What’s at stake: $673,150 in cash to the top 50 Elite pros, and valuable points in the race for the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year award. In addition to crowning the final Elite Series event winner of 2007, one angler will emerge as the winner of bass fishing’s highest honor: the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title. Also to be awarded: the Toyota Rookie of the Year award, and the Toyota Moving Forward Award. Additionally, 36 Bassmaster Classic berths will be awarded to the Elite anglers with the highest number of points, and the top 84 anglers in the AOY standings will qualify for the 2008 season.
Telecast: The Sunshine Showdown presented by Allstate Boat Insurance on Lake Tohopekaliga in Kissimmee, Fla., will be aired on ESPN2’s The Bassmasters Saturday, Sept. 29, at 9 a.m. ET.
The Pros Said It
“Right now practice is pretty slow and I’ve yet to get a limit of bites in one day. I’m still hunting and pecking, trying to find a glory hole or solid pattern where I can go catch a limit each day. The fish are biting first thing in the morning and then they really shut down. If anything, I’ve eliminated a lot of stuff. I’m hoping to find something today and then let the derby begin! As long as I beat Kevin (VanDam) by one point (in the AOY race), that’s all that matters.” — Skeet Reese, 38, Auburn, Calif., eight-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier and 2007 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points leader headed into final event
“I can sum up the practice in one word: challenging. There’s something wrong with the water clarity in the lake, it’s off-color and there’s no current moving. When you combine those two things it makes it really tough. It’s going to be one tough event to win and I think you’re going to have to fish two or three patterns to do it. It’s tough enough to fish here four days when the fishing is good, and the conditions right now are making it much more difficult.” — Terry Scroggins, 38, San Mateo, Fla., four-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier, fifth in combined Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings for 2006 and 2007
“The lake’s fishing pretty tough right now. I’m doing a lot of flipping but it’s sporadic and it’s hard to get a big bite and duplicate on the conditions that we have. I’m looking for that magic spot and have to almost win this tournament as well as Skeet (Reese) have a bad tournament for me to win Angler of the Year. I’ve seen enough good things happen that it gets me excited, but I’m also a realist. I’m looking for five big ones in fives casts and haven’t found that yet.” — Kevin VanDam, 39, Kalamazoo, Mich., two-time Bassmaster Classic Winner, now second in the 2007 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points standings
The Strategy
Reese: The leader in Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points is playing up his fishing strengths by flipping grass beds and hoping it will work to his advantage in the final event. He is fishing a variety of lures including crankbaits, top-water baits, Carolina rigs and a variety of soft plastics. He is moving often and targeting several areas, including shallow-water grassy areas, deep-water grassy areas, pockets and points. The spinnerbait and jig are not factors in his strategy.
Scroggins: Before practicing for the Sunshine Showdown, the Floridian estimated that it would take 17 to 20 pounds to win the event, but now he believes it will be far less: an estimated 13 pounds per day to win. He is fishing a variety of lures, including a Carolina rig with Houdini worm and flipping a Big Show Craw lure. Scroggins is planning to cover as much water as possible. He has identified a little bit of schooling activity but says it is limited.
VanDam: He’s moving often and covering lots of water. While he has fished Lake Toho several times in the past, he has never fished it at this time of year, which is making it tough. The Michigan pro is targeting Kissimmee grass, reeds, hydrilla and matted vegetation, as well as searching for structure and deeper water. VanDam estimates that pros will need 13 pounds a day on average, and 50 to 55 pounds overall will likely win.
Location and Field
Sunshine Showdown
Lake Tohopekaliga
Kissimmee, FL
Sept. 13-16, 2007
Field
108 pros, 108 co-anglers
Cut to top 50 after Day 2
Cut to top 12 pro anglers after Day 3
Launch/Weigh-in
Kissimmee Lake Front Park
698 Lakeshore Blvd.
Kissimmee, Blvd. 34744
6:50 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. ET
Background
Previous BASS events
2006 Bassmaster Classic
2006 ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series
2005 ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series Championship
2005 BASS Southern Open
2005 ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series
2005 Bassmaster Tour
2001 Bassmaster Tour
2001 Bassmaster Top 150
2000 Bassmaster Top 150
1999 Bassmaster Top 150
1982 BASS Invitational
1980 BASS Invitational
1978 BASS Invitational
1977 Bassmaster Classic
Previous winners on lake
56-2, Luke Clausen, 2006
15-8, Josh Guess, 2006
27-11, Jeff Coble, 2005
39-9, Terry Scroggins, 2005
21-7, Charlie Coleman, 2005
50-11, Takahiro Omori, 2005
61-4, Tim Horton, 2001
108-12, Dean Rojas, 2001
53-11, Shaw Grigsby, 2000
41-0, Danny Kirk, 1999
30-1, Ken Cook, 1982
33-11, Horace Phipps, 1980
David Gliebe, 1978
Rick Clunn, 1977
Heaviest winning weight
108-12, Dean Rojas, 2001
Lowest winning weight
15-8, Josh Guess, 2006
Temperature
90 degrees
Lake level
0 ft. above mean sea level
Local sponsors: Central Florida Sports Commission and the Kissimmee Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Bassmaster Elite Series sponsors: Sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series include Toyota Tundra, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Advance Auto Parts, Lowrance Electronics, MotorGuide, Evan Williams Bourbon, Ramada Worldwide and Costa Del Mar.
Live, streaming video of the Sunshine Showdown’s daily weigh-ins begins at 3 p.m. ET at www.ESPNOutdoors.com. Also live on www.ESPNOutdoors.com, the pre-show Hooked Up will preview the final weigh-in Sunday. ESPN2 Outdoors personalities Mark Zona and Tommy Sanders return as the Hooked Up hosts.
For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit www.bassmaster.com. Visit www.espnmediazone.com for ESPN’s latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video and audio clips and more.
News exclusives, audio and video clips of bass fishing’s biggest stars, loads of discounts and more are all part of BASS Insider, an exclusive membership, now available at www.bassmaster.com.
BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, staging more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation Nation annually. Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it has for nearly 40 years.
BASS stages and sanctions bass fishing tournaments for every skill level culminating with the Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth programs, aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia platforms, BASS offers the industry’s widest array of services and support to its nearly 530,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.
2007 TOYOTA TUNDRA BASSMASTER ANGLER OF THE YEAR STANDINGS
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Place Name St Pts
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1 Skeet Reese Calif. 2579
2 Kevin VanDam Mich. 2472
3 Jared Lintner Calif. 2276
4 Steve Kennedy Ala. 2178
5 Terry Scroggins Fla. 2166
6 Aaron Martens Ala. 2165
7 Fred Roumbanis Calif. 2136
8 Kelly Jordon Texas 2133
9 Todd Faircloth Texas 2109
10 Boyd Duckett Ala. 2063
11 Scott Rook Ark. 2054
12 Edwin Evers Okla. 2053
13 Tommy Biffle Okla. 2038
14 Greg Hackney La. 2037
15 Chris Lane Fla. 2030
16 Jeff Kriet Okla. 2027
16 Kevin Wirth Ky. 2027
18 Ishama Monroe Calif. 2024
19 Stephen Browning Ark. 2023
20 Gary Klein Texas 1999
21 Brent Chapman Kan. 1979
22 Derek Remitz Texas 1978
23 John Murray Ariz. 1976
24 Peter Thliveros Fla. 1972
25 Cliff Pace Miss. 1964
26 Timmy Horton Ala. 1954
27 Michael Iaconelli N.J. 1929
28 Takahiro Omori Texas 1922
29 Casey Ashley S.C. 1917
30 Mark Tyler Okla. 1878
31 Mike McClelland Ark. 1852
32 Randy Howell Ala. 1834
33 Alton Jones Texas 1830
33 Matthew Sphar N.Y. 1830
35 Jason Quinn S.C. 1805
36 John Crews Va. 1803
37 Dave Wolak N.C. 1799
38 Davy Hite S.C. 1794
38 Matt Reed Texas 1794
40 Jason Williamson S.C. 1784
41 Dean Rojas Texas 1783
42 Kevin Short Ark. 1782
43 Mark Menendez Ky. 1781
44 Jeff Reynolds Okla. 1779
45 Shaw Grigsby, Jr Fla. 1772
46 Kotaro Kiriyama Ala. 1770
47 Scott Campbell Mo. 1756
48 Mike Wurm Ark. 1755
49 Gerald Swindle Ala. 1751
50 Brian Snowden Mo. 1741
51 Rick Morris Va. 1735
51 Yusuke Miyazaki Texas 1735
53 Britt Myers S.C. 1720
54 Morizo Shimizu Calif. 1719
55 Bill Lowen Ohio 1715
56 Marty Robinson S.C. 1712
57 Denny Brauer Mo. 1700
58 James Niggemeyer Texas 1673
59 Ray Sedgwick S.C. 1668
60 Kenyon Hill Okla. 1657
61 Mark Tucker Mo. 1653
62 Kurt Dove Va. 1638
63 Jami Fralick S.D. 1636
64 Rick Clunn Mo. 1632
65 Bernie Schultz Fla. 1621
66 Bryan Hudgins Fla. 1618
67 Paul Elias Miss. 1612
68 Ken Cook Okla. 1609
69 Bradley Hallman Okla. 1585
70 Russ Lane Ala. 1566
71 Pete Ponds Miss. 1558
72 Grant Goldbeck Md. 1553
73 Jeremy Starks W.Va. 1552
74 Ben Matsubu Texas 1549
75 James Kennedy La. 1521
76 Lee Bailey Ala. 1509
77 Jim Murray Ga. 1502
78 Jimmy Mize Ark. 1498
79 Jeff Connella La. 1497
80 Charlie Hartley Ohio 1466
81 Preston Clark Fla. 1461
82 Ken Brodeur Conn. 1438
83 Paul Hirosky Pa. 1432
84 Greg Gutierrez Calif. 1407
85 Mark Rogers Fla. 1393
86 Kevin Langill N.C. 1391
87 Marty Stone N.C. 1390
88 Matt Amedeo Ohio 1388
89 James Charlesworth Fla. 1372
90 Terry Butcher Okla. 1349
91 Guy Eaker N.C. 1329
92 Glenn Delong Ohio 1298
93 Zell Rowland Texas 1295
94 Dave Smith Okla. 1259
95 Bill Smith Ky. 1253
95 Keith Phillips Ala. 1253
97 Steve Daniel Fla. 1240
98 Darrin Schwenkbeck N.Y. 1232
99 Doc Merkin Ill. 1181
100 Bradley Stringer Texas 1173
101 Frank Scalish Ohio 1172
102 Jon Bondy Canada 1152
103 Eric Nethery Ga. 1142
104 Jimmy Mason Ala. 1099
105 Byron Velvick Texas 1065
106 Rick Ash Pa. 985
107 Charlie Youngers Fla. 980
108 Elton Luce Jr Texas 855
2007 TOYOTA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR RACE
2007 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
After Potomac River, Charles County, MD ending 08-12-2007, Day 4
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Place Name St Pts
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1 Derek Remitz Texas 1978
2 Casey Ashley S.C. 1917
3 Matthew Sphar N.Y. 1830
4 Jason Williamson S.C. 1784
5 Scott Campbell Mo. 1756
6 Marty Robinson S.C. 1712
7 James Niggemeyer Texas 1673
8 Bryan Hudgins Fla. 1618
9 James Kennedy La. 1521
10 Matt Amedeo Ohio 1388
11 James Charlesworth Fla. 1372
12 Glenn Delong Ohio 1298
2007 TOYOTA MOVING FORWARD AWARD
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Place Name 2006 Finish 2007 Standings
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1 Fred Roumbanis 69 7
2 Chris Lane 61 15
3 Scott Rook 47 11
4 Mark Tyler 64 30
5 Rick Morris 81 51
6 Stephen Browning 45 19
6 Terry Scroggins 31 5
8 Mark Menendez 68 43
8 Kevin Short 67 42
10 Britt Myers 76 53
11 Kurt Dove 82 62
11 Brent Chapman 41 21
13 Ishama Monroe 37 18
14 Jeff Kriet 33 16
15 Grant Goldbeck 88 72
15 Ken Brodeur 98 82
15 Gary Klein 36 20
18 Jared Lintner 18 3
19 Todd Faircloth 23 9
19 Mark Rogers 99 85
21 Pete Ponds 83 71
22 Takahiro Omori 35 28
23 David Wolak 43 37
23 Skeet Reese 7 1
25 Ken D Cook 73 68
26 Timmy Horton 30 26
26 Yusuke Miyazaki 55 51
26 Brian Snowden 54 50
29 Charlie Hartley 83 80
29 Jami Fralick 66 63
31 Davy Hite 40 38
31 Kelly Jordon 10 8
33 Kevin VanDam 3 2