DECATUR, Ala. — Sacking 18 pounds, 6 ounces of Wheeler Lake bass, Bassmaster Elite Series rookie phenom Ott DeFoe of Knoxville, Tenn., took the first-day lead at the Dixie Duel bass fishing tournament on Lake Wheeler, the June 16-19 regular-season finale. He led fellow Tennessean David Walker by just 4 ounces.
DeFoe, who leads the Rookie of the Year race, also raised the stakes Thursday in the overall points race to the postseason. If DeFoe can finish the Dixie Duel even close to how he started, he could find himself inside the Top 8 cut for the July All-Star Week postseason.
“It’s game-on now,” said the 25-year-old pro. “I want to make that postseason.”
And, while two anglers more seasoned than DeFoe battled Thursday for points to capture the Angler of the Year crown, the rookie put himself in contention not only for the postseason, but for the Dixie Duel trophy and its $100,000 prize. He’d also win an instant 2012 Classic qualification — a prize DeFoe has enough points to claim already.
DeFoe has serious challengers for the points and the Duel’s top prizes: Walker of Sevierville, Tenn., was second Thursday with 18-2. Only 1 ounce behind Walker was Chad Griffin of Cresson, Texas, third with 18-1. Paul Elias of Laurel, Miss., pinned down fourth place with 17-5, and Russ Lane of Prattville, Ala., weighed 16-6 for fifth place.
DeFoe started his day with at least one thing most others in the Elite field did not: private water, a shallow area. He said his morning bite geared up slowly, and his first fish was a small keeper — so small, it turned out later to be the one he culled in exchange for a 4-pounder.
He changed locations once, he said, and built up his bag over the day, still without having to share with anyone else.
“Both places I fished today were all mine,” he said, adding he’d found them during a previous event on Wheeler Lake. He said he has confidence the area will produce for him again Friday, especially because he intentionally laid off it early Thursday.
“And then I got dumb-lucky, too, and stopped on the way in, and caught a 3 1/2-pounder. That didn’t hurt,” DeFoe said.
Walker, after ending in 98th place at last week’s Elite Series event in Arkansas, showed the field on Thursday what a 180-degree recovery looks like. His first-day weight alone could prove to be what pushes Walker back above the final cutline for the 2012 Classic, a standing he lost after his Arkansas River bomb.
Unlike DeFoe, Walker’s sharing water.
“Wheeler Lake has a lot of ledges, but is famous for having a few really good ledges,” Walker said. “It’s not a surprise (to have to share). Everybody knows exactly what to look for, and with the Elite Series, the lake ends up fishing small. To find something nobody knows about? That’s an anomaly here.”
He said he caught a 4-11, his largest bass, on his first cast. That was the sign he needed that the day would go his way, he said.
“To me, it (the catch) was quite a relief,” Walker said. “To finish here in the Top 20 like I need to, I knew I had to catch a limit and get one big fish. When I got it on the first cast, the pressure was gone and I knew then that I had the hard part over with.”
Walker has appeared in six Classics, but not since 2006. Now 46, he was a successful FLW Tour pro for years, but dropped that circuit after 2010 to fish the Elite Series and have a chance at the Classic title once again. At 46th in points, Walker needs to move up about 10 ticks. Thanks to double-qualifiers, the cutline now hovers at 36th-37th place.
Griffin said he had a limit soon after 8 a.m. and was culling up by 8:15. He had mirror anchor fish, each 3-15.
“By 10 o’clock, I was wrapped up and done,” he said. “I went and sat under a dock and tried to take care of my fish.”
Griffin said he’s not sharing water, and that the spot is likely to replenish enough to do him good on Friday. He said he’s dragging a 6 1/2-inch Hag’s Tornado ringworm on a 3/4-ounce shaky head jig with a 5/0 hook, a jig by Ezee Jigs.
Griffin checked in an hour early because he was concerned about fish care. He knew he’d incur one 8-ounce penalty for the one he lost.
“After the practice I had, I knew 18 pounds was pretty good and I didn’t want to lose any more,” he said.
Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., and Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., left as the only two contenders for the 2011 Angler of the Year crown, fished Thursday for points. VanDam ended the day well ahead: eighth place to Evers’ 43rd.
“I covered a lot of ground. It’s not easy out there at all,” VanDam said.
VanDam has only to stay even with Evers to snap up the 2011 crown, which would be VanDam’s fourth consecutive and seventh of his career. But for Evers, just being on pace with VanDam wouldn’t help. Evers has to make up the 55 AOY points VanDam has on him — and, of course, add at least one more to tip the total his way — to win his first AOY title.
Both Evers and VanDam will compete Friday. The outcome after two days could decide the AOY crown.
“Anything can happen tomorrow,” VanDam said. “It’s a long ways from over.”
The largest bass weighed on Thursday was a 6-1 by Marty Robinson of Lyman, S.C. At tournament’s end, the best single fish over four days will win a Big Bass of Tournament bonus of $500. The big fish might prove to be the bass that helped Robinson earn enough points to get into the 2012 Classic, his first qualification.
The Dixie Duel taking place on Wheeler Lake out of Ingalls Harbor in Decatur, Ala., will be a designated drop-off point on Saturday, June 18, and Sunday, June 19, for donations to Tackle the Storm. Any type of usable tackle will be collected by the Decatur Convention and Visitors Bureau and distributed to children affected by the April 27 tornadoes that devastated many areas of Alabama.
DAY 1 STANDINGS- DIXIE DUEL
2011 Dixie Duel - Decatur, AL 6/16-6/19
Wheeler Lake, Decatur AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 5 18-06 305
Day 1: 5 18-06
2. David Walker Sevierville, TN 5 18-02 295
Day 1: 5 18-02
3. Chad Griffin Cresson, TX 5 18-01 290
Day 1: 5 18-01
4. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 5 17-05 285
Day 1: 5 17-05
5. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 5 16-06 280
Day 1: 5 16-06
6. Travis Manson De Pere, WI 5 16-02 276
Day 1: 5 16-02
7. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 5 15-14 272
Day 1: 5 15-14
8. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 15-06 268
Day 1: 5 15-06
9. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 15-01 264
Day 1: 5 15-01
10. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 5 14-12 260
Day 1: 5 14-12
11. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 14-12 257
Day 1: 5 14-12
12. Kelly Jordon Palestine, TX 5 14-11 254
Day 1: 5 14-11
13. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 5 14-10 251
Day 1: 5 14-10
14. Peter E Thliveros St Augustine, FL 5 14-09 248
Day 1: 5 14-09
15. Kevin Wirth Crestwood, KY 5 14-07 245
Day 1: 5 14-07
16. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 14-04 243
Day 1: 5 14-04
17. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 14-02 241
Day 1: 5 14-02
18. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 5 14-00 239
Day 1: 5 14-00
19. Denny Brauer Camdenton, MO 5 13-13 237
Day 1: 5 13-13
19. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 5 13-13 237
Day 1: 5 13-13
21. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 5 13-12 233
Day 1: 5 13-12
22. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 13-07 231
Day 1: 5 13-07
23. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 13-05 229
Day 1: 5 13-05
23. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 5 13-05 229
Day 1: 5 13-05
25. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 5 13-04 225
Day 1: 5 13-04
25. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 5 13-04 225
Day 1: 5 13-04
27. Matt Herren Trussville, AL 5 13-03 221
Day 1: 5 13-03
27. Dennis Tietje Roanoke, LA 5 13-03 221
Day 1: 5 13-03
29. Boyd Duckett Demopolis, AL 5 12-15 217
Day 1: 5 12-15
30. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 5 12-14 215
Day 1: 5 12-14
31. Russell Parrish Riesel, TX 5 12-14 213
Day 1: 5 12-14
32. Keith Poche Troy, AL 5 12-10 211
Day 1: 5 12-10
33. Nate Wellman Newaygo, MI 5 12-10 209
Day 1: 5 12-10
34. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 5 12-09 207
Day 1: 5 12-09
35. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 5 12-06 205
Day 1: 5 12-06
36. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 5 12-04 203
Day 1: 5 12-04
37. Jason Quinn Lake Wylie, SC 5 12-02 201
Day 1: 5 12-02
38. Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 5 11-14 199
Day 1: 5 11-14
38. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 5 11-14 199
Day 1: 5 11-14
40. Timmy Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 5 11-13 195
Day 1: 5 11-13
41. Dave Wolak Wake Forest, NC 5 11-12 193
Day 1: 5 11-12
42. Jeff Connella Bentley, LA 5 11-11 191
Day 1: 5 11-11
43. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 5 11-10 189
Day 1: 5 11-10
44. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 5 11-08 187
Day 1: 5 11-08
44. James Stricklin Texarkania, TX 5 11-08 187
Day 1: 5 11-08
46. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 5 11-08 183
Day 1: 5 11-08
47. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 5 11-05 181
Day 1: 5 11-05
48. Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 5 11-04 179
Day 1: 5 11-04
49. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 5 11-03 177
Day 1: 5 11-03
49. Dustin Wilks Rocky Mount, NC 5 11-03 177
Day 1: 5 11-03
51. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 5 11-01 173
Day 1: 5 11-01
52. Pat Golden High Point, NC 5 10-11 171
Day 1: 5 10-11
53. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 5 10-08 169
Day 1: 5 10-08
54. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 5 10-04 167
Day 1: 5 10-04
55. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 5 10-03 165
Day 1: 5 10-03
56. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 5 10-02 163
Day 1: 5 10-02
57. Terry Butcher Talala, OK 5 10-02 161
Day 1: 5 10-02
58. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 5 10-01 159
Day 1: 5 10-01
59. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 10-00 157
Day 1: 5 10-00
59. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 5 10-00 157
Day 1: 5 10-00
61. Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 5 09-15 153
Day 1: 5 09-15
62. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 5 09-14 151
Day 1: 5 09-14
63. Grant Goldbeck Boerne, TX 5 09-11 149
Day 1: 5 09-11
64. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 5 09-09 147
Day 1: 5 09-09
64. Rick Morris Virginia Beach, VA 5 09-09 147
Day 1: 5 09-09
66. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 5 09-06 143
Day 1: 5 09-06
67. Bradley Hallman Norman, OK 5 09-05 141
Day 1: 5 09-05
67. Zell Rowland Austin, TX 5 09-05 141
Day 1: 5 09-05
69. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 5 09-04 137
Day 1: 5 09-04
70. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 5 09-01 135
Day 1: 5 09-01
70. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 5 09-01 135
Day 1: 5 09-01
72. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 5 09-00 131
Day 1: 5 09-00
73. Matt Greenblatt Port St Lucie, FL 5 08-14 129
Day 1: 5 08-14
73. Clark Reehm Lufkin, TX 5 08-14 129
Day 1: 5 08-14
75. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 5 08-13 125
Day 1: 5 08-13
76. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 5 08-11 123
Day 1: 5 08-11
77. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 08-09 121
Day 1: 5 08-09
78. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 5 08-08 119
Day 1: 5 08-08
79. Alton Jones Waco, TX 5 08-08 117
Day 1: 5 08-08
80. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 5 08-07 115
Day 1: 5 08-07
81. John Crews Salem, VA 5 08-05 113
Day 1: 5 08-05
81. Jami Fralick Martin, SD 5 08-05 113
Day 1: 5 08-05
83. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 5 08-01 109
Day 1: 5 08-01
84. Craig Schuff Watauga, TX 5 07-15 107
Day 1: 5 07-15
85. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 07-13 105
Day 1: 5 07-13
86. Shaw E Grigsby Gainesville, FL 5 07-09 103
Day 1: 5 07-09
87. Randy Howell Springville, AL 5 07-08 101
Day 1: 5 07-08
88. David Smith Del City, OK 5 07-07 99
Day 1: 5 07-07
89. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 07-05 97
Day 1: 5 07-05
90. Lee Sisson Winter Haven, FL 4 07-04 95
Day 1: 4 07-04
91. Billy McCaghren Mayflower, AR 5 07-03 93
Day 1: 5 07-03
92. Dean Alexander Georgetown, TX 5 07-00 91
Day 1: 5 07-00
92. Ryan Said Wixom, MI 5 07-00 91
Day 1: 5 07-00
94. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 5 06-15 87
Day 1: 5 06-15
95. Pete Ponds Madison, MS 5 06-06 85
Day 1: 5 06-06
96. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 5 05-15 83
Day 1: 5 05-15
97. Brent Broderick Oregonia, OH 5 05-12 81
Day 1: 5 05-12
98. Ben Parker Springville, TN 3 04-00 79
Day 1: 3 04-00
99. Morizo Shimizu Matsugaoka JAPAN 1 01-14 77
Day 1: 1 01-14
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 96 488 1093-05
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96 488 1093-05