1: 4 08-05 Day 2: 3 07-07
26. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 8 15-09 223
Day 1: 5 08-13 Day 2: 3 06-12
27. Kevin Wirth Crestwood, KY 7 14-12 221
Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 5 11-06
28. Byron Velvick Del Rio, TX 6 14-00 219
Day 1: 1 02-12 Day 2: 5 11-04
29. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 6 13-14 217
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 5 12-01
30. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 7 13-12 215
Day 1: 3 07-01 Day 2: 4 06-11
31. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 8 13-09 213
Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 3 04-03
32. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 5 13-09 211
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 13-09
33. Mark Tucker Saint Louis, MO 8 13-08 209
Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 3 04-14
34. Ken D Cook Lawton, OK 6 13-07 207
Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 3 06-02
35. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 5 13-06 205
Day 1: 4 11-10 Day 2: 1 01-12
36. Bill Lowen North Bend, OH 7 13-01 203
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 2 02-15
37. Morizo Shimizu Osaka JAPAN 6 12-12 201
Day 1: 4 08-13 Day 2: 2 03-15
38. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 12-06 199
Day 1: 3 07-12 Day 2: 2 04-10
39. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 5 12-05 197
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
40. Pete Ponds Madison, MS 5 12-01 195
Day 1: 2 05-04 Day 2: 3 06-13
41. Michael Iaconelli Runnemede, NJ 6 12-00 193
Day 1: 1 02-07 Day 2: 5 09-09
42. Luke Gritter Kalamazoo, MI 6 11-12 191
Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 3 05-07
43. Brent Broderick Oregonia, OH 6 11-11 189
Day 1: 3 05-09 Day 2: 3 06-02
44. Pat Golden High Point, NC 4 11-08 187
Day 1: 4 11-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
45. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 5 11-07 185
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
46. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 6 11-05 183
Day 1: 5 09-12 Day 2: 1 01-09
47. Chad Griffin Cresson, TX 6 11-04 181
Day 1: 2 04-08 Day 2: 4 06-12
48. Mark Tyler Vian, OK 4 11-01 179
Day 1: 3 07-11 Day 2: 1 03-06
49. Vince Fulks Purcell, OK 6 10-13 177
Day 1: 4 07-08 Day 2: 2 03-05
50. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 5 10-13 175
Day 1: 2 03-11 Day 2: 3 07-02
51. Jami Fralick Martin, SD 6 10-10 173
Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 5 09-01
52. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 10-10 171
Day 1: 2 04-08 Day 2: 3 06-02
53. Brian Clark Haltom City, TX 5 10-04 169
Day 1: 2 04-07 Day 2: 3 05-13
54. Mark Burgess Norton, MA 5 10-02 167
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 4 08-08
55. Timmy Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 5 09-15 165
Day 1: 4 07-05 Day 2: 1 02-10
56. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 5 09-14 163
Day 1: 4 08-03 Day 2: 1 01-11
57. Jim Murray Arabi, GA 5 09-12 161
Day 1: 4 07-12 Day 2: 1 02-00
58. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 5 09-12 159
Day 1: 3 06-04 Day 2: 2 03-08
59. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 5 09-11 157
Day 1: 3 05-14 Day 2: 2 03-13
60. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 4 09-08 155
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 3 07-04
61. John Crews Salem, VA 5 09-05 153
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 09-05
62. Denny Brauer Camdenton, MO 4 09-03 151
Day 1: 2 05-14 Day 2: 2 03-05
63. Terry Butcher Talala, OK 4 08-12 149
Day 1: 1 02-12 Day 2: 3 06-00
64. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 5 08-08 147
Day 1: 3 05-01 Day 2: 2 03-07
65. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 4 08-08 145
Day 1: 3 06-06 Day 2: 1 02-02
66. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 08-05 143
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 4 06-11
67. Dustin Wilks Rocky Mount, NC 5 08-01 141
Day 1: 3 04-12 Day 2: 2 03-05
68. Rick Morris Virginia Beach, VA 4 08-00 139
Day 1: 3 06-07 Day 2: 1 01-09
69. Chris Lane Lakeland, FL 4 08-00 137
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 3 05-12
70. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 3 07-10 135
Day 1: 3 07-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
71. Jeff Connella Bentley, LA 4 07-09 133
Day 1: 3 05-10 Day 2: 1 01-15
72. Clark Reehm Russellville, AR 4 07-09 131
Day 1: 2 04-04 Day 2: 2 03-05
73. Dave Wolak Wake Forest, NC 4 07-08 129
Day 1: 2 04-01 Day 2: 2 03-07
74. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 3 07-07 127
Day 1: 3 07-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
75. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 4 07-05 125
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 3 05-08
76. Guy Eaker Cherryville, NC 6 07-03 123
Day 1: 3 07-03 Day 2: 3 00-00
77. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 4 06-14 121
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 3 04-14
78. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 3 06-11 119
Day 1: 1 02-08 Day 2: 2 04-03
79. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 4 06-03 117
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 3 04-06
80. Wade Grooms Bonneau, SC 3 06-02 115
Day 1: 3 06-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
81. Bradley Hallman Norman, OK 3 06-00 113
Day 1: 2 03-13 Day 2: 1 02-03
82. Jimmy Mize Ben Lomond, AR 3 05-13 111
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 05-13
83. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 2 05-12 109
Day 1: 2 05-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
84. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 2 04-11 107
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-11
85. Jeff Reynolds Idabel, OK 2 04-07 105
Day 1: 2 04-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
86. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 2 04-07 103
Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 1 02-14
87. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 3 04-01 101
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 2 02-10
88. Grant Goldbeck Gaithersburg, MD 2 04-00 99
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 1 01-15
89. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 2 03-13 97
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 1 01-12
90. Mike Wurm Hot Springs, AR 2 03-10 95
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
91. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 1 02-08 93
Day 1: 1 02-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
92. Jason Quinn York, SC 1 01-14 91
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
93. Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 1 01-11 89
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-11
94. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 1 01-10 87
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-10
94. Jeremy Starks Charleston, WV 1 01-10 87
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
96. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
96. David Smith Del City, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
96. Matthew Sphar Pavilion, NY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
———————————————————————–
BIG BASS
Day
1 Randy Howell Springville, AL 04-05 $0.00
1 John Murray Phoenix, AZ 04-05 $0.00
2 Cliff Pace Petal, MS 04-04 $0.00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 28 280 620-04
2 22 256 506-15
———————————-
50 536 1127-03