The Full Story

Bassmaster Classic: Lake Toho, FL

February 24-26, 2006

Preview | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

Preview: Classic Pros Find Plenty To Talk About During Practice

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KISSIMMEE, Fla. — While the casts didn’t count on Wednesday, they were plenty important to the 51 contenders in the 36th annual CITGO Bassmaster Classic because they gave the anglers a good indication of what to expect when the competition kicks off Friday.

What the Classic pros found during Wednesday’s lone practice round in the race for the $500,000 top prize and most important title in fishing has them eagerly anticipating Friday’s opening bell.

But first, the Classic pros will attend Media Day on Thursday, answering the questions of more than 200 accredited media members from around the world. Judging by Wednesday’s practice, the contenders will have plenty to talk about.

The pros reported seeing a bevy of big females up shallow and accessible on spawning flats in Lake Tohopekaliga and the rest of the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. “I think at least the first day, the fishing’s going to be awesome,” reported Preston Clark, one of two Floridians in the Classic field. “Everybody’s doing the same thing — just standing on the trolling motor and looking at them.

“I’ve got two spots holding more than 20 pounds. I should be able to throw an anchor out and be able to catch 20 pounds — if no one else finds them, you know. They’re all 4- and 5-pounders. I saw one a little while ago that was about 9 pounds.”

Defending Classic champion Kevin VanDam– who’s the top ranked Elite angler on the Bassmaster Elite Series Power Index – is excited about what he discovered Wednesday.

“I had a great practice day,” he said. “It’s not so much what I caught, but what I learned today. I saw a lot of fish. There’s a lot of them that moved up to spawn, no doubt. It should be a slugfest.”

Dean Rojas, who enjoyed a record-breaking performance on Lake Toho in January 2001, might have been the most animated angler of the day.

“It was a very entertaining day,” said Rojas, who caught a record 45-pound, 2-ounce, five-bass limit on the opening day of a 2001 BASS tournament. “The bass are everywhere, but it’s hard to find a big one. You can go in an area and cast in any direction and catch a bass.

“If the weather doesn’t change, the fish are going to keep coming in,” he said. ”They’re in full swing right now. Everybody’s going to catch them; it’s just going to be a matter of who catches the bigger bag.”

Two-time Classic winner George Cochran said he didn’t see any bass on beds. But, then again, he wasn’t looking for them. Sight-fishing isn’t the veteran Arkansas pro’s style. “I’m just fishing the way I like to fish, fishing shallow weeds and covering a lot of water,” he said.

“I probably caught 15 fish. I probably caught 14 or 15 pounds, and then I took (the lure) away from a lot more of them. I think it’s going to be a pretty good tournament if the wind doesn’t blow really hard.”

California’s Mike Reynolds also chose to flip in heavy cover instead of seek out visible bass. “It was pretty tough for me,” he said. “I had four bites and shook off a good one. I did a lot of looking around. The water temperature is up about 10 degrees from last week, so I think the fishing’s going to be pretty good.”

 

Day 1: Records in Jeopardy at Toho Classic

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KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Records fell on Day 1 of the 36th annual CITGO Bassmaster Classic Friday as Lake Tohopekaliga lived up to the high expectations of trophy bass and big catches.

The top four finishers broke the existing Bassmaster Classic record for the heaviest five-fish catch — 21 pounds, 8 ounces — set by Paul Elias on Lake Logan Martin in 1993. Friday’s Classic leader Luke Clausen of Washington brought in 29 pounds, 6 ounces, Florida’s Preston Clark had 29-1, Edwin Evers of Oklahoma weighed in 23-10 and Kentucky’s Kevin Wirth had 22-5.

Clark, one of two Floridians in the Classic, also broke a record that had existed for 30 years. Ricky Green set the big-bass standard in the 1976 Classic on Lake Guntersville with an 8-pound, 9-ounce largemouth. But Clark’s Purolator Big Bass on Friday weighed an impressive 11 pounds, 10 ounces.

The exception to Friday’s numerous success stories occurred right after the weigh-in at the Orange County Convention Center, when 2003 Bassmaster Classic champion Michael Iaconelli had his day’s catch disqualified for conduct that violated BASS rules, specifically a clause outlining unsportsmanlike conduct. “He violated our sportsmanship rule,” BASS tournament director Trip Weldon said. “He destroyed some safety equipment and he also used profane language in front of a lot of spectators.”

Iaconelli said he was upset because of what he thought was a livewell malfunction that had killed one of his fish, which he discovered around 11 a.m. Tournament officials later determined the livewell was functioning properly. “I disagree with the decision that was made today,” he said of the disqualification that cost him a catch of 11-9. “I’m trying to figure out if I have any recourse for appealing the decision.”

Weldon said he would discuss the issue with Iaconelli on Saturday.

Still, the story of the day was big bass — and lots of them.

Anglers brought in seven limits weighing more than 20 pounds. In addition to the four leaders, the others belonged to Missouri’s Rick Clunn (20-12), Davy Hite of South Carolina (20-9) and Oklahoma’s Jeff Kriet (20-3). Also, four 9-pound-plus bass were weighed in, including Clunn’s 10-10 largemouth.

The lead in the race for the $500,000 top prize belongs to Clausen, 27, competing in his third Classic. “Everything went right for me today,” he said. “Everywhere I went I caught fish.”

Unlike other Bassmaster Classic contenders, Clausen did not fish for visible bedding bass — a technique complicated by Friday’s windy and overcast conditions. Instead, he targeted isolated clumps of vegetation in deeper water with two soft-plastic lures from Mann’s HardNose line.

Clark, 41, had a 9-pounder to go with his giant catch. Those big bass were caught sightfishing in shallow water with a Zoom Big Critter Claw with a 3/16-ounce Penetrator weight.

“The only time I got nervous was when I threw that biggest fish in the boat and realized this was the Bassmaster Classic and I already had those two big fish in the boat,” Clark said. “I didn’t think I was going to catch that big of a stringer today. No one starts out thinking they’re going to catch a 30-pound stringer in the Bassmaster Classic.”

Day 2 action begins Saturday with the 6:40 a.m. ET launch at Big Toho Marina at Lakefront Park in Kissimmee.

 

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Luke Clausen Spokane Valley, Wash. 5 29-06 300
Day 1: 5 29-06
2. Preston Clark Palatka, Fla. 5 29-01 295 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 29-01
3. Edwin Evers Talala, Okla. 5 23-10 290
Day 1: 5 23-10
4. Kevin Wirth Crestwood, Ky. 5 22-05 285
Day 1: 5 22-05
5. Rick Clunn Ava, Mo. 5 20-12 280
Day 1: 5 20-12
6. Davy Hite Ninety Six, S.C. 5 20-09 276
Day 1: 5 20-09
7. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, Okla. 5 20-03 272
Day 1: 5 20-03
8. Larry Nixon Bee Branch, Ark. 5 19-08 268
Day 1: 5 19-08
9. Ishama Monroe Hughson, Calif. 5 19-02 264
Day 1: 5 19-02
10. Ron Shuffield Bismarck, Ark. 5 18-15 260
Day 1: 5 18-15
11. Greg Hackney Gonzales, La. 5 18-09 257
Day 1: 5 18-09
12. Rick Morris Lanexa, Va. 5 18-07 254
Day 1: 5 18-07
13. Scott Rook Little Rock, Ark. 5 17-02 251
Day 1: 5 17-02
14. Mark Menendez Paducah, Ky. 5 17-00 246
Day 1: 5 17-00
14. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu, Ariz. 5 17-00 246
Day 1: 5 17-00
16. Jeff Coble Manson, N.C. 5 16-15 243
Day 1: 5 16-15
17. Mark Tucker Saint Louis, Mo. 5 16-12 241
Day 1: 5 16-12
18. Marty Stone Linden, N.C. 5 16-10 239
Day 1: 5 16-10
19. Skeet Reese Auburn, Calif. 5 15-08 237
Day 1: 5 15-08
20. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, Okla. 5 15-05 235
Day 1: 5 15-05
21. George Cochran Hot Springs, Ark. 5 15-01 232
Day 1: 5 15-01
21. Aaron Martens Leeds, Calif. 5 15-01 232
Day 1: 5 15-01
23. Chad Morgenthaler Coulterville, Ill. 5 14-08 229
Day 1: 5 14-08
24. Andre Moore Alabaster, Ala. 5 14-06 227
Day 1: 5 14-06
25. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, Mich. 5 14-02 225
Day 1: 5 14-02
26. Joe Conway Colorado Springs, Colo 5 14-01 223
Day 1: 5 14-01
27. Bob Soley Trenton, N.J. 5 13-15 221
Day 1: 5 13-15
28. Jay Yelas Tyler, Texas 5 13-03 219
Day 1: 5 13-03
29. Jeff Reynolds Idabel, Okla. 5 12-10 217
Day 1: 5 12-10
30. John Crews Salem, Va. 5 12-03 213
Day 1: 5 12-03
30. Randy Howell Springville, Ala. 5 12-03 213
Day 1: 5 12-03
30. Jimmy Mize Ben Lomond, Ark. 5 12-03 213
Day 1: 5 12-03
33. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, Mo. 5 11-15 209
Day 1: 5 11-15
34. Greg Gutierrez Red Bluff, Calif. 5 11-13 207
Day 1: 5 11-13
35. James Kennedy Lacombe, La. 5 11-03 203
Day 1: 5 11-03
36. Mike Reynolds Modesto, Calif. 5 10-15 201
Day 1: 5 10-15
37. Terry Scroggins Palatka, Fla. 5 10-14 199
Day 1: 5 10-14
38. Jimmy Johnson La Crosse, Wisc. 5 10-03 197
Day 1: 5 10-03
49. Gary Klein Weatherford, Texas 5 9-15 195
Day 1: 5 9-15
40. Chad Brauer Osage Beach, Mo. 5 9-12 193
Day 1: 5 9-12
41. David Walker Sevierville, Tenn. 5 9-11 191
Day 1: 5 9-11
42. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, Ark. 5 9-07 189
Day 1: 5 9-07
43. Dave Wolak Warrior Run, Pa. 5 9-05 187
Day 1: 5 9-05
44. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, Ala. 5 8-14 185
Day 1: 5 8-14
45. Zell Rowland Montgomery, Texas 5 8-10 182
Day 1: 5 8-10
45. Gerald Swindle Hayden, Ala. 5 8-10 182
Day 1: 5 8-10
47. Anre' De Villiers Goodwood, South Africa 5 7-09 179
Day 1: 5 7-09
48. Mike Wurm Hot Springs, Ark. 5 7-04 177
Day 1: 5 7-04
49. Stacey D King Reeds Spring, Mo. 5 5-12 175
Day 1: 5 5-12
50. Joel St. Germain Cumberland, R.I. 2 4-09 173
Day 1: 2 4-09
51. Michael Iaconelli Runnemede, N.J. 5 11-09 205
Day 1: 0 0-0

Day 2: Clausen Maintains Lead in Classic

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KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Despite catching just half his Friday total, Luke Clausen of Washington state increased his leading margin in the 36th annual CITGO Bassmaster Classic on Lake Tohopekaliga on Saturday.

Clausen weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 14 pounds, 15 ounces, far short of his 29-6 opening volley, but enough to hang onto the lead. Entering Sunday’s final round, the 27-year-old has a 4-pound, 6-ounce lead over Arkansas’ Ron Shuffield (39-15). The only two Florida anglers in the Bassmaster Classic, Terry Scroggins and Preston Clark, are in third and fourth, with 39-4 and 39-3, respectively. Virginia’s Rick Morris rounds out the top five with 37-5.

As expected, the catches were lighter in the second round of the world-championship event, which pays $500,000 to the winner and a total purse of $1.2 million. Weather was mostly to blame, as overcast skies replaced sunshine on Saturday, but also because many of the available spawning bass were already brought to the scales Friday, according to anglers.

“I was pretty disappointed today,” said Clausen, who is competing in his third Bassmaster Classic. “I spent all of my time in the area where I caught my fish Friday because I thought it had more fish.

“Tomorrow, I’ll probably fish there in the morning and then go fish new water and just see what happens.”

Clausen said he is fishing a Mann’s HardNose plastic worm to lily pads in Lake Kissimmee.

Meanwhile, Shuffield, Scroggins and Morris all benefited from impressive comebacks in the second round, which boosted them into the top five.

In his 15th Classic appearance, Shuffield was in 10th place entering the second round with 18-15. He then caught the day’s second-largest limit — 21 pounds — to leap into second place.

“I’m going to win this Classic if I get five bites tomorrow,” Shuffield, a seven-time BASS winner said confidently. “I’m kind of keeping my techniques wide open and keeping an open mind. I only had eight bites today and two of them were close to 9 pounds. But I only weighed in one, which was 8-8.” Shuffield said he lost the other.

Shuffield’s big catch fell victim to topwater plugs and flipping/pitching soft plastics.

Though Scroggins was favored to win entering the tournament, he struggled in the opening round. His first-day weight of 10-14 mired him in 37th place, but set the stage for a dramatic comeback Saturday when he brought in 28-6 and climbed into third, putting himself in contention for the most important title in fishing.

“I backed off and started fishing deeper and casting to the fish,” he said. “That’s what I should have been doing (Friday).

“If the weather gets worse tomorrow and the bites get a little tougher, I’m going to be tough to beat. I’m hoping I can take advantage of my experience that the other guys don’t have.”
 

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$


1. Luke Clausen Spokane Valley, Wash. 10 44-05 0

Day 1: 5 29-06 Day 2: 5 14-15

2. Ron Shuffield Bismarck, Ark. 10 39-15 0

Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 21-00

3. Terry Scroggins Palatka, Fla. 10 39-04 0 $1,000.00

Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 28-06

4. Preston Clark Palatka, Fla. 10 39-03 0 $1,000.00

Day 1: 5 29-01 Day 2: 5 10-02

5. Rick Morris Lanexa, Va. 10 37-05 0

Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 18-14

6. Kevin Wirth Crestwood, Ky. 10 35-09 0

Day 1: 5 22-05 Day 2: 5 13-04

7. Edwin Evers Talala, Okla. 10 35-03 0

Day 1: 5 23-10 Day 2: 5 11-09

8. George Cochran Hot Springs, Ark. 10 31-12 0

Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 16-11

9. Jeff Coble Manson, N.C. 10 31-09 0

Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 14-10

10. Skeet Reese Auburn, Calif. 10 30-06 0

Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 14-14

11. Larry Nixon Bee Branch, Ark. 10 29-07 0

Day 1: 5 19-08 Day 2: 5 9-15

12. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, Mich. 10 29-01 0

Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 14-15

13. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, Okla. 10 28-08 0

Day 1: 5 20-03 Day 2: 5 8-05

14. Davy Hite Ninety Six, S.C. 10 28-05 0

Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 7-12

14. Jay Yelas Tyler, Texas 10 28-05 0

Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 15-02

16. Jimmy Johnson La Crosse, Wisc. 10 28-00 0

Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 17-13

17. Mark Tucker Saint Louis, Mo. 10 27-05 0

Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 10-09

18. Rick Clunn Ava, Mo. 8 27-01 0

Day 1: 5 20-12 Day 2: 3 6-05

19. Gerald Swindle Hayden, Ala. 10 27-00 0

Day 1: 5 8-10 Day 2: 5 18-06

20. Scott Rook Little Rock, Ark. 10 26-07 0

Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 9-05

20. Aaron Martens Leeds, Calif. 10 26-07 0

Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 11-06

22. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu, Ariz. 10 26-05 0

Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 9-05

23. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, Okla. 10 26-03 0

Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 10-14

23. Ishama Monroe Hughson, Calif. 9 26-03 0

Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 4 7-01

23. Greg Hackney Gonzales, La. 9 26-03 0

Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 4 7-10

26. Marty Stone Linden, N.C. 10 24-11 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 8-01

27. Andre Moore Alabaster, Ala. 9 24-06 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 4 10-00

28. Chad Brauer Osage Beach, Mo. 10 24-04 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 9-12 Day 2: 5 14-08

29. Mike Reynolds Modesto, Calif. 10 24-03 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 13-04

30. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, Mo. 10 24-01 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 12-02

31. Chad Morgenthaler Coulterville, Ill. 10 23-05 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 5 8-13

32. Randy Howell Springville, Ala. 10 22-15 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 10-12

33. John Crews Salem, Va. 10 22-08 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 10-05

33. Mark Menendez Paducah, Ky. 8 22-08 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 3 5-08

35. Jeff Reynolds Idabel, Okla. 10 22-03 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 9-09

36. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, Ala. 10 21-14 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 8-14 Day 2: 5 13-00

37. Jimmy Mize Ben Lomond, Ark. 10 21-08 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 9-05

38. Bob Soley Trenton, N.J. 10 21-07 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 7-08

39. Gary Klein Weatherford, Texas 10 21-05 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 9-15 Day 2: 5 11-06

40. Mike Wurm Hot Springs, Ark. 10 21-00 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 7-04 Day 2: 5 13-12

41. Greg Gutierrez Red Bluff, Calif. 9 20-08 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 4 8-11

42. James Kennedy Lacombe, La. 10 19-13 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 8-10

43. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, Ark. 10 19-09 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 9-07 Day 2: 5 10-02

44. David Walker Sevierville, Tenn. 10 19-03 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 9-11 Day 2: 5 9-08

45. Joe Conway Colorado Springs, Colo 8 19-02 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 3 5-01

46. Zell Rowland Montgomery, Texas 10 18-15 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 8-10 Day 2: 5 10-05

46. Joel St. Germain Cumberland, R.I. 7 18-15 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 2 4-09 Day 2: 5 14-06

48. Stacey D King Reeds Spring, Mo. 10 16-01 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 5-12 Day 2: 5 10-05

48. Dave Wolak Warrior Run, Pa. 10 16-01 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 9-05 Day 2: 5 6-12

50. Anre' De Villiers Goodwood, South Africa 10 15-11 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 5 7-09 Day 2: 5 8-02

51. Michael Iaconelli Runnemede, N.J. 5 8-13 0 $10,000.00

Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 5 8-13

 

Day 3: Clausen Finishes off Wire-to-Wire Classic Win

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KISSIMMEE, Fla. — On a day when weather wreaked havoc on his closest pursuers, Luke Clausen of Washington state put the finishing touches on a rare wire-to-wire victory Sunday in the 36th annual CITGO Bassmaster Classic on Lake Tohopekaliga.

Fishing fans who couldn’t watch the win in person saw it on ESPN beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET.

A cold, steady rain and relentless 20 mph winds shuffled the leaderboard in the final round, but Clausen managed to catch a third consecutive limit. His catch of 11 pounds, 13 ounces, gave him a total of 56-2. That was enough to hold off hard-charging CITGO Bassmaster Elite Series angler Rick Morris of Virginia, who had a total of 51 pounds, and Ron Shuffield of Arkansas, who had 47-14.

Clausen became just the seventh angler to post a wire-to-wire win in Bassmaster Classic history. He also set the record for heaviest winning Classic weight, which formerly was 55-10 and held by Davy Hite. A capacity crowd of 10,019 at the Orange County Convention Center watched Clausen receive the most important trophy in professional fishing.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” said the 27-year-old, who was the youngest Bassmaster Classic competitor in this year’s tournament and won $500,000 with the Classic title. “It’s like you’re in the middle of a dream. It’s surreal.”

Clausen’s biggest career achievement centered around fishing isolated vegetation in 3 to 4 feet of water in the southeastern corner of Lake Kissimmee. He said he fished a 6-inch, junebug-colored Mann’s HardNose worm along the lake bottom.

“I probably had the strongest area of the lake and I understood it better than the other guys,” Clausen said. “That was why I won.”

Meanwhile, Morris, 44, made a charge from fifth place into the runner-up position with a final-round catch of 13-11. His success came on a Chatterbait and War Eagle spinnerbait. Unlike the other Bassmaster Classic contenders, he concentrated his efforts in the Kissimmee River.

“It would have been nice to have had the Classic as my first (BASS) win,” said Morris, who has fished BASS for 14 years. Morris qualified for the Bassmaster Classic by finishing second in the CITGO Bassmaster Open Championship in December 2005. “I seem to be second quite a bit. I guess you have to finish second before you can be first,” he said.

Shuffield, 50, made a gallant run in his 15th Classic appearance, but dropped from second to third with a final-round total of 7-15. The same lures and area in Lake Kissimmee that produced his 21-pound limit on Saturday weren’t much of a match for Sunday’s drastic weather conditions. He only weighed in three bass and reported missing 10 other strikes.

“It just wasn’t my day,” Shuffield said. “I always said that when it’s your time to win a tournament, you can’t help but win.”

Tournament favorite Terry Scroggins, 37 years old and one of two Floridians in the field, fought his way into a nail-biting fourth-place finish. The angler’s intimate knowledge of the tournament waters allowed him to sandwich two solid performances (10-14 and 7-11) around a second-round charge of 28-6 to finish with 46-15. He fished on Lake Kissimmee with a prototype Zoom crawfish imitation around deeper pads and hydrilla.

“I lost this tournament on the first day,” he said. “Nothing I did that day seemed to work out.”

Defending Classic champion Kevin VanDam capped off a remarkable comeback after opening in 25th place. He rebounded with limits of 14-15 and 15-7 to finish in fifth place with 44-8. Last year, VanDam won the Bassmaster Classic in Pittsburgh with the a record-low winning Classic weight of 12-15.

Clausen took Sunday’s Purolator Big Bass award with a 5-13 largemouth.

Total attendance enjoying the weigh-in for the three-day event was 21,742. In total, more than 62,000 fishing fans attended some facet of the 2006 Bassmaster Classic.



Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$



1. Luke Clausen Spokane Valley, Wash. 15 56-02 0 $501,000.00

Day 1: 5 29-06 Day 2: 5 14-15 Day 3: 5 11-13

2. Rick Morris Lanexa, Va. 15 51-00 0 $45,000.00

Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 18-14 Day 3: 5 13-11

3. Ron Shuffield Bismarck, Ark. 13 47-14 0 $40,000.00

Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 21-00 Day 3: 3 7-15

4. Terry Scroggins Palatka, Fla. 15 46-15 0 $31,000.00

Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 28-06 Day 3: 5 7-11

5. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, Mich. 15 44-08 0 $25,000.00

Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 14-15 Day 3: 5 15-07

6. Preston Clark Palatka, Fla. 11 44-04 0 $25,000.00

Day 1: 5 29-01 Day 2: 5 10-02 Day 3: 1 5-01

7. George Cochran Hot Springs, Ark. 15 43-10 0 $21,500.00

Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 16-11 Day 3: 5 11-14

8. Kevin Wirth Crestwood, Ky. 15 42-00 0 $21,000.00

Day 1: 5 22-05 Day 2: 5 13-04 Day 3: 5 6-07

9. Jimmy Johnson La Crosse, Wisc. 15 41-14 0 $20,500.00

Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 17-13 Day 3: 5 13-14

10. Larry Nixon Bee Branch, Ark. 15 39-13 0 $20,000.00

Day 1: 5 19-08 Day 2: 5 9-15 Day 3: 5 10-06

11. Edwin Evers Talala, Okla. 14 38-15 0 $15,000.00

Day 1: 5 23-10 Day 2: 5 11-09 Day 3: 4 3-12

12. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu, Ariz. 15 38-00 0 $14,500.00

Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 9-05 Day 3: 5 11-11

13. Jeff Coble Manson, N.C. 15 36-15 0 $14,250.00

Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 14-10 Day 3: 5 5-06

14. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, Okla. 14 36-12 0 $14,000.00

Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 10-14 Day 3: 4 10-09

15. Ishama Monroe Hughson, Calif. 14 36-10 0 $13,750.00

Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 4 7-01 Day 3: 5 10-07

16. Davy Hite Ninety Six, S.C. 15 36-06 0 $13,000.00

Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 7-12 Day 3: 5 8-01

17. Aaron Martens Leeds, Calif. 15 34-13 0 $12,900.00

Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 11-06 Day 3: 5 8-06

18. Mark Tucker Saint Louis, Mo. 15 34-12 0 $12,800.00

Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 10-09 Day 3: 5 7-07

19. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, Okla. 14 34-00 0 $12,650.00

Day 1: 5 20-03 Day 2: 5 8-05 Day 3: 4 5-08

19. Greg Hackney Gonzales, La. 14 34-00 0 $12,650.00

Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 4 7-10 Day 3: 5 7-13

21. Rick Clunn Ava, Mo. 12 33-00 0 $12,400.00

Day 1: 5 20-12 Day 2: 3 6-05 Day 3: 4 5-15

22. Scott Rook Little Rock, Ark. 15 32-15 0 $12,250.00

Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 9-05 Day 3: 5 6-08

22. Jay Yelas Tyler, Texas 13 32-15 0 $12,250.00

Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 15-02 Day 3: 3 4-10

24. Skeet Reese Auburn, Calif. 10 30-06 0 $12,100.00

Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 14-14 Day 3: 0 0-00

25. Gerald Swindle Hayden, Ala. 10 27-00 0 $12,000.00

Day 1: 5 8-10 Day 2: 5 18-06 Day 3: 0 0-00
 

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Compiled by Brandon Shook