Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., holds the lead for the third day of the Huk Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Go RVing, bringing 22 pounds, 10 ounces to the scales on Saturday for a three-day total weight of 66-7.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 22, 2017

WADDINGTON, N.Y. — It’s been every pro fisherman’s nightmare for more than 25 years.

Superstar Kevin VanDam — a Michigan native and arguably the best smallmouth angler in the history of the sport — is hammering the smallies with no sign of slowing down.

And now, the remaining anglers in the field have just one more day to overtake him and keep him from recording his 24th career B.A.S.S. victory wire-to-wire style at the Huk Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Go RVing.

VanDam added five bass that weighed 22 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday and maintained the lead he’s held from the start with a three-day total of 66-7.

“Today was really calm,” he said. “The wind changed 180 degrees and blew the exact opposite direction from what it did (Friday). That really slowed things down, and it’s a lot easier to position your boat when it’s like that.

“You saw what the weights were like today. If it’s like that tomorrow, it’s going to be a shootout.”

Saturday’s semifinal round saw 13 bags of 20 pounds or more brought to the scales, including the 21-8 limit weighed in by VanDam’s nephew, Jonathon VanDam. The younger VanDam moved into second place with a three-day mark of 64-0.

“It’s been a great week so far for me,” JVD said. “I definitely needed a tournament like this for the points.

“All you can ask for is to put yourself into position to win, and I’ve definitely got a shot.”

Idaho angler Brandon Palaniuk had another strong day with 22-4 and rose from ninth place into third with 63-3. It would be a remarkable feat for Palaniuk to record a victory, considering he was in 72nd place on Day 1.

After those early struggles, Palaniuk said he believed he would need at least a 24-pound average for the remaining three days to have a chance for a win.

“I caught 25 Friday and 22 today, so I’m off that 24-pound average by about a pound,” Palaniuk said. “That probably means I need 25 or 26 to have a shot.

“That kind of bag is out there — and I’ve got to have them because all of these guys are going to catch 20 pounds again tomorrow.”

Brent Ehrler, a veteran California pro with more than $2 million in career earnings, caught 21-8 Saturday and jumped into fourth place with 63-1. Ehrler has two second-place finishes since joining the Elite Series in 2015, but he’s still seeking his first win.

After leading two events into the final round this year only to fall short, he said he feels strong about the position he’s in going into Championship Sunday.

“I like being back just a little bit instead of leading, but it’s a tough hill to climb,” Ehrler said. “I didn’t necessarily lay off of them today. But at one point, I stopped fishing a couple of spots and kind of defended them. I started looking around a little bit instead of pounding on them.

“The fish are there — and if everything is right, I think I can catch them.”

VanDam and Palaniuk are also locked in a battle with South Carolina pro Casey Ashley for the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year award. Palaniuk leads with 621 points, followed by Ashley with 616 and KVD with 604.

The tournament will conclude Sunday, with the Top 12 remaining anglers leaving Whittaker Park at 6:15 a.m. ET. The weigh-in will be held back at the park at 3:15 p.m., with a $100,000 first-place prize on the line.

The event is hosted by the Village of Waddington.

2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

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

2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats, Shimano, T-H Marine, Advance Auto Parts, 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), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), 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 Series presented by Magellan Outdoors, 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 HUK Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence presented by Go RVing 7/20-7/23
St. Lawrence River, Waddington NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

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

1. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 15 66-07 110 $500.00
Day 1: 5 24-05 Day 2: 5 19-08 Day 3: 5 22-10
2. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 15 64-00 109
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 21-15 Day 3: 5 21-08
3. Brandon Palaniuk Hayden, ID 15 63-03 108
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 25-00 Day 3: 5 22-04
4. Brent Ehrler Redlands, CA 15 63-01 107
Day 1: 5 22-09 Day 2: 5 19-00 Day 3: 5 21-08
5. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 15 62-01 106
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 20-14 Day 3: 5 19-05
6. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 15 62-01 105
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 21-08 Day 3: 5 20-01
7. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 15 61-10 104
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 19-08 Day 3: 5 23-06
8. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 15 61-01 103
Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 5 19-12 Day 3: 5 19-09
9. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 15 60-12 102
Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 22-08 Day 3: 5 18-10
10. James Elam Tulsa, OK 15 60-08 101
Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 5 18-01 Day 3: 5 20-11
11. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 15 60-03 100
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 17-13 Day 3: 5 23-06
12. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 15 59-15 99
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 18-00 Day 3: 5 21-09
13. Luke Clausen Otis Orchards, WA 15 59-12 98 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 18-12 Day 3: 5 23-12
14. David Walker Sevierville, TN 15 59-01 97 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 20-10 Day 3: 5 19-05
15. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 15 58-11 96 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-06 Day 2: 5 16-03 Day 3: 5 19-02
16. Josh Bertrand San Tan Valley, AZ 15 58-08 95 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 19-05 Day 3: 5 19-12
17. Koby Kreiger Bokeelia, FL 15 57-15 94 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 17-07 Day 3: 5 21-11
18. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 15 57-03 93 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 5 18-01 Day 3: 5 21-11
19. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 15 56-09 92 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 19-00 Day 3: 5 18-00
20. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 15 56-09 91 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 19-04 Day 3: 5 19-00
21. Dustin Connell Clanton, AL 15 56-04 90 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 20-10 Day 3: 5 16-01
22. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 15 56-03 89 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 21-10 Day 3: 5 20-15
23. Dave Lefebre Erie, PA 15 55-08 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-11 Day 2: 5 16-15 Day 3: 5 16-14
24. Jesse Wiggins Cullman, AL 15 55-00 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-10 Day 2: 5 17-05 Day 3: 5 16-01
25. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 15 54-15 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 20-00 Day 3: 5 17-11
26. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 15 54-15 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 18-09 Day 3: 5 19-12
27. John Murray Spring City, TN 15 54-15 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 19-02 Day 3: 5 16-15
28. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 54-15 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 18-06 Day 3: 5 17-08
29. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 15 54-14 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 16-03 Day 3: 5 18-10
30. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 15 54-09 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 19-07 Day 3: 5 18-13
31. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 15 54-07 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 17-07 Day 3: 5 16-08
32. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 54-03 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 21-10 Day 3: 5 16-15
33. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 15 54-02 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 15-13 Day 3: 5 17-13
34. Seth Feider Isle, MN 15 53-14 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-11 Day 2: 5 15-11 Day 3: 5 15-08
35. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 15 53-10 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 5 18-05
36. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 15 53-04 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 18-06 Day 3: 5 18-04
37. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 15 53-00 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 15-14 Day 3: 5 18-03
38. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 15 52-11 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 14-12
39. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 15 52-08 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 17-11 Day 3: 5 17-07
40. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 15 51-15 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 14-11 Day 3: 5 16-02
41. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 15 51-11 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 15-04 Day 3: 5 14-03
42. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 15 51-07 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 20-12 Day 3: 5 16-04
43. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 15 51-05 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 20-03 Day 3: 5 09-10
44. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 15 51-02 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 18-11 Day 3: 5 14-13
45. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 15 50-13 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 16-07 Day 3: 5 14-10
46. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 15 50-11 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 15-15 Day 3: 5 14-14
47. Jacob Wheeler Harrison, TN 15 49-12 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 17-00 Day 3: 5 14-12
48. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 15 49-09 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 18-13 Day 3: 5 11-13
49. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 15 49-01 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 5 14-04
50. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 15 48-07 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 19-15 Day 3: 5 13-09
51. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 15 48-00 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 16-14 Day 3: 5 12-13