Greg Vinson Keeps Slim Day 2 Lead at Bull Shoals Elite

Bucks Falcon Mercury

Elite Series Bull Shoals Day Two Leader Greg Vinson – photo courtesy B.A.S.S.

BULL SHOALS, Ark. — After a biting-cold Saturday morning running his boat on Bull Shoals Lake, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Greg Vinson could well have been running a line in his head from an old children’s verse: “Saturday’s child works hard for a living.”

It didn’t help that the fishing was hard, too, on Saturday, the second day of the Ramada Quest.

“I can’t tell you what a grind it was. The bite was really slow,” Vinson said on stage after he weighed in 13 pounds, 8 ounces.

He finished his work day with a two-day total of 30-5 and the Ramada Quest lead for the second consecutive day, but by only 3 ounces ahead, instead of the 1-pound lead he had Friday. The angler right behind him was Casey Scanlon of Lenexa, Kan., with 30-2.

How hard was Vinson’s day?

“To put it in perspective, at 12 o’clock I had four fish that might have weighed 6 pounds,” said Vinson, who’s from Wetumpka, Ala. “I had two keeper largemouth and two keeper spots. That was really working on my mind. At that point of the day, I was thinking about just making the Top 50.”

Vinson turned it around when he hit on a key adjustment — which he wasn’t about to share.

“I caught a 4, a 3 and a 2 1/2 in the last couple of hours. And I caught them a little bit differently than the way I caught them yesterday. At that point I was excited about saving the day — but I was a little upset with myself for not making that adjustment sooner.”

The 4-pounder was “barely hooked,” and he had to play the fish with patience and precision.

“At the time I still had two spots in the livewell, and I knew what a difference that fish would make,” he said. “I was so nervous the whole time I fought that fish. I’ve never taken so long to land a fish, but I knew it was important to take it slow. It felt like 30 minutes, but was probably only a couple of minutes.”

The lack of wind and spotty water color within the one area Vinson was working forced him to make the crucial adjustment.

“The least amount of wind makes all the difference for me,” he said.

The Alabama pro ended up with a five-fish limit of largemouth after he landed his final largemouth of the day with 15 minutes of fishing time remaining. At about 2 1/2 pounds, it allowed him to cull his one remaining spotted bass.

“That was huge,” he said. “It was the difference between leading and not leading.”

Vinson’s job isn’t over. With two more days of Quest competition remaining, Vinson has Scanlon to worry about. Scanlon brought in 15-5 Saturday to bump up his two-day total to 30-2. He climbed from seventh place into second.

Scanlon said he’s caught his limits early two days in a row. He went through 30 keepers Saturday (and about 25 or so Friday) before he was satisfied with what he had swimming in his boat’s livewell.

“Both days I’ve quit fishing the ‘good stuff’ at about 10 o’clock,” he said. “I ran some new patterns and figured out one more that’s pretty easy to catch keepers, but it’s probably worth only 13 pounds.”

His fish are prespawners, he said. They’re in deep, clear water, he said, and he’s making long casts to prevent spooking them.

Also on Vinson’s heels was Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss. Pace ended his Saturday competition 7 ounces behind Vinson. The 2013 Bassmaster Classic champion, Pace weighed 14-12 for 29-14 over two days. Pace held in third place, which is the same as his first-day finish.

“[In] these clear lakes, it’s so important to fish the conditions of the day,” Pace said.

“Today I had to slow down and pick things apart, be very methodical,” he said.

Fourth place was taken over by Terry Scroggins, who inched up from sixth place with 29-9. In fifth place was Pete Ponds of Madison, Miss., with 28-6. Ponds made a clean break from a first-day tie with two other anglers at 18th place.

The pros are after a first prize of $100,000 and an instant-in for the 2014 Bassmaster Classic. They’re also are earning points toward a Classic qualification. The top pro in points at the end of the eight-event regular season will win the coveted Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.

Vinson won the $500 Livingston Leader Award Saturday. A Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsor, Livingston Lures offers the award to the angler with the Day 2 lead.

The largest bass of the day was weighed by Ish Monroe of Hughson, Calif., but at 5-4, it wasn’t enough to tumble Kentucky pro Bradley Roy’s 5-6 of Friday. Roy remained in line for the Quest’s 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 after two days for the event’s Berkley Heavyweight Award of $500.

The Ramada Quest continues Sunday with the Top 50 who made the Day 2 cut. The field will whittle down to the Top 12 for the $100,000 championship round on Monday, one day later than usual in a four-day Elite event because the planned start on Thursday shifted to Friday when severe weather hammered northern Arkansas.

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 bass Sunday and Monday starting 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 2

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts

1.  Greg Vinson            Wetumpka, AL            10  30-05  100
Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 5   13-08
2.  Casey Scanlon          Lenexa, KS              10  30-02   99
Day 1: 5   14-13     Day 2: 5   15-05
3.  Cliff Pace             Petal, MS               10  29-14   98
Day 1: 5   15-02     Day 2: 5   14-12
4.  Terry Scroggins        San Mateo, FL           10  29-09   97
Day 1: 5   14-14     Day 2: 5   14-11
5.  Pete Ponds             Madison, MS             10  28-06   96
Day 1: 5   13-11     Day 2: 5   14-11
6.  Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL             10  28-04   95
Day 1: 5   14-03     Day 2: 5   14-01
7.  Fred Roumbanis         Bixby, OK               10  28-00   94
Day 1: 5   14-00     Day 2: 5   14-00
8.  Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO        10  27-13   93
Day 1: 5   14-08     Day 2: 5   13-05
9.  Britt Myers            Lake Wylie, SC          10  27-11   92
Day 1: 5   13-05     Day 2: 5   14-06
10. Chris Zaldain          San Jose, CA            10  27-09   91
Day 1: 5   14-00     Day 2: 5   13-09
11. Ish Monroe             Hughson, CA             10  27-01   90
Day 1: 5   11-09     Day 2: 5   15-08
12. Skeet Reese            Auburn, CA              10  26-11   89
Day 1: 5   15-13     Day 2: 5   10-14
13. Dennis Tietje          Roanoke, LA             10  26-08   88
Day 1: 5   12-13     Day 2: 5   13-11
14. Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK           10  26-07   87
Day 1: 5   14-15     Day 2: 5   11-08
15. Jeremy Starks          Scott Depot, WV         10  26-06   86
Day 1: 5   14-03     Day 2: 5   12-03
16. Casey D Ashley         Donalds, SC             10  26-03   85
Day 1: 5   13-13     Day 2: 5   12-06
17. Jonathon VanDam        Kalamazoo, MI           10  26-02   84
Day 1: 5   12-12     Day 2: 5   13-06
18. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ         10  25-12   83
Day 1: 5   12-08     Day 2: 5   13-04
19. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            10  25-11   82
Day 1: 5   13-11     Day 2: 5   12-00
20. Gerald Swindle         Warrior, AL             10  25-10   81
Day 1: 5   13-02     Day 2: 5   12-08
21. BJ Haseotes            Centerville, MA         10  25-07   80
Day 1: 5   13-13     Day 2: 5   11-10
22. J Todd Tucker          Moultrie, GA            10  25-06   79
Day 1: 5   12-06     Day 2: 5   13-00
23. Aaron Martens          Leeds, AL               10  25-05   78
Day 1: 5   12-02     Day 2: 5   13-03
24. Scott Ashmore          Broken Arrow, OK        10  24-14   77
Day 1: 5   13-11     Day 2: 5   11-03
25. Jason Williamson       Aiken, SC               10  24-11   76
Day 1: 5   11-09     Day 2: 5   13-02
26. Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX              10  24-10   75
Day 1: 5   13-03     Day 2: 5   11-07
27. James Niggemeyer       Van, TX                 10  24-08   74
Day 1: 5   11-08     Day 2: 5   13-00
28. Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira, KS        10  24-02   73
Day 1: 5   14-09     Day 2: 5   09-09
29. Shaw E Grigsby Jr.     Gainesville, FL         10  24-02   72
Day 1: 5   12-05     Day 2: 5   11-13
30. Bradley Roy            Lancaster, KY           10  24-01   71
Day 1: 5   13-15     Day 2: 5   10-02
31. Jeff Kriet             Ardmore, OK             10  24-01   70
Day 1: 5   11-05     Day 2: 5   12-12
32. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL              10  24-00   69
Day 1: 5   10-03     Day 2: 5   13-13
33. Gary Klein             Weatherford, TX         10  24-00   68
Day 1: 5   13-05     Day 2: 5   10-11
34. Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA       10  23-12   67
Day 1: 5   11-10     Day 2: 5   12-02
35. Nate Wellman           Newaygo, MI             10  23-12   66
Day 1: 5   11-15     Day 2: 5   11-13
36. Randy Howell           Springville, AL         10  23-09   65
Day 1: 5   14-15     Day 2: 5   08-10
37. Morizo Shimizu         Osaka JAPAN             10  23-07   64
Day 1: 5   09-13     Day 2: 5   13-10
38. Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI           10  23-06   63
Day 1: 5   13-09     Day 2: 5   09-13
39. Hank Cherry            Maiden, NC              10  23-06   62
Day 1: 5   11-13     Day 2: 5   11-09
40. Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR         10  23-02   61
Day 1: 5   13-12     Day 2: 5   09-06
41. Matt Reed              Madisonville, TX        10  23-02   60
Day 1: 5   11-04     Day 2: 5   11-14
42. Jami Fralick           Martin, SD              10  23-01   59
Day 1: 5   11-12     Day 2: 5   11-05
43. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              10  22-14   58
Day 1: 5   11-07     Day 2: 5   11-07
44. Boyd Duckett           Demopolis, AL           10  22-11   57
Day 1: 5   11-09     Day 2: 5   11-02
45. Matt Greenblatt        Port St Lucie, FL       10  22-09   56
Day 1: 5   13-09     Day 2: 5   09-00
46. Paul Elias             Laurel, MS              10  22-08   55
Day 1: 5   12-05     Day 2: 5   10-03
47. James Elam             Tulsa, OK               10  22-07   54
Day 1: 5   13-02     Day 2: 5   09-05
48. Edwin Evers            Talala, OK              10  22-06   53
Day 1: 5   11-10     Day 2: 5   10-12
49. Mark Davis             Mount Ida, AR           10  22-05   52
Day 1: 5   12-04     Day 2: 5   10-01
50. Charlie Hartley        Grove City, OH          10  22-05   51
Day 1: 5   11-15     Day 2: 5   10-06
51. Kurt Dove              Del Rio, TX             10  22-01   50
Day 1: 5   12-00     Day 2: 5   10-01
52. Ott DeFoe              Knoxville, TN           10  22-01   49
Day 1: 5   11-11     Day 2: 5   10-06
53. Brandon Card           Caryville, TN           10  21-11   48
Day 1: 5   10-06     Day 2: 5   11-05
54. Josh Bertrand          Gilbert, AZ              8  21-09   47
Day 1: 3   12-11     Day 2: 5   08-14
55. Kevin Hawk             Guntersville, AL        10  21-09   46
Day 1: 5   11-13     Day 2: 5   09-12
56. Yusuke Miyazaki        Forney, TX              10  21-04   45
Day 1: 5   11-04     Day 2: 5   10-00
57. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX          10  21-02   44
Day 1: 5   12-07     Day 2: 5   08-11
58. Kenyon Hill            Norman, OK              10  21-02   43
Day 1: 5   11-04     Day 2: 5   09-14
59. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          9  20-13   42
Day 1: 5   12-07     Day 2: 4   08-06
60. Bobby Lane             Lakeland, FL            10  20-12   41
Day 1: 5   09-13     Day 2: 5   10-15
61. Michael Simonton       Fremont, OH              8  20-07   40
Day 1: 5   12-15     Day 2: 3   07-08
62. David Walker           Sevierville, TN         10  20-07   39
Day 1: 5   09-04     Day 2: 5   11-03
63. Russ Lane              Prattville, AL          10  20-06   38
Day 1: 5   11-04     Day 2: 5   09-02
64. Kelly Jordon           Palestine, TX            9  20-05   37
Day 1: 5   12-04     Day 2: 4   08-01
65. Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL           10  20-03   36
Day 1: 5   10-15     Day 2: 5   09-04
66. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          10  20-02   35
Day 1: 5   08-12     Day 2: 5   11-06
67. Mike McClelland        Bella Vista, AR          9  19-15   34
Day 1: 5   12-07     Day 2: 4   07-08
68. Scott Rook             Little Rock, AR          9  19-12   33
Day 1: 4   07-11     Day 2: 5   12-01
69. Billy McCaghren        Mayflower, AR            9  19-07   32
Day 1: 4   08-08     Day 2: 5   10-15
70. Chad Pipkens           Holt, MI                 9  19-03   31
Day 1: 5   09-09     Day 2: 4   09-10
71. Kevin Short            Mayflower, AR           10  19-01   30
Day 1: 5   07-14     Day 2: 5   11-03
72. Jared Miller           Norman, OK              10  18-14   29
Day 1: 5   07-09     Day 2: 5   11-05
73. Keith Poche            Pike Road, AL           10  18-06   28
Day 1: 5   08-11     Day 2: 5   09-11
74. Marty Robinson         Lyman, SC                8  18-00   27
Day 1: 3   07-13     Day 2: 5   10-03
75. Matt Herren            Trussville, AL          10  18-00   26
Day 1: 5   08-12     Day 2: 5   09-04
76. Cliff Crochet          Pierre Part, LA         10  17-15   25
Day 1: 5   09-00     Day 2: 5   08-15
77. Derek Remitz           Grant, AL                9  17-02   24
Day 1: 5   11-00     Day 2: 4   06-02
78. John Crews             Salem, VA               10  17-01   23
Day 1: 5   08-15     Day 2: 5   08-02
79. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  8  16-10   22
Day 1: 3   06-03     Day 2: 5   10-07
80. Jamie Horton           Centerville, AL          8  16-10   21
Day 1: 5   10-05     Day 2: 3   06-05
81. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID             7  16-09   20
Day 1: 2   03-08     Day 2: 5   13-01
82. Dean Rojas             Lake Havasu City, AZ     8  16-07   19
Day 1: 3   07-01     Day 2: 5   09-06
83. Alton Jones            Lorena, TX               7  16-00   18
Day 1: 5   10-13     Day 2: 2   05-03
84. Rick Morris            Lake Gaston, VA         10  16-00   17
Day 1: 5   09-04     Day 2: 5   06-12
85. Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC           7  15-08   16
Day 1: 2   06-14     Day 2: 5   08-10
86. Chris Lane             Guntersville, AL        10  15-08   15
Day 1: 5   08-05     Day 2: 5   07-03
87. Jason Quinn            Lake Wylie, SC           7  15-03   14
Day 1: 5   10-12     Day 2: 2   04-07
88. Kevin Ledoux           Choctaw, OK              7  15-00   13
Day 1: 5   11-11     Day 2: 2   03-05
89. Zell Rowland           Montgomery, TX           6  14-09   12
Day 1: 5   13-02     Day 2: 1   01-07
90. Fletcher Shryock       Newcomerstown, OH        7  14-09   11
Day 1: 2   05-01     Day 2: 5   09-08
91. Kotaro Kiriyama        Moody, AL                9  14-01   10
Day 1: 5   09-01     Day 2: 4   05-00
92. Tommy Biffle           Wagoner, OK              6  13-14    9
Day 1: 3   07-06     Day 2: 3   06-08
93. Grant Goldbeck         Boerne, TX               6  13-04    8
Day 1: 1   01-01     Day 2: 5   12-03
94. John Murray            Phoenix, AZ              7  13-04    7
Day 1: 5   09-05     Day 2: 2   03-15
95. Davy Hite              Ninety Six, SC           5  12-14    6
Day 1: 2   05-03     Day 2: 3   07-11
96. Takahiro Omori         Emory, TX                5  12-09    5
Day 1: 1   01-08     Day 2: 4   11-01
97. Chip Porche            Bixby, OK                6  09-01    4
Day 1: 3   05-03     Day 2: 3   03-14
98. David Smith            Del City, OK             5  08-12    3
Day 1: 2   04-01     Day 2: 3   04-11
99. Timmy Horton           Muscle Shoals, AL        6  07-15    2
Day 1: 5   06-12     Day 2: 1   01-03
100. Clark Reehm            Shreveport, LA           3  06-05    1
Day 1: 2   03-14     Day 2: 1   02-07
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        84       460      1097-14
2        80       457      1021-01
———————————-
164       917      2118-15