LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Veteran angler Shaw Grigsby of Gainesville, Fla., put himself in prime position to win his first BASS tournament in six years Saturday by taking a lead of more than 3 pounds in the third and final Bassmaster Major, the Bassmaster Legends bass fishing tournament on the Arkansas River. Grigsby and five other finalists will battle it out Sunday for a $250,000 winner's check.
The 50-year-old Grigsby caught four fish weighing 11 pounds, 5 ounces on Saturday. Hometown favorite Scott Rook, who caught three fish, posted the second-highest total at 7-14, followed by another local, Kevin Short of nearby Mayflower, Ark., at 5-11 with two fish.
"I don't feel confident at all," said Grigsby, whose last of eight career BASS wins was at Georgia's Lake Seminole in February of 2000. "A lead here doesn't mean anything. Very honestly, I could zero (Sunday). The fishing is really tough. I was just blessed to catch keepers."
The unique format of the Bassmaster Majors placed the 12 finalists on a marked, six-hole course located along a nine-mile stretch of the river on Saturday, including the Little Rock waterfront area. The finalists had 70 minutes at each hole and started the day equally with no weight to their credit. The anglers chose the order they fished the holes based on their position in the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. The top six competitors will fish the six-hole course on Sunday with weights from Saturday carrying over.
Rook, whose years of experience on the Arkansas River made him a pre-event favorite, said that he fished until 11 a.m. before getting his first bite, which also became his first keeper. "After I got that first bite I figured out what to do," he said. "I did it the rest of the day and ended up catching two more keepers." Rook said he was flipping soft plastic baits.
Short, who has been fishing the entire tournament with a homemade topwater prop bait, was thrilled to advance to the final six. "I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd be sleeping in my own bed and fishing in my own backyard for $250,000," he said. "I'm not worried about the pressure. I just want to catch fish."
Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., was fourth Saturday with 4-2, followed by Gary Klein of Weatherford, Tex., at 4-1 and Gerald Swindle of Hayden, Ala., at 3-9 to complete the top six that will fish Sunday.
Grigsby, who declined to disclose his fishing tactics, said that he plans to follow the same pattern on the final day. "It's been a long dry spell," he said. "You work really hard to get in a position like this and just hope you don't mess it up. I just have to go out there and fish as hard as I can, catch every one of them and not make any mistakes."
The Legends is in honor of BASS founder Ray Scott.
Also, Arkansas angler Mike Wurm, who didn't make the final 12 for the Bassmaster Legends, sang the national anthem at Saturday's weigh-in. Wurm is an accomplished singer and once was selected to an all-state choir. He has performed the anthem at other smaller sporting events. "It had been a few years," he said. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I'd rather have been fishing."
2006 Bassmaster Legends 08/24-08/27
Arkansas River, Little Rock Ark.
(PRO Division) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Shaw E Grigsby, Jr Gainesville, Fla. 4 11-05 0 $2,000.00
Day 1: 3 7-06 Day 2: 2 4-09 Day 3: 4 11-05
2. Scott Rook Little Rock, Ark. 3 7-14 0
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 3 6-08 Day 3: 3 7-14
3. Kevin Short Mayflower, Ark. 2 5-11 0
Day 1: 2 4-05 Day 2: 4 8-04 Day 3: 2 5-11
4. Greg Hackney Gonzales, La. 2 4-02 0 $2,000.00
Day 1: 2 3-09 Day 2: 5 13-04 Day 3: 2 4-02
5. Gary Klein Weatherford, Texas 2 4-01 0
Day 1: 4 8-14 Day 2: 3 6-01 Day 3: 2 4-01
6. Gerald Swindle Hayden, Ala. 2 3-09 0
Day 1: 4 10-13 Day 2: 5 10-15 Day 3: 2 3-09
7. Steve Kennedy Auburn, Ala. 2 3-06 0 $16,500.00
Day 1: 4 9-12 Day 2: 2 4-01 Day 3: 2 3-06
8. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, Ark. 1 2-04 0 $16,000.00
Day 1: 3 5-03 Day 2: 5 12-05 Day 3: 1 2-04
9. Rick Clunn Ava, Mo. 1 2-03 0 $15,500.00
Day 1: 3 10-15 Day 2: 2 4-01 Day 3: 1 2-03
10. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu, Ariz. 1 2-00 0 $15,000.00
Day 1: 3 5-14 Day 2: 3 8-00 Day 3: 1 2-00
11. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, Mo. 0 0-00 0 $14,050.00
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 0 0-00 Day 3: 0 0-00
11. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, Mich. 0 0-00 0 $13,050.00
Day 1: 3 7-02 Day 2: 5 11-13 Day 3: 0 0-00
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Big Bass
Day
1 Alton Jones Waco, Texas 4-12 $1,000.00
2 Greg Hackney Gonzales, La. 4-08 $1,000.00
3 Shaw E Grigsby, Jr Gainesville, Fla. 3-14 $1,000.00
Day
1 Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, Mo. 15-08 $1,000.00
2 Greg Hackney Gonzales, La. 13-04 $1,000.00
3 Shaw E Grigsby, Jr Gainesville, Fla. 11-05 $1,000.00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 2 99 241-15
2 5 90 207-03
3 0 20 46-07
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7 209 495-09