Big fish, big comebacks and resurrections were all on the menu in 2016, and the Daily Limit offered its take on much of it.
The 2016 Bassmaster season was incredible almost every step of the way, and a lot of it was reported by B.A.S.S. staff and contributors in “Our favorite moments of 2016.”
So here are the top 10 Daily Limit posts on the season, ranked only by earliest in the year to latest.
NOTHING BUT LOVE
Let’s travel back to the first report on the season, when Kevin VanDam was a guest on Mike Iaconelli’s web show, Ike LIVE. Fireworks were anticipated, but KVD said any friction between them from the past has long been left on the water — he holds nothing but love for the angler who might appear his polar opposite but who in fact has much in common.
JABBA THE SPOTTED BASS
When Brent Ehrler and Mark Zona met up at a northern California hotspot for spotted bass, the force was with them and fishing was out of this world.
Each caught personal best spots from Bullards Bar, the biggest non-secret secret lake. The fish were so fat and lethargic that Ehrler, who expected much tougher battles, equated them to Jabba the Hutt.
EVERS SLINGS MUDITA
Mudita means “sympathetic joy,” which is happiness for another’s good fortune. Edwin Evers hadn’t had any joy in his quest for Angler of the Year or a Bassmaster Classic title, except a number of close misses. He owned the title “best to never win a Classic.”
When he rallied with 29 pounds, 3 ounces on the final day to win the Classic on Grand Lake in front of a raucous home-state crowd, Evers elicited tears of joy.
CLUNN’S RUTHIAN BLAST
The bass fishing world waited years for this moment, when Rick Clunn struck a blow for the experienced crowd by winning the Elite opener on the St. Johns River. His fellow Elites, many of whom see him as their hero, gathered around Clunn, 69, to take in the spectacle.
Ending a 14-year drought and notching his 15th victory but first in front of his son, Clunn left everyone with an important message for life, especially someone long in the tooth.
A 31-pound, 7-ounce on Day 3 served as Clunn’s Ruthian blast.
TONYA’S BIG BASS SPLASH
Tonja Woytasczyk had fished before, after all, she was a self-proclaimed “ol’ country bumpkin,” but she went right to the top in her first bass fishing tournament. The 48-year-old from Tarkington, Texas, caught a huge bass from Lake Sam Rayburn to earn a life-altering check as the big fish event turned into Tonya’s Big Bass Splash.
LONG LIVE THE KING
Yes, the reports of Kevin VanDam’s demise were greatly exaggerated. There was talk he might never win again — well it had been 5 years since his last victory, he missed his first Classic in 25 years and even he began to question things after several bad outings.
Wait a second there, Cowboy. KVD shut up any doubters by winning on Toledo Bend and showing the King is back and alive. Long live the King!
THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN
What do Col. Steve Austin and KVD have in common? They are both Six Million Dollar men. Lee Majors played Austin on the 1970s show, while VanDam became the first bass pro to earn more than $6 million in career earnings, almost double the next closest.
Though KVD hadn’t given it much thought after his $100,000 paycheck from Cayuga – his second Elite win on the year – put him over the magical figure. He played along a little bit to the premise, but offered up his own numbers oddly coinciding with his sons’ birthday.
BRACKET DRAMA GALORE
It was an exciting new format for B.A.S.S., pitting the top eight from Cayuga in match play for a guaranteed Classic spot. Oh, the Bassmaster Classic Bracket promised great things.
The event on the Niagara River delivered tons of intrigue, like Dean Rojas’ exciting late rally to win a match. But there was a train wreck as Koby Krieger had issues cashing in his free pass from roommate Jacob Powroznik.
The only thing more exciting would have been if someone or something went over the falls. Oh, and KVD won the event, his record third on a season, but not without some controversy.
Yes, there was Bracket drama galore.
HACK OUT FROM ROCK
Seven weeks passed between Greg Hackney being disqualified on Day 1 of the Cayuga Elite and when he spoke at length about it on Bassmaster LIVE. Hack was driving back after finishing 13th on the Potomac when he called in and discussed losing the lead in the Toyota Angler of the Year race.
“It was good we had a big break,” Hackney said. “I’m glad we didn’t have a back-to-back. I needed a rock to crawl under somewhere.”
LIVE hosts Mark Zona and Tommy Sanders asked questions to help get Hack out from that rock.
HEART OF A REDNECK
In the end, Gerald Swindle didn’t do it in style, but he did it. He secured his second AOY title with an incredibly consistent season, making the 50 cut in every Elite tournament and reaching six Championship Sundays.
He came to the stage unsatisfied after struggling on Mille Lacs in the AOY Championship, but his lead was so large he almost secured the title in the previous event. After winning, Swindle condemned talk of him being a “legend,” yet he furthered his country boy demeanor by getting choked up several times. Bass fishing’s clown prince simply showed he has the heart of a redneck.
The awful thing is he didn’t get much time to enjoy it. Knee surgery he held off until after the season led to complications, and he spent a week in the hospital and much longer rehabilitating his leg because of a major health scare.
HONORABLE MENTION
- In all, it was a remarkable season in so many aspects, and there were a number of posts that deserve honorable mention. Among there were:
- Kayak angler Guillermo Gonzalez shared his story of doubling the field in the big event of the year but turned himself in for a stupid infraction.
- Wesley Strader’s Open win despite a shooting at his home;
- Classic qualifier Chris Dillow describing how he was left on the steps of a German orphanage;
- Aaron Martens took time away from fishing the Classic to rescue a cat;
- At ICAST, Larry Davidson and team introduced the Trapper hook, billed to better keep fish buttoned up;
- A story simply explaining the Classic Bracket event fared well with reader;
- Mike and Becky Iaconelli, along with a team of volunteers, went Ike for kids, putting on a successful pro-am benefit tournament.