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BASS Elite 50 Series: Lake Dardanelle, AR

E50 Event # 2 of 4

Preview | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

Preview: Elite 50s Return to Lake Dardanelle

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Russellville, Ark. — It was just last summer that Russellville and Lake Dardanelle hosted the debut of the most exciting new concept to come along in professional fishing in years — the Bassmaster Elite 50 Tour. They proved to be grand hosts, providing both good fishing and some of the biggest crowds the sport has seen outside of the CITGO Bassmaster Classic.

“We got a fabulous reception last year,” said Mark Davis, former Classic champion and Arkansas native son, in reference to weigh-in crowds as large as 7,500.

They were there to see the debut of the Elite 50 Tour, the first time that an entire tournament trail matched the cream of the crop of today’s bass pros in no-entry-fee, limited-field events. The 50 top pros earned their Elite status through either their combined performance over the past three CITGO Bassmaster Tour seasons or based on a career of excellence that placed them atop BASS’ all-time money list.

Bass fishing’s all-star lineup returns to Lake Dardanelle May 18-21 for the second stop of the 2005 Elite 50 season, and the pros are expecting another dazzling event.

“I think the fishing should be excellent,” said Davis, fresh off of a victory in the Elite 50 season opener on Smith Lake in Alabama. “The fish will be in the weeds. Some of the fish are four or five weeks after spawning, but they’ll still be shallow. They’ll be feeding up. It’ll be good.”

Located in northwestern Arkansas, Lake Dardanelle is situated on the extreme northern boundary of the Ouachita Mountains and sprawls through five counties (Yell, Pope, Johnson, Logan and Franklin). Lying in the shadow of both the Ozark and Ouachita national forests, Dardanelle is surrounded by picturesque landscapes in every direction.

Completed in 1969 as part of the multi-million-dollar McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigational Project, Dardanelle covers 35,000 acres on its 50-mile run to the Ozark-Jeta Taylor Lock and Dam. The reservoir, which is two miles across at its widest point, is captured between locks 9 and 10 (between Russellville and Little Rock). Its 315 miles of shoreline weave a network of cozy coves and inlets along the way. Also included are numerous creeks, borrow pits and backwater flats.

“It’s probably the best lake we have in the state right now,” Davis said. “All of our lakes in Arkansas are down [because of the Largemouth Bass Virus about four years ago] from what they used be, but it’s a good lake, and it’s coming back. I wouldn’t say it was fully recovered, but I would say it’s 75-percent back.

“The only thing it’s lacking right now is the real big fish. It’s never been known for huge fish, but it’s been known for a lot of 6- to 8-pound bass. Those aren’t showing up in numbers yet, but there’s lot of 3- to 5-pounders. It seems to be even better than it was last year.”

Last year, Randy Howell won the event on Dardanelle with 30 pounds, 9 ounces, caught during the two final rounds, which feature the old MegaBucks format — a timed rotation through a course of assigned fishing holes. His success came on a jig with a Berkley Gulp Swim Frog trailer.

This time around, Davis predicts that it will take 30 pounds to make the top-12 cut and another 30 pounds to win.

“The fish will be caught on buzzbaits and by swimming a jig,” he said. “There will be a lot of fish caught on soft plastics like tubes and worms, and there will be some shallow crankbait fish. There’ll be a lot of different ways to catch them.

“There should be a lot of limits caught.”

At stake are the $100,000 top prize and valuable points toward qualifying for the 2005 and 2006 Classics. The top 10 pros in the Elite 50 standings after four tournaments will earn a ticket to both Classics.

From BASS

Day 1: Ike Leads Day One on Dardanelle

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RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. --- If you are trying to get a handle on how the Citgo Bassmaster Elite 50 could play out on Lake Dardanelle, you won't get any telling clues from the first day of competition.

Michael Iaconelli is leading with five fish totaling 15 pounds, 1 ounce and he doesn't have a clue.

"By the end of the day, I had literally 30 rods on the front deck of the boat," Iaconelli said. "Of the fish I weighed in, I caught them on five different baits."

But it doesn't stop with Iaconelli, who said he covered more than 12 miles of fishing water in the 10 hours of fishing. The rest of the leaders, think they may have figured out a pattern, but they are so vastly different that all you can surmise from their catches is that Dardanelle's bass will fall for just about anything.

Gary Klein is in second with 14 pounds, 11 ounces; all of them caught on a 10-inch plastic worm fished on the flat sides of creek channel swings. Then there's Zell Rowland in third place. Rowland couldn't even catch a limit, although he had the bites to fill out the total. He caught those swimming a jig in grass beds.

Davy Hite is in fourth with 14 pounds even, caught from two spots about 12 miles away from each other, again on a variety of lures. Then there's David Fritts in fifth with 13 pounds 6 ounces and you can probably guess what he's doing. Tommy Biffle is next in sixth place with another easy guess, he's flipping and it only produced four bites for 13 pounds, 4 ounces. And Skeet Reese is in seventh with 13 pounds, 2 ounces, and while all those other guys are concentrating on the lake section of Dardanelle, he's running and gunning way up the Arkansas River to catch his fish.

"I wish I could tell you I was on a load of fish," Iaconelli said. "But I'm not; I really don't have a clue. I'm doing the Woo Daves special right now. I'm junk fishing, hitting every thing that looks good."

It's working for Iaconelli. But it didn't work for a lot of the anglers who reported doing the same thing. Only 15 of the 50 anglers captured a limit, and even those who did said conditions were tough enough they weren't sure they could do it again.

"We are really off on the timing for Lake Dardanelle," said Jimmy Mize, (24th place, 9 pounds) a local favorite on the lake. "It's always tough for me in May on this lake. But right now the bite is off because of several things. There's no current in the river, and the fish are still in a transition period from spawn to post-spawn to their summer pattern.

"Without the flow in the river to position the fish, they're scattered and suspended. It makes it hard to get a pattern going."

The proof of that is in the reports from those anglers in the tournament and the weights, which have been well off the typical Lake Dardanelle standard. That won't change much unless Oklahoma gets unexpected major flash flood overnight to put current in the river. But the weather is expected to help things out on day two.

Area forecasts call for a chance of rain and almost certain cloudy conditions for day two.

"If we get some clouds that will change things totally around," said Larry Nixon (41st place, 4 pounds, 4 ounces).

Nixon, along with several other anglers well off the pace, is crossing his fingers for just that. It's taking a little more than 12 pounds to be in the top 12. Rick Clunn holds that spot with 12-4. And at least 24 pounds is expected to be the weight to get into the semifinal.

With the change in the weather and the hoped for pick-up in bites and weights even Nixon still has a chance.

"20-pound sacks are real possible on this lake," Nixon said. "They are caught here every day of the year. And someone will do it tomorrow."
 

Rank Name         Hometown     Bass Weight Pts. Winnings

1. Michael Iaconelli Runnemede, N.J. 5 15-01 305 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-01
2. Gary Klein Weatherford, Texas 5 14-11 295
Day 1: 5 14-11
3. Zell Rowland Montgomery, Texas 4 14-09 290
Day 1: 4 14-09
4. Davy Hite Prosperity, S.C. 5 14-00 285
Day 1: 5 14-00
5. David Fritts Lexington, N.C. 5 13-06 280
Day 1: 5 13-06
6. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, Okla. 4 13-04 276
Day 1: 4 13-04
7. Skeet Reese Auburn, Calif. 5 13-02 272
Day 1: 5 13-02
8. Kenyon Hill Norman, Okla. 5 12-13 268
Day 1: 5 12-13
9. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, Mich. 5 12-12 264
Day 1: 5 12-12
10. Stacey D King Reeds Spring, Mo. 5 12-08 260
Day 1: 5 12-08
11. Aaron Martens Leeds, Ala. 5 12-07 257
Day 1: 5 12-07
12. Rick Clunn Ava, Mo. 5 12-04 254
Day 1: 5 12-04
13. Alton Jones Waco, Texas 5 12-03 251
Day 1: 5 12-03
14. Dustin Wilks Rocky Mount, N.C. 5 11-05 248
Day 1: 5 11-05
14. Kevin Wirth Crestwood, Ky. 4 11-05 248
Day 1: 4 11-05
16. Chad Morgenthaler Coulterville, Ill. 5 11-02 243
Day 1: 5 11-02
17. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, Ala. 4 11-00 241
Day 1: 4 11-00
18. Dave Wolak Warrior Run, Pa. 4 10-13 239
Day 1: 4 10-13
19. Takahiro Omori Emory, Texas 5 10-09 237
Day 1: 5 10-09
20. Dean Rojas Grand Saline, Texas 2 9-14 235 $1,000.00
Day 1: 2 9-14
21. George Cochran Hot Springs, Ark. 3 9-07 233
Day 1: 3 9-07
22. Guy Eaker Cherryville, N.C. 3 9-06 231
Day 1: 3 9-06
23. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, Mo. 4 9-05 229
Day 1: 4 9-05
24. Jimmy Mize Ben Lomond, Ark. 5 9-00 227
Day 1: 5 9-00
25. Gerald Swindle Hayden, Ala. 3 8-15 225
Day 1: 3 8-15
26. Denny Brauer Camdenton, Mo. 4 8-09 223
Day 1: 4 8-09
27. Terry Scroggins Palatka, Fla. 4 8-07 221
Day 1: 4 8-07
28. Marty Stone Linden, N.C. 3 7-14 219
Day 1: 3 7-14
29. Mike Wurm Hot Springs, Ark. 3 7-09 217
Day 1: 3 7-09
30. Ishama Monroe Hughson, Calif. 3 7-06 215
Day 1: 3 7-06
31. Roland Martin Naples, Fla. 3 7-01 213
Day 1: 3 7-01
32. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, Okla. 3 7-00 211
Day 1: 3 7-00
33. Ron Shuffield Bismarck, Ark. 3 6-00 209
Day 1: 3 6-00
34. Peter E Thliveros Jacksonville, Fla. 3 5-15 207
Day 1: 3 5-15
35. Mark Davis Mount Ida, Ark. 2 5-14 205
Day 1: 2 5-14
36. Shaw E Grigsby, Jr Gainesville, Fla. 3 5-11 203
Day 1: 3 5-11
37. Jay Yelas Tyler, Texas 3 5-07 201
Day 1: 3 5-07
38. David Wharton Sam Rayburn, Texas 2 5-04 199
Day 1: 2 5-04
39. Kelly Jordon Mineola, Texas 2 5-01 197
Day 1: 2 5-01
40. Jim Bitter Fruitland Park, Fla. 2 4-09 195
Day 1: 2 4-09
41. Larry Nixon Bee Branch, Ark. 2 4-04 193
Day 1: 2 4-04
42. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, Kan. 2 4-03 191
Day 1: 2 4-03
43. Jeff Reynolds Platter, Okla. 1 2-10 189
Day 1: 1 2-10
44. Randy Howell Springville, Ala. 1 2-07 187
Day 1: 1 2-07
45. Luke Clausen Spokane Valley, Wash. 1 2-04 185
Day 1: 1 2-04
45. Mike Reynolds Modesto, Calif. 1 2-04 185
Day 1: 1 2-04
47. Mark Tyler Scottsdale, Ariz. 1 1-15 181
Day 1: 1 1-15
48. Bud Pruitt Spring, Texas 1 1-10 179
Day 1: 1 1-10
49. Edwin Evers Mannsville, Okla. 0 0-00 0
Day 1: 0 0-00
49. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, Fla. 0 0-00 0
Day 1: 0 0-00
 

Day 2: Ike Hangs on for Day Two Lead

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RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. --- Things became a little bit clearer on day two of the Citgo Bassmaster Elite 50 tournament if only for a few anglers.

Michael Iaconelli was one of those. If he could keep his first two days’ weight, he might be on the road to a blow out. Iaconelli went "Ike" on the fish of Lake Dardanelle and posted the tournament’s heaviest stringer thus far in the form of five fish totaling 18 pounds, 2 ounces.

"I feel like I really keyed into what was going on today,’’ Iaconelli said.

Which is only sort of ironic, considering Iaconelli had almost two dozen rods laying on his front deck and caught fish on at least seven different lures varying from topwater plugs to jigs and Carolina rigs.

He has an almost five-pound lead on second place Kevin VanDam with 28 pounds, 10 ounces. Gary Klein is third with 28-05, while David Fritts is fourth with 27-15, and Alton Jones rounds out the top five with 27-08.

The remainder of the semifinal 12 are on the order of their finish is: Terry Scroggins with 26-02; Dustin Wilks with 26-02; Aaron Martens with 26-00; Davy Hite with 25-13; Rick Clunn with 24-15; Dean Rojas with 22-04; and Zell Rowland with 20-12.

Iaconelli, who spent the first day "junk fishing" in several spots, settled on two of those from the first day in the Shoal Bay area of the lake.

He concentrated his efforts where Shoal Creek and Mud Creek come together and create a drop.

"It’s near a spawning bay and this is the first place they pull up to once they leave the beds,’’ Iaconelli said.

During the course of the day, the fish would school, while at other times Iaconelli would have to crank or drag a lure over the drop formed by the creeks. His tactics worked well enough to boat the day’s largest bass, a 6 pound, 1 ounce lunker that earned him Purolater Big Bass honors.

Despite Iaconelli’s formidable lead and the feeling that he had the fish of Dardanelle cocked and locked, it won’t matter much Friday. The anglers’ weights are zeroed in the semifinal as they move to a six-hole course in the Illinois Bayou section of the lake.

And for the most part, they’ll have to find a whole set of different clues to figuring out the fish than the ones they’ve been fishing with.

"The thing about Illinois Bayou is, it has a lot of the same type things that these guys have been fishing all week,’’ said Greg Hackney, who made the final here last season. "But it’s not everywhere, plus once you get to those holes that have the type stuff you’ve been concentrating on, you only have an hour.

"If there is one thing that Lake Dardanelle is known for is you have to keep changing constantly. And with a course format it makes it even more imperative that you don’t think you have anything figured out because before you know it your moving to whole set of different circumstances."

That type of situation will certainly shake up the standings in this event. The rest of the lake certainly proved how it could happen on day two. At least four of the leaders dropped out of the top of the standings on day two, lead by Tommy Biffle and Skeet Reese, who followed up round one stringers with one keeper each. Meanwhile, anglers like Scroggins, who were struggling, jumped into the mix with strong catches.

The difference in the two days was obvious in the number of fish caught on day two as compared with day one. Five extra limits were boated, which may not seem like much until you consider it was an increase of 10 percent.

The increased catch was partly due to cloud cover, which was present during most of the tournament day. That same cloud cover could be a factor on day three.

Many of the semifinalists reported catching their fish on topwater lures. And most are hoping that clouds are present enough to give them a better idea on how to key in on the fish in Illinois Bayou.
 

Rank Name  Hometown  Bass Weight Pts. Winnings
1. Michael Iaconelli Runnemede, N.J. 10 33-03 310 $4,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 18-02
2. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, Mich. 10 28-10 295
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 15-14
3. Gary Klein Weatherford, Texas 9 28-05 290
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 4 13-10
4. David Fritts Lexington, N.C. 10 27-15 285
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 14-09
5. Alton Jones Waco, Texas 10 27-08 280
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 15-05
6. Dustin Wilks Rocky Mount, N.C. 10 26-02 276
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 14-13
6. Terry Scroggins Palatka, Fla. 9 26-02 276
Day 1: 4 8-07 Day 2: 5 17-11
8. Aaron Martens Leeds, Ala. 10 26-00 268
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 13-09
9. Davy Hite Prosperity, S.C. 10 25-13 264
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 11-13
10. Rick Clunn Ava, Mo. 10 24-15 260
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 12-11
11. Dean Rojas Grand Saline, Texas 6 22-04 257 $1,000.00
Day 1: 2 9-14 Day 2: 4 12-06
12. Zell Rowland Montgomery, Texas 6 20-12 254
Day 1: 4 14-09 Day 2: 2 6-03
13. Chad Morgenthaler Coulterville, Ill. 9 20-11 251 $5,700.00
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 4 9-09
14. Marty Stone Linden, N.C. 7 20-08 248 $5,600.00
Day 1: 3 7-14 Day 2: 4 12-10
15. Gerald Swindle Hayden, Ala. 7 20-06 245 $5,500.00
Day 1: 3 8-15 Day 2: 4 11-07
16. Stacey D King Reeds Spring, Mo. 7 19-13 243 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 2 7-05
17. Mike Wurm Hot Springs, Ark. 8 18-04 241 $5,500.00
Day 1: 3 7-09 Day 2: 5 10-11
18. Kevin Wirth Crestwood, Ky. 7 18-03 239 $5,500.00
Day 1: 4 11-05 Day 2: 3 6-14
19. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, Okla. 8 17-14 237 $5,500.00
Day 1: 3 7-00 Day 2: 5 10-14
20. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, Kan. 7 17-13 235 $5,400.00
Day 1: 2 4-03 Day 2: 5 13-10
21. Ishama Monroe Hughson, Calif. 7 17-05 233 $5,200.00
Day 1: 3 7-06 Day 2: 4 9-15
22. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, Okla. 5 16-13 231 $5,200.00
Day 1: 4 13-04 Day 2: 1 3-09
23. Mike Reynolds Modesto, Calif. 6 16-12 229 $5,200.00
Day 1: 1 2-04 Day 2: 5 14-08
24. Peter E Thliveros Jacksonville, Fla. 8 16-05 227 $5,200.00
Day 1: 3 5-15 Day 2: 5 10-06
25. Randy Howell Springville, Ala. 6 15-15 225 $5,200.00
Day 1: 1 2-07 Day 2: 5 13-08
26. Takahiro Omori Emory, Texas 7 15-13 223 $5,200.00
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 2 5-04
27. Larry Nixon Bee Branch, Ark. 7 15-08 221 $5,200.00
Day 1: 2 4-04 Day 2: 5 11-04
28. Bud Pruitt Spring, Texas 6 15-07 219 $5,200.00
Day 1: 1 1-10 Day 2: 5 13-13
29. Skeet Reese Auburn, Calif. 6 15-05 217 $5,200.00
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 1 2-03
29. Luke Clausen Spokane Valley, Wash. 6 15-05 217 $5,200.00
Day 1: 1 2-04 Day 2: 5 13-01
31. Jimmy Mize Ben Lomond, Ark. 8 14-15 213 $5,200.00
Day 1: 5 9-00 Day 2: 3 5-15
31. Jeff Reynolds Platter, Okla. 6 14-15 213 $5,200.00
Day 1: 1 2-10 Day 2: 5 12-05
33. Mark Tyler Scottsdale, Ariz. 5 14-13 209 $5,200.00
Day 1: 1 1-15 Day 2: 4 12-14
34. Kenyon Hill Norman, Okla. 6 14-12 207 $5,200.00
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 1 1-15
35. Ron Shuffield Bismarck, Ark. 6 14-09 205 $5,200.00
Day 1: 3 6-00 Day 2: 3 8-09
36. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, Mo. 6 14-03 203 $5,100.00
Day 1: 4 9-05 Day 2: 2 4-14
37. Guy Eaker Cherryville, N.C. 5 14-01 201 $5,100.00
Day 1: 3 9-06 Day 2: 2 4-11
38. David Wharton Sam Rayburn, Texas 5 14-00 199 $5,100.00
Day 1: 2 5-04 Day 2: 3 8-12
39. Roland Martin Naples, Fla. 6 13-06 197 $5,100.00
Day 1: 3 7-01 Day 2: 3 6-05
39. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, Ala. 5 13-06 197 $5,100.00
Day 1: 4 11-00 Day 2: 1 2-06
41. George Cochran Hot Springs, Ark. 5 13-05 193 $5,000.00
Day 1: 3 9-07 Day 2: 2 3-14
42. Kelly Jordon Mineola, Texas 5 13-02 191 $5,000.00
Day 1: 2 5-01 Day 2: 3 8-01
43. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, Fla. 5 12-14 189 $5,000.00
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 5 12-14
44. Jim Bitter Fruitland Park, Fla. 5 12-13 187 $5,000.00
Day 1: 2 4-09 Day 2: 3 8-04
45. Dave Wolak Warrior Run, Pa. 5 12-08 185 $5,000.00
Day 1: 4 10-13 Day 2: 1 1-11
45. Mark Davis Mount Ida, Ark. 4 12-08 185 $5,000.00
Day 1: 2 5-14 Day 2: 2 6-10
47. Shaw E Grigsby, Jr Gainesville, Fla. 6 12-01 181 $5,000.00
Day 1: 3 5-11 Day 2: 3 6-06
48. Denny Brauer Camdenton, Mo. 5 11-05 179 $5,000.00
Day 1: 4 8-09 Day 2: 1 2-12
49. Jay Yelas Tyler, Texas 3 5-07 177 $5,000.00
Day 1: 3 5-07 Day 2: 0 0-00
50. Edwin Evers Mannsville, Okla. 1 2-06 175 $5,000.00
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 1 2-06

Day 3: Hite Leads Big

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RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. --- Davy Hite had such a tough practice for the Citgo Bassmaster Elite 50 tournament on Lake Dardanelle that he only bought a three-day fishing license and is scheduled to fly back home Saturday evening at 5:45 p.m.

He’s not going to make that flight, although there are at least five anglers who are wishing the South Carolina professional would be getting his first in-flight toddy and bag of peanuts about that time.

Hite has not only taken over the lead in the tournament; he’s basically already flying away with it. Hite posted a five-fish stringer of 19 pounds, 1 ounce, giving him an almost 5-pound lead over the closest competition, Rick Clunn with 13 pounds, 5 ounces.

Gary Klein is in third place with 12 pounds, 4 ounces, while Aaron Martens is in fourth with 11 pounds, 8 ounces; Dustin Wilks is in fifth place with 10 pounds, 15 ounces and Michael Iaconelli, who qualified for the semifinal round with a 5-pound lead, is in sixth place with 10 pounds, 5 ounces.

While Hite’s stringer was strong, giving an indication of the potential of the course in Illinois Bayou, for the most part the fishing wasn’t all that stellar. The only anglers to catch a limit were those who made the cut. But the toughness mixed in with one heavy weight has those sitting on the sideline reading the writing on the wall.

"My money has to be on Davy,’’ said Kevin VanDam (10th place, 7 pounds, 6 ounces). "It’s obvious he has something figured out. If you can change your lineup in fantasy fishing, you’d better get him on it quick."

The line-up thing may not be possible, but what’s certain is Hite doesn’t have to do as much work on Saturday.

Hite is exceptionally secretive about what he is doing and where because the hole format of the Elite 50 ensures other anglers will fish the same spots. But what we do know is he caught them on a drop bait, finding a drop that ran from one of the holes to the next and situated near a point.

In about a 30-minute flurry, Hite went from what he referred to as "poop to Nutra-Sweet."

‘They were right where they were supposed to be,’’ Hite said.

And they were obviously the right ones, including the lunker of the day a 5 pound, 1 ounce largemouth. They all bite in the middle part of the day.

Hite, by virtue of being in the lead, will get to pick where he will start the tournament. Instead of starting the day on the honey hole, he decided to stay with the same rotation.

While he’s hoping the fish will still be there during the middle part of the day he’s also worried none of the other anglers will figure out some of the things he did on day three.

"The fish are definitely there for someone to get on the right little stretch and put 20 pounds in the boat real quick,’’ Hite said.

Meaning that Hite will still have to catch them. With Rick Clunn just five pounds back who wouldn’t be worried?

Rank Name   Hometown    Bass Weight Pts. Winnings

1. Davy Hite Prosperity, S.C. 5 19-01 305 $2,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 11-13 Day 3: 5 19-01
2. Rick Clunn Ava, Mo. 5 13-05 295
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 12-11 Day 3: 5 13-05
3. Gary Klein Weatherford, Texas 5 12-04 290
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 4 13-10 Day 3: 5 12-04
4. Aaron Martens Leeds, Ala. 5 11-08 285
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 13-09 Day 3: 5 11-08
5. Dustin Wilks Rocky Mount, N.C. 5 10-15 280
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 14-13 Day 3: 5 10-15
6. Michael Iaconelli Runnemede, N.J. 5 10-05 286 $4,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 18-02 Day 3: 5 10-05
7. David Fritts Lexington, N.C. 4 9-03 272 $7,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 4 9-03
8. Zell Rowland Montgomery, Texas 4 8-12 268 $6,800.00
Day 1: 4 14-09 Day 2: 2 6-03 Day 3: 4 8-12
9. Terry Scroggins Palatka, Fla. 3 7-14 264 $6,600.00
Day 1: 4 8-07 Day 2: 5 17-11 Day 3: 3 7-14
10. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, Mich. 3 7-06 260 $6,400.00
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 15-14 Day 3: 3 7-06
11. Alton Jones Waco, Texas 3 6-01 257 $6,200.00
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 15-05 Day 3: 3 6-01
12. Dean Rojas Grand Saline, Texas 2 4-08 254 $7,000.00
Day 1: 2 9-14 Day 2: 4 12-06 Day 3: 2 4-08

Day 4: Hite Wraps it Up

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RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. --- It was all about the bridges.

Davy Hite won the Citgo Bassmaster Elite 50 on Lake Dardanelle Saturday by concentrating on a series of bridges present over most of the six-hole course in Illinois Bayou.

He posted a 13 pound, 11 ounce stringer that allowed him to walk away with his first win in more than four years with a two-day total 32 pounds, 12 ounces. Michael Iaconelli, who lead the tournament two of the four days, put together a strong comeback in the form of 15 pound, 15 ounce stringer to finish second with 26 pounds, 4 ounces.

Aaron Martens was third (13 pounds, 9 ounces) with 25 pounds, 1 ounce; Rick Clunn was fourth (8 pounds, 2 ounces) with 21 pounds, 7 ounces; Gary Klein was fifth (8 pounds, 8 ounces) with 20-12; and Dustin Wilks rounded out the final six (4 pounds, 13 ounces) with 15-12.

Bridges are kind of a consistent theme revolving around this event for Hite. On Wednesday, Hite turned 40 bridging the gap between young adulthood and middle age. That one is probably a stretch, but we had to get the birthday thing in there.

Hite’s victory is his first since the 2001 Citgo Bassmaster Tour season, when he won back to back events on Lake St. Clair and the Red River on his way to winning the Citgo Angler of the Year title. Those highlights capped a career that up to that point by had been littered with wins and titles. Saturday’s win bridged the yawning gap of a dry spell Hite was beginning to wonder would never end.

And to complete the bridge theme, Hite utilized the sharp drops where bridges crossed the Illinois Bayou and Mill Creek within the course to narrow his search for largemouth in a big area where the bass were in a decided transition period.

"The fish seemed to be constantly moving,’’ Hite said. ‘They were definitely in transition and migrating through those creeks.’’

In a vast bay-like area, finding those creek ledges and drops can be difficult on an angler when he only has 1 hour and 20 minutes per hole to find fish. Bridges, though, are obvious places where the search for moving fish can be made easier.

One bridge in particular, a railroad crossing over Illinois Bayou, showed just how strong that type of pattern can be. On the first day of the course format, Hite caught three lunkers in about a 30-minute span that built him a 19 pound, 1 ounce stringer and sealed his fate as champion of the event.

"If my competitors made one mistake, it was staying with the grass too long,’ Hite said. "All week long we were catching all our fish from the grass. But by the time we got to the course I felt like it couldn’t be won from the grass."

Those feelings were a result of the Illinois Bayou being much clearer than the rest of Lake Dardanelle, and the timing of fish being in the middle of a move from post-spawn to their traditional summer hang outs.

"I decided that I had to concentrate on those transition areas between the grass and those summer time places,’’ Hite said. "Going in, I was most worried about (David) Fritts. That’s his kind of deal."

Fritts, though, had a tough time centering in on the right places with the time frame the anglers faced. On the other hand, Hite’s timing was perfect.

"Those fish that I caught might have only been there a few minutes,’’ he said.

Still his location of being close to creek channel swings where drop offs were obvious proved to be a brilliant plan. Those areas he said had a good gradual grade moving from the grass beds to the creek channel ledge. He used a 5/16ths-ounce green pumpkin jig, tipped with a Berkley Power Frog on day one, and caught the bulk of his stringer on day two on a green pumpkin Berkley Finesse worm on a 1/8-ounce jighead.

During the course of the two days, he caught each of his fish within a cast of bridge.

Rank Name Hometown    Bass Weight Pts. Winnings

1. Davy Hite Prosperity, S.C. 10 32-12 310 $102,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 11-13 Day 3: 5 19-01 Day 4: 5 13-11
2. Michael Iaconelli Runnemede, N.J. 10 26-04 305 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 18-02 Day 3: 5 10-05 Day 4: 5 15-15
3. Aaron Martens Leeds, Ala. 10 25-01 290 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 13-09 Day 3: 5 11-08 Day 4: 5 13-09
4. Rick Clunn Ava, Mo. 9 21-07 285 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 12-11 Day 3: 5 13-05 Day 4: 4 8-02
5. Gary Klein Weatherford, Texas 8 20-12 280 $11,300.00
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 4 13-10 Day 3: 5 12-04 Day 4: 3 8-08
6. Dustin Wilks Rocky Mount, N.C. 7 15-12 276 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 14-13 Day 3: 5 10-15 Day 4: 2 4-13

All articles/photos from FishFactory.com unless otherwise specified.

Compiled by Brandon Shook