New Faces Leading The Field At Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Cheroke

KNOXVILLE/JEFFERSON COUNTY, Tenn. — With the Bassmaster Elite at Cherokee Lake having reached its halfway point, a trio of Elite Series newcomers are sitting atop the standings with a chance to make their mark on the trail very early in the season.

Jesse Wiggins of Cullman, Ala., came to eastern Tennessee this week, having already won two Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens in the past 10 months. Now, after catching 35 pounds, 15 ounces the first two days, Wiggins is leading his first-ever Elite Series event with a 1-6 advantage over Indiana pro Jacob Wheeler — a newcomer to the Elite Series who doesn’t qualify as a rookie because of his past career earnings on other trails.

Wiggins has relied on one incredible spot the first two days — and probably hasn’t spent more than three hours fishing it in 16 total hours of competition.

“I was done a little after 9 a.m. today,” said Wiggins, who has been catching big limits off the spot early and then ceasing fishing in hopes of “saving” more bass to catch on the remaining days of the tournament. “After that, I just backed off it and kept guarding it.”

The place is easy enough to guard, considering how small it is.

“It’s only about the size of three boats,” said Wiggins, who caught 19-1 Thursday and 16-14 Friday. “It’s just a hole in a pocket that stuck out like a sore thumb on a map. I can’t believe no one else found it.”

Wiggins said he had a tough time locating fish in practice because the lake is so full of rocks, and it can sometimes be hard to differentiate between fish and rocks on his depthfinder. But his magic spot has nothing but a clay bottom, and that makes the fish easy to see.

“I just go around in circles until I see one — and then I know it’s a fish, so I just drop down to it,” Wiggins said. “The fishing was a little slower this morning, and it took me a little longer to get a limit. But every time I set the hook on one, it was a 3-pounder.”

Wheeler began the day on a sour note, realizing he had lost about half of the waypoints he marked during practice on Cherokee because of a glitch in his GPS system. But once he moved past the shock, he managed to find enough of his good spots to catch 16-15.

“It was just a jacked-up deal,” Wheeler said. “Sometimes you just have issues like that. I learned a valuable lesson — now I know I need to have an extra card for my depthfinder with me at all times, even right before the tournament.”

Wheeler said he benefitted greatly from “sneak holes” — inconspicuous areas that were being overlooked by many anglers.

“I’m not just fishing points or flats or big areas,” Wheeler said. “I’m fishing little subtle places on those bigger areas where, if you find fish, you’re going to get bit.

“Today, I felt like the experience I’ve gained on this lake just allowed me to pull it together at the end.”

Jamie Hartman of Newport, N.Y., who is designated an Elite Series rookie, has a lot of experience fishing for smallmouth bass. Many people assumed he would feel right at home fishing deep water for smallies this week.

He said that hasn’t been the case.

“The kind of fishing I’m doing this week — I’ve never even seen this kind of fishing,” Hartman said. “The structure that’s here is awesome, but I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

So why has he been able to catch 17-10 and 16-13 the first two days?

“I went in with a game plan that they’re wintering fish, and they were going to be deep,” Hartman said. “That’s the way I’ve been fishing. It’s worked so far, but who knows how long it will hold up.”

Minnesota angler Seth Feider is in fourth place with 33-11, and Tennessee pro David Mullins is fifth with 33-10.

The tournament will resume at 7:15 a.m. ET Saturday with the Top 51 remaining anglers taking off from Cherokee Lake Dam and TVA Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at the Knoxville Convention Center at 4 p.m.

The field will be trimmed to the Top 12 after Saturday’s round, with those anglers vying for the $100,000 first-place prize Sunday.

Randall Tharp of Port St. Joe, Fla., is in the lead for the Phoenix Boats Big Bass award with a 5-5 largemouth.

The event is hosted by the Economic Development Alliance of Jefferson County and Visit Knoxville.

2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Shell Rotella, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Power-Pole, Yamaha, Berkley, Huk

2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats, Shimano, Livingston Lures, T-H Marine, Academy Sports + Outdoors

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation presented by Magellan, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

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Media Contact: JamieDay Matthews, 205-313-0945, [email protected] or Dave Precht, 205-313-0931, [email protected]
2017 Bassmaster Elite at Cherokee Lake 2/9-2/12
Cherokee Lake, Knoxville TN.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Jesse Wiggins Cullman, AL 10 35-15 110
Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 16-14
2. Jacob Wheeler Indianapolis, IN 10 34-09 109
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 16-15
3. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 10 34-07 108
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 16-13
4. Seth Feider Bloomington, MN 10 33-11 107
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 5 15-01
5. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 33-10 106
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 16-14
6. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 10 32-15 105
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 20-11
7. Brandon Palaniuk Hayden, ID 10 32-07 104
Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 5 15-04
8. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 10 32-06 103
Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 5 14-15
9. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 10 32-00 102
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 16-14
10. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 10 31-14 101
Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 5 13-13
11. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 10 31-12 100
Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 5 15-01
12. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 10 31-08 99
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 15-00
13. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 31-06 98
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 16-04
14. Dustin Connell Clanton, AL 10 31-02 97
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 15-10
15. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 10 31-00 96
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 15-12
16. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 10 30-13 95
Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 15-02
17. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 10 30-10 94
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 14-08
18. David Williams Newton, NC 10 30-10 93
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 14-09
19. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 30-09 92
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 14-10
20. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 10 30-09 91
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 15-02
21. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 10 30-04 90
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 14-04
22. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 29-13 89
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 14-09
23. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 10 29-12 88
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 17-08
24. Adrian Avena Vineland, NJ 10 29-10 87
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 13-03
25. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 10 29-07 86
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 15-05
26. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 10 29-05 85
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 14-12
27. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 29-01 84
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 16-12
28. James Elam Tulsa, OK 10 29-01 83
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 14-08
29. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 10 28-15 82
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 14-06
30. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 28-06 81
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 13-00
31. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 10 28-05 80
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 13-11
32. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 10 28-04 79
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 15-00
33. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 28-03 78
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 13-09
34. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 10 28-02 77
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 12-15
35. Jordan Lee Grant, AL 9 27-12 76
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 4 10-04
36. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 8 27-05 75
Day 1: 3 09-14 Day 2: 5 17-07
37. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 27-04 74
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 14-03
38. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 10 27-03 73
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 12-09
39. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 10 27-01 72
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 13-06
40. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 9 26-13 71
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 4 09-15
41. Boyd Duckett Guntersville, AL 10 26-13 70
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 15-06
42. Darrell Ocamica New Plymouth, ID 10 25-14 69
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 13-04
43. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 25-12 68
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 13-14
44. Mark Daniels Jr. Tuskegee, AL 10 25-11 67
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 11-01
45. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 7 25-07 66
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 2 06-00
46. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 9 25-07 65
Day 1: 4 09-06 Day 2: 5 16-01
47. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 9 25-07 64
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 4 10-02
48. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 9 25-07 63
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 4 10-13
49. Alton Jones Jr. Lorena, TX 10 25-05 62
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 13-13
50. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 8 25-04 61
Day 1: 3 09-03 Day 2: 5 16-01
51. David Fritts Lexington, NC 9 25-02 60
Day 1: 4 12-12 Day 2: 5 12-06
52. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 8 25-01 59
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 3 09-09
53. Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, VA 9 25-01 58
Day 1: 4 11-01 Day 2: 5 14-00
54. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 10 25-00 57
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 11-10
55. John Murray Spring City, TN 10 24-15 56
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 13-13
56. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 8 24-08 55
Day 1: 3 10-02 Day 2: 5 14-06
57. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 10 24-04 54
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 11-07
58. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 10 24-01 53
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 12-10
59. John Hunter Jr Shelbyville, KY 10 23-13 52
Day 1: 5 09-07 Day 2: 5 14-06
60. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 9 23-12 51
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 4 08-15
61. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 10 23-11 50
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 12-13
62. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 9 23-09 49
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 4 08-05
63. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 8 23-09 48
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 3 10-00
64. David Walker Sevierville, TN 9 23-03 47
Day 1: 4 09-06 Day 2: 5 13-13
65. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 10 22-15 46
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 10-12
66. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 10 22-04 45
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 08-15
67. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 7 21-12 44
Day 1: 2 03-11 Day 2: 5 18-01
68. Brent Ehrler Newport Beach, CA 7 21-12 43
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 2 04-06
69. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 8 21-06 42
Day 1: 3 06-15 Day 2: 5 14-07
70. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 7 20-14 41
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 2 06-05
71. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 8 20-12 40
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 3 07-15
72. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 9 20-11 39
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 4 08-11
73. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 8 20-10 38
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 3 08-07
74. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 8 20-05 37
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 3 07-10
75. Koby Kreiger Bokeelia, FL 8 20-00 36
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 3 04-11
76. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 9 19-15 35
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 4 08-03
77. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 7 19-09 34
Day 1: 2 06-11 Day 2: 5 12-14
78. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 8 19-08 33
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 3 06-06
79. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 8 19-08 32
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 3 07-06
80. Jay Brainard Enid, OK 8 19-05 31
Day 1: 4 08-14 Day 2: 4 10-07
81. Gerald Spohrer Gonzales, LA 6 18-14 30
Day 1: 1 03-03 Day 2: 5 15-11
82. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 8 18-13 29
Day 1: 4 09-10 Day 2: 4 09-03
83. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 7 17-14 28
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 5 14-02
84. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 17-13 27
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 17-13
85. Kelly Jordon Flint, TX 6 17-09 26
Day 1: 1 03-06 Day 2: 5 14-03
86. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 7 17-05 25
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 2 04-12
87. Morizo Shimizu Suita, Osaka JAPAN 7 16-14 24
Day 1: 4 08-09 Day 2: 3 08-05
88. Dave Lefebre Erie, PA 7 16-13 23
Day 1: 4 08-14 Day 2: 3 07-15
89. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 6 16-11 22
Day 1: 3 07-13 Day 2: 3 08-14
90. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 6 16-03 21
Day 1: 1 04-01 Day 2: 5 12-02
91. Jesse Tacoronte Orlando, FL 5 15-07 20
Day 1: 1 02-12 Day 2: 4 12-11
92. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 6 15-06 19
Day 1: 2 04-07 Day 2: 4 10-15
93. Fred Roumbanis London, AR 6 14-06 18
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 1 03-03
94. Matt Lee Guntersville, AL 5 13-13 17
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
95. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 6 12-12 16
Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 1 02-11
96. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 5 12-11 15
Day 1: 2 04-15 Day 2: 3 07-12
97. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 5 12-08 14
Day 1: 4 09-15 Day 2: 1 02-09
98. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 4 12-05 13
Day 1: 2 05-02 Day 2: 2 07-03
99. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 4 10-07 12
Day 1: 3 07-08 Day 2: 1 02-15
100. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 4 10-01 11
Day 1: 2 04-13 Day 2: 2 05-04
101. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 4 09-04 10
Day 1: 4 09-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Chris Zaldain Laughlin, NV 3 08-13 9
Day 1: 1 03-07 Day 2: 2 05-06
103. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 4 08-01 8
Day 1: 4 08-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 3 06-06 7
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-06
105. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 2 06-03 6
Day 1: 2 06-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
106. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 3 06-02 5
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 2 04-05
107. Brandon Card Knoxvillge, TN 2 05-08 4
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 1 03-08
108. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 3 04-13 3
Day 1: 2 03-07 Day 2: 1 01-06
109. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 1 03-05 2
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-05
110. Luke Clausen Otis Orchards, WA 1 03-00 1
Day 1: 1 03-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
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