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Versatile Velvick Maintains Lead at Bassmaster Elite Series Event on Clear Lake

Category: press release

 Mar 19th, 2010 by OutdoorsFIRST 

Modified Mar 19th, 2010 at 12:00 AM

Just as Clear Lake is starting to warm up, so is Byron Velvick.  Velvick, a West Coast transplant who now resides in Del Rio, Texas, wasn’t able to land a monster bass, like Thursday, but the two-time BASS winner managed 22 pounds Friday, building his two-day total to 51 pounds.  Randy Howell of Springville, Ala., upgraded his total to 46-10, enough to keep Velvick honest heading into the weekend.

Bryron Velvick talks about his Day Two success. (Photo courtesy of BASS)

Velvick has considerable big-fish chops – he established the BASS three-day tournament record here with 83 pounds, 5 ounces, — and is tapping into his extensive knowledge of Clear Lake.  Still, Elite events are all about learning and adapting and Velvick says he has been able to accrue new knowledge of the fishery each day. And things are setting up to be a slugfest.

“It’s going to be like an Easter egg hunt on Sunday,” said Velvick of the fish being susceptible to sight fishing.  “It is just going to be sick.”

Bassmaster.com will cover the 2010 Golden State Shootout with daily analysis, photo galleries, standings and a real-time leaderboard. ESPN360.com will offer live, streaming video. ESPN2 will recap the competition on The Bassmasters at 9 a.m. ET, Sunday, April 4, and again at 11 a.m. ET, Saturday, April 17.

Velvick has been mining areas that have produced for him in the past.  In fact, one – his primary – was the area that yielded the three-day record.  This week, he hasn’t pigeonholed himself into one technique.  Instead, he is changing up his lure presentation between three choices.

Some of his strategy has involved protecting his areas from other anglers – both locals and pros.  And with the lake turning on and pleasant conditions in store, the lake could be a madhouse over the weekend.

But Velvick has a sound contingency plan.  He has formulated something that he can go to and feel confident in scrounging a solid limit if necessary.

“I’ve learned a lot over the past two days,” said Velvick, 45.  “I have a little something figured out where I know what I can do no matter what happens.”

The two-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier said he missed a couple of key bites Friday but Velvick was able to consistently land bites – he totaled 15 to 18 — throughout the day.

While Velvick has been running and gunning, Howell has sat on one spot the entire tournament.  The area is comprised of spawning flats and the fish are coming in waves.  The early bite has proved stout – Howell landed a limit in 15 minutes – but it gives way to a sporadic bite later in the day.

Howell has been fearful of vacating his area, allowing other competitors to work it and like Velvick, has been playing defense.  He has been switching up between two baits, a 10-inch cut tail worm and a football jig.  Those produced 14 bites, which included an 8-pounder that ended up coming off at the boat.

Randy Howell has hunkered down on one main spawning area in which he’s guarded closely. (Photo courtesy of BASS)

“This is the first time in a long time that I feel like I have an area with the potential to win,” said Howell, 36.  “I have a lot of confidence and I plan to either win it or lose it on that area.”

The nine-time Classic qualifier is no stranger to fast starts.  Countless times in 2009 Elite competitions, Howell started off strong but faltered a bit in the end.  Still, he was able to compile a bundle of top-20 finishes and qualified for the inaugural Bassmaster Elite Series Postseason.

Strangely enough, Howell and Velvick were neck-and-neck last week at the Elite season-opener on the California Delta.  But they were fighting it out for 82nd with Velvick edging out Howell, who finished 83rd.  Both are looking for redemption here and to put themselves back in the top half of the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings.

In third was Bill Lowen of North Bend, Ohio with 45 pounds, 7 ounces.  In fourth was Guy Eaker of Cherryville, N.C., with 44-4.  Eaker and Lowen are sharing an area that continues to produce but the question remains if the area can withstand the heavy assault both anglers are applying to it.

On the opposite end of the experience spectrum from the 70-year-old Eaker is 19-year-old Bradley Roy of Lancaster, Ky.  Roy is right behind Eaker in the standings though with 41-9, enough to settle into fifth place.

Local favorite Jared Lintner of Arroyo Grande slipped from second to sixth.  He still remains within striking distance at 41-2.  Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., made the move of the tournament up 37 places from Thursday to seventh.

He was buoyed by the second double-digit bass Clear Lake has yielded this week.  Lane boated an 11-pound, 1-ounce, behemoth Friday – tops for the tournament thus far – on his 10th cast of the morning.  The brute fell for a 9-inch Osprey swimbait.

Prohibitive favorite Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., was 11th with 39-0.  Five-time Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam fell to 59th and missed the Saturday cut.  VanDam’s struggles are surprising but with the schedule setting up well for himself, the 2010 Classic champion is still certain to be a factor in the AOY race this year. 

Other notables in the cutline were 2007 Bassmaster Classic champion Boyd Duckett (13th), 2006 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Michael Iaconelli (20th) and Elite rookie Matt Greenblatt of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (22nd).  Only the top 47 advanced to Saturday’s competition.  The top 12 will move on to Sunday and fish for the $100,000 top prize.

Clear Lake is the largest natural lake to lie entirely within California. In sharp contrast to the sprawling, shallow Delta system – where last week’s Elite event was held —  Clear Lake is 19 miles long, measures eight miles wide at its widest point, and has an average depth of 27 feet.

Fans are invited to the daily launches and weigh-ins at Library Park, located at 3rd and 5th streets in Lakeport. Boats launch at 7 a.m. PT; weigh-ins will begin at 3:30 p.m. PT.

All events are free and open to the public.

Bassmaster Elite Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Skeeter and Yamaha.

Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Lowrance and Triton Boats

About BASS

For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing.  The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and its expansive tournament structure while championing efforts to connect directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.

 

As the flagship offering of ESPN Outdoors, the Bassmaster brand and its considerable multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer; comprehensive Web properties in Bassmaster.com, BASSInsider.com, ESPNOutdoors.com and ESPN360.com, and ESPN2 television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.

 

BASS oversees the prestigious Bassmaster Tournament Trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, BASS Federation Nation and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.

 

BASS offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

 

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DAY 2 GOLDEN STATE SHOOTOUT STANDINGS

 

2010 Lakeport, CA 3/18-3/21

Clear Lake, Lakeport  CA.

(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2

 

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

 

1.  Byron Velvick          Del Rio, TX             10  51-00  310

  Day 1: 5   29-00     Day 2: 5   22-00 

2.  Randy Howell           Springville, AL         10  46-10  295

  Day 1: 5   23-03     Day 2: 5   23-07 

3.  Bill Lowen             North Bend, OH          10  45-07  290

  Day 1: 5   22-14     Day 2: 5   22-09  

4.  Guy Eaker              Cherryville, NC         10  44-04  285

  Day 1: 5   21-14     Day 2: 5   22-06 

5.  Bradley Roy            Lancaster, KY           10  41-09  280

  Day 1: 5   19-08     Day 2: 5   22-01 

6.  Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA       10  41-02  276

  Day 1: 5   23-04     Day 2: 5   17-14 

7.  Bobby Lane             Lakeland, FL            10  41-00  272

  Day 1: 5   16-03     Day 2: 5   24-13 

8.  Matt Herren            Trussville, AL          10  40-03  268

  Day 1: 5   21-13     Day 2: 5   18-06 

9.  Terry Butcher          Talala, OK              10  40-00  264

  Day 1: 5   18-03     Day 2: 5   21-13 

10. Grant Goldbeck         Gaithersburg, MD        10  39-07  260

  Day 1: 5   19-02     Day 2: 5   20-05 

11. Skeet Reese            Auburn, CA              10  39-00  257

  Day 1: 5   20-04     Day 2: 5   18-12 

12. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            10  38-14  254

  Day 1: 5   16-09     Day 2: 5   22-05 

13. Boyd Duckett           Demopolis, AL           10  38-12  251

  Day 1: 5   17-14     Day 2: 5   20-14 

14. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO        10  38-09  248

  Day 1: 5   17-06     Day 2: 5   21-03 

15. Clark Reehm            Russellville, AR        10  38-06  245

  Day 1: 5   17-11     Day 2: 5   20-11 

16. Tommy Biffle           Wagoner, OK             10  38-05  243

  Day 1: 5   16-08     Day 2: 5   21-13 

17. Jeff Kriet             Ardmore, OK             10  38-04  241

  Day 1: 5   21-04     Day 2: 5   17-00 

18. Pat Golden             High Point, NC          10  37-13  239

  Day 1: 5   19-07     Day 2: 5   18-06 

19. Morizo Shimizu         Osaka JAPAN             10  37-08  237

  Day 1: 5   18-03     Day 2: 5   19-05 

20. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ         10  37-06  235

  Day 1: 5   18-01     Day 2: 5   19-05 

21. Kotaro Kiriyama        Moody, AL               10  36-12  233

  Day 1: 5   19-00     Day 2: 5   17-12 

22. Matt Greenblatt        Palm Beach Gardens, FL  10  36-09  231

  Day 1: 5   19-13     Day 2: 5   16-12 

23. Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira, KS        10  36-09  229

  Day 1: 5   19-09     Day 2: 5   17-00 

24. Dean Rojas             Lake Havasu City, AZ    10  36-06  227

  Day 1: 5   19-00     Day 2: 5   17-06 

25. Cliff Crochet          Pierre Part, LA         10  36-00  225

  Day 1: 5   16-14     Day 2: 5   19-02 

26. Kelly Jordon           Mineola, TX             10  35-15  223

  Day 1: 5   21-08     Day 2: 5   14-07 

27. Edwin Evers            Talala, OK              10  35-15  221

  Day 1: 5   18-01     Day 2: 5   17-14 

28. Denny Brauer           Camdenton, MO           10  35-12  219

  Day 1: 5   21-09     Day 2: 5   14-03 

29. Gary Klein             Weatherford, TX         10  35-10  217

  Day 1: 5   19-10     Day 2: 5   16-00 

30. Greg Vinson            Wetumpka, AL             8  35-08  215

  Day 1: 3   13-01     Day 2: 5   22-07 

31. Kevin Wirth            Crestwood, KY           10  35-02  213

  Day 1: 5   14-05     Day 2: 5   20-13 

32. Casey Ashley           Donalds, SC             10  35-00  211

  Day 1: 5   15-02     Day 2: 5   19-14 

33. Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX              10  34-11  209

  Day 1: 5   16-08     Day 2: 5   18-03 

34. Derek Remitz           Grant, AL               10  34-10  207

  Day 1: 5   16-00     Day 2: 5   18-10 

35. James Niggemeyer       Van, TX                 10  34-08  205

  Day 1: 5   17-01     Day 2: 5   17-07 

36. Cliff Pace             Petal, MS               10  34-07  203

  Day 1: 5   17-13     Day 2: 5   16-10 

37. Billy McCaghren        Mayflower, AR           10  34-02  201

  Day 1: 5   16-02     Day 2: 5   18-00 

38. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL         10  34-01  199

  Day 1: 5   18-02     Day 2: 5   15-15 

39. Aaron Martens          Leeds, AL               10  34-00  197

  Day 1: 5   18-15     Day 2: 5   15-01 

40. Takahiro Omori         Emory, TX               10  33-14  195

  Day 1: 5   15-03     Day 2: 5   18-11 

41. Dave Wolak             Wake Forest, NC         10  33-13  193

  Day 1: 5   15-08     Day 2: 5   18-05 

42. Mike McClelland        Bella Vista, AR         10  33-11  191

  Day 1: 5   19-09     Day 2: 5   14-02 

43. Keith Poche            Troy, AL                10  33-10  189

  Day 1: 5   17-04     Day 2: 5   16-06 

44. Jami Fralick           Martin, SD               9  33-06  187

  Day 1: 5   18-01     Day 2: 4   15-05 

45. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY             10  33-03  185

  Day 1: 5   15-03     Day 2: 5   18-00 

46. Marty Stone            Fayetteville, NC         8  33-00  183

  Day 1: 3   12-01     Day 2: 5   20-15 

47. Shaw E Grigsby         Gainesville, FL         10  32-12  181

  Day 1: 5   15-02     Day 2: 5   17-10 

48. Mark Davis             Mount Ida, AR           10  32-10  179

  Day 1: 5   18-02     Day 2: 5   14-08 

49. Bradley Hallman        Norman, OK              10  32-05  177

  Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 5   15-08 

50. Mark Tyler             Vian, OK                10  32-05  175

  Day 1: 5   15-11     Day 2: 5   16-10 

51. Gerald Swindle         Warrior, AL             10  32-04  173

  Day 1: 5   15-05     Day 2: 5   16-15 

52. Scott Rook             Little Rock, AR          9  31-13  171

  Day 1: 4   13-00     Day 2: 5   18-13 

53. David Smith            Del City, OK            10  31-10  169

  Day 1: 5   16-12     Day 2: 5   14-14 

54. Davy Hite              Ninety Six, SC          10  31-06  167

  Day 1: 5   16-01     Day 2: 5   15-05 

55. Terry Scroggins        San Mateo, FL           10  31-05  165

  Day 1: 5   19-03     Day 2: 5   12-02 

56. Matt Reed              Madisonville, TX        10  31-04  163

  Day 1: 5   14-01     Day 2: 5   17-03 

57. Zell Rowland           Austin, TX              10  31-03  161

  Day 1: 5   16-04     Day 2: 5   14-15 

58. Peter E Thliveros      St Augustine, FL        10  31-01  159

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

59. Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI           10  31-00  157

  Day 1: 5   15-06     Day 2: 5   15-10 

60. Russ Lane              Prattville, AL          10  30-14  155

  Day 1: 5   14-13     Day 2: 5   16-01 

61. Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR         10  30-11  153

  Day 1: 5   12-09     Day 2: 5   18-02 

62. Mark Tucker            Saint Louis, MO         10  30-11  151

  Day 1: 5   14-12     Day 2: 5   15-15 

63. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               8  30-07  149

  Day 1: 3   13-01     Day 2: 5   17-06 

64. Jason Williamson       Aiken, SC               10  30-02  147

  Day 1: 5   14-13     Day 2: 5   15-05 

65. Alton Jones            Waco, TX                10  30-01  145

  Day 1: 5   12-13     Day 2: 5   17-04 

66. Vince Fulks            Purcell, OK              9  29-15  143

  Day 1: 5   15-03     Day 2: 4   14-12 

67. Timmy Horton           Muscle Shoals, AL        9  29-05  141

  Day 1: 5   16-05     Day 2: 4   13-00 

68. Jason Quinn            Lake Wylie, SC          10  28-07  139

  Day 1: 5   14-11     Day 2: 5   13-12 

69. Dennis Tietje          Roanoke, LA             10  28-03  137

  Day 1: 5   14-07     Day 2: 5   13-12 

70. Fred Roumbanis         Bixby, OK                9  27-14  135

  Day 1: 4   11-10     Day 2: 5   16-04 

71. Charlie Hartley        Grove City, OH           8  27-06  133

  Day 1: 5   16-02     Day 2: 3   11-04 

72. John Crews             Salem, VA                9  26-07  131

  Day 1: 4   12-02     Day 2: 5   14-05 

73. Kenyon Hill            Norman, OK               8  26-01  129

  Day 1: 3   07-15     Day 2: 5   18-02 

74. Scott Ashmore          Broken Arrow, OK         9  25-13  127

  Day 1: 5   14-04     Day 2: 4   11-09 

75. Ish Monroe             Hughson, CA              8  25-13  125

  Day 1: 3   08-04     Day 2: 5   17-09 

76. Rick Morris            Virginia Beach, VA       8  24-12  123

  Day 1: 5   14-11     Day 2: 3   10-01 

77. Mark Burgess           Norton, MA               9  24-04  121

  Day 1: 4   11-10     Day 2: 5   12-10 

78. Yusuke Miyazaki        Forney, TX               7  24-03  119

  Day 1: 2   05-15     Day 2: 5   18-04 

79. Jeff Connella          Bentley, LA              7  24-00  117

  Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 2   07-03 

80. Marty Robinson         Lyman, SC                8  23-05  115

  Day 1: 5   14-13     Day 2: 3   08-08 

81. John Murray            Phoenix, AZ              7  23-03  113

  Day 1: 4   11-10     Day 2: 3   11-09 

82. Paul Elias             Laurel, MS               7  22-13  111

  Day 1: 2   07-06     Day 2: 5   15-07 

83. Chad Griffin           Cresson, TX              8  21-14  109

  Day 1: 5   13-01     Day 2: 3   08-13 

84. Jeremy Starks          Charleston, WV           6  21-08  107

  Day 1: 1   03-07     Day 2: 5   18-01 

85. Dustin Wilks           Rocky Mount, NC          8  20-15  105

  Day 1: 3   08-04     Day 2: 5   12-11 

86. J Todd Tucker          Moultrie, GA             7  20-14  103

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

87. Wade Grooms            Bonneau, SC              7  19-03  101

  Day 1: 3   07-11     Day 2: 4   11-08 

88. Chris Lane             Guntersville, AL         6  19-03   99

  Day 1: 2   05-02     Day 2: 4   14-01 

89. Pete Ponds             Madison, MS              3  11-05   97

  Day 1: 2   07-15     Day 2: 1   03-06 

90. Byron Haseotes         Centerville, MA          4  10-12   95

  Day 1: 2   05-15     Day 2: 2   04-13 

91. Britt Myers            Lake Wylie, SC           4  10-04   93

  Day 1: 3   08-06     Day 2: 1   01-14 

92. Kevin Short            Mayflower, AR            2  07-12   91

  Day 1: 1   03-02     Day 2: 1   04-10 

93. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  2  05-10   89

  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 2   05-10 

———————————————————————–

Totals

Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight

 1        72       416      1429-12

 2        75       425      1496-09

———————————-

         147       841      2926-05

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