Casey Scanlon Takes Over Bull Shoals Lead on Day 3

Power Pole

Elite Series Bull Shoals Day 3 Leader Casey Scanlon – photo courtesy B.A.S.S.

BULL SHOALS, Ark. — Sunday was a different day for Casey Scanlon in more ways than one.

Scanlon of Lenexa, Kan., took over at the Ramada Quest on Sunday, the third of four competition days of the Bassmaster Elite Series event on Bull Shoals Lake.

A consistent Scanlon weighed 13-12 Sunday — not as good, but still in the ball park of his 14-13 of Day 1 and 15-5 of Day 2. He tallied 43 pounds, 14 ounces to become the new leader.

The surprise of the day wasn’t that Scanlon jumped into the hot seat — he was, after all, in second place after two days. The upset was that Greg Vinson of Wetumpka, Ala., the leader of both Day 1 and Day 2, fell to 23rd place after his fishing spot shut down. Vinson was knocked out of the game; only the Top 12 will advance to Monday’s championship round.

Scanlon’s threat became Terry Scroggins of San Mateo, Fla., 12 ounces behind the new leader. Scroggins — as consistent over the past three days as was Scanlon — put together 43-2 over three days to move from fourth place into the runner-up spot.

Cliff Prince of Palatka, Fla., saw a good return on the day’s largest bag, a 14-11. It popped him from sixth place into third with a three-day weight of 42-15. Prince trailed Scanlon by 15 ounces.

Claiming fourth place with 41-15 was 2013 Bassmaster Classic champ Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss. In fifth place with 40-7 was Jonathon VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich.

A second-year Elite pro, Scanlon is facing heavy pressure from veteran “Big Show” Scroggins, Prince (also in his second Elite season) and the other nine finalists. The spread between 12th place and first place was 6 pounds heading into the final round.

But even though his lead could be described in ounces, it’s better than being the follower, Scanlon said.

“In this tournament, when it’s coming down to ounces, I’d rather be ahead than behind,” he said.

Scanlon said he had a limit early, just as he’d had the other two days. By 8 a.m., five bass were in his livewell, but he wasn’t satisfied with the weight.

“They were a lot smaller,” he said. “I’d been saving a few areas, which I went to today, but they didn’t pan out. I think it was a timing issue. They didn’t bite for several hours. It was just a different bite today.”

Scanlon said he lost several “pretty good ones.”

“No telling how big they were, but they felt like good ones,” he said.

Sanlon returned to his starting spot late in the day and made several culls to steadily upgrade his weight. Yet something was different about the bite.

“It seemed I couldn’t do any wrong the first two days,” Scanlon said. “Wherever I went, I could pull up and catch them. Not today; they bit early, they bit late, but during the middle of the day, I could barely get a bite no matter where I was.”

He could not pinpoint the reason for the on-again, off-again results from Bull Shoals. The weather was favorable, he said. The temperatures were rising, and the wind was blowing enough to ripple the water and help disguise him from spooky bass in the clear water.

Scanlon is targeting bass in deep water. He said he has checked some pockets for bigger bass moving onto shallower spawning beds, but he didn’t find any.

“I’ll stay out deep tomorrow and hope it pans out,” he said.

Scroggins said he’s catching bass out deep, but is noticing that they’re moving to the banks. That was a surprise to him, he said, given that the water conditions had not changed much in two days.

“It’s starting to get tough,” said Scroggins, who on Saturday said he had 50 bites and 32 keepers. “I didn’t get near the bites I had the last two days. The quality is starting to leave. I had 13 pounds today, and I had to struggle to catch them.”

Scroggins said he might abandon his deep-water bite and hit the banks to try for spawners.

Prince, less than 1 pound behind Scanlon, was elated about his day and his 14-11 bag

“I had the best day I’ve had all week,” he said. “I’ve kind of figured them out as the week’s gone on, how they’re setting up with this wind, and I think I can duplicate tomorrow.”

He and Steve Kennedy shared a creek. Prince had one side, Kennedy the other. “I was kind of scared we’d caught them all. But I left and Steve still caught them after I left,” Prince said.

He said he’ll return to the creek. Finishing at 14th place, Kennedy is out of the tournament, so Prince will have it to himself Monday.

The largest bass of the day, a 4-11, was brought in by Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla. But the 5-6 that Kentucky pro Bradley Roy weighed on Day 1 stuck as the Quest’s largest so far. After Day 4, the best bass will be worth the Carhartt Big Bass prize of $1,000 plus a $500 bonus if the angler was wearing Carhartt apparel.

Vinson’s Day 1 bag of 16-13 remained the frontrunner for the Quest’s Berkley Heavyweight Award of $500.

To win the award would be a keeper memory for Vinson. But it will take a while to get his 5-12 bag of Sunday out of his head.

“When I got into my creek today, a lot of trash had pushed in, and I couldn’t make the cast I needed to make with my jerkbait,” Vinson said. “I thought I could reconnect with the fish, but I couldn’t. My head’s still spinning.”

The Ramada Quest wraps up Monday, one day later than usual because Day 1 was delayed until Friday after dangerous weather conditions on Thursday forced a postponement. Only the Top 12 will compete Monday for a $100,000 top prize.

The Quest’s first-place prize also includes an instant-in for the 2014 Bassmaster Classic. Pros also are earning points toward a Classic qualification. The top pro in points at the end of the eight-event regular season will take the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year trophy.

Fans can follow the action on Bassmaster.com and are invited to the Bull Shoals-White River State Park to watch the pros weigh their catches. The Monday weigh-in will begin at 3:15 p.m. CT.

2013 Bassmaster Elite Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha

2013 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Carhartt, Diet Mountain Dew, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Luck-E-Strike, Power-Pole, Ramada, Shimano

2013 Bassmaster Elite Series Proud Partner: Mustang Survival

About B.A.S.S.
For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and an expansive tournament structure while connecting directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.

The Bassmaster brand and its multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications — Bassmaster Magazine and B.A.S.S. Times — comprehensive website Bassmaster.com and ESPN2 and Outdoor Channel television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, B.A.S.S. Nation events and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.

B.A.S.S. offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members and remains focused on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala.

2013 Ramada Quest 4/19-4/22

Bull Shoals Lake, Bull Shoals  AR.

(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

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

1.  Casey Scanlon          Lenexa, KS              15  43-14  100

Day 1: 5   14-13     Day 2: 5   15-05     Day 3: 5   13-12

2.  Terry Scroggins        San Mateo, FL           15  43-02   99

Day 1: 5   14-14     Day 2: 5   14-11     Day 3: 5   13-09

3.  Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL             15  42-15   98

Day 1: 5   14-03     Day 2: 5   14-01     Day 3: 5   14-11

4.  Cliff Pace             Petal, MS               15  41-15   97

Day 1: 5   15-02     Day 2: 5   14-12     Day 3: 5   12-01

5.  Jonathon VanDam        Kalamazoo, MI           15  40-07   96

Day 1: 5   12-12     Day 2: 5   13-06     Day 3: 5   14-05

6.  Fred Roumbanis         Bixby, OK               15  40-07   95

Day 1: 5   14-00     Day 2: 5   14-00     Day 3: 5   12-07   a

7.  Britt Myers            Lake Wylie, SC          15  40-06   94

Day 1: 5   13-05     Day 2: 5   14-06     Day 3: 5   12-11

8.  Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO        15  39-09   93

Day 1: 5   14-08     Day 2: 5   13-05     Day 3: 5   11-12

9.  Casey D Ashley         Donalds, SC             15  39-08   92

Day 1: 5   13-13     Day 2: 5   12-06     Day 3: 5   13-05

10. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            15  38-12   91

Day 1: 5   13-11     Day 2: 5   12-00     Day 3: 5   13-01

11. Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK           15  38-08   90

Day 1: 5   14-15     Day 2: 5   11-08     Day 3: 5   12-01

12. Chris Zaldain          San Jose, CA            15  37-14   89

Day 1: 5   14-00     Day 2: 5   13-09     Day 3: 5   10-05

13. Skeet Reese            Auburn, CA              15  37-11   88  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   15-13     Day 2: 5   10-14     Day 3: 5   11-00

14. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL              15  37-10   87  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   10-03     Day 2: 5   13-13     Day 3: 5   13-10

15. Aaron Martens          Leeds, AL               15  37-10   86  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   12-02     Day 2: 5   13-03     Day 3: 5   12-05

16. Jami Fralick           Martin, SD              15  37-09   85  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   11-12     Day 2: 5   11-05     Day 3: 5   14-08

17. Gerald Swindle         Warrior, AL             15  37-02   84  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   13-02     Day 2: 5   12-08     Day 3: 5   11-08

18. Jason Williamson       Aiken, SC               15  37-02   83  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   11-09     Day 2: 5   13-02     Day 3: 5   12-07

19. Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI           15  36-14   82  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   13-09     Day 2: 5   09-13     Day 3: 5   13-08

20. Jeremy Starks          Scott Depot, WV         15  36-09   81  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   14-03     Day 2: 5   12-03     Day 3: 5   10-03

21. BJ Haseotes            Centerville, MA         15  36-06   80  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   13-13     Day 2: 5   11-10     Day 3: 5   10-15

22. Morizo Shimizu         Osaka JAPAN             15  36-04   79  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   09-13     Day 2: 5   13-10     Day 3: 5   12-13

23. Greg Vinson            Wetumpka, AL            15  36-01   78  $10,500.00

Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 5   13-08     Day 3: 5   05-12

24. Shaw E Grigsby Jr.     Gainesville, FL         15  36-00   77  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   12-05     Day 2: 5   11-13     Day 3: 5   11-14

25. Edwin Evers            Talala, OK              15  35-15   76  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   11-10     Day 2: 5   10-12     Day 3: 5   13-09

26. James Elam             Tulsa, OK               15  35-13   75  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   13-02     Day 2: 5   09-05     Day 3: 5   13-06

27. Pete Ponds             Madison, MS             15  35-12   74  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   13-11     Day 2: 5   14-11     Day 3: 5   07-06

28. Scott Ashmore          Broken Arrow, OK        15  35-11   73  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   13-11     Day 2: 5   11-03     Day 3: 5   10-13

29. Gary Klein             Weatherford, TX         15  35-09   72  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   13-05     Day 2: 5   10-11     Day 3: 5   11-09

30. Paul Elias             Laurel, MS              15  35-06   71  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   12-05     Day 2: 5   10-03     Day 3: 5   12-14

31. Bradley Roy            Lancaster, KY           15  35-05   70  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   13-15     Day 2: 5   10-02     Day 3: 5   11-04

32. Nate Wellman           Newaygo, MI             15  35-05   69  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   11-15     Day 2: 5   11-13     Day 3: 5   11-09

33. Hank Cherry            Maiden, NC              15  34-15   68  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   11-13     Day 2: 5   11-09     Day 3: 5   11-09

34. J Todd Tucker          Moultrie, GA            15  34-08   67  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   12-06     Day 2: 5   13-00     Day 3: 5   09-02

35. Boyd Duckett           Demopolis, AL           15  34-08   66  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   11-09     Day 2: 5   11-02     Day 3: 5   11-13

36. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ         15  34-05   65  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   12-08     Day 2: 5   13-04     Day 3: 5   08-09

37. Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR         15  34-04   64  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   13-12     Day 2: 5   09-06     Day 3: 5   11-02

38. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              15  34-01   63  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   11-07     Day 2: 5   11-07     Day 3: 5   11-03

39. Matt Reed              Madisonville, TX        15  33-12   62  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   11-04     Day 2: 5   11-14     Day 3: 5   10-10

40. James Niggemeyer       Van, TX                 15  33-09   61  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   11-08     Day 2: 5   13-00     Day 3: 5   09-01

41. Ish Monroe             Hughson, CA             13  32-11   60  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   11-09     Day 2: 5   15-08     Day 3: 3   05-10

42. Matt Greenblatt        Port St Lucie, FL       15  32-08   59  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   13-09     Day 2: 5   09-00     Day 3: 5   09-15

43. Mark Davis             Mount Ida, AR           15  32-05   58  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   12-04     Day 2: 5   10-01     Day 3: 5   10-00

44. Jeff Kriet             Ardmore, OK             15  32-00   57  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   11-05     Day 2: 5   12-12     Day 3: 5   07-15

45. Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira, KS        14  31-09   56  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   14-09     Day 2: 5   09-09     Day 3: 4   07-07

46. Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA       15  31-06   55  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   11-10     Day 2: 5   12-02     Day 3: 5   07-10

47. Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX              13  30-03   54  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   13-03     Day 2: 5   11-07     Day 3: 3   05-09

48. Randy Howell           Springville, AL         14  29-13   53  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   14-15     Day 2: 5   08-10     Day 3: 4   06-04

49. Dennis Tietje          Roanoke, LA             11  28-08   52  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   12-13     Day 2: 5   13-11     Day 3: 1   02-00

50. Charlie Hartley        Grove City, OH          14  27-01   51  $10,000.00

Day 1: 5   11-15     Day 2: 5   10-06     Day 3: 4   04-12

———————————————————————–

Totals

Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight

1        84       460      1097-14

2        80       457      1021-01

3        44       239       537-00

———————————-

208      1156      2655-15