HomeNewsKeith Combs Leads Elite Series Falcon Day One Keith Combs Leads Day One of the Elite Series Rigid Industries Falcon Slam with 34 pounds, 13 ounces – photo by B.A.S.S. / James Overstreet ZAPATA, Texas — Nine times out of 10, the strategy of “fishing your history” turns and bites the angler who tries to rely on past success. That didn’t happen to Bassmaster Elite Series pro Keith Combs on Thursday, not on Falcon Lake, where he’s been a guide for years. Combs of Huntington, Texas, took the first-day lead by 4 pounds in the Rigid Industries Falcon Slam on Falcon Lake out of Zapata, Texas. Unlike Combs, the pro in second place, Cliff Prince of Palatka, Fla., had not only never competed on Falcon Lake before this week, but he’d also never even seen the big Rio Grande impoundment. Combs had 34 pounds, 13 ounces; Prince had 30-13. Right behind them was Elite rookie Josh Bertrand of Gilbert, Ariz., in third with 30-5. Settling into fourth place with 28-15 was another Elite rookie, Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla. Finishing fifth was Jonathan VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., with 28-12. The Elite pros are competing on Falcon for a first-place prize of $100,000, an instant entry in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic and 100 points toward the coveted 2013 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year award. Combs’ strong Falcon history stems from working as a Falcon guide the past nine winters when he wasn’t competing. “I didn’t feel like that [his history] was going to be a big factor, but I think it was,” he said. “After my practice doing other things, I knew I couldn’t catch them doing anything new, so I lived off history today. I felt it was my only chance. I knew if I caught them out there today, they’d be big.” He said his entire first-day weight came from two deep, offshore spots. Both are about 100 yards long, he said, and he had them mostly to himself. “I did catch two right off the bat, and that helped me so much because they were two big ones,” Combs said. “It was a grind after that. I went an hour and a half to the next bite. Then I got two within 10 minutes of each other.” Combs had a limit by noon. He was able to cull three more times. He ended up with what he called “a sack of 7s,” five fish that were almost all 7-pounders. Prince said he caught two of his fish on a Carolina rig early in the morning, then went to shallow water to flip. “I moved up about 10:30 and started flipping,” he said. “I only had a couple places to catch them deep, and I’d had some good bites in practice flipping, so I figured I’d better move up quick to get a limit,” he said. He flipped to deadwood that’s showing since the lake’s level has dropped nearly 30 feet due to drought conditions. He paid attention to the mesquite trees that looked the most twisted. “The [more] gnarly, the better,” he said. By the end of the day, he had caught enough fish to make two or three limits, he said. The two largest bass of the day were a pair 9-11s weighed by Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., and Rick Morris of Virginia Beach, Va. If 9-11 holds, they’d split the Carhartt Big Bass award worth $1,000, plus another $750 if they were wearing Carhartt apparel. The leader’s 34-13 was Thursday’s entry in the event’s Berkley Heavyweight Award competition for a $500 bonus. The full field of 100 Elite pros will return to the water Friday for the second of four days of competition. Fans who want to watch how the competition unfolds can come to the Zapata County Public Boat Ramp (3079 County Road, Zapata, TX 78076). The pros will leave the docks about 7:15 a.m. CT, and weigh their catches beginning at 3:15 p.m. CT. Starting at noon, the Bassmaster Elite Series Expo will showcase new boats, tackle, Rigid Industries LED lighting systems, vehicles and other equipment for fishing and boating. All Bassmaster events are free. Bassmaster.com will provide extensive coverage of the event all four days. Access to all Bassmaster.com content is free. The event’s title sponsor is Rigid Industries of Mesa, Ariz., maker of LED lighting products for vehicles, boats and boat trailers: www.rigidindustries.com. The local sponsor is the Zapata County Chamber of Commerce; www.zapatachamber.com. 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 Falcon Slam 3/21-3/24 Falcon Lake, Zapata TX. (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts 1. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 34-13 100 Day 1: 5 34-13 2. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 30-13 99 Day 1: 5 30-13 3. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 5 30-05 98 Day 1: 5 30-05 4. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 5 28-15 97 Day 1: 5 28-15 5. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 28-12 96 Day 1: 5 28-12 6. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 5 27-14 95 Day 1: 5 27-14 7. Kelly Jordon Palestine, TX 5 27-08 94 Day 1: 5 27-08 8. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 5 26-10 93 Day 1: 5 26-10 9. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 5 26-08 92 Day 1: 5 26-08 10. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 5 26-07 91 Day 1: 5 26-07 11. John Crews Salem, VA 5 26-03 90 Day 1: 5 26-03 12. Pete Ponds Madison, MS 5 26-00 89 Day 1: 5 26-00 13. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 25-15 88 Day 1: 5 25-15 14. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 5 25-09 87 Day 1: 5 25-09 14. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 5 25-09 87 Day 1: 5 25-09 16. Jared Miller Norman, OK 5 25-05 85 Day 1: 5 25-05 17. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 5 24-09 84 Day 1: 5 24-09 18. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 5 24-08 83 Day 1: 5 24-08 19. Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 5 23-15 82 Day 1: 5 23-15 20. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 5 23-12 81 Day 1: 5 23-12 21. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 5 23-12 80 Day 1: 5 23-12 22. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 5 23-11 79 Day 1: 5 23-11 22. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 5 23-11 79 Day 1: 5 23-11 24. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 5 23-09 77 Day 1: 5 23-09 25. Shaw E Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 5 23-02 76 Day 1: 5 23-02 26. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 5 22-12 75 Day 1: 5 22-12 27. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 22-09 74 Day 1: 5 22-09 28. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 5 22-06 73 Day 1: 5 22-06 29. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 5 22-05 72 Day 1: 5 22-05 29. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 5 22-05 72 Day 1: 5 22-05 29. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 5 22-05 72 Day 1: 5 22-05 32. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 5 22-03 69 Day 1: 5 22-03 33. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 5 21-11 68 Day 1: 5 21-11 34. Jason Quinn Lake Wylie, SC 5 21-09 67 Day 1: 5 21-09 34. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 21-09 67 Day 1: 5 21-09 36. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 5 21-07 65 Day 1: 5 21-07 37. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 5 20-15 64 Day 1: 5 20-15 38. Dennis Tietje Roanoke, LA 5 20-10 63 Day 1: 5 20-10 39. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 20-08 62 Day 1: 5 20-08 40. Billy McCaghren Mayflower, AR 5 20-05 61 Day 1: 5 20-05 40. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 5 20-05 61 Day 1: 5 20-05 42. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 5 20-04 59 Day 1: 5 20-04 42. Chris Zaldain San Jose, CA 5 20-04 59 Day 1: 5 20-04 44. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 5 20-03 57 Day 1: 5 20-03 45. Randy Howell Springville, AL 5 20-00 56 Day 1: 5 20-00 46. Hank Cherry Maiden, NC 5 19-05 55 Day 1: 5 19-05 47. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 5 19-02 54 Day 1: 5 19-02 48. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 4 19-02 53 Day 1: 4 19-02 49. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 5 18-13 52 Day 1: 5 18-13 50. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 5 18-12 51 Day 1: 5 18-12 51. Grant Goldbeck Boerne, TX 5 18-10 50 Day 1: 5 18-10 52. Jeremy Starks Scott Depot, WV 5 18-09 49 Day 1: 5 18-09 53. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 5 18-07 48 Day 1: 5 18-07 54. David Walker Sevierville, TN 5 18-05 47 Day 1: 5 18-05 55. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 3 18-04 46 Day 1: 3 18-04 56. Fletcher Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 5 17-13 45 Day 1: 5 17-13 57. Matt Herren Trussville, AL 5 17-08 44 Day 1: 5 17-08 58. Casey D Ashley Donalds, SC 5 17-06 43 Day 1: 5 17-06 59. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 5 17-05 42 Day 1: 5 17-05 59. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 17-05 42 Day 1: 5 17-05 61. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 16-14 40 Day 1: 5 16-14 62. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 3 16-06 39 Day 1: 3 16-06 63. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 5 16-05 38 Day 1: 5 16-05 64. Timmy Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 5 15-13 37 Day 1: 5 15-13 65. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 5 15-11 36 Day 1: 5 15-11 66. Jamie Horton Centerville, AL 4 15-08 35 Day 1: 4 15-08 67. Morizo Shimizu Osaka JAPAN 5 15-07 34 Day 1: 5 15-07 68. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 5 15-00 33 Day 1: 5 15-00 69. David Smith Del City, OK 5 14-13 32 Day 1: 5 14-13 70. Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 4 14-06 31 Day 1: 4 14-06 71. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 13-13 30 Day 1: 5 13-13 72. Clark Reehm Shreveport, LA 5 13-11 29 Day 1: 5 13-11 73. Boyd Duckett Demopolis, AL 5 13-04 28 Day 1: 5 13-04 73. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 5 13-04 28 Day 1: 5 13-04 75. Kevin Hawk Guntersville, AL 5 13-02 26 Day 1: 5 13-02 76. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 5 13-00 25 Day 1: 5 13-00 77. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 3 12-13 24 Day 1: 3 12-13 78. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 5 12-12 23 Day 1: 5 12-12 79. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 3 12-12 22 Day 1: 3 12-12 80. James Elam Tulsa, OK 5 12-08 21 Day 1: 5 12-08 81. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 3 12-05 20 Day 1: 3 12-05 82. Matt Greenblatt Port St Lucie, FL 5 11-13 19 Day 1: 5 11-13 83. Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 2 11-10 18 Day 1: 2 11-10 84. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 4 11-08 17 Day 1: 4 11-08 85. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 5 11-00 16 Day 1: 5 11-00 86. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 3 11-00 15 Day 1: 3 11-00 87. Jami Fralick Martin, SD 3 10-09 14 Day 1: 3 10-09 88. Nate Wellman Newaygo, MI 3 10-02 13 Day 1: 3 10-02 89. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 5 08-11 12 Day 1: 5 08-11 90. Kurt Dove Del Rio, TX 4 08-07 11 Day 1: 4 08-07 91. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 2 07-14 10 Day 1: 2 07-14 92. Chad Pipkens Holt, MI 2 07-03 9 Day 1: 2 07-03 93. Zell Rowland Montgomery, TX 2 06-13 8 Day 1: 2 06-13 94. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 3 05-14 7 Day 1: 3 05-14 95. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 3 05-10 6 Day 1: 3 05-10 96. Chip Porche Bixby, OK 3 04-11 5 Day 1: 3 04-11 97. BJ Haseotes Centerville, MA 2 04-00 4 Day 1: 2 04-00 98. Casey Scanlon Lenexa, KS 2 02-13 3 Day 1: 2 02-13 99. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 99. Michael Simonton Fremont, OH 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 ———————————————————————– Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 76 445 1797-13 ———————————- 76 445 1797-13
