GREEN BAY, Wis. — Four-time Bassmaster tournament winner Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., has taken the lead at the Bassmaster Elite Series Green Bay Challenge bass fishing tournament. Rojas, who was in 2nd place coming into today’s round, added a limit of five bass weighing 17 pounds, 14 ounces to his tally, for a total of 37-12. First round leader Aaron Martens caught 16-15 today and trails Rojas by 13 ounces.
Rojas, who is widely regarded as the best topwater frog angler in the world, denied earlier reports that he was catching big smallmouth bass on his signature bait.
“The first day, I caught every bass sight-fishing,” Rojas said. “Today I had to completely change what I was doing. I caught them all deep — 9 to 20 feet — on a drop shot rig.”
Rojas is rotating three different soft plastic baits for his catch, including a lure from Big Bite Baits and a couple of custom hand pours. His drop shot weight is 3/8-ounce. Beyond that, he doesn’t want to elaborate on his methods until the tournament is over.
“I’m fishing in the middle of a bunch of boats,” Rojas said. “I’m in the right area, and I think it’ll hold up, but I’m sharing the spot with Terry Scroggins.” Scroggins is currently 12th with 30-11.
Martens’ 2-ounce lead after the first day became a 13-ounce deficit today. He said the area he was fishing was getting more crowded, and he had to share some of his best spots with several other anglers. “It was harder to move around and fish the area right,” he said. “The fish that were biting today were smaller, too.”
Jonathon VanDam is in third place with 35-2. Like many of the anglers, he noted that he didn’t get as many bites today. “I needed more wind for my pattern,” he said.
Like others, he left shallower fish he caught yesterday while sight fishing for deeper water in another area. “I’m catching my fish on a jerkbait and a drop shot.”
The day’s heaviest limit weighed 18-1 and was caught by 2004 Bassmaster Classic champion Takahiro Omori. The top individual bass weighed 5-10 and was caught by Brandon Palaniuk. It takes over the top spot in the Carhartt Big Bass competition for this tournament. Palaniuk and Omori are currently 4th and 14th in the standings, respectively.
The Bassmaster Angler of the Year race is heating up as the anglers move into the home stretch and, for the moment, it looks like a four-man battle. After a tough day on Lake Michigan that saw him bring just three bass to the scales, Todd Faircloth has fallen out of the lead. Brent Chapman is in first place with 570 points. Ott DeFoe is second with 548; Faircloth is third with 539; and Terry Scroggins is fourth with 531. All four are fishing tomorrow, so there could be another big shakeup in the standings.
First prize in the Green Bay Challenge is $100,000 and a berth in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic. The pros also are fighting for points to earn a qualification for the 2013 Classic. Those near the top of the points standings are in contention for a postseason entry and the 2012 Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.
The Challenge will continue through Sunday at Metro Boat Launch in Green Bay. Takeoff is set for 6:15 a.m., and weigh-ins will begin at 3:15 p.m. The Bassmaster Elite Series Family Festival will open at noon on Saturday and Sunday.
All Bassmaster fan activities are free and open to the public.
2012 Green Bay Challenge 6/28-7/1
Lake Michigan, Green Bay WI.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts
1. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 10 37-12 98
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 17-14
2. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 10 36-15 97
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 16-15
3. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 10 35-02 96
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 17-07
4. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 35-00 95
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 17-00
5. John Crews Salem, VA 10 34-01 94
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 17-11
6. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 34-01 93
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 17-01
7. Chris Zaldain San Jose, CA 10 33-09 92
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 16-12
8. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 10 32-02 91
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 15-05
9. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 10 31-12 90
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 5 17-04
10. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 10 31-06 89
Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 5 14-11
11. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 10 30-13 88
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 13-12
12. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 10 30-11 87
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 13-14
13. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 10 30-11 86
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 14-15
14. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 10 30-01 85
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 18-01
15. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 10 30-00 84
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 17-04
16. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 10 29-10 83
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 5 14-12
17. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 10 29-09 82
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 14-15
18. Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 10 29-08 81
Day 1: 5 15-14 Day 2: 5 13-10
19. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 10 29-06 80
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 12-13
20. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 10 29-06 79
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 16-05
21. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 10 29-03 78
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 13-06
22. David Walker Sevierville, TN 9 29-01 77
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 4 11-04
23. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 10 28-08 76
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 14-10
24. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 10 28-06 75
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 12-06
25. Shaw E Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 10 28-03 74
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 14-06
26. Travis Manson De Pere, WI 10 27-08 73
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 11-01
27. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 27-07 72
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 13-06
28. David Smith Del City, OK 10 27-07 71
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 14-05
29. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 27-04 70
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 13-02
30. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 10 26-12 69
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 5 14-01
31. Boyd Duckett Demopolis, AL 10 26-08 68
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 16-06
32. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 10 26-06 67
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 15-02
33. Dustin Wilks Rocky Mount, NC 10 26-04 66
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 15-01
34. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 9 26-04 65
Day 1: 4 11-00 Day 2: 5 15-04
35. Pete Ponds Madison, MS 9 25-11 64
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 4 11-12
36. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 8 25-11 63
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 3 07-08
37. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 10 24-12 62
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 14-09
38. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 10 24-11 61
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 12-09
39. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 10 24-10 60
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 10-14
40. Matt Herren Trussville, AL 7 24-06 59
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 2 06-08
41. Matt Greenblatt Port St Lucie, FL 8 24-02 58
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 3 10-10
42. Alton Jones Woodway, TX 9 23-15 57
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 4 11-03
43. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 9 23-13 56
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 4 07-05
44. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 8 23-13 55
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 3 08-15
45. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 23-12 54
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 12-03
46. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 9 21-13 53
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 4 10-11
47. Chad Griffin Cresson, TX 9 21-09 52
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 4 09-08
48. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 7 21-09 51
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 2 05-00
49. Timmy Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 9 21-03 50
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 4 07-15
50. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 9 21-02 49
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 4 08-05
51. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 9 21-02 48
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 4 08-08
52. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 10 21-01 47
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 10-00
53. Denny Brauer Camdenton, MO 8 21-00 46
Day 1: 3 07-08 Day 2: 5 13-08
54. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 8 20-04 45
Day 1: 4 10-13 Day 2: 4 09-07
55. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 7 20-01 44
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 2 03-09
56. Fletcher Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 7 19-15 43
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 2 07-03
57. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 7 19-12 42
Day 1: 2 04-03 Day 2: 5 15-09
58. Randy Howell Springville, AL 10 19-10 41
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 10-02
59. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 9 18-14 40
Day 1: 4 06-09 Day 2: 5 12-05
60. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 10 18-13 39
Day 1: 5 08-05 Day 2: 5 10-08
61. Jason Quinn Lake Wylie, SC 6 18-10 38
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 1 02-14
62. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 9 18-08 37
Day 1: 4 08-05 Day 2: 5 10-03
63. Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 7 18-08 36
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 2 04-04
64. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 8 18-04 35
Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 3 07-08
65. Jamie Horton Centerville, AL 8 17-14 34
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 3 05-14
66. Nate Wellman Newaygo, MI 7 17-12 33
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 2 05-11
67. Brent Broderick Oregonia, OH 6 17-11 32
Day 1: 1 02-13 Day 2: 5 14-14
68. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 9 17-06 31
Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 4 07-13
69. Jeremy Starks Scott Depot, WV 7 16-15 30
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 2 03-09
70. Kelly Jordon Palestine, TX 7 16-09 29
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 2 03-12
71. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 7 16-01 28
Day 1: 4 09-01 Day 2: 3 07-00
72. Casey D Ashley Donalds, SC 6 15-09 27
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 1 03-05
73. Russell Parrish Riesel, TX 5 15-09 26
Day 1: 4 10-08 Day 2: 1 05-01
74. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 5 14-15 25
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 14-15
75. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 6 14-14 24
Day 1: 3 06-09 Day 2: 3 08-05
76. Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 7 14-08 23
Day 1: 2 03-11 Day 2: 5 10-13
77. Byron Velvick Boenre, TX 7 14-04 22
Day 1: 2 04-10 Day 2: 5 09-10
78. Kyle A. Fox Lakeland, FL 7 14-02 21
Day 1: 4 07-01 Day 2: 3 07-01
79. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 6 14-00 20
Day 1: 3 07-07 Day 2: 3 06-09
80. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 5 13-13 19
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
81. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 6 13-09 18
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 5 11-09
82. Clark Reehm Shreveport, LA 7 13-04 17
Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 2 03-14
83. Morizo Shimizu Osaka JAPAN 3 12-12 16
Day 1: 3 12-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
84. Casey Scanlon Lenexa, KS 4 12-04 15
Day 1: 3 09-00 Day 2: 1 03-04
85. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 6 12-03 14
Day 1: 4 07-02 Day 2: 2 05-01
86. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 4 11-15 13
Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 2 08-11
87. Billy McCaghren Mayflower, AR 5 10-01 12
Day 1: 3 05-13 Day 2: 2 04-04
88. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 5 08-12 11
Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 3 05-06
89. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 4 08-07 10
Day 1: 2 05-00 Day 2: 2 03-07
90. Grant Goldbeck Boerne, TX 3 07-12 9
Day 1: 3 07-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
91. Terry Butcher Talala, OK 4 07-11 8
Day 1: 3 05-10 Day 2: 1 02-01
92. Jami Fralick Martin, SD 3 07-06 7
Day 1: 2 05-03 Day 2: 1 02-03
93. Zell Rowland Montgomery, TX 3 07-04 6
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 07-04
94. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 3 06-08 5
Day 1: 3 06-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
95. Michael Simonton Fremont, OH 2 06-00 4
Day 1: 2 06-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
96. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 2 03-11 3
Day 1: 2 03-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
97. Jared Miller Norman, OK 1 02-02 2
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
98. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 1 02-01 1
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 66 411 1118-10
2 49 354 964-04
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115 765 2082-14