In the last edition of “The Final Analysis” (click here to read), I told you that Kevin VanDam has the longest consecutive limit streak in Bassmaster Elite Series history at 57 straight competition days.
Of course, that’s just part of the story and just one more line in the record book for the greatest professional bass angler of all time.
The rest of the story about the consecutive limit streaks belongs to the other anglers who have laid down some impressive numbers in the six years of the Elite Series.
In all, consecutive limit streaks of 30 competition days and longer have been put together exactly 30 times by 24 different Elite pros.
Only VanDam (3), Todd Faircloth (3), Michael Iaconelli (2) and Kevin Wirth (2) have done it more than once. VanDam has two strings of 40 consecutive limits or more, and Faircloth has three runs of 37 or better.
Nine anglers have a chance to limit each day they fish during the 2011 Elite season: Iaconelli (currently at 44 consecutive limits), Terry Scroggins (currently at 41), Casey Ashley (39), Ott DeFoe (19), Jeff Kriet (18), Chris Lane (18), Keith Combs (17), John Crews (16) and Brent Chapman (14).
Chapman has a chance to be the first Elite angler to limit each day he competes for a full season yet not qualify for the Bassmaster Classic. He’s currently 45th in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings, 17 places outside the official cut and likely 10 places outside where the cut will be at the end of the Elite season.
(Note: The top 28 anglers in the Elite points standings earn a berth in the 2012 Bassmaster Classic. Also — and for the first time — Elite tournament winners will earn automatic Classic berths. Since some of the tournament winners are also ranked in the top 28, several anglers will “double qualify,” thereby making room for other anglers ranked below the top 28 to get to the Classic. Currently, all but one of the Elite tournament winners is ranked in the top 28.)
DeFoe and Combs are having strong rookie seasons, but their streaks have a long way to go before they’ll challenge Bobby Lane’s debut. Beginning with his first Elite tournament in 2008, Lane put together a run of 47 straight limits before struggling on the Mississippi River in 2009. It’s the longest streak ever by a rookie and the second longest by anyone.
With nine active season-long (or more) streaks going into the Elite event on the Arkansas River, it’s a good bet that several will end in Little Rock. The tournament is shaping up to be a tough one, with flood-high waters and dirty water promising some very challenging fishing. Though things could certainly change, it’s looking a lot like the Mississippi River event in 2009 that ended KVD’s streak at 57.
Every year or so there’s a tournament that acts as a “streak killer” for the Elite pros. This year, it’s looking like the Diamond Drive on the Arkansas River.
