DEL RIO, Texas - Sometimes it's just practice. Mike Iaconelli of Runnemede, N.J., was able to shake off what he said was a terrible practice and catch the biggest fish he has ever boated in competition, a 12-pound, 13-ounce behemoth, on his way to the top position Thursday with a 27-pound, 9-ounce total at the 2009 Bassmaster Elite Series bass fishing tournament on Lake Amistad.
Battling cold and windy conditions, the field of 100 anglers eventually figured out spacious Amistad on Day One as eight anglers weighed more than 20 pounds. Iaconelli carried the day, however, by capitalizing on some opportune bites. Behind Iaconelli was two-time Angler of the Year Gary Klein of Weatherford, Texas, with 25 pounds, 4 ounces.
"I was so excited when I hooked up with that fish," Iaconelli said of the 12-13. "It was a long fight, about six or seven minutes, and I could feel my heart beating through my chest. I was so exhausted when I finally got it in the boat, I actually threw up. It was absolutely crazy. We fish our whole lives just to catch a fish like that. I will treasure this memory."
Iaconelli, who revealed no details of his productive pattern, has accumulated plenty of positive memories on Amistad. He has finished in the top 20 in each of the three Elite Series events on the big-bass factory, highlighted by a second-place showing in 2007. Furthermore, Iaconelli caught the biggest fish of his life on Amistad, a 14-1 brute.
He also has momentum on his side this week as the 2003 Classic champion has been on a roll of late. In his last three BASS events he has scored top-five finishes, including a near miss at the 2009 Classic in February, when he was bested by Skeet Reese by less than 1 pound.
"My mind-set coming in was just to make a check and accumulate some Angler of the Year points," said Iaconelli, 36. "Sometimes, you can throw everything out the window and just follow your gut. I did that today and fished the moment. What a day!"
Like Iaconelli, Klein targeted bigger bites and found a groove Thursday. The 51-year-old was moving around quite a bit, focusing on post-spawn fish in deep water and using a jig.
With a wealth of experience on Amistad, Klein stayed away from his most productive spots in practice, opting to visit them the first day of the tournament. That decision paid off and Klein was able to find the right bites with little boat traffic.
For a moment, Klein thought his day was going to be special. He hooked up with what he thought was a heavyweight bass and was convinced early in the fight that he had a monster. But the veteran soon realized it was a catfish he had on the end of the line. He said the momentary lapse in judgment was his only letdown of the day.
"I know this lake pretty well and I just decided to fish my strength," Klein said. "I'm not catching a lot of fish but I feel that the fish I am targeting will be there regardless of the conditions."
Rounding out the top five were 2008 Classic champion Alton Jones, in third with 24-0; Matt Reed of Madisonville, Texas, in fourth with 23-2; and John Murray of Phoenix, in fifth with 22-1.
Past Elite Series champions on Amistad finished Day One with mixed results Thursday, with 2008 winner Todd Faircloth in 21st; 2007 winner Derek Remitz was 81st and 2006 champion Ish Monroe in 34th.
Four-time Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam was 11th while the reigning Classic champ Reese was 12th.
Daily launches through Sunday will be at 7:40 a.m. CT at Diablo East Marina, Hwy 90 West, Del Rio. Daily weigh-ins begin at 4 p.m. at the marina.
Other activities Saturday and Sunday at the Battle on the Border, including the Central Texas Barbeque Scholarship Battle On The Border Cook Off and the Chili Appreciation Society International Cook Off, will begin at 1 p.m. CT at Diablo East Marina. Fans are invited to join the "Ask the Experts" session with the Elite pros during Bassmaster University, set for Saturday, March 14, at 3 p.m.
All events at the Battle on the Border are free and open to the public.
DAY 1- STANDINGS
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Michael Iaconelli Runnemede, NJ 5 27-09 305
Day 1: 5 27-09
2. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 5 25-04 295
Day 1: 5 25-04
3. Alton Jones Waco, TX 5 24-00 290
Day 1: 5 24-00
4. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 5 23-02 285
Day 1: 5 23-02
5. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 5 22-01 280
Day 1: 5 22-01
6. Boyd Duckett Demopolis, AL 5 21-10 276
Day 1: 5 21-10
7. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 5 21-06 272
Day 1: 5 21-06
8. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 5 21-02 268
Day 1: 5 21-02
9. Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 5 20-04 264
Day 1: 5 20-04
10. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 5 19-10 260
Day 1: 5 19-10
11. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 19-09 257
Day 1: 5 19-09
12. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 5 18-14 254
Day 1: 5 18-14
13. Kelly Jordon Mineola, TX 5 18-11 251
Day 1: 5 18-11
14. Mike Wurm Hot Springs, AR 5 18-06 248
Day 1: 5 18-06
15. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 5 18-05 245
Day 1: 5 18-05
16. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 5 17-15 243
Day 1: 5 17-15
17. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 5 17-12 241
Day 1: 5 17-12
18. Jami Fralick Martin, SD 5 17-10 239
Day 1: 5 17-10
19. Ken D Cook Lawton, OK 5 17-07 237
Day 1: 5 17-07
20. Timmy Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 5 17-06 235
Day 1: 5 17-06
21. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 5 17-00 233
Day 1: 5 17-00
22. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 5 16-12 231
Day 1: 5 16-12
23. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 5 16-04 229
Day 1: 5 16-04
24. Stephen Browning Hot Springs National Pa 5 15-15 227
Day 1: 5 15-15
25. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 5 15-12 225
Day 1: 5 15-12
26. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 5 15-11 223
Day 1: 5 15-11
26. Morizo Shimizu Osaka JAPAN 5 15-11 223
Day 1: 5 15-11
28. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 15-09 219
Day 1: 5 15-09
29. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 5 15-08 217
Day 1: 5 15-08
30. Byron Velvick Del Rio, TX 4 15-08 215
Day 1: 4 15-08
31. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 5 15-04 213
Day 1: 5 15-04
32. Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 5 15-00 211
Day 1: 5 15-00
33. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 5 14-08 209
Day 1: 5 14-08
34. Pat Golden High Point, NC 5 14-06 207
Day 1: 5 14-06
34. Jeff Reynolds Idabel, OK 5 14-06 207
Day 1: 5 14-06
36. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 14-05 203
Day 1: 5 14-05
37. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 5 14-04 201
Day 1: 5 14-04
38. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 14-03 199
Day 1: 5 14-03
39. Jason Quinn York, SC 5 14-02 197
Day 1: 5 14-02
39. Matthew Sphar Pavilion, NY 5 14-02 197
Day 1: 5 14-02
41. Randy Howell Springville, AL 5 14-01 193
Day 1: 5 14-01
42. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 5 13-15 191
Day 1: 5 13-15
43. Chris Lane Lakeland, FL 5 13-14 189
Day 1: 5 13-14
43. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 5 13-14 189
Day 1: 5 13-14
45. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 5 13-13 185
Day 1: 5 13-13
46. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 13-09 183
Day 1: 5 13-09
47. Dustin Wilks Rocky Mount, NC 5 13-06 181
Day 1: 5 13-06
48. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 5 13-05 179
Day 1: 5 13-05
49. Vince Fulks Purcell, OK 5 13-03 177
Day 1: 5 13-03
50. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 5 13-01 175
Day 1: 5 13-01
51. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 5 13-00 173
Day 1: 5 13-00
52. Clark Reehm Russellville, AR 5 12-15 171
Day 1: 5 12-15
52. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 5 12-15 171
Day 1: 5 12-15
54. Denny Brauer Camdenton, MO 3 12-13 167
Day 1: 3 12-13
55. Jeremy Starks Charleston, WV 5 12-12 165
Day 1: 5 12-12
56. Mark Tucker Saint Louis, MO 5 12-10 163
Day 1: 5 12-10
57. Chad Griffin Cresson, TX 5 12-09 161
Day 1: 5 12-09
58. Matt Herren Trussville, AL 5 12-06 159
Day 1: 5 12-06
58. Jimmy Mize Ben Lomond, AR 5 12-06 159
Day 1: 5 12-06
60. Marty Stone Fayetteville, NC 5 12-05 155
Day 1: 5 12-05
61. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 5 12-00 153
Day 1: 5 12-00
62. Luke Gritter Kalamazoo, MI 5 11-15 151
Day 1: 5 11-15
63. Shaw E Grigsby Gainesville, FL 5 11-13 149
Day 1: 5 11-13
63. Bill Lowen North Bend, OH 5 11-13 149
Day 1: 5 11-13
63. Elton Luce Jr. Brookeland, TX 5 11-13 149
Day 1: 5 11-13
66. Jon Bondy Windsor CANADA 5 11-12 143
Day 1: 5 11-12
66. Kevin Langill Terrell, NC 5 11-12 143
Day 1: 5 11-12
68. Zell Rowland Montgomery, TX 5 11-10 139
Day 1: 5 11-10
68. Kevin Wirth Crestwood, KY 5 11-10 139
Day 1: 5 11-10
70. Terry Butcher Talala, OK 5 11-09 135
Day 1: 5 11-09
71. Dave Wolak Wake Forest, NC 5 11-06 133
Day 1: 5 11-06
72. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 5 11-04 131
Day 1: 5 11-04
73. Rick Morris Virginia Beach, VA 5 11-02 129
Day 1: 5 11-02
74. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 5 11-01 127
Day 1: 5 11-01
75. David Smith Del City, OK 5 11-00 125
Day 1: 5 11-00
76. Jeff Connella Bentley, LA 5 10-14 123
Day 1: 5 10-14
77. Wade Grooms Bonneau, SC 5 10-13 121
Day 1: 5 10-13
78. Mark Burgess Norton, MA 5 10-09 119
Day 1: 5 10-09
78. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 10-09 119
Day 1: 5 10-09
80. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 5 10-05 115
Day 1: 5 10-05
81. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 5 10-04 113
Day 1: 5 10-04
82. Brian Clark Haltom City, TX 4 10-03 111
Day 1: 4 10-03
83. Pete Ponds Madison, MS 5 10-02 109
Day 1: 5 10-02
84. Brent Broderick Oregonia, OH 5 10-01 107
Day 1: 5 10-01
85. Grant Goldbeck Gaithersburg, MD 5 09-14 105
Day 1: 5 09-14
85. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 5 09-14 105
Day 1: 5 09-14
87. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 5 09-13 101
Day 1: 5 09-13
88. Jim Murray Arabi, GA 5 09-12 99
Day 1: 5 09-12
88. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 09-12 99
Day 1: 5 09-12
90. Bradley Hallman Norman, OK 5 09-11 95
Day 1: 5 09-11
91. John Crews Salem, VA 5 09-10 93
Day 1: 5 09-10
92. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 5 09-09 91
Day 1: 5 09-09
93. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 4 08-14 89
Day 1: 4 08-14
94. Scott Campbell Springfield, MO 5 08-10 87
Day 1: 5 08-10
95. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 5 08-08 85
Day 1: 5 08-08
96. Peter E Thliveros St Augustine, FL 5 08-04 83
Day 1: 5 08-04
97. Billy Mccaghren Mayflower, AR 3 07-08 81
Day 1: 3 07-08
98. Mark Tyler Vian, OK 3 07-07 79
Day 1: 3 07-07
99. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 3 06-15 77
Day 1: 3 06-15
100. Guy Eaker Cherryville, NC 4 06-04 76
Day 1: 4 06-04
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BIG BASS
Day
1 Michael Iaconelli Runnemede, NJ 12-13 $0.00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 92 488 1382-06
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92 488 1382-06