SYRACUSE, N.Y. — If Michael Iaconelli didn’t believe in magic before the bass fishing Championship began, he sure sounded as if he did when the day was done.
“Magic” was the word he used over and over as he described his day of building a 20-pound, 3-ounce weight Thursday to put him in the lead at the Bassmaster Elite Series season finale on Oneida Lake.
“It was one of those magic days, when everything fell into place,” Iaconelli said on stage as he weighed the day’s largest bass, a 5-5 largemouth.
Iaconelli of Pittsgrove, N.J., stacked up a decent lead. He was 3 pounds, 7 ounces ahead of Brent Chapman of Lake Quivira, Kan., in second place with 16-12. Iaconelli had 5 pounds on the pro in 12th place.
Chapman — the top contender for the 2012 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year crown to be determined at Oneida — inched ahead of J Todd Tucker of Moultrie, Ga., who had 16-6. Tied for fourth at 15-15 were Clark Reehm of Shreveport, La., and David Walker of Sevierville, Tenn. Randy Howell of Springville, Ala., was sixth with 15-12.
Iaconelli said his stellar day gave him high hopes about his chances of qualifying for the 2013 Bassmaster Classic.
“I’ve had a lot of things going through my mind over our three days of practice, and even as I launched this morning. At the top of that list is being on the bubble for the Classic. I’ve had one of those years that was riddled with mediocre finishes, and I can’t put my finger on why,” he said.
In 31st place in the points standings coming into the season finale on Oneida, a qualification for the 2013 Classic was not a sure thing for Iaconelli. A strong finish on the upstate New York lake likely will get him in.
Iaconelli said he didn’t find much encouragement during his practice time on Oneida, but “I found enough clues.”
“I thought, let me go out and catch 12 or 13 pounds a day, and make this Classic. That was what my mind was on today — not to win, not to catch 20 pounds, but to make sure I get into the world championship of fishing. Then things just started happening. Everything I did was magic.”
One of his magical moments came as he was unhooking one bass and placing it in the livewell. A short cast away, a school of bass “blew up.”
“I grabbed a rod and could catch them at will for, like, 5 minutes,” he said.
Another magic moment: “I flipped on a piece of cover that was probably a foot big, and caught that 5-pounder.”
Added to his magic was the fact that his 20-3 sack topped a previous one-day feat at Oneida, a 20-1 bag weighed in when the Elite field stopped at the upstate New York lake in 2008.
Iaconelli said he’ll stick to his working game plan to target smallmouth until he has about 13 pounds, then move on to largemouth to upgrade his weight.
Chapman also felt relief after getting through the first tough day of a tournament that could change his career. He led the AOY race by 13 points over Ott DeFoe going into the first day. Then on Thursday, Chapman shored up his lead to a formidable 40 points over Todd Faircloth, now his nearest challenger.
Chapman bagged four smallmouth and one largemouth for his 16-12 total.
“It was an incredible day,” he said. “I had a spot I could start on, and I hoped I could catch a fish or two. I pulled in and caught a limit in the first hour. I knew then I was doing something right.”
He upgraded, taking bass from other areas.
“I’ve got two good areas, and some I haven’t even been to yet, so I’m really looking forward to tomorrow,” he said.
Tucker started his day with a 4-5 largemouth, which turned out to be the largest of his day. He worked that fast start into 16-6 with repeated culls.
Like most in the field, Tucker had a mixed bag of smallmouth and largemouth.
“Some of my smallmouth were pretty good size, and I even ended up culling one of my largemouth to keep a smallmouth,” he said.
The Ramada Championship continues through Sunday. On Friday, the pros will launch their boats at Oneida Shores Park in Brewerton, N.Y., at 7 a.m., then return to the park to weigh their catches beginning at 4 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, the pros will launch at the park at 6:30 a.m., then the daytime action will shift to the infield at The Great New York State Fair in Syracuse. The family-friendly Bassmaster Elite Series Expo will open at noon. The weigh-ins will begin at 4 p.m.
2012 Championship 8/23-8/26
Oneida Lake, Syracuse NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts
1. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 5 20-03 97
Day 1: 5 20-03
2. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 5 16-12 96
Day 1: 5 16-12
3. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 5 16-06 95
Day 1: 5 16-06
4. Clark Reehm Shreveport, LA 5 15-15 94
Day 1: 5 15-15
4. David Walker Sevierville, TN 5 15-15 94
Day 1: 5 15-15
6. Randy Howell Springville, AL 5 15-12 92
Day 1: 5 15-12
7. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 5 15-08 91
Day 1: 5 15-08
8. Jami Fralick Martin, SD 5 15-07 90
Day 1: 5 15-07
8. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 5 15-07 90
Day 1: 5 15-07
10. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 5 15-05 88
Day 1: 5 15-05
11. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 5 15-04 87
Day 1: 5 15-04
12. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 5 15-03 86
Day 1: 5 15-03
13. Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 5 15-02 85
Day 1: 5 15-02
14. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 5 15-00 84
Day 1: 5 15-00
14. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 5 15-00 84
Day 1: 5 15-00
16. Matt Herren Trussville, AL 5 14-14 82
Day 1: 5 14-14
17. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 14-13 81
Day 1: 5 14-13
18. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 5 14-10 80
Day 1: 5 14-10
19. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 14-07 79
Day 1: 5 14-07
20. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 5 14-06 78
Day 1: 5 14-06
20. Fletcher Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 5 14-06 78
Day 1: 5 14-06
22. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 5 14-05 76
Day 1: 5 14-05
23. Kelly Jordon Palestine, TX 5 14-04 75
Day 1: 5 14-04
24. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 14-03 74
Day 1: 5 14-03
25. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 14-00 73
Day 1: 5 14-00
26. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 5 13-13 72
Day 1: 5 13-13
27. Terry Butcher Talala, OK 5 13-11 71
Day 1: 5 13-11
27. Boyd Duckett Demopolis, AL 5 13-11 71
Day 1: 5 13-11
27. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 5 13-11 71
Day 1: 5 13-11
30. Denny Brauer Camdenton, MO 5 13-10 68
Day 1: 5 13-10
30. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 5 13-10 68
Day 1: 5 13-10
30. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 5 13-10 68
Day 1: 5 13-10
30. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 5 13-10 68
Day 1: 5 13-10
34. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 5 13-09 64
Day 1: 5 13-09
35. Jeremy Starks Scott Depot, WV 5 13-08 63
Day 1: 5 13-08
36. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 5 13-07 62
Day 1: 5 13-07
37. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 13-06 61
Day 1: 5 13-06
38. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 5 13-05 60
Day 1: 5 13-05
39. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 5 13-04 59
Day 1: 5 13-04
39. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 13-04 59
Day 1: 5 13-04
39. Morizo Shimizu Osaka JAPAN 5 13-04 59
Day 1: 5 13-04
42. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 5 13-02 56
Day 1: 5 13-02
42. Jason Quinn Lake Wylie, SC 5 13-02 56
Day 1: 5 13-02
44. Zell Rowland Montgomery, TX 5 13-01 54
Day 1: 5 13-01
45. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 5 12-15 53
Day 1: 5 12-15
45. Casey Scanlon Lenexa, KS 5 12-15 53
Day 1: 5 12-15
47. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 5 12-14 51
Day 1: 5 12-14
48. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 5 12-13 50
Day 1: 5 12-13
48. Chris Zaldain San Jose, CA 5 12-13 50
Day 1: 5 12-13
50. John Crews Salem, VA 5 12-11 48
Day 1: 5 12-11
51. Matt Greenblatt Port St Lucie, FL 5 12-09 47
Day 1: 5 12-09
52. Grant Goldbeck Boerne, TX 5 12-09 46
Day 1: 5 12-09
53. Casey D Ashley Donalds, SC 5 12-08 45
Day 1: 5 12-08
53. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 12-08 45
Day 1: 5 12-08
53. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 5 12-08 45
Day 1: 5 12-08
53. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 12-08 45
Day 1: 5 12-08
53. Nate Wellman Newaygo, MI 5 12-08 45
Day 1: 5 12-08
58. Billy McCaghren Mayflower, AR 5 12-06 40
Day 1: 5 12-06
59. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 5 12-05 39
Day 1: 5 12-05
60. Shaw E Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 5 12-03 38
Day 1: 5 12-03
61. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 11-14 37
Day 1: 5 11-14
62. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 5 11-13 36
Day 1: 5 11-13
63. Travis Manson De Pere, WI 5 11-12 35
Day 1: 5 11-12
64. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 5 11-11 34
Day 1: 5 11-11
65. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 5 11-10 33
Day 1: 5 11-10
66. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 5 11-06 32
Day 1: 5 11-06
66. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 5 11-06 32
Day 1: 5 11-06
68. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 5 11-05 30
Day 1: 5 11-05
68. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 5 11-05 30
Day 1: 5 11-05
70. Timmy Horton Spruce Pine, AL 5 11-00 28
Day 1: 5 11-00
71. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 5 10-13 27
Day 1: 5 10-13
72. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 4 10-13 26
Day 1: 4 10-13
73. Dustin Wilks Rocky Mount, NC 5 10-11 25
Day 1: 5 10-11
74. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 5 10-06 24
Day 1: 5 10-06
75. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 4 08-14 23
Day 1: 4 08-14
76. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 4 08-10 22
Day 1: 4 08-10
77. Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 4 08-09 21
Day 1: 4 08-09
78. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 4 08-07 20
Day 1: 4 08-07
79. Byron Velvick Boenre, TX 3 07-13 19
Day 1: 3 07-13
80. Jared Miller Norman, OK 4 07-09 18
Day 1: 4 07-09
81. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 4 07-08 17
Day 1: 4 07-08
82. Brent Broderick Oregonia, OH 3 06-15 16
Day 1: 3 06-15
83. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 2 06-13 15
Day 1: 2 06-13
84. Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 3 06-11 14
Day 1: 3 06-11
85. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 3 06-08 13
Day 1: 3 06-08
86. Chad Griffin Cresson, TX 2 05-11 12
Day 1: 2 05-11
87. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 3 05-06 11
Day 1: 3 05-06
88. Jamie Horton Centerville, AL 2 04-13 10
Day 1: 2 04-13
89. Pete Ponds Madison, MS 2 04-08 9
Day 1: 2 04-08
90. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 2 03-02 8
Day 1: 2 03-02
91. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 1 03-02 7
Day 1: 1 03-02
92. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 1 02-15 6
Day 1: 1 02-15
93. Russell Parrish Riesel, TX 1 02-04 5
Day 1: 1 02-04
93. David Smith Del City, OK 1 02-04 5
Day 1: 1 02-04
95. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 1 01-15 3
Day 1: 1 01-15
96. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
96. Michael Simonton Fremont, OH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 73 423 1117-12
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73 423 1117-12