LA CROSSE, Wis. — Time was running out. About 15 minutes to go before he had to call it a day, Todd Faircloth hooked into a solid 3-pounder. And even though he had led for two days, only then did he feel that maybe, just maybe, he had nailed the Mississippi River Rumble bass fishing tournament in La Crosse, Wis.
Faircloth was right. He closed on his third Bassmaster Elite Series win Sunday by 1 pound, 4 ounces. It was a big margin compared to every other day of the Rumble, when only ounces separated leaders from the pack — and each place from another.
Faircloth’s 62-pound, 4-ounce total was enough to finish ahead of Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss., who had 61-0.
Pace ended with his second consecutive runner-up spot of the month. For Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, the win was his first since 2008.
“I feel like a brick’s off my shoulder now,” he said. “It was a pretty nerve-racking day.”
His prize was $100,000 and an instant qualification for the 2013 Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake out of Tulsa, Okla.
The money, he said, “definitely means a lot.” The Classic berth also, but in a different way.
He likely would have qualified for the Classic through the Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race at the end of the season — he was sixth in points going into the La Crosse event — but he still smiled wide when he was reminded he’d bagged his 11th Classic trip by winning an Elite event. Yet he’s got something else on his mind.
“My focus now is the AOY title,” Faircloth said. “If guys say they aren’t thinking about it, that’s fine and dandy with me, but I’m thinking about it.”
Sunday’s win boosted Faircloth from sixth to second in the AOY race, 18 points behind Brent Chapman of Lake Quivira, Kan., who held his previous lead.
Faircloth said he had 12 pounds in his livewell early on Sunday, the final of four days of competition. Then he went to his second area and upgraded several times to 13 or 14 pounds.
“And then I really struggled the rest of the day,” he said. “I felt like the flipping bite would have turned on when the sun got up, but I couldn’t get anything going. I couldn’t catch them on topwaters, and I flipped and flipped and couldn’t get bit.”
Then he made a decision. He moved. Thirty minutes before he had to start the run back to the dock, he went to what had been one of his best spots. He flipped out a Yamamoto creature bait and brought back a 3 1/2-pounder.
“That’s probably what won the tournament for me,” he said.
Faircloth said he’d never competed on the Rumble’s section of the Mississippi, Pools 7 through 9. But the first day of practice showed him the potential of the grassy flats of Pool 8.
Early in the morning, he keyed on a shallow spot on the point of an island. There was a hole in the grass and a cut through the grass. He eased his bait through the cut, quietly, with one of three baits: a frog, an All-Terrain swim jig in green pumpkin, or a Yamamoto D Shad, which is a fluke-shaped plastic.
“One of the biggest things about that spot was there was current coming through it,” he said. “That was a key.”
A variety of grasses with duckweed on top — the anglers call it “slop” — on a hard bottom was another key, he added. If he missed a strike on top, he’d punch through the weeds and manage to catch the fish that way.
He also had a deeper spot of 3 to 5 feet. It was another grass flats with a few key areas that held largemouth. There he worked a shad walking bait he’d modified with frog hooks to reduce the amount of vegetation that would cling to treble hooks.
“I made good decisions on where to start and where to finish the day,” he said.
Pace finished in second after hanging at sixth place for two days. He threw the dice Sunday by locking through to a spot he hadn’t been to since practice. He stayed for two hours, got two fish, and then gave up on it. Back in Pool 8 where he’d been all week, he went back to the working current breaks along the main river. He culled the first two fish to amass 16-1, the day’s largest bag.
“I took every risk I could take to win this deal,” Pace said, who took second place on Toledo Bend on June 10 behind Brent Chapman.
“I could have won either one, and eventually I will,” he said. “All of us go into each one to win. Sometimes you finish 90th. Second’s a whole lot better.”
Terry Butcher of Talala, Okla., after hovering in the Top 6 all week, finished third with 60-11. Fourth was rookie Jamie Horton of Centreville, Ala., with 59-11. Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., in second place going into the final day, finished fifth with 58-1.
Several anglers earned bonuses at the Mississippi River Rumble:
* Carhartt Big Bass of the tournament, which paid $750, plus another $750 if the angler was wearing Carhartt clothing: A split between Butcher and winner Faircloth, who both weighed in a 5-3 on Day 2.
* Berkley Heavyweight Award of $500 for the best five-fish limit: Jamie Horton’s 18-4 of Day 2.
* Power-Pole Captain’s Cash of $1,000 if the winner has Power-Poles installed on his boat: Faircloth
* Toyota $1,000 bonus to the leader in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race: Chapman with 494 points, 18 points in front of Faircloth with 476
* Luck “E” Strike Comeback Award of $500 to the most-improved pro in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race: Steve Kennedy of Auburn, Ala., from 58th place to 41st place
Next up for the Bassmaster Elite Series is the second half of a Wisconsin double-header: the June 28-July 1 Green Bay Challenge out of the City of Green Bay.
2012 Bassmaster Elite Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, MinnKota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha
2012 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsor: BOOYAH, Carhartt, Lowrance, Luck “E” Strike, Power-Pole, Ramada
2012 Bassmaster Elite Series Proud Partner: Mustang Survival
2012 Mississippi River Rumble 6/21-6/24
Mississippi River, La Crosse WI.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 20 62-04 98 $101,750.00
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 17-14 Day 3: 5 14-13 Day 4: 5 14-09
2. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 20 61-00 97 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 16-03 Day 3: 5 14-00 Day 4: 5 16-01
3. Terry Butcher Talala, OK 20 60-11 96 $20,750.00
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 16-13 Day 3: 5 14-10 Day 4: 5 13-15
4. Jamie Horton Centerville, AL 20 59-11 95 $15,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 18-04 Day 3: 5 13-12 Day 4: 5 14-05
5. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 20 58-01 94 $14,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 14-13 Day 3: 5 16-02 Day 4: 5 10-13
6. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 20 57-11 93 $13,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 13-12 Day 3: 5 15-02 Day 4: 5 13-14
7. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 20 57-10 92 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 14-01 Day 3: 5 14-10 Day 4: 5 15-01
8. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 20 57-07 91 $12,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 15-03 Day 3: 5 15-08 Day 4: 5 12-00
9. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 20 55-00 90 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 16-08 Day 3: 5 14-09 Day 4: 5 10-05
10. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 20 54-11 89 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 15-02 Day 3: 5 12-13 Day 4: 5 12-15
11. Randy Howell Springville, AL 20 54-03 88 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 15-03 Day 3: 5 14-03 Day 4: 5 11-02
12. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 17 48-05 87 $10,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 15-13 Day 3: 5 13-03 Day 4: 2 04-00
BIG BASS
Terry Butcher Talala, OK 05-03 $375.00
Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 05-03 $375.00
HEAVYWEIGHT
Jamie Horton Centreville, AL 18-04 $500.00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 95 483 1255-01
2 90 477 1212-03
3 42 229 591-05
4 11 57 149-00
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238 1246 3207-09
______________________________________________________________________
2012 Points Report
PROFESSIONAL
ELITE SERIES
as of 24-Jun-2012
Angler Points Lbs-Oz
1 Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 494 190- 8
2 Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 476 191-15
3 Randy Howell Springville, AL 471 172- 3
4 Matt Herren Trussville, AL 460 190-15
5 Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 459 186- 6
6 Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 444 164- 3
7 Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 435 160-11
8 Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 432 168- 7
9 Edwin Evers Talala, OK 428 165- 5
10 Cliff Pace Petal, MS 421 169- 8
11 Brandon Card Caryville, TN 421 166-15
12 Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 416 169- 9
13 David Walker Sevierville, TN 409 174-11
14 Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 399 175-14
15 Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 394 173-12
16 Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 393 165-13
17 Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 393 165- 1
18 Nate Wellman Newaygo, MI 388 163- 4
19 Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 381 173-11
20 Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 376 180- 6
21 Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 376 176- 0
22 Alton Jones Woodway, TX 374 173-15
23 Terry Butcher Talala, OK 372 159- 9
24 J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 369 160- 0
25 Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 368 157- 7
26 Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 366 171- 6
27 Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 361 165-15
28 Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 357 163-10
29 Jamie Horton Centreville, AL 357 151- 0
30 Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 355 150- 1
31 Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 354 166- 3
32 Shaw E Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 352 158- 1
33 Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 351 158- 5
34 Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 346 151- 7
35 Rick Clunn Ava, MO 345 153- 2
36 John Crews Salem, VA 343 151- 7
37 Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 340 159- 8
38 Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 334 146- 3
39 Keith Combs Huntington, TX 333 150-12
40 Jason Quinn Lake Wylie, SC 329 147-13
41 Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 325 149- 7
42 Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 321 147- 2
43 Russ Lane Prattville, AL 320 145-13
44 Casey D Ashley Donalds, SC 319 161-11
6/24/2012 Page 1 of 3
Angler Points Lbs-Oz
45 Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 317 144-15
46 Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 316 151-13
47 Timmy Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 311 142-11
48 Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 310 143- 1
49 Jeremy Starks Scott Depot, WV 307 157-15
50 Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 305 144- 9
51 Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 302 147-10
52 Kelly Jordon Palestine, TX 302 146- 2
53 Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 301 136- 5
54 Kyle A. Fox Lakeland, FL 300 146-11
55 Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 296 150- 2
56 Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 294 145-10
57 Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 284 151- 3
58 Rick Morris Virginia Beach, VA 283 152-11
59 Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 281 165-11
60 Paul Elias Laurel, MS 275 144- 4
61 Zell Rowland Montgomery, TX 274 145- 6
62 Derek Remitz Grant, AL 273 142-13
63 Boyd Duckett Demopolis, AL 273 131-11
64 Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 272 147- 8
65 Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 270 136- 4
66 Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 267 143- 4
67 Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 261 138- 9
68 Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 260 153- 6
69 Pete Ponds Madison, MS 251 147-14
70 Dustin Wilks Rocky Mount, NC 241 126- 6
71 Matt Greenblatt Port St Lucie, FL 231 132- 5
72 Fletcher Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 230 143-12
73 Chris Zaldain San Jose, CA 230 139- 7
74 Morizo Shimizu Matsugaoka, JPN 229 137- 8
75 Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 228 122-14
76 John Murray Phoenix, AZ 225 133- 5
77 Russell Parrish Riesel, TX 223 130- 4
78 Denny Brauer Camdenton, MO 222 137- 2
79 Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 217 130- 0
80 Travis Manson De Pere, WI 216 131- 1
81 Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 214 126-14
82 Jami Fralick Martin, SD 212 126-12
83 Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 207 129- 8
84 Billy McCaghren Mayflower, AR 195 128- 5
85 Casey Scanlon Lenexa, KS 189 131-14
86 Grant Goldbeck Boerne, TX 185 110-11
87 Clark Reehm Shreveport, LA 180 114- 8
88 James Niggemeyer Van, TX 172 120- 9
89 Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 171 112-15
90 Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 168 126- 9
91 Michael Simonton Fremont, OH 155 121- 1
92 Jared Miller Norman, OK 152 109-12
93 Byron Velvick Boenre, TX 147 114-13
6/24/2012 Page 2 of 3
Angler Points Lbs-Oz
94 Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 146 123- 0
95 Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 135 108-10
96 Pat Golden Bethlehem, GA 131 103- 6
97 David Smith Del City, OK 125 115- 1
98 Brent Broderick Oregonia, OH 118 93- 1
99 Chad Griffin Cresson, TX 67 90- 1
6/24/2012 Page 3 of 3