The Smart Shopper: Kansas’ Brent Chapman Gets Two-For-One Results in Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament on Toledo Bend
OutdoorHub 06.09.12
Talk about a dynamite two-for-one deal: Brent Chapman’s Friday performance in the Toledo Bend Battle yielded five lunker bass that pushed him into first place in the event standings, while also pushing him toward recapturing first place in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race.
“They were all off one spot, within about one cast of each other,” he said of the five that weighed in at 25 pounds, 8 ounces. “These fish are feeding first thing in the morning, and I was there for that.”
The pro from Lake Quivira, Kan., had his Friday weight secure in his livewell by 8 a.m. Combined with a first day of 18-1, Friday’s catch gave him a two-day total of 43-9 in the Bassmaster Elite Series’ fifth event of the season. Chapman overtook first-day leader Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss., who fell to third with 39-12.
“It’s an amazing spot, and I just hope it holds up,” said Chapman, who tapped into the 50-by-50 sweet spot the first day without as much success — 11th place with 18-1 — but got more out of it Friday.
“Hopefully, it will continue to produce,” he said. “It seems to be replenishing itself, and the bigger ones moved up today.”
Chapman leads the Top 50 who qualified to advance to the Battle’s semi-finals. After Saturday’s round, the field will cut to the Top 12 for Sunday’s finals. The Elite pros will compete for a first prize of $100,000 and a 2013 Bassmaster Classic berth.
About 1 1/2 pounds behind Chapman on Friday was Matt Herren of Trussville, Ala. Herren’s daily weights have been even — 20-0 on Day 1 and 22-0 on Day 2 for a 42-0 total — but both days on the water have been anything but even for him.
Five cranking rods blew off his deck Thursday, and he was reduced to using one with a broken tip. He repaired it, and it served as his only cranking rod for the day. Still, he hauled in more than 100 fish Thursday. For Friday he borrowed one rod, bought another and put the mended stick back in service.
Again he tapped into huge schools of bass. He got all his big bites within a few hours of starting time.
“Yesterday I caught quite a few cranking and a few on a football jig, but today I had to make a few adjustments,” he said. “The school is still there, and I’m trying to take it easy on it, trying to pace it so, come the last day, I can really stand on it.”
His largest of the day was about 6 pounds, he said. “They’re all solid, chunky fish there,” he said. “But today I might have killed it, I don’t know.”
First-day leader Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss., dropped to third with 39-12.
“I got fortunate and caught a big one (Friday), or I might have had about 12 pounds,” Pace said.
Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., maintained at fourth place with 39-3. He said he has a productive spot with a bite that seems to be dependent on wind direction.
“It’s a fine line when you play with the wind,” he said.
In fifth was Ott DeFoe of Knoxville, Tenn., with 38-2. Marty Robinson of Lyman, S.C., brought in 21-12 Friday to jump into sixth place, up from 23rd.
Besides the Toledo Bend Battle trophy, Elite pros are competing for Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points, which are good toward post-season and Bassmaster Classic qualifications, as well as the AOY title.
Going into the Toledo Bend event, Randy Howell of Springville, Ala., led the points standings, most closely followed by David Walker, Chapman, Brandon Card and DeFoe. Besides Chapman, DeFoe is helping himself on Toledo Bend, inching closer to the top.
