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MICHIGAN'S KEVIN VANDAM STORMS
INTO CLASSIC LEAD
Two-Time Classic Champ Holds
9-Ounce Lead Entering Final Day
Feb. 24, 2007 - BIRMINGHAM, Ala. "In
a come-from-behind charge familiar to fishing fans, three-time
Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam moved
up the leaderboard with one of his patented moves Saturday, jumping
from 19th place into the lead at the 37th Bassmaster Classic
on Alabama's Lay Lake.
The Kalamazoo, Mich., Elite Series pro, who has
amassed over $2 million in BASS earnings, totaled 19 pounds,
14 ounces, Saturday to bring his two-day total to 32-15.
He built a 9-ounce lead over California's Skeet Reese.
The top angler will take home a $500,000 top prize Sunday.
Coverage of bass fishing's equivalent to the Super
Bowl kicked off Saturday morning on ESPN2 at 7 a.m. ET. ESPN2
will air 10 hours of coverage over the three-day event and viewers
can catch the action starting at 6:30 a.m. ET. Sunday.
Alabama Elite Series pro Gerald Swindle's Day 2
catch was disqualified Saturday by BASS officials for violation
of Rules 5i and 6ii. Swindle didn't make the top 25 cut and finished
in 45th place. The applicable part of the rules state: "Safe
boat conduct must be observed at all times by competitors.
Rounding out the top five were Reese (32-6), Florida's
Terry Scroggins (30-15), Alabama's Boyd Duckett (30-13) and Alabama's
Tim Horton (29-11).
"This is what we live for, VanDam said. "I
was really disappointed on Friday because I felt I had dug a
hole for myself and these guys are too good for you to leave
anything on the table.
"Just getting to the Classic doesn't satisfy
me anymore. I always want to put myself in a position to win
and that's what I've done.
Reese is no stranger to winning BASS tournaments
he's won two but he has yet to score a coveted Classic victory
in seven tries.
"I have a spot where I caught a pretty quick
limit the first day and I fished there pretty much all day Saturday,
the 37-year-old said. "There are some prime-looking areas
around it, so I'll go exploring.
While Reese was pleasantly surprised with his tournament
after an unproductive practice period, to win the marquee event
he will still have to jump ahead of VanDam.
"The last thing I wanted to see is this guy
[VanDam] catch almost 20 pounds and leapfrog me in the standings,
Reese said. "He seems to always do that.
Other Alabama anglers safely above the cutline
are Steve Kennedy from Auburn, Ala., in seventh; Randy Howell
from Springville, Ala., in 10th; Aaron Martens from Leeds, Ala.,
in 13th; and Russ Lane from Prattville, Ala., in 25th.
2007 Bassmaster Classic 2/23-2/25
Lay Lake, Birmingham AL.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler
Hometown
No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Kevin VanDam
Kalamazoo, MI
10 32-15 300 0
Day 1: 5 13-01 2:
5 19-14
2. Skeet Reese
Auburn, CA
10 32-06 295 0
Day 1: 5 17-08 2:
5 14-14
3. Terry Scroggins
Palatka, FL
10 30-15 290 0
Day 1: 5 17-00 2:
5 13-15
4. Boyd Duckett
Demopolis, AL
10 30-13 285 0
Day 1: 5 19-14 2:
5 10-15
5. Timmy Horton
Muscle Shoals, AL 10
29-11 280 0
Day 1: 5 17-05 2:
5 12-06
6. Gary Klein
Weatherford, TX
10 28-11 276 0
Day 1: 5 11-06 2:
5 17-05
7. Steve Kennedy
Auburn, AL
10 28-09 272 0
Day 1: 5 12-02 2:
5 16-07
8. Tommy Biffle
Wagoner, OK
10 28-06 268 0
Day 1: 5 16-11 2:
5 11-11
9. Terry McWilliams
Greenfield, IN
10 27-13 264 0
Day 1: 5 15-09 2:
5 12-04
10. Randy Howell
Springville, AL
9 27-08 260 0
Day 1: 5 17-15 2:
4 09-09
11. Ishama Monroe
Hughson, CA
10 27-05 257 0
Day 1: 5 15-00 2:
5 12-05
12. Kevin Wirth
Crestwood, KY
10 27-01 254 0
Day 1: 5 14-09 2:
5 12-08
13. Aaron Martens
Leeds, AL 10
26-15 251 0
Day 1: 5 13-13 2:
5 13-02
14. Mike McClelland
Bella Vista, AR
10 26-08 248 0
Day 1: 5 12-05 2:
5 14-03
15. Michael Iaconelli
Runnemede, NJ
10 24-15 245 0
Day 1: 5 13-09 2:
5 11-06
16. Alton Jones
Waco, TX
10 24-09 243 0
Day 1: 5 12-06 2:
5 12-03
17. Mike Wurm
Hot Springs, AR
10 24-08 241 0
Day 1: 5 14-00 2:
5 10-08
18. Dean Rojas
Lake Havasu, AZ
10 24-07 239 0
Day 1: 5 13-04 2:
5 11-03
19. Jared Lintner
Arroyo Grande, CA 10
24-06 237 0
Day 1: 5 14-06 2:
5 10-00
20. Jeff Kriet
Ardmore, OK 10
24-00 235 0
Day 1: 5 12-10 2:
5 11-06
21. James Niggemeyer
Lindale, TX
10 23-15 232 0
Day 1: 5 13-07 2:
5 10-08
21. Jason Quinn
York, SC
10 23-15 232 0
Day 1: 5 11-00 2:
5 12-15
23. Royce Dennington
Barnsdall, OK
10 23-12 229 0
Day 1: 5 09-15 2:
5 13-13
24. Todd Faircloth
Jasper, TX
10 23-00 227 0
Day 1: 5 11-12 2:
5 11-04
25. Russ Lane Prattville,
AL 10
22-07 225 0
Day 1: 5 13-13 2:
5 08-10
26. Tom Hamlin
Lizella, GA
10 22-05 223 10000
Day 1: 5 09-09 2:
5 12-12
27. Jeff Reynolds
PLATTER, OK
10 22-01 221
10000
Day 1: 5 10-11 2:
5 11-06
28. James Charlesworth
Saint Cloud, FL
10 21-10 219 10000
Day 1: 5 12-07 2:
5 09-03
29. Shigeru Tsukiyama
Tokyo JAPAN
10 21-09 217 10000
Day 1: 5 10-01 2:
5 11-08
30. Greg Hackney
Gonzales, LA
10 21-06 215 10000
Day 1: 5 11-02 2:
5 10-04
31. Edwin Evers
Talala, OK
9 21-05 213 10000
Day 1: 4 09-14 2:
5 11-07
32. Lee Bailey
Boaz, AL
10 20-15 211 10000
Day 1: 5 11-11 2:
5 09-04
33. Bill Lowen
North Bend, OH
10 20-10 209 10000
Day 1: 5 09-14 2:
5 10-12
34. Derek Remitz
Hemphill, TX
10 20-08 207 10000
Day 1: 5 09-04 2:
5 11-04
35. John Crews
Salem, VA
9 19-15 205 10000
Day 1: 5 11-00 2:
4 08-15
36. Takahiro Omori
Emory, TX
10 19-11 203 10000
Day 1: 5 10-10 2:
5 09-01
37. Peter E Thliveros
Jacksonville, FL 10
19-02 201 10000
Day 1: 5 10-15 2:
5 08-03
38. Rick Clunn
Ava, MO
10 19-01 199 10000
Day 1: 5 09-06 2:
5 09-11
39. John Murray
Phoenix, AZ
10 17-14 197 10000
Day 1: 5 10-03 2:
5 07-11
40. Kevin Waterman
Laplata, MD
8 17-12 195 10000
Day 1: 5 11-14 2:
3 05-14
41. Mark Tucker
Saint Louis, MO
9 17-10 193 10000
Day 1: 5 11-10 2:
4 06-00
42. Zell Rowland
Montgomery, TX
8 17-04 191 10000
Day 1: 5 12-09 2:
3 04-11
43. Matt Reed
Madisonville, TX 6
16-09 189 10000
Day 1: 5 13-15 2:
1 02-10
44. Kelly Jordon
Mineola, TX
8 16-05 187 10000
Day 1: 5 09-08 2:
3 06-13
45. Gerald Swindle
Warrioir, AL
10 14-10 185 10000
Day 1: 5 14-10 2:
5 00-00
46. Chris Novack
Willington, CT
10 13-14 183 10000
Day 1: 5 07-02 2:
5 06-12
47. Denny Brauer
Camdenton, MO
8 13-13 181 10000
Day 1: 5 08-03 2:
3 05-10
48. Sam Lashlee
Camden, TN
6 11-03 179 10000
Day 1: 2 04-15 2:
4 06-04
49. Brent Long
Catawba, NC
4 09-00 177 10000
Day 1: 2 04-14 2:
2 04-02
50. Russell Colwell
Baltimore, MD
4 07-07 175 10000
Day 1: 3 06-08 2:
1 00-15
----------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish
Weight
1 46
241 606-11
----------------------------------
46 241
606-11
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