HUDDLESTON, Va. - The good news for Jason Williamson: The Wagener, S.C., pro was able to hold off a bevy of hard-charging competitors and cling to a slim lead at the Blue Ridge Brawl bass fishing tournament. The bad news: Red-hot Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., tapped into Smith Mountain Lake Friday for another 17-plus pound day, which was enough to move into second, just 5 ounces off Williamson's 36-11 pace.
Save for a debacle at the 2010 Classic, Reese has been on fire. He missed out on victory at the first tournament of the Elite season on the California Delta by one ounce, finishing second. At the next event on Clear Lake, he posted a top-five finish. Add in another stellar finish this week and Reese will hold a commanding lead in the 2010 Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings, which he labeled as his "ultimate goal".
On the other end of the spectrum is Williamson, who struggled on the California swing, finishing in 64th and 87th. But things can change quickly in a hurry on the Elite Series and Williamson, 29, has put himself in prime position to score his second Elite Series victory.
"It's just really a grind out there," said Williamson. "My primary area is getting thin and the bigger bass are getting harder to come by. I'm just fortunate I cashed in on opportunities Thursday."
Again focusing on bed fish in a protected creek, Williamson wasn't able to duplicate his Thursday success. But he scrounged up enough weight, 14-2, to justify a repeat visit to the area Saturday.
A few elements attributed to the drop in weight for Williamson, he said. One, the pollen was dense in his area Friday and made sight fishing more difficult. Additionally, the onslaught of multiple contenders in the creek made for slim pickings.
The bass that he targeted were a bit deeper - in four to five feet of water. Williamson said the key to finding the bigger bass was identifying the warmer water. To that end, Williamson strictly focused on a pocket that warmed up to 64 degrees. Other pockets within his area registered a cool 58 degrees and Williamson said, to no surprise, that the bigger bass were relating to the warmer water.
Saturday could shake things up considerably. The forecast calls for windy, cloudy conditions and Williamson, and the majority of the field, might be scrambling to put together a plan B.
"If it gets cloudy and windy, then I will have to tie on a swimbait," said Williamson. "But my area is protected so the wind shouldn't bother me much. We'll just have to see what it's like tomorrow (Saturday)."
Buoyed by a 5-pounder boated in the last five minutes, the 2007 Bassmaster Angler of the Year Reese brought 18-13 to the scales, Friday's second-heaviest limit. In a similar refrain to the rest of the field, he called his day "a grind".
Throughout the tournament, Reese, the 2009 Bassmaster Classic champion, has played a game of addition and subtraction, continuing to eliminate unproductive water while identifying new areas that he will visit over the weekend. While he hasn't had a difficult time finding spawning bass, it has been exceedingly difficult to get them to bite.
But Reese is in a comfort zone on Smith Mountain and his past performance here, a fourth in 2007 and a ninth in 2009, certainly indicates that. Though thousands of miles from his California residence, Reese says Smith Mountain reminds him of his home fishery, Clear Lake. Reese grew up fishing docks on Clear, a dominant feature here. But despite all the good vibes this week, Reese didn't have a picture-perfect day.
"What I weighed in today doesn't represent how my day went and how I fished," said Reese, who totaled 36-6 over two days. "I should have had more than 20 pounds and I really struggled to get the big bites in the boat."
Sticking to third was shallow-water specialist Terry Scroggins of Palatka, Fla., with 35-2. Right behind Scroggins in fourth was Marty Robinson of Lyman, S.C., with 35-1. Slipping from third to fifth was Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., with 35-0.
Local favorite John Crews of Salem, Va., made the biggest move of the day, jumping from a tie for 68th to 12th with the biggest limit of the day of 19 pounds, 2 ounces.
Other notables safely in the cutline, and fishing Saturday, were 2008 Bassmaster Classic champion Alton Jones (13th), Jason Quinn of York, S.C. (16th) and Elite rookie Byron Haseotes (26th).
The top 47 all moved on to fish Saturday. Only the top 12 will qualify for the final day of competition on Saturday. Full standings can be found below.
Smith Mountain Lake out of Huddleston, Va., is the 2010 Elite Series' third stop. Pros are competing for a $100,000 first-place prize. They also will be after points to qualify for the Bassmaster Elite Series Postseason in July, when the $200,000 Bassmaster Angler of the Year contest will play out in Alabama. Points also count towards elusive berths in the 2011 Bassmaster Classic.
All spectator activities are free and open to the public, including the launches and weigh-ins at Parkway Marina, 16918 Smith Mountain Lake Parkway, Huddleston, VA 24104. Takeoff is set for 6:30 a.m. ET; weigh-ins will begin at 3:30 p.m. ET.
2010 Moneta, VA 4/15-4/18 Smith Mountain Lake, Moneta VA. (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 10 36-11 310 Day 1: 5 22-09 Day 2: 5 14-02 2. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 10 36-06 295 Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 18-13 3. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 10 35-02 290 Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 15-05 4. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 10 35-01 285 Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 15-15 5. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 10 35-00 280 Day 1: 5 21-07 Day 2: 5 13-09 6. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 10 33-14 276 Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 15-08 7. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 10 33-14 272 Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 5 16-11 8. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 10 32-10 268 Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 17-02 9. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 10 31-12 264 Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 16-15 10. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 10 31-09 260 Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 15-02 11. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 10 31-08 257 Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 15-03 12. John Crews Salem, VA 10 31-07 254 Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 19-02 13. Alton Jones Waco, TX 10 30-14 251 Day 1: 5 15-14 Day 2: 5 15-00 14. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 10 30-03 248 Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 11-10 15. Mark Tucker Saint Louis, MO 10 30-03 245 Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 14-02 16. Jason Quinn Lake Wylie, SC 10 29-15 243 Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 11-04 17. Terry Butcher Talala, OK 10 29-15 241 Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 14-04 18. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 29-10 239 Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 13-13 19. Guy Eaker Cherryville, NC 10 29-09 237 Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 5 11-08 20. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 10 29-09 235 Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 13-01 21. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 10 29-07 233 Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 11-13 22. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 10 29-03 231 Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 12-02 23. Mark Tyler Vian, OK 10 29-03 229 Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 13-00 24. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 10 28-15 227 Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 14-03 25. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 10 28-14 225 Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 12-15 26. Byron Haseotes Centerville, MA 10 28-06 223 Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 15-02 27. Dave Wolak Wake Forest, NC 10 28-05 221 Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 15-08 28. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 10 28-03 219 Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 15-12 29. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 10 28-03 217 Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 14-10 30. Keith Poche Troy, AL 10 28-01 215 Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 12-14 31. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 10 27-15 213 Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 11-06 32. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 10 27-15 211 Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 12-06 33. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 10 27-15 209 Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 13-05 34. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 10 27-15 207 Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 13-08 35. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 10 27-11 205 Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 5 11-00 36. Kelly Jordon Mineola, TX 10 27-05 203 Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 12-06 37. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 10 27-05 201 Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 12-11 38. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 10 27-03 199 Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 5 12-05 39. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 10 27-00 197 Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 12-06 40. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 10 26-15 195 Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 13-03 41. Clark Reehm Russellville, AR 10 26-12 193 Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 16-01 42. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 10 26-11 191 Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 12-04 43. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 10 26-09 189 Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 11-13 44. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 26-06 187 Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 11-12 45. Billy McCaghren Mayflower, AR 10 26-05 185 Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 12-14 46. Byron Velvick Del Rio, TX 10 26-04 183 Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 11-09 47. Morizo Shimizu Osaka JAPAN 10 26-04 181 Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 13-06 48. Zell Rowland Austin, TX 10 26-00 179 Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 14-02 49. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 10 25-13 177 Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 13-05 50. Marty Stone Fayetteville, NC 10 25-13 175 Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 12-09 51. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 10 25-12 173 Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 11-02 52. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 10 25-11 171 Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 12-02 53. Vince Fulks Purcell, OK 10 25-11 169 Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 12-08 54. Randy Howell Springville, AL 10 25-10 167 Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 12-11 55. Jeff Connella Bentley, LA 10 25-06 165 Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 13-13 56. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 10 25-05 163 Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 10-08 57. Matt Herren Trussville, AL 10 25-04 161 Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 10-07 58. Pat Golden High Point, NC 10 25-04 159 Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 13-05 59. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 10 25-02 157 Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 12-11 60. Jeremy Starks Charleston, WV 10 25-00 155 Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 11-10 61. Bradley Hallman Norman, OK 10 24-15 153 Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 11-08 62. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 10 24-15 151 Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 5 12-04 63. Peter E Thliveros St Augustine, FL 10 24-13 149 Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 14-15 64. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 10 24-12 147 Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 12-07 65. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 10 24-09 145 Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 13-05 66. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 10 24-08 143 Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 13-09 67. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 10 24-05 141 Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 10-10 68. Dustin Wilks Rocky Mount, NC 10 24-04 139 Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 11-05 69. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 10 24-03 137 Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 11-13 70. Timmy Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 10 24-01 135 Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 09-00 71. Wade Grooms Bonneau, SC 10 23-14 133 Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 10-09 72. Pete Ponds Madison, MS 10 23-12 131 Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 5 13-08 73. Boyd Duckett Demopolis, AL 10 23-10 129 Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 5 13-13 74. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 10 23-10 127 Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 11-00 75. Dennis Tietje Roanoke, LA 10 23-08 125 Day 1: 5 08-06 Day 2: 5 15-02 76. Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 10 23-02 123 Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 11-03 77. Kevin Wirth Crestwood, KY 10 22-15 121 Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 12-02 78. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 9 22-11 119 Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 4 12-01 79. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 10 22-07 117 Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 08-14 80. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 10 22-05 115 Day 1: 5 09-00 Day 2: 5 13-05 81. Chad Griffin Cresson, TX 9 22-04 113 Day 1: 4 08-15 Day 2: 5 13-05 82. Shaw E Grigsby Gainesville, FL 10 22-02 111 Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 11-04 83. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 7 21-05 109 Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 2 05-12 84. Denny Brauer Camdenton, MO 9 19-09 107 Day 1: 4 08-12 Day 2: 5 10-13 85. Bill Lowen North Bend, OH 9 19-05 105 Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 4 06-05 86. Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 8 18-11 103 Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 3 06-14 87. Rick Morris Virginia Beach, VA 8 18-08 101 Day 1: 3 09-10 Day 2: 5 08-14 88. Matt Greenblatt Palm Beach Gardens, FL 8 17-13 99 Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 3 04-12 89. Mark Burgess Norton, MA 7 17-10 97 Day 1: 2 01-09 Day 2: 5 16-01 90. Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 8 15-05 95 Day 1: 5 08-11 Day 2: 3 06-10 91. Jami Fralick Martin, SD 6 13-05 93 Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 3 06-11 92. David Smith Del City, OK 7 12-12 91 Day 1: 2 04-11 Day 2: 5 08-01 93. Grant Goldbeck Gaithersburg, MD 3 06-14 89 Day 1: 1 03-06 Day 2: 2 03-08 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 86 449 1264-00 2 85 449 1162-03 ---------------------------------- 171 898 2426-03