HomeNewsDean Rojas Day 1 Leader at Elite Series Sabine River courtesy B.A.S.S. Dean Rojas Takes Day One Lead at Elite Series Sabin River Challenge – photo courtesy B.A.S.S. Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., with a history of wins on Toledo Bend Reservoir, shone equally bright Thursday on the Sabine, the big lake straddling the river to the north. He took the first-day lead in the March 14-17 Sabine River Challenge presented by STARK Cultural Venues, the season opener of the Bassmaster Elite Series. Rojas’ 15 pounds, 10 ounces kept him in front of Mark Davis of Mount Ida, Ark., who was second with 13-13, and Cliff Crochet of Pierre Part, La., who had 13-0 for third place. “It must be the water,” Rojas laughed, a hint that his fast start in the 2013 season opener was almost a coincidence to his success on Toledo Bend, where he won an Elite event in 2011, one of several victories on that fishery over the course of his career. “I don’t even think that the water I’m fishing really does come from Toledo,” he speculated. “Here, you have to find the right area. There’s so much water, and it takes so much time. I was able to find an area that’s got them,” he said. Make no mistake: From an angler’s perspective, Toledo Bend Reservoir and the Sabine River system are polar opposites. The Sabine system is a river fishery with cuts, bayous, canals and so much backwater that the trick for the pros in this Elite tournament — as Rojas said — is to narrow down the choices and then pick it apart. Toledo, another great fishery, is all about reservoir fishing. Rojas said he’s making a long run into Louisiana, but he didn’t reveal any details other than that Thursday he caught seven keeper bass, plus four that didn’t measure up to the 14-inch limit. One of his keepers was a 5-pound, 15-ounce largemouth, which leads the way in the contest for the $1,500 Carhartt Big Bass bonus to be awarded at tournament’s end. The 5-15 was his first fish of the morning — and it surprised him. “I thought it was a dogfish [a bowfin] at first — they both pull hard. But it wasn’t, it was a big bass. I’ll take it,” he grinned. “It’s so nice to have a fish like that the first day. It’s what separates you from everyone else.” Most important to his game plan, the catch gave him a major clue. “It told me what I needed to do,” he said. With 15-10 on Thursday, the leader became the first contender for the event’s Berkley Heavyweight bonus of $500 awarded to the angler with the largest single-day bag. He said one key to his first-day success was he was able to find clear water, to which the bass tend to gravitate. Rojas said he’d attempt to duplicate Thursday’s success by returning to the same area. “I just have to make it last for four days,” he said. Davis, in second place, said his first fish was a 4-pounder. “Things just kind of fell into place after that. I had nine keeper bites, and I did not anticipate that at all. I was pleasantly surprised. It had been a slow practice,” said Davis, well-known as the pro who captured the sport’s two biggest honors in the same year, the Bassmaster Classic and Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year in 1995. He topped that accomplishment with two more AOY titles in 1998 and 2001. Louisiana native Crochet said the bayous, canals and backwaters of the Sabine system are much the same as the fishery he grew up with in his backyard. “We’ve had front after front over the past few weeks, and that’s made the fishing challenging,” he noted. In fourth place was Elite rookie Hank Cherry of Maiden, N.C., who brought in 12-11. Just last month in his first Bassmaster Classic appearance, Cherry finished third. That, perhaps, was when he worked through any jitters he might have had going into his first Elite event. “I’m not nervous at all. I’ve been waiting for this my whole life; I’m as happy as I can be,” he said. Fifth place was taken over by Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., with 11-13. The Sabine River Challenge presented by STARK Cultural Venues continues Friday when the pros launch at 7 a.m. CT from the City of Orange Boat Ramp at 1000 Simmons Drive and Harry Reed Road. The anglers will weigh their catches at the same location beginning at 3:15 p.m. CT. After Friday’s competition, the field will be cut to the Top 50. Only the Top 12 will survive Saturday’s cut. They’ll return to the water Sunday for one last charge at the $100,000 first-place prize, an instant entry in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic and the lead in the points race to become the 2013 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year by season’s end. Bassmaster.com will provide extensive coverage of the tournament each day. Access to Bassmaster.com is free, and there’s no admission charge for any Bassmaster event. The event’s title sponsor is STARK Cultural Venues, www.starkculutralvenues.org. The local sponsor is Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce, www.orangetexaschamber.org. 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, 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 Sabine River Challenge 3/14-3/17 Sabine River System, Orange TX. (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts 1. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 5 15-10 100 Day 1: 5 15-10 2. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 5 13-13 99 Day 1: 5 13-13 3. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 5 13-00 98 Day 1: 5 13-00 4. Hank Cherry Maiden, NC 5 12-11 97 Day 1: 5 12-11 5. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 11-13 96 Day 1: 5 11-13 6. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 5 11-03 95 Day 1: 5 11-03 7. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 5 10-13 94 Day 1: 5 10-13 7. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 5 10-13 94 Day 1: 5 10-13 9. Casey D Ashley Donalds, SC 5 10-09 92 Day 1: 5 10-09 10. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 5 10-07 91 Day 1: 5 10-07 11. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 5 09-15 90 Day 1: 5 09-15 12. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 3 09-11 89 Day 1: 3 09-11 13. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 5 09-06 88 Day 1: 5 09-06 14. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 3 09-05 87 Day 1: 3 09-05 15. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 5 09-01 86 Day 1: 5 09-01 16. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 09-00 85 Day 1: 5 09-00 17. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 5 08-15 84 Day 1: 5 08-15 18. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 5 08-06 83 Day 1: 5 08-06 19. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 3 08-02 82 Day 1: 3 08-02 20. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 4 08-01 81 Day 1: 4 08-01 21. David Walker Sevierville, TN 4 07-15 80 Day 1: 4 07-15 22. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 4 07-11 79 Day 1: 4 07-11 23. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 5 07-10 78 Day 1: 5 07-10 24. Zell Rowland Montgomery, TX 4 07-07 77 Day 1: 4 07-07 25. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 4 07-06 76 Day 1: 4 07-06 26. James Elam Tulsa, OK 3 07-03 75 Day 1: 3 07-03 27. Kurt Dove Del Rio, TX 4 07-01 74 Day 1: 4 07-01 28. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 3 06-15 73 Day 1: 3 06-15 29. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 4 06-13 72 Day 1: 4 06-13 30. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 4 06-11 71 Day 1: 4 06-11 30. Chris Zaldain San Jose, CA 4 06-11 71 Day 1: 4 06-11 32. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 3 06-10 69 Day 1: 3 06-10 33. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 4 06-09 68 Day 1: 4 06-09 34. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 3 06-09 67 Day 1: 3 06-09 34. Billy McCaghren Mayflower, AR 3 06-09 67 Day 1: 3 06-09 36. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 3 06-02 65 Day 1: 3 06-02 36. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 3 06-02 65 Day 1: 3 06-02 38. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 3 05-14 63 Day 1: 3 05-14 39. Shaw E Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 3 05-09 62 Day 1: 3 05-09 40. Fletcher Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 3 05-08 61 Day 1: 3 05-08 41. Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 3 05-07 60 Day 1: 3 05-07 41. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 3 05-07 60 Day 1: 3 05-07 43. Jared Miller Norman, OK 3 05-05 58 Day 1: 3 05-05 44. Timmy Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 3 05-02 57 Day 1: 3 05-02 44. Morizo Shimizu Osaka JAPAN 3 05-02 57 Day 1: 3 05-02 46. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 3 05-01 55 Day 1: 3 05-01 47. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 3 04-14 54 Day 1: 3 04-14 48. Nate Wellman Newaygo, MI 2 04-10 53 Day 1: 2 04-10 49. Kevin Hawk Guntersville, AL 2 04-07 52 Day 1: 2 04-07 49. Randy Howell Springville, AL 2 04-07 52 Day 1: 2 04-07 51. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 2 04-03 50 Day 1: 2 04-03 52. Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 1 04-01 49 Day 1: 1 04-01 53. Pete Ponds Madison, MS 1 03-14 48 Day 1: 1 03-14 54. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 2 03-13 47 Day 1: 2 03-13 55. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 2 03-12 46 Day 1: 2 03-12 55. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 2 03-12 46 Day 1: 2 03-12 57. John Crews Salem, VA 2 03-11 44 Day 1: 2 03-11 58. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 1 03-11 43 Day 1: 1 03-11 59. Boyd Duckett Demopolis, AL 2 03-09 42 Day 1: 2 03-09 60. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 2 03-06 41 Day 1: 2 03-06 61. Clark Reehm Shreveport, LA 2 03-03 40 Day 1: 2 03-03 62. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 1 03-02 39 Day 1: 1 03-02 62. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 1 03-02 39 Day 1: 1 03-02 64. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 2 03-01 37 Day 1: 2 03-01 65. Matt Herren Trussville, AL 1 03-01 36 Day 1: 1 03-01 66. Kelly Jordon Palestine, TX 2 03-00 35 Day 1: 2 03-00 67. Dennis Tietje Roanoke, LA 1 02-14 34 Day 1: 1 02-14 68. Chip Porche Bixby, OK 1 02-11 33 Day 1: 1 02-11 69. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 1 02-01 32 Day 1: 1 02-01 69. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 1 02-01 32 Day 1: 1 02-01 71. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 1 02-00 30 Day 1: 1 02-00 72. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 1 01-15 29 Day 1: 1 01-15 73. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 1 01-14 28 Day 1: 1 01-14 73. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 1 01-14 28 Day 1: 1 01-14 73. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 1 01-14 28 Day 1: 1 01-14 76. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 1 01-13 25 Day 1: 1 01-13 76. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 1 01-13 25 Day 1: 1 01-13 76. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 1 01-13 25 Day 1: 1 01-13 79. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 1 01-12 22 Day 1: 1 01-12 80. Jamie Horton Centerville, AL 1 01-11 21 Day 1: 1 01-11 80. Chad Pipkens Holt, MI 1 01-11 21 Day 1: 1 01-11 80. Michael Simonton Fremont, OH 1 01-11 21 Day 1: 1 01-11 80. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 1 01-11 21 Day 1: 1 01-11 84. BJ Haseotes Centerville, MA 1 01-09 17 Day 1: 1 01-09 84. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 1 01-09 17 Day 1: 1 01-09 84. Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 1 01-09 17 Day 1: 1 01-09 87. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 1 01-08 14 Day 1: 1 01-08 88. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 88. Jami Fralick Martin, SD 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 88. Grant Goldbeck Boerne, TX 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 88. Matt Greenblatt Port St Lucie, FL 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 88. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 88. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 88. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 88. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 88. Jason Quinn Lake Wylie, SC 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 88. Casey Scanlon Lenexa, KS 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 88. David Smith Del City, OK 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 88. Jeremy Starks Scott Depot, WV 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 88. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 ———————————————————————– Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 17 238 491-02 ———————————- 17 238 491-02
