The Texas pro, who celebrated his 33rd birthday on Lake Wylie Saturday, holds BASS records for single-day weight (45 pounds, 2 ounces on Lake Tohopekaliga) and total weight for a four-day tournament (108-12).
On Saturday, his five-bass limit weighing 10-12 propelled him from third into first place with a two-day total of 26-4.
That put Rojas 10 ounces ahead of first-round leader Takahiro Omori (25-10). Local favorite and Lake Wylie guide Jason Quinn moved up from seventh to third (24-1) Saturday, followed by California's Aaron Martens (23-12) and Marty Stone of North Carolina (23-2).
But the day belonged to Rojas, who spent the entire eight hours casting within sight of Omori.
"Takahiro and I pass by each other at times during the day. It's a pretty good-sized area, but he's in sight of me pretty much the whole day. Today we had a little confrontation, where our boats came together and his entourage (of spectator boats) and my entourage kind of combined into one."
"I think we had about 150 boats all together," Rojas said. "I respect Takahiro as an angler and he's a friend. We're just going to work together, I imagine, and each fish what we need to fish.
"We're both on the fish to win. It could be the death of us or it could turn out to be the greatest thing that ever happened."
"Me and Dean are pretty much fishing the same area, so whoever gets the best bites (Sunday) will win," said Omori, who has won three BASS events since coming to America in 1992. "Today, I went to three different baits to catch five keepers."
Quinn, 32, is such a local favorite that he was followed all around Lake Wylie by as many as 60 spectator boats. Still, the three-time Classic contender managed to catch five largemouth weighing 10-13.
"I'm doing real well," he said. "I think my chances are pretty good. I've got some places that I haven't fished, yet, that I've been kind of trying to save. So I'll be swinging for the fences tomorrow."
Defending Classic champion Michael Iaconelli, who was in second place after Day 1 of the Lake Wylie event, saw his hopes of becoming just the second angler to win consecutive world championships all but disappear Saturday when he was disqualified for fishing in an off-limits area.
BASS tournament director Trip Weldon said the New Jersey pro didn't earn any weight for the one bass (weighing 1-6) in his livewell.
"At the tournament briefing on Tuesday night, we handed the briefing sheet to the anglers and it says the bass live-release area will be announced at the tournament briefing," he said. "I announced that it was from the far side of the boat ramp over to the riprap where it meets the lake under the bridge. Behind the no-wake buoy.
"Mike called me today around 12:30 or so and asked me exactly where the off-limits was. I said, "Mike, if you're looking at T Bones (Restaurant) and go over to the riprap out where it meets the lake, from there past the boat ramp behind the no-wake buoys is off-limits."
"I found out later that he went inside there and fished the docks, including the dock that goes parallel to the walkway to T Bones Restaurant, clearly behind the no-wake buoys and I disqualified his catch for the day," Weldon said. "He did it after the phone call. Evidently he misunderstood me, but I think I was clear both in the briefing and also our phone conversation. Mike's a great champion. I hate it, but that's the way it goes."
"Bottom line is I made a mistake," said Iaconelli, who is in 22nd place. "I wouldn't intentionally fish an off-limits area in the Classic or any other tournament."
South Carolina's Davy Hite took Saturday's Big Bass award with a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass.
Sunday's final round promises to be a shoot-out for the $200,000 top prize, with the top 10 anglers separated by about 7 pounds.
2004 Bassmaster Classic
Lake Wylie, N.C.
July 30-Aug. 1, 2004
Day 2 standings
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Dean Rojas Grand Saline, Texas 10 26-04
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 10-12
2. Takahiro Omori Emory, Texas 10 25-10
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 9-08
3. Jason Quinn Clover, S.C. 10 24-01
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 10-13
4. Aaron Martens Castaic, Calif. 10 23-12
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 10-09
5. Marty Stone Linden, N.C. 10 23-02
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 10-12
6. Stacey D King Reeds Spring, Mo. 10 22-09
Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 5 11-13
7. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, Mich. 10 22-05
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 11-08
8. Tom Biffle Wagoner, Okla. 8 21-08
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 3 6-06
9. Kelly Jordon Mineola, Texas 10 21-01
Day 1: 5 9-15 Day 2: 5 11-02
10. Denny Brauer Camdenton, Mo. 6 19-14
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 1 4-07
11. Davy Hite Prosperity, S.C. 7 19-13 $1,000.00
Day 1: 2 5-04 Day 2: 5 14-09
12. Brent Chapman Shawnee, Kan. 8 19-08
Day 1: 4 10-07 Day 2: 4 9-01
13. Dustin Wilks Rocky Mount, N.C. 10 18-13
Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 5 8-01
14. David Walker Sevierville, Tenn. 8 18-05
Day 1: 3 5-04 Day 2: 5 13-01
15. Skeet Reese Auburn, Calif. 8 18-03
Day 1: 3 8-12 Day 2: 5 9-07
16. Steve Sennikoff Forney, Texas 9 17-11
Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 4 7-07
17. John Murray Phoenix, Ariz. 9 17-09
Day 1: 5 8-15 Day 2: 4 8-10
18. Randy Blaukat Lamar, Mo. 8 16-14
Day 1: 3 4-13 Day 2: 5 12-01
19. Thad Takes Center Point, Iowa 7 16-08
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 2 4-10
20. Zell Rowland Montgomery, Texas 7 16-07
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 2 3-00
21. Chad Brauer Osage Beach, Mo. 7 16-02
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 2 5-02
22. Russ Lane Prattville, Ala. 9 15-15
Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 4 5-10
22. Michael Iaconelli Runnemede, N.J. 4 15-15 $1,000.00
Day 1: 4 15-15 Day 2: 0 0-00
24. Jay Yelas Tyler, Texas 9 15-12
Day 1: 4 6-14 Day 2: 5 8-14
25. Kevin Wirth Crestwood, Ky. 8 15-08
Day 1: 3 5-05 Day 2: 5 10-03
26. Harold Allen Shelbyville, Texas 7 14-09 $5,500.00
Day 1: 4 8-12 Day 2: 3 5-13
27. Peter E Thliveros Jacksonville, Fla. 7 14-04 $5,500.00
Day 1: 2 4-13 Day 2: 5 9-07
28. Mark Davis Mount Ida, Ark. 7 13-08 $5,500.00
Day 1: 2 3-12 Day 2: 5 9-12
29. Mark Kile Tonto Basin, Ariz. 7 12-15 $5,500.00
Day 1: 4 8-15 Day 2: 3 4-00
30. Mark Tucker Saint Louis, Mo. 5 12-13 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 0 0-00
31. Art Ferguson III Saint Clair Shores, Mi 6 12-06 $5,500.00
Day 1: 2 3-08 Day 2: 4 8-14
32. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, Ark. 7 12-05 $5,500.00
Day 1: 4 6-15 Day 2: 3 5-06
33. Gary Klein Weatherford, Texas 7 12-03 $5,500.00
Day 1: 2 3-04 Day 2: 5 8-15
34. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, Mo. 5 11-11 $5,500.00
Day 1: 1 2-05 Day 2: 4 9-06
35. Greg Hackney Gonzales, La. 5 11-08 $5,500.00
Day 1: 3 6-09 Day 2: 2 4-15
36. Paul L Elias Pachuta, Miss. 4 10-06 $5,500.00
Day 1: 2 4-09 Day 2: 2 5-13
37. Lee Bailey Hebron, Conn. 4 10-01 $5,500.00
Day 1: 2 5-11 Day 2: 2 4-06
38. Edwin Evers Mannsville, Okla. 6 9-14 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 8-03 Day 2: 1 1-11
39. Jeff Boyer Auburn, Wash. 5 9-02 $5,500.00
Day 1: 3 6-01 Day 2: 2 3-01
40. Alton Jones Waco, Texas 3 9-00 $5,500.00
Day 1: 1 3-09 Day 2: 2 5-07
41. Tim Carroll Owasso, Okla. 4 8-11 $5,500.00
Day 1: 1 1-11 Day 2: 3 7-00
42. Bink Desaro Boise, Idaho 5 8-08 $5,500.00
Day 1: 2 3-03 Day 2: 3 5-05
43. Brett Hite Phoenix, Ariz. 4 6-14 $5,500.00
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 4 6-14
44. Chris Baumgardner Gastonia, N.C. 2 6-11 $5,500.00
Day 1: 1 2-12 Day 2: 1 3-15
45. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, Fla. 3 5-13 $5,500.00
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 5-13
46. William Pippen Crossett, Ark. 3 5-11 $5,500.00
Day 1: 1 2-15 Day 2: 2 2-12
47. Jim Bitter Fruitland Park, Fla. 4 5-09 $5,500.00
Day 1: 2 1-10 Day 2: 2 3-15
48. Tim Horton Tuscumbia, Ala. 2 4-03 $5,500.00
Day 1: 1 2-11 Day 2: 1 1-08
49. George Acord Lancaster, Pa. 2 3-12 $5,500.00
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 2 3-12
50. Chuck Economou Redington Shores, Fla. 2 3-09 $5,500.00
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 2 3-09
51. Gerald Swindle Hayden, Ala. 2 3-08 $5,500.00
Day 1: 2 3-08 Day 2: 0 0-00
52. Ben Matsubu Hemphill, Texas 2 2-11 $5,500.00
Day 1: 1 1-03 Day 2: 1 1-08
53. Scott Suggs Alexander, Ark. 1 1-15 $5,500.00
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 1 1-15
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Big Bass
Day
1 Michael Iaconelli Runnemede, N.J. 7-04 $1,000.00
2 Davy Hite Prosperity, S.C. 5-06 $1,000.00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 19 164 380-15
2 18 169 352-02
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37 333 733-01