Chris Lane Leads Day 2 at B.A.S.S. Elite Sabine River

Bucks Skeeter Yamaha

Chris Lane Leads Day Two of Elite Series Sabine River - photo by Seigo Saito - Bassmaster

Chris Lane Leads Day Two of Elite Series Sabine River – photo by Seigo Saito – Bassmaster

ORANGE, Texas – Chris Lane knows things can change quickly on an unpredictable fishery like the Sabine River.

So he can’t say for sure if the pattern he’s fishing will hold up long enough for him to win the Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River presented by STARK Cultural Venues.

But for the moment, it certainly seems to be serving him well.

After a fog delay of more than two hours Friday — the second such delay in as many days — Lane caught five bass that weighed 12 pounds, 13 ounces and pushed his two-day total to 28-7. That mark put him in the lead for the second straight day, with Aaron Martens (25-14), Shaw Grigsby (24-6), Todd Faircloth (23-8) and Scott Rook (21-6) trailing behind him.

The field will be trimmed to the Top 53 anglers for Saturday’s round, and those in contention will be forced to chase fish that have experienced heavy pressure all week.

“I really think I’m going to need 13 to 15 pounds each day the next two days to win,” Lane said. “Aaron is catching them, Shaw is catching them — and they’re all coming from similar areas. Will that hold up to win? That’s going to be the question.”

Lane continued targeting spawning fish in water less than 2 feet deep — and once again, his best fish came during one brief period of the day. He said it started between noon and 1 p.m., and was influenced heavily by tidal flows.

“I pulled in to where I was yesterday, and there were five or six boats in the back,” Lane said. “So I stayed out, and I caught one as soon as I got there — my first flip. Then I caught another one, caught another one, caught another one and then I culled one. It happened just that fast.”

Martens, who crossed paths with Lane several times Thursday, caught five bass Friday that weighed 12-0 with Grigsby close enough to see his every move. The Alabama pro and two-time Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year is running a similar shallow pattern to Lane’s and watching closely for those moments when the tidal flow is just right.

“I stayed in one area all day because I’m not planning on going back, and I beat it up as best I could,” Martens said. “The fishing is getting a little tougher because the easy ones are getting caught. The ones that are left are hard to catch.

“Hopefully I can go to a different area tomorrow that nobody has been hammering, and it will pay off.”

Grigsby didn’t seem thrilled with the increased level of company he had in the spot that was so good to him on Day 1. But he still put together a solid five-fish limit that weighed 11-2.

Widely known as one of the top sight-fishing anglers in the world, Grigsby said he has been catching bedding fish this week. But with a heavy stain on the water in most places, he said “sight” has had little to do with the technique he’s using.

“They’re spawners,” Grigsby said. “So they’ll bite it and swim off with it — and when you set the hook, you miss 50 percent of them. As soon as you think ‘I got him,’ you ain’t got Jack.

“On clearer lakes like Harris Chain, I can watch them and know when the hook is in their mouths. You can’t do that here.”

Martens wasn’t the only contender who milked the same area as Grigsby on Friday.

Texas angler Todd Faircloth, who won the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series event on the Sabine River, was without a keeper at noon. But he started on the outer edge of the inlet where Grigsby, Martens and several others were fishing and quickly put together a catch of 13-0.

“Things started off slow for me today just like they did yesterday,” Faircloth said. “But I was able to salvage the day. I think it has more to do with that area. I haven’t been able to get to that area until later in the day, and there’s a lot of fish being caught out of there.

“I don’t know if that area is going to hold up. I didn’t think it would today, but it did.”

After Saturday’s round, only the Top 12 anglers will advance to Sunday’s championship.

Lane will take home the Livingston Lures Leader Award of $500 for leading on Day 2.

Daily takeoffs are scheduled for 7:10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at the City of Orange Boat Ramp with weigh-ins at the same location at 4 p.m. The Outdoor Expo and Orange County River Festival open Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m. All Bassmaster events are free.

Follow daily live coverage online at Bassmaster.com.

The Bassmasters TV show on ESPN2 will feature the Sabine event on Sunday, April 5 at 8 a.m. ET.

2015 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, GoPro, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha

2015 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: A.R.E. Accessories, Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Huk Performance Fishing, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Power-Pole, Rigid Industries, Shimano

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport. 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 presented by Allstate, Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation events, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.

2015 Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River Presented By STARK Cultural Venues 3/19-3/22
Sabine River System, Orange, Texas
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2

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

1.  Chris Lane             Guntersville, AL        10  28-07  100
Day 1: 5   15-10     Day 2: 5   12-13
2.  Aaron Martens          Leeds, AL               10  25-14   99
Day 1: 5   13-14     Day 2: 5   12-00
3.  Shaw Grigsby Jr.       Gainesville, FL         10  24-06   98
Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   11-02
4.  Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX              10  23-08   97
Day 1: 5   10-08     Day 2: 5   13-00
5.  Scott Rook             Little Rock, AR         10  21-06   96
Day 1: 5   10-09     Day 2: 5   10-13
6.  Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            10  21-05   95
Day 1: 5   12-09     Day 2: 5   08-12
7.  Mike McClelland        Bella Vista, AR          9  20-15   94
Day 1: 5   11-07     Day 2: 4   09-08
8.  Dean Rojas             Lake Havasu City, AZ    10  19-15   93
Day 1: 5   09-09     Day 2: 5   10-06
9.  Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN         8  19-12   92
Day 1: 5   12-03     Day 2: 3   07-09
10. Gerald Swindle         Warrior, AL             10  19-10   91
Day 1: 5   09-14     Day 2: 5   09-12
11. Marty Robinson         Lyman, SC                9  19-02   90
Day 1: 5   10-15     Day 2: 4   08-03
12. Mike Kernan            Wylie, TX                7  18-05   89
Day 1: 3   10-01     Day 2: 4   08-04
13. Chris Zaldain          San Jose, CA             8  18-00   88
Day 1: 5   11-06     Day 2: 3   06-10
14. Davy Hite              Ninety Six, SC           8  17-15   87
Day 1: 5   10-08     Day 2: 3   07-07
15. Keith Poche            Pike Road, AL           10  17-14   86
Day 1: 5   07-11     Day 2: 5   10-03
16. Justin Lucas           Guntersville, AL         9  17-07   85
Day 1: 5   09-03     Day 2: 4   08-04
17. Terry Scroggins        San Mateo, FL            6  17-02   84
Day 1: 5   15-02     Day 2: 1   02-00
18. Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA               8  16-15   83
Day 1: 5   11-06     Day 2: 3   05-09
19. Mark Davis             Mount Ida, AR            8  16-14   82
Day 1: 3   06-02     Day 2: 5   10-12
20. Brandon Coulter        Knoxville, TN            7  16-06   81
Day 1: 2   06-11     Day 2: 5   09-11
21. Boyd Duckett           Guntersville, AL         8  16-00   80
Day 1: 5   09-09     Day 2: 3   06-07
22. Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR          7  15-15   79
Day 1: 5   11-02     Day 2: 2   04-13
23. Hank Cherry Jr         Maiden, NC               9  15-12   78
Day 1: 4   06-15     Day 2: 5   08-13
24. David Williams         Maiden, NC               6  15-11   77
Day 1: 1   02-06     Day 2: 5   13-05
25. Randy Howell           Springville, AL         10  15-09   76
Day 1: 5   08-01     Day 2: 5   07-08
26. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY              8  15-08   75
Day 1: 5   10-03     Day 2: 3   05-05
27. Casey Scanlon          Lanexa, KS               9  15-08   74
Day 1: 4   07-00     Day 2: 5   08-08
28. Tommy Biffle           Wagoner, OK              8  15-07   73
Day 1: 5   09-01     Day 2: 3   06-06
29. Jeff Kriet             Ardmore, OK              7  15-04   72
Day 1: 2   04-00     Day 2: 5   11-04
30. Ken Iyobe              Tokoname  Aichi JAPAN    5  15-04   71
Day 1: 4   10-03     Day 2: 1   05-01
31. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL             8  15-04   70
Day 1: 5   08-12     Day 2: 3   06-08
32. Ish Monroe             Hughson, CA              9  15-01   69
Day 1: 5   08-04     Day 2: 4   06-13
33. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ          8  14-14   68
Day 1: 5   09-15     Day 2: 3   04-15
34. Derek Remitz           Grant, AL                7  14-13   67
Day 1: 3   06-05     Day 2: 4   08-08
35. Greg Vinson            Wetumpka, AL             8  14-10   66
Day 1: 5   08-15     Day 2: 3   05-11
36. Brandon Card           Caryville, TN            6  14-10   65
Day 1: 3   06-04     Day 2: 3   08-06
37. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          7  14-04   64
Day 1: 2   03-06     Day 2: 5   10-14
38. Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira, KS         6  14-03   63
Day 1: 4   10-00     Day 2: 2   04-03
39. Casey Ashley           Donalds, SC              6  14-00   62
Day 1: 5   10-04     Day 2: 1   03-12
40. Jordan Lee             Vinemont, AL             6  13-15   61
Day 1: 1   01-05     Day 2: 5   12-10
41. Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI            6  13-13   60
Day 1: 4   09-10     Day 2: 2   04-03
42. Russ Lane              Prattville, AL           7  13-11   59
Day 1: 2   03-14     Day 2: 5   09-13
43. Cliff Crochet          Pierre Part, LA          6  13-09   58
Day 1: 4   09-12     Day 2: 2   03-13
44. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ               7  13-08   57
Day 1: 5   09-15     Day 2: 2   03-09
45. Kotaro Kiriyama        Moody, AL                6  13-05   56
Day 1: 5   11-02     Day 2: 1   02-03
46. David Smith            Del City, OK             7  13-05   55
Day 1: 5   10-00     Day 2: 2   03-05
47. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA                6  13-03   54
Day 1: 4   09-09     Day 2: 2   03-10
48. Cliff Pace             Petal, MS                7  12-15   53
Day 1: 4   07-03     Day 2: 3   05-12
49. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX           6  12-03   52
Day 1: 4   08-08     Day 2: 2   03-11
50. Skeet Reese            Auburn, CA               5  12-00   51
Day 1: 5   12-00     Day 2: 0   00-00
51. Jonathon VanDam        Kalamazoo, MI            7  11-11   50
Day 1: 5   09-08     Day 2: 2   02-03
52. Kurt Dove              Del Rio, TX              6  11-11   49
Day 1: 2   03-04     Day 2: 4   08-07
53. Paul Elias             Laurel, MS               7  11-10   48
Day 1: 4   07-02     Day 2: 3   04-08
54. Dennis Tietje          Roanoke, LA              4  11-08   47
Day 1: 1   02-15     Day 2: 3   08-09
55. Koby Kreiger           Bokeelia, FL             7  11-08   46
Day 1: 3   05-01     Day 2: 4   06-07
56. Matt Lee               Auburn , AL              6  11-06   45
Day 1: 5   09-09     Day 2: 1   01-13
57. Ott DeFoe              Knoxville, TN            7  11-06   44
Day 1: 5   08-03     Day 2: 2   03-03
58. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN           5  11-05   43
Day 1: 5   11-05     Day 2: 0   00-00
59. Boo Woods              Oneida, KY               6  11-00   42
Day 1: 5   09-10     Day 2: 1   01-06
60. Fletcher Shryock       New Philadelphia, OH     6  11-00   41
Day 1: 5   09-01     Day 2: 1   01-15
61. Randall Tharp          Port St. Joe, FL         6  10-12   40
Day 1: 5   09-05     Day 2: 1   01-07
62. J Todd Tucker          Moultrie, GA             6  10-11   39
Day 1: 4   07-10     Day 2: 2   03-01
63. John Murray            Phoenix, AZ              6  10-11   38
Day 1: 2   03-08     Day 2: 4   07-03
64. Jacob Powroznik        Port Haywood, VA         5  10-08   37
Day 1: 1   03-05     Day 2: 4   07-03
65. Nate Wellman           Newaygo, MI              6  10-07   36
Day 1: 4   07-03     Day 2: 2   03-04
66. Morizo Shimizu         Suita, Osaka JAPAN       6  10-07   35
Day 1: 3   04-15     Day 2: 3   05-08
67. Tim Horton             Muscle Shoals, AL        4  10-05   34
Day 1: 1   01-11     Day 2: 3   08-10
68. Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC           5  10-02   33
Day 1: 4   07-06     Day 2: 1   02-12
69. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO         5  09-10   32
Day 1: 4   08-02     Day 2: 1   01-08
70. James Elam             Tulsa, OK                5  09-10   31
Day 1: 4   07-14     Day 2: 1   01-12
71. Billy McCaghren        Mayflower, AR            5  09-03   30
Day 1: 3   05-11     Day 2: 2   03-08
72. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  5  09-01   29
Day 1: 5   09-01     Day 2: 0   00-00
73. Seth Feider            Bloomington, MN          5  08-15   28
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 5   08-15
74. Jared Miller           Norman, OK               5  08-11   27
Day 1: 3   04-11     Day 2: 2   04-00
75. Takahiro Omori         Emory, TX                5  08-10   26
Day 1: 2   03-01     Day 2: 3   05-09
76. Britt Myers            Lake Wylie, SC           5  08-06   25
Day 1: 3   05-03     Day 2: 2   03-03
77. Gary Klein             Weatherford, TX          4  07-15   24
Day 1: 1   01-14     Day 2: 3   06-01
78. Matt Reed              Madisonville, TX         4  07-13   23
Day 1: 3   06-04     Day 2: 1   01-09
79. Kelly Jordon           Flint, TX                5  07-12   22
Day 1: 4   06-06     Day 2: 1   01-06
80. Chad Morgenthaler      Coulterville, IL         4  07-09   21
Day 1: 3   05-12     Day 2: 1   01-13
81. Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK            4  07-02   20
Day 1: 3   05-03     Day 2: 1   01-15
82. James Niggemeyer       Van, TX                  4  07-02   19
Day 1: 2   03-06     Day 2: 2   03-12
83. Kevin Hawk             Guntersville, AL         4  06-14   18
Day 1: 2   03-11     Day 2: 2   03-03
84. Kenyon Hill            Norman, OK               4  06-09   17
Day 1: 2   03-09     Day 2: 2   03-00
85. Josh Bertrand          Gilbert, AZ              4  06-09   16
Day 1: 2   03-08     Day 2: 2   03-01
86. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN            4  06-08   15
Day 1: 3   04-07     Day 2: 1   02-01
87. Brent Ehrler           Newport Beach, CA        3  05-12   14
Day 1: 2   03-05     Day 2: 1   02-07
88. Brett Hite             Phoenix, AZ              3  05-10   13
Day 1: 2   03-13     Day 2: 1   01-13
89. Randy Allen            Shreveport, LA           3  05-02   12
Day 1: 3   05-02     Day 2: 0   00-00
90. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT            2  05-01   11
Day 1: 2   05-01     Day 2: 0   00-00
91. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               3  04-15   10
Day 1: 3   04-15     Day 2: 0   00-00
92. Alton Jones            Lorena, TX               3  04-15    9
Day 1: 2   03-00     Day 2: 1   01-15
93. Joseph Sancho          New Windsor, NY          3  04-12    8
Day 1: 3   04-12     Day 2: 0   00-00
94. Edwin Evers            Talala, OK               2  04-08    7
Day 1: 2   04-08     Day 2: 0   00-00
95. Yusuke Miyazaki        Forney, TX               3  04-08    6
Day 1: 2   03-02     Day 2: 1   01-06
96. Bradley Roy            Lancaster, KY            3  04-08    5
Day 1: 1   01-07     Day 2: 2   03-01
97. Fred Roumbanis         Bixby, OK                2  04-06    4
Day 1: 2   04-06     Day 2: 0   00-00
98. Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA        2  04-01    3
Day 1: 1   02-01     Day 2: 1   02-00
99. Kevin Short            Mayflower, AR            2  03-14    2
Day 1: 2   03-14     Day 2: 0   00-00
100. Charlie Hartley        Grove City, OH           2  03-02    1
Day 1: 2   03-02     Day 2: 0   00-00
101. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID             2  03-02    0
Day 1: 1   01-08     Day 2: 1   01-10
102. Bobby Lane Jr.         Lakeland, FL             2  03-01    0
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 2   03-01
103. Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL            2  02-14    0
Day 1: 1   01-09     Day 2: 1   01-05
104. Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC              1  02-05    0
Day 1: 1   02-05     Day 2: 0   00-00
105. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland TX AUSTRALIA  1  01-14    0
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 1   01-14
106. Zell Rowland           Montgomery, TX           1  01-12    0
Day 1: 1   01-12     Day 2: 0   00-00
107. David Walker           Sevierville, TN          1  01-11    0
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 1   01-11
108. Stephen Longobardi     Northford, CT            1  01-04    0
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 1   01-04
109. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL              1  01-01    0
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 1   01-01
110. Kevin Ledoux           Choctaw, OK              0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00
110. Chad Pipkens           Holt, MI                 0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00
110. Byron Velvick          Boenre, TX               0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00
113. Scott Ashmore          Broken Arrow, OK         0  -1-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   -01-00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        39       359       729-13
2        20       263       529-06
———————————-
59       622      1259-03