Fox Leads Elite Series Bass Fishing Tournament on the Mississippi River

June 21, 2012
B.A.S.S. News - Archived

LA CROSSE, Wis. — Florida native Kyle Fox must have some Northern blood coursing through his angler veins.

As he led the Mississippi River Rumble bass fishing tournament on Thursday with 16 pounds, 8 ounces, the Bassmaster Elite Series rookie from Lakeland, Fla., was reminded that he tied down his Elite qualification in 2011 by excelling on northern fisheries like Lake Erie and New York’s Lake Oneida.

Fox, 24, added the Mississippi River to that list by beating 97 other anglers on a river he’d never before competed on and first saw three days ago.

“I think I am so limited with what I know about a place I fish the first time, I have to go with what I do best,” he said. That, he said, was to hit the river’s shallow grassy backwaters, not so unlike what he was weaned on in Florida.

Fox led the Rumble by 3 ounces over Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., in second place with 16-5. Fox was ahead of the Top 5 by less than 1 pound: Grant Goldbeck of Boerne, Texas, with 16-0; Billy McCaghren of Mayflower, Ark., with 15-11; and Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., with 15-10.

The spread between first and 49th place — the cutoff after Day 2 — was even tighter. Just 3 pounds, 11 ounces, separated Fox from 49th place, a position shared by five pros.

Davy Hite of Ninety Six, S.C., who sat about midway in that Top 49 mix with 13-13, summarized the situation with his on-stage comment: “Ounces are going to be everything.”

The leader said he had a five-fish limit within 20 minutes of Thursday’s start.

“I got on the right spot that had a good school in it,” Fox said. He stayed put for most of the day, working to improve his bag. He said he caught about 30 fish by day’s end, culling several times.

“It’s all about the method that catches them,” he said, sharing only the detail that his method is probably not similar any other Elite competitor’s.

Martens, the last boat to leave the dock Thursday, said his best spot was “something everybody else missed.”

“And I found a second spot like the first, maybe something with a little better quality, some 3-pounders,” he said.

By the end of the day, “I was actually shaking them off,” he said. The bass were 2 to 2 1/2-pounders — perhaps good enough to save for Day 2 — but they wouldn’t have helped him improve his weight Thursday, he said.

“My goal is Top 12, at least, to try to regain a Classic berth,” said Martens, whose slow start to the season could jeopardize a 14th trip to the championship.

Goldbeck, with 16 pounds even, said he’s sharing his water with two other Elite pros.

“I also have two little sleeper spots, and I tried to sneak in there without them seeing me to try a little something different,” said Goldbeck.

First prize in the Rumble is $100,000 and a berth in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic. The pros also will be out to earn points, which count toward a postseason entry and qualification for the 2013 Classic.

The largest bass of the day was caught by Stephen Browning of Hot Springs, Ark. His 4-13 was the first candidate for the event’s Big Bass award of the tournament, worth up to $1,500.

The Rumble will continue through Sunday at Veterans Freedom Park in La Crosse. 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.

2012 Mississippi River Rumble 6/21-6/24

Mississippi River, La Crosse  WI.

(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts  

1.  Kyle A. Fox            Lakeland, FL             5  16-08   98

  Day 1: 5   16-08  

2.  Aaron Martens          Leeds, AL                5  16-05   97

  Day 1: 5   16-05  

3.  Grant Goldbeck         Boerne, TX               5  16-00   96

  Day 1: 5   16-00  

4.  Billy McCaghren        Mayflower, AR            5  15-11   95

  Day 1: 5   15-11  

5.  Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA             5  15-10   94

  Day 1: 5   15-10  

6.  Terry Butcher          Talala, OK               5  15-05   93

  Day 1: 5   15-05  

6.  Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  5  15-05   93

  Day 1: 5   15-05  

8.  Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX               5  15-00   91

  Day 1: 5   15-00  

9.  Terry Scroggins        San Mateo, FL            5  14-15   90

  Day 1: 5   14-15  

10. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY              5  14-14   89

  Day 1: 5   14-14  

11. Cliff Pace             Petal, MS                5  14-12   88

  Day 1: 5   14-12  

12. Dean Rojas             Lake Havasu City, AZ     5  14-12   87

  Day 1: 5   14-12  

13. Ott DeFoe              Knoxville, TN            5  14-11   86

  Day 1: 5   14-11  

13. Casey Scanlon          Lenexa, KS               5  14-11   86

  Day 1: 5   14-11  

15. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          5  14-10   84

  Day 1: 5   14-10  

16. Takahiro Omori         Emory, TX                5  14-06   83

  Day 1: 5   14-06  

17. Brent Broderick        Oregonia, OH             5  14-05   82

  Day 1: 5   14-05  

18. Dustin Wilks           Rocky Mount, NC          5  14-04   81

  Day 1: 5   14-04  

19. Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira, KS         5  14-03   80

  Day 1: 5   14-03  

20. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID             5  14-00   79

  Day 1: 5   14-00  

21. Jason Williamson       Aiken, SC                5  13-15   78

  Day 1: 5   13-15  

22. Matt Herren            Trussville, AL           5  13-14   77

  Day 1: 5   13-14  

22. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN           5  13-14   77

  Day 1: 5   13-14  

22. Nate Wellman           Newaygo, MI              5  13-14   77

  Day 1: 5   13-14  

25. Davy Hite              Ninety Six, SC           5  13-13   74

  Day 1: 5   13-13  

25. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               5  13-13   74

  Day 1: 5   13-13  

27. Michael Iaconelli      Pittsgrove, NJ           5  13-12   72

  Day 1: 5   13-12  

28. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX           5  13-11   71

  Day 1: 5   13-11  

28. John Crews             Salem, VA                5  13-11   71

  Day 1: 5   13-11  

28. Randy Howell           Springville, AL          5  13-11   71

  Day 1: 5   13-11  

31. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL              5  13-10   68

  Day 1: 5   13-10  

32. Casey D Ashley         Donalds, SC              5  13-09   67

  Day 1: 5   13-09  

32. Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR          5  13-09   67

  Day 1: 5   13-09  

34. Gerald Swindle         Warrior, AL              5  13-09   65

  Day 1: 5   13-09  

35. Timmy Horton           Muscle Shoals, AL        5  13-08   64

  Day 1: 5   13-08  

35. Gary Klein             Weatherford, TX          5  13-08   64

  Day 1: 5   13-08  

35. Rick Morris            Lake Gaston, VA          5  13-08   64

  Day 1: 5   13-08  

38. Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI            5  13-07   61

  Day 1: 5   13-07  

39. Jamie Horton           Centerville, AL          5  13-06   60

  Day 1: 5   13-06  

39. John Murray            Phoenix, AZ              5  13-06   60

  Day 1: 5   13-06  

39. Greg Vinson            Wetumpka, AL             5  13-06   60

  Day 1: 5   13-06  

42. Cliff Crochet          Pierre Part, LA          5  13-05   57

  Day 1: 5   13-05  

43. Kotaro Kiriyama        Moody, AL                5  13-04   56

  Day 1: 5   13-04  

44. Brandon Card           Caryville, TN            5  13-03   55

  Day 1: 5   13-03  

44. Alton Jones            Woodway, TX              5  13-03   55

  Day 1: 5   13-03  

46. Matt Reed              Madisonville, TX         5  13-02   53

  Day 1: 5   13-02  

47. Bobby Lane             Lakeland, FL             5  13-00   52

  Day 1: 5   13-00  

48. J Todd Tucker          Moultrie, GA             5  12-14   51

  Day 1: 5   12-14  

49. Jami Fralick           Martin, SD               5  12-13   50

  Day 1: 5   12-13  

49. Jared Miller           Norman, OK               5  12-13   50

  Day 1: 5   12-13  

49. Pete Ponds             Madison, MS              5  12-13   50

  Day 1: 5   12-13  

49. Clark Reehm            Shreveport, LA           5  12-13   50

  Day 1: 5   12-13  

49. Skeet Reese            Auburn, CA               5  12-13   50

  Day 1: 5   12-13  

54. Keith Poche            Pike Road, AL            5  12-13   45

  Day 1: 5   12-13  

55. Russ Lane              Prattville, AL           5  12-12   44

  Day 1: 5   12-12  

55. Mike McClelland        Bella Vista, AR          5  12-12   44

  Day 1: 5   12-12  

55. David Smith            Del City, OK             5  12-12   44

  Day 1: 5   12-12  

58. Mark Davis             Mount Ida, AR            5  12-11   41

  Day 1: 5   12-11  

58. Britt Myers            Lake Wylie, SC           5  12-11   41

  Day 1: 5   12-11  

58. Jason Quinn            Lake Wylie, SC           5  12-11   41

  Day 1: 5   12-11  

61. Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC           5  12-08   38

  Day 1: 5   12-08  

61. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO         5  12-08   38

  Day 1: 5   12-08  

63. Chris Lane             Guntersville, AL         5  12-06   36

  Day 1: 5   12-06  

63. Scott Rook             Little Rock, AR          5  12-06   36

  Day 1: 5   12-06  

63. Kevin Short            Mayflower, AR            5  12-06   36

  Day 1: 5   12-06  

63. Jonathon VanDam        Kalamazoo, MI            5  12-06   36

  Day 1: 5   12-06  

67. Shaw E Grigsby Jr.     Gainesville, FL          5  12-04   32

  Day 1: 5   12-04  

67. Charlie Hartley        Grove City, OH           5  12-04   32

  Day 1: 5   12-04  

69. Matt Greenblatt        Port St Lucie, FL        5  12-03   30

  Day 1: 5   12-03  

69. Kelly Jordon           Palestine, TX            5  12-03   30

  Day 1: 5   12-03  

69. Fred Roumbanis         Bixby, OK                5  12-03   30

  Day 1: 5   12-03  

69. Fletcher Shryock       Newcomerstown, OH        5  12-03   30

  Day 1: 5   12-03  

73. Russell Parrish        Riesel, TX               5  12-02   26

  Day 1: 5   12-02  

73. Marty Robinson         Lyman, SC                5  12-02   26

  Day 1: 5   12-02  

75. Edwin Evers            Talala, OK               5  12-01   24

  Day 1: 5   12-01  

75. Ish Monroe             Hughson, CA              5  12-01   24

  Day 1: 5   12-01  

75. Bradley Roy            Lancaster, KY            5  12-01   24

  Day 1: 5   12-01  

78. Yusuke Miyazaki        Forney, TX               5  12-00   21

  Day 1: 5   12-00  

78. Michael Simonton       Fremont, OH              5  12-00   21

  Day 1: 5   12-00  

80. Morizo Shimizu         Matsugaoka JAPAN         5  11-13   19

  Day 1: 5   11-13  

81. Zell Rowland           Montgomery, TX           5  11-11   18

  Day 1: 5   11-11  

82. Chris Zaldain          San Jose, CA             5  11-09   17

  Day 1: 5   11-09  

83. Derek Remitz           Grant, AL                5  11-04   16

  Day 1: 5   11-04  

84. Boyd Duckett           Demopolis, AL            5  11-02   15

  Day 1: 5   11-02  

84. Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA        5  11-02   15

  Day 1: 5   11-02  

86. Paul Elias             Laurel, MS               5  11-00   13

  Day 1: 5   11-00  

86. Jeff Kriet             Ardmore, OK              5  11-00   13

  Day 1: 5   11-00  

88. David Walker           Sevierville, TN          5  10-12   11

  Day 1: 5   10-12  

89. Denny Brauer           Camdenton, MO            5  10-11   10

  Day 1: 5   10-11  

89. Byron Velvick          Boenre, TX               5  10-11   10

  Day 1: 5   10-11  

91. Travis Manson          De Pere, WI              5  10-08    8

  Day 1: 5   10-08  

92. James Niggemeyer       Van, TX                  5  10-07    7

  Day 1: 5   10-07  

93. Kevin Ledoux           Choctaw, OK              5  10-06    6

  Day 1: 5   10-06  

94. Kenyon Hill            Norman, OK               5  10-01    5

  Day 1: 5   10-01  

95. Jeremy Starks          Scott Depot, WV          5  09-10    4

  Day 1: 5   09-10  

96. Chad Griffin           Cresson, TX              4  08-07    3

  Day 1: 4   08-07  

97. Tommy Biffle           Wagoner, OK              3  06-10    2

  Day 1: 3   06-10  

98. Scott Ashmore          Broken Arrow, OK         1  02-07    1

  Day 1: 1   02-07  

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Totals

Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight

1        95       483      1255-01

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          95       483      1255-01