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However, the moving day mentality Saturday’s bring on the Elite Series, there was quite a bit of shuffling throughout the Top 12. Jason Williamson was among them and carved his way of the leader board thanks to a near-34-pound bag of bass. Along with Williamson, Kenyon Hill used a big bag of his own to vault into the thick of things.
But it was also a dangerous list when considering the consistency virtually each of them has shown over the past three events at Amistad.
While Amistad may not have been a mirror image of its former self this week due to all of the clouds and high water, Sunday’s lineup was a virtual who’s who of professional bass fishing. With the line-up that was chasing Jones out of Diablo East Sunday morning, including 2008 Battle champion Todd Faircloth, Dean Rojas, and Kevin Van Dam, victory was anything but a lock.
After a relatively slow start to the week, Jason Williams was able to continue the momentum that he’d carried into weekend through Sunday. As a result, he walked away with his first Elite Series win and a cool $100,000, as well as some highly sought after Toyota Angler of the Year points.
Over four days of fishing, Williamson amassed a total weight of 96 pounds and 6 ounces after weighing the week’s heaviest stringer at 34 pounds and 12 ounces Sunday. Williamson put on a clinic over the weekend by posting both the first and second-heaviest limits of the entire event back-to-back.
Ending the first event of 2009 in second place was Day Three leader Alton Jones, who brought in five bass weighing 19 pounds, 4 ounces, with a total weight of 87 pounds and 15 ounces. Jared Lintner ended up in third place with a total weight of 76 pounds and 10 ounces after toting a limit weighing 21 pounds and 12 ounces to the stage Sunday.
Hard charging Stephen Browning settled for fourth-place honors after placing a 17 pound, 9 ounce limit on the scales Sunday, which gave him a total weight of 75 pounds and 8 ounces for the week. Fifth place went to Day One leader Gary Klein, who weighed in his smallest limit of the week at 7 pounds and 11 ounces, with 74 pounds, 8 ounces overall.
Rounding out the Super Six was Dean Rojas with 73 pounds and 12 ounces overall. Rojas’ 15-pound, 9-ounce limit Sunday wasn’t enough to make the kind of move up the leader board he’d hoped for.
1st Place: Jason Williamson
2007 was Jason Williamson’s rookie year, and in his inaugural visit to Amistad, though he finished in 67th place, he learned volumes about how to fish the lake. The following year, he finished 5th. This trip, the information he’d gained paid huge dividends.
“If you look at my track record over the years, I tend to do well on lakes where a big sack of fish is required,” he said. “I don’t know if that’s because I’m able to put everything behind me and just fish for big fish or what. I would say that the ability to target big fish is my strength.”
The key lesson Williamson learned about Amistad was a single spot – though he confessed that it took the right conditions for it to work to perfection. He knew early on in practice that he was on the winning fish, but the cold front and ensuing winds and rain had his primary water backwashed and milky – so he was forced to hold off.
“Saturday I went in there first thing, and it was just gin clear,” he said. “It was just like clock work. Today I went back in there and caught them again, over and over, and over. It was unreal.”
Williamson had identified enough back-up water to keep him motivated for the first two days of competition. “Not being able to fish my primary water the first two days actually worked to my advantage because I was able to catch enough elsewhere to keep me in it,” he said.
“If it had been clear I might have blown it out those first two days. But as far as I know, my primary area never got fished the first two days. When I started catching them Saturday, it was like the first time they’d ever seen a bait.”
Keeping his boat in 20 to 25 feet of water, Williamson used one of two 8-inch Osprey hitch colored swimbaits tied to McCoy fluorocarbon to fish trees along the break in 15- to 18-feet. He pointed out that there were three or four trees that held “the mother load” of his weight. “The key was just isolated trees on these spawning flats,” he allowed.
“These fish are pulling up like crazy right now – particularly these last couple of days with it warming up and the sun popping out. It was just a timing deal the last two days.”
Though his area may have been holding the mother load, he still wasn’t certain that he’d have the steam required to win. “I caught one that went seven-and-a-half pounds first thing this morning, which gave me the confidence to keep throwing the swimbait,” he said, but pointed out that a midday lull forced him to go elsewhere for a quick limit.
“I went to a limit spot and decided then that I was going to go back to my primary area and work the swimbait,” Jason added. “I knew that it would be hard to change gears at that point. I had enough weight to at least scare someone, so I just decided to stick with it.”
That decision was golden; however, Jason pointed out that a change to his swimbait presentation likely boosted him over the top. “I kept seeing fish follow my bait up Saturday, so I decided to start letting the bait sink down,” he said. “Last night I rigged (a swimbait) up and glued in a ½-ounce MoJo weight into the center.
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“That got it on down a little deeper and allowed me to catch my last two keepers that culled out a couple of smaller fish from earlier. I really think that they’d just get tired of looking at (the bait) falling and one would come grab it.”
As for the win, Jason explained that it’s monumental for a couple of reasons: “The economy is bad, and it’s tough to stay out here,” he said. “When you win one, not only does it help you financially, but it also helps your sponsors. Plus, mentally, a win does wonder for your confidence because it lets you know that you’re doing the right thing.”
Key to the Win: “It’s just unbelievable how many fish that area is holding. When you get a lot of fish in that small of an area there tends to be a lot of competition for food. When you get fish in competition for a bait, that’s a real good thing.”
2nd Place: Alton Jones
Alton Jones is as consistent at Amistad as anyone could hope to be; however, to be this close to his first victory at the Rio Grande impoundment and not walk away with the trophy is disappointing to say the least. “The wind prevented me from fishing my best areas today,” he said.
“I just couldn’t set up on it, which is a shame because I was on a really solid pattern.
The solid pattern Jones had discovered allowed him to remain in pursuit and at least force someone to come from behind to beat him. “I was able to go around and catch some pretty decent fish doing what I’d been doing all week,” he said. “I fortunately was able to catch a five-pounder late which helped to keep things interesting.”
Jones used a Texas-rigged YUM Dinger in green pumpkin/purple flake tied to 50-pound braid as his primary bait over four days of competition. The key, he pointed out, was in knowing where the fish were positioned. “I had to fish real slow and methodical all week,” he said.
“Knowing how they were set up allowed me to do that. When you’re just casting and hoping that fish will be there, it’s hard to fish as slowly as you sometimes have to. I didn’t have to worry about that because I knew exactly where they’d be.”
Jones cautioned that fishing fast at Amistad
is a recipe for failure. “If you fish too fast here, you’re just going to go right past them and never know they’re there,” he said. “These fish are so conditioned that you have slow way down and pound on them.”
In hindsight, Jones explained that there really isn’t anything he could have done differently. The conditions on the final day just didn’t play to his advantage. “I had one bed fish that I missed, but that’s it,” he said. “It would’ve given me another pound, which in the end wouldn’t have helped me.
“So I have not complaints this week. It was a great tournament.”
3rd Place: Jared Lintner
Like Jason Williamson, Jared Lintner’s weight improved dramatically as the week wore on. He credits a late discovery for that. “I fished a grassline that leads back into a spawning cove off and on all week,” he explained.
“Friday, I only had two or three fish and decided to run over to the grass line. I picked up two three-and-a-half-pounders real quick on the swimbait, so yesterday I went back in there and caught 20 pounds in 40 minutes.”
Jared explained that what turned out to be his most productive water was easily overlooked. “I just didn’t realize what I’d found,” he said. “It’s only about 100 yards, but it’s got chunk rock and gravel mixed in with grass. Right there in that grass they were just loaded up.”
Once he realized what he was fishing, Lintner explained that he was able to zero in to the inside grass lines; however, he wasn’t able to get a much-needed big bite. “I had a pretty good average out of the area, but I couldn’t ever get a big, big one to bite,” he said.
“This afternoon when it slicked off I went back and looked and it was just full of tankers. I just couldn’t get them to eat, and I tried everything.”
Jared relayed that he caught a handful of bass each day on a homemade swimbait, but mainly threw Texas-rigged plastics with a Tru-Tungsten weight and “a glass bead that just made a totally different sound.”
“I think what was happening was that that the bass were able to find it,” Jared pointed out. “I would make a long, long cast and just sit there and shake it. I would say that it accounted for 16 out of the 20 bass that I caught.”
In the end, Linter is pleased with his week – save one thing: “I needed to find a big school of six-pound fish,” he said. “Aside from that, I had fun. I did a lot better than I expected to, but after seeing those big ones today after it slicked out in an area that I’d been fishing the whole time it sort of makes me kick myself.”
4th Place: Stephen Browning
Count Stephen Browning among those whose presence in Sunday’s final round wasn’t something they’d expect. However, to be that close and have a let down of a day is a pretty tough pill to swallow. “Today was kind of disappointing,” he said.
“I really thought that I’d found a bait yesterday that was going to allow me to have another spectacular day. I think that it really just broke down to having a miracle point yesterday.”
Browning used a ½- to ¾-ounce jig exclusively – pointing out that the “better fish came on peanut butter and jelly” colored skirts. And though his “miracle point” produced only once, Brownie pointed out that it was enough to make his first event of 2009 a memorable one.
“I had one that was almost eight pounds, and a five and a four in just matter of minutes yesterday of this point,” he said. “I visited it three or four times throughout the day today and didn’t get a thing. It’s just one of those deals where you have to time it just right. Had I not started there yesterday I probably wouldn’t be here today.”
Looking back on the week, Browning can’t offer a single complaint. “I’m just really tickled at how the week went for me,” he said. “I got some really good points and a nice check, so I have not complaints. This is one of those lakes where you can pull up on the right point you’ll just smack ‘em. I kept thinking that if I could keep moving enough I would get it to happen, but I only had one out of four days.”
5th Place: Gary Klein
Gary Klein’s experience at Amistad has always made the west-Texas (by way of California) pro a factor. His experience accounted for two amazing days, but the weather change was too much to overcome in the end.
Still, Klein explained that he went out Sunday committed to the pattern that had produced so well the first two days of the week. “Today was one of those days that I fished the way that I thought I needed to in order to win,” he said. “I never could get any of those deep fish to bite, so I had to go to the bank and scratch out some little fish.
Like Jones, Klein was on a specific pattern that required stealth and precision casts. “All of my fish were on breaks in about 25 feet of water,” he said. “It was just a matter of lining up and making the right cast, and when they were actively feeding it happened quick.”
In hindsight, Klein allowed that he wouldn’t have spent as much time on his deep-water spot(s) if he could have know how the weather would affect his bite. “If I would’ve known that the outcome (of the weather) was going to be like this, I definitely would’ve went shallow Saturday and hunted some better fish,” he said
“I think I could have helped myself if I would have committed sooner to the swimbait. In fact, this afternoon I had several fish that would’ve helped me today pull off the swimbait. In one case, I had a four-pounder right beside the boat that just pulled off.”
That said, the veteran pro has few regrets of his week. “All in all, it was a great tournament,” he said. “I’m obviously disappointed that I couldn’t keep the deep bite going, but I’m happy with my showing this week. I’m also just thrilled with all of the support that I’ve received from fans. That means a lot.”
6th Place: Dean Rojas
Dean Rojas was buoyed by a super-strong Saturday, and was optimistic that Sunday would be a repeat. “Today was a little bit different that I’d expected,” he said. “I didn’t get as many bites, although I did get to weigh one five-pounder at least.”
Part of the problem for Dean Sunday was that he arrived to find local company. They were already fishing – and catching – when he arrived. “It made it a little bit difficult for me, to say the least,” he said. What are you going to do though? At least I was able to get five today.”
Initially, like most, Rojas was planning on being offshore. “I was trying to key on shallow fish, but the front came through and I had to go a little deeper after that,” he said. “I basically threw a big swimbait most of the time this week around deeper trees.”
Looking back on the week, Rojas explained that all-in-all he fished a clean tournament, and “changed up” when he needed to – but would like to have a do-over on one fish. “I spent about an hour working on a nine-pounder, and I got to think that I was wasting too much time,” he said, then laughingly added: “Maybe I should’ve stayed with her a little longer?”
7th Place: Michael Iaconelli
Final-Day Thoughts: “I had a period this morning where I caught four of my five keepers. I had to go to the bank with an hour left and picked one off a bed to finish the day. It was just brutal on me.”
Bait of Choice: ¾-ounce Berkley Ike’s Gripper football jig on 20-pound Trilene 100% fluorocarbon; ¼-ounce Ikey Tru-Tungston shaky head.
Biggest Challenge: “I wasn’t ever able to connect with another big fish all week. It was just a grind everyday with very few bites.”
Key to the Week: “Without a doubt, Thursday and those two key bites are what kept me in this all week. All week I focused on steps along the bank that would level out at 40 feet. I had a terrible practice, but I got enough bites to focus on those steps.”
Week in Review: “I told myself coming into the week that my goal was to get a check and some points. Honestly, making the Top 12 was a huge bonus because that never really factored in.”
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8th Place: Kevin
Van Dam
Final-Day Thoughts: “I went and tried to catch a big stringer because I hadn’t caught one all where I’d been fishing, but it just didn’t work out. I followed the wind and fished some areas that I really hadn’t been to yet.”
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Bait of Choice: Texas-rigged Strike King Ocho with a 3/16-ounce sinker for “the majority” of his weight, and a Strike King King Shad “for the shallower swimbait bite.”
Biggest Challenge: “About lunchtime the lake really slicked off and I started getting a bunch (of fish) that would follow the swimbait. I started noticing a ton of bucks that had moved up so I decided to sight fish for a while, but I never got in the right area.”
Key to the Week: “I just never got around the right fish, but I just can’t imagine what this place will be like next week. They’re coming right now.”
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Week in Review: “I would’ve like to have changed what I did today. If I’d stuck with what I’ve done all week I might have been able to move up a place or two, but you stand in the weigh-in and see those 30-pound bags and you want to be a part of that.”
9th Place: Boyd Duckett
Final-Day Thoughts: “I started in the same area where I’ve been catching my big fish, but I didn’t catching anything. I stayed with it for about two hours, but only had one short strike. I decided then to go hunting fish and picked up a swimbait and never really put it down the rest of the day.”
Bait of Choice: 6-inch Berkley Hollow Belly; Berkley Triple Hand-poured on the drop shot
Biggest Challenge: “I didn’t have any deep fish, and it sort of seemed like they were transitioning in, so I sort of keyed on feeding areas – or at least the routes they would be using. I just never got on a big school of them.”
Week in Review: “Looking at the long-term forecast at the beginning of the week, I don’t know. When the weather changed, I was able to find my fish again and start catching them. The problem I’ve had the last couple of days was that they started transitioning back in and I couldn’t catch them.”
10th Place: Kevin Short
Final-Day Thoughts: “I had some areas that had a ton of pre-spawn fish loaded up, so I started off the morning with the swimbait and had a little two-pounder that loaded up right off the bat. That was the earliest that I’ve caught a fish all week, so I thought it was going to be on. I didn’t get another keeper until 1:00.”
Bait of Choice: Jewell ¾-ounce football jig; Osprey 6-inch Talon
Biggest Challenge: “It was an absolutely gorgeous day once the wind and rain cleared out. The problem here is that when you can see the bottom in 20 feet of water, it’s usually not a good thing.”
Key to the Week: “If I hadn’t put the swimbait down on Friday and picked up the Jewell jig, I wouldn’t have made it here. If I could have found one or two more points that were similar to the one I fished all week I think maybe it could’ve been different. I burned it up pretty good Friday, but I wasn’t in a position where I could hold anything back.”
Week in Review: “With the shortened season, every fish is going to be critical. I’m just thrilled to have the points the Top 12 gave me.
11th Place: Kenyon Hill
Final-Day Thoughts: “It was a very brutal day for me. I stuck with the jig because I felt like it was my best shot at winning, but I only had two bites all day.”
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Bait of Choice: Homemade Jig
Biggest
Challenge: Changing conditions
Key to the Week: “I was fishing in 25- to
30-feet of water around spawning coves. I
wasn’t getting very many bites, but the
ones I was getting were good. I don’t know
what happened to day, but they just quit
me.”
Week in Review: “I couldn’t change
anything even if I wanted to because I
fished the only thing that I had working.
Sometimes you have to dance with the lady
that brought you.”
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12th Place: Todd Faircloth
Final-Day Thoughts: “I really struggled today. It’s a good thing that I caught ‘em the first two days because I sure haven’t caught ‘em the last two days.”
Bait of Choice: Swimbait; Jig; Senko: “I threw a big swimbait probably 85% of the week trying to catch a big bag. I kept thinking that if I could just pull up on the right spot I could get healthy, but I didn’t even catch a limit.”
Biggest Challenge: “I fished pretty much how I fish every time I’ve come here. I’ve been able to win here doing that, so I don’t know. The only thing that I wish I would’ve done is run some new water. I don’t know if my fish got conditioned to the baits or what. It’s hard for me to believe that I ran out of fish out there on the main lake where there’s just a huge population.”
Key to the Week: “I’ve seen it happen on this lake where if you can pull up onto the right stretch, you can get well in a hurry. I kept that mindset all day today, but it didn’t happen.”
Week in Review: “I fished one area that I hadn’t fished until today, and I pulled in and caught two real quick, but the wind died down and so did the fishing.”
FINAL
STANDINGS
| Pl. |
Pro
Angler |
DAY
1 |
DAY
2 |
DAY
3 |
DAY
4 |
TOTAL |
| # |
WT |
# |
WT |
# |
WT |
# |
WT |
# |
WT |
| 1 |
Jason
Williamson |
5 |
16-12 |
5 |
11- 1 |
5 |
33-13 |
5 |
34-12 |
20 |
96- 6 |
| 2 |
Alton
Jones |
5 |
24- 0 |
5 |
22- 4 |
5 |
22- 7 |
5 |
19- 4 |
20 |
87-15 |
| 3 |
Jared
Lintner |
5 |
15- 4 |
5 |
17- 4 |
5 |
22- 6 |
5 |
21-12 |
20 |
76-10 |
| 4 |
Stephen
Browning |
5 |
15-15 |
5 |
15- 0 |
5 |
27- 0 |
5 |
17- 9 |
20 |
75- 8 |
| 5 |
Gary
Klein |
5 |
25- 4 |
5 |
29- 3 |
5 |
12- 6 |
4 |
7-11 |
19 |
74- 8 |
| 6 |
Dean
Rojas |
5 |
12-15 |
5 |
15-15 |
5 |
29- 5 |
5 |
15- 9 |
20 |
73-12 |
| 7 |
Michael
Iaconelli |
5 |
27- 9 |
5 |
15-15 |
5 |
16-10 |
5 |
13- 7 |
20 |
73- 9 |
| 8 |
Kevin
VanDam |
5 |
19- 9 |
5 |
17-14 |
5 |
18- 2 |
5 |
13- 3 |
20 |
68-12 |
| 9 |
Boyd
Duckett |
5 |
21-10 |
5 |
25- 5 |
5 |
12- 9 |
4 |
8-10 |
19 |
68- 2 |
| 10 |
Kevin
Short |
5 |
20- 4 |
5 |
15-12 |
5 |
22- 6 |
4 |
8- 9 |
19 |
66-15 |
| 11 |
Kenyon
Hill |
5 |
15- 0 |
5 |
19- 7 |
5 |
26-14 |
2 |
5- 8 |
17 |
66-13 |
| 12 |
Todd
Faircloth |
5 |
17- 0 |
5 |
24- 3 |
5 |
13-10 |
4 |
11- 8 |
19 |
66- 5 |
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