The day after a cold front – particularly as strong as the one that passed through Saturday – can be downright tough. However, nobody told Mark Menendez that the quality bite was supposed to be hard to come by.

Menendez, who started the day with a slight 13-ounce lead, brought another solid 16-pound, 3-ounce limit to the scales Sunday, pushing his three-day weight to 55 pounds and 7 ounces, notching his first Elite Series victory.

Early projections were that 12 to 14 pounds a day would seal the deal – Menendez averaged over 18 pounds, and he did it in a tin rig – one of four anglers this week running aluminum. The decision was a gamble that paid off huge for the Kentucky pro this week.

Kevin VanDam ate up a ton of ground Sunday by bringing in the strongest limit of the day weighing 19 pounds, 8 ounces. For the week, VanDam brought in 53 pounds and 4 ounces – coming up just 2 pounds, 3 ounces from overtaking Menendez in the end.

Florida’s Chris Lane ended the event in third, after boating 17 pounds and 11ounces in the final round, with 48 pounds, 1 ounce overall. In fourth place, with 45 pounds and 9 ounces in three days of fishing, was Jim Murray - weighing 14 pounds, 6 ounces in the final round.

Living legend, Denny Brauer, ended the second event of the season in fifth with 43 pounds, 8 ounces overall after placing his four-fish bag of the week, weighing 11 pounds and 13 ounces, onto the scales Sunday.

Rounding out the Super Six was defending Bassmaster Classic champion Skeet Reese, with a three-day total weight of 42 pounds and 12 ounces, after bringing another tournament limit of bass to the scales Sunday weighing 13 pounds, 6 ounces.

1st Place: Mark Menendez
Mark Menendez gambled early by opting to run his aluminum G3 with a 90-horse Yamaha instead of his usually Skeeter 21-i with a 250-horse Yamaha. Giving up that much stability and speed in exchange for the shallow draft the tin rig allowed him was the perfect choice, as it turned out.

“Where I was fishing, it would’ve been impossible to access in my Skeeter,” he maintained. “It was hell getting in and out of there, but especially so today. It probably took me 25 minutes, or more, to get in there this morning, and it was just brutal to get out of. There were rocks in there that I’d never seen.”

Menendez knew that things would change as a result of the cold front that blew through Saturday, but he knew that his backwater water held everything that the fish, which had moved in to spawn, would need. “Everything had changed, but I knew that those fish weren’t going anywhere – it’s a place that they live year round,” he said. 

“The water temperature had fallen almost 14 degrees, but I knew that since these were river fish they’d eat if they got the opportunity to.”

After an exhausting time accessing his backwater haunt, and with water temps hovering around the 51-degree mark, Menendez was a nerves and jitters to start the morning. “It was 51 degrees when I started fishing, and I got to my first laydown tree and caught my first fish,” but the short fish wouldn’t keep; however, it went miles to calming his anxious nerves. 

“I started moving around in the area and caught another 3-and-a-half-pounder and then decided to leave.”

While the early departure insured Menendez that he would have plenty of time to make it back to the weigh-in, he still wasn’t satisfied with the limit he had and decided to make a final stop.

“Coming back down the lake, I had an impulse to stop in a little drain tube and proceeded to catch one that went about three-and-a-half (pounds), which culled a two-pounder I had,” he revealed. “I then went on to catch another limit in about eight casts, but couldn’t use any of them. It got pretty crazy there at the end.”

The bait downsize on the final day was something that he’d had to do all week, Menendez explained: “I had to continually downsize my baits the whole week,” he sad. 
“I started out with a June bug six-inch (Strike King) Rage Lizard that I was actually swimming, and by the second day the fish had really started to lock onto the beds so I started flipping the Coffee tube.” 

Key to the Win: “This was just and ‘old school’ week where you used the tip of your rod as a depth finder, and you fish out of an aluminum boat…and I loved every second of it.” 

2nd Place: Kevin VanDam
Coming from third place, and just over five pounds back, Kevin VanDam knew that everything had to go just right. Unfortunately, along with the cold weather and draw down, he had some mechanical problems that cost him precious fishing time. “I had to troll for about a quarter-mile to get where I wanted to go, so it could’ve been a lot worse,” he pointed out. 

“I was able to catch a few big ones right after that, so it worked out okay.

As for the lost Day 3, VanDam explained that, while we’ll never know for sure, it’s likely that he could have pressed for lead even harder. “Mark would’ve caught a real good bag on Saturday too, but I also feel like I would have as well,” he said.

“I knew that being five pounds back, it would’ve been a lot to make up in only one day. Mark had a large area all to himself, and I was sharing water with a lot of other guys.” 

While the water temperature plummeted during the day off, VanDam explained that he’d practiced for the pending cold front – but couldn’t combat the fallen water. “Looking at the forecast for the week, I practiced for the conditions in areas where I thought they would go to,” he said. 

“It worked out exactly like I’d planned, but I just had too much ground to make up. That’s just the way it goes.” 

“All the fish here are really in areas where they eventually wind up spawning, so I wound up having to go into another area,” VanDam added. “By noon I had things going the right way because the sunshine was warming it up fast.”

In review, VanDam explained that by trying to manage his fish Thursday, he most likely cost himself in the end. “I had a pretty good tournament, but just had too much ground to make up today,” he said. 

“It’s never any fun to lose, and probably I messed up the first day by trying not to mess up too many fish. Against these guys, I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that you need to bust them every day.”

Bait of Choice: ¼- and 3/8-ounce Strike King Swimming Jig in blue gill (Day 1); weightless Strike King Caffeine Shad jerk bait in green pumpkin (Day 2 & 4); Strike King KVD Rodent in green pumpkin (Day 4)

3rd Place: Chris Lane
Chris Lane was the day’s mover and shaker, and closed a nine-pound gap down to less than seven “It was a great day,” he explained. “I went out there and tried to change things up with this cold water. I wasn’t hard headed, and just stayed with it, so I’m pretty pleased with what I was able to do.”

If there is criticism, however, Lane points to leaving too early on the final day as being it. “I may have made a mistake because I left those fish biting,” he said. “I just wanted to give myself plenty of time to get back. 

“I’d just caught a three-and-a-half-pounder, and then caught another keeper on my next cast, but I let myself get a little flustered and came back in about 20 minutes earlier than I should have.”

Lane explained that he was fishing a spawning corridor with confidence baits, and that more than anything else, his bait selection was a critical factor in his success this week. “My bait selection this week was key, especially today,” he said. “The Shaker Z gave me a ton of confidence this morning because it put my first three fish in the boat.”

Looking back on his week, the Florida pro commented that while he’s pleased at being a contender, he would likely have a couple of “do overs” if given the opportunity. “I had a Top 12 finish, and I feel like I gave myself a shot at winning,” he said. 

“About the only thing that I would do differently now, looking back on the week, is to have fished a little harder on Friday. I think I left a little early there too.”

Bait of Choice: Gambler Cane Toad with a Chris Lane “Double Trouble” hook; Zuma Shaker Z

4th Place: Jim Murray
With his best finish as and Elite Series pro, Jim Murray can’t say enough good things about Dardanelle and her generosity this week. And even though the weather chilled considerably, he was still able to make the most of the final day. 

“I started off catching them where I’ve catching them all week, and the water temperature had dropped about 11 degrees,” he said. “I stayed in there about an hour-and-a-half and snagged one carp and knew that that was a sign to go.” 

Murray explained that the scramble took him to an area that he hadn’t fished in competition, and found it to be exactly what he needed. “I ran to an area that I hadn’t fished all week, which was just a little levee with some current on it,” he said. 

“I caught everything that I weighed right there.” 

The difference, Murray explained, was the spot’s proximity to deeper water. “It was a little bit deeper, and wasn’t quite as affected by the cold air,” he said. “The water temperature had only dropped about four degrees there, and the fish seemed to be a little less affected.”

In hindsight, Murray revealed that his biggest mistake this week was not realizing the potential his primary water held. “With the fog delay on the first day I was just trying to catch five keepers, which I did, but I didn’t give myself an opportunity to catch a big bag,” he said. 

“That cost me because I really think that I could’ve busted maybe 17 or 18 pounds Thursday.”

Bait of Choice: 3/8-ounce black buzz bait early in the week; 3/8-ounce spinner bait Friday; square-billed crank bait

5th Place: Denny Brauer
To veteran pro Denny Brauer, sharing water – particularly when he’s not catching them – is, to put it mildly, difficult. Having done so all week was one thing, but on the final day he wasn’t able to stomach it any longer. “The day really started out kind of slow, and it was actually kind of painful to watch Chris putting fish in the boat,” he said. 

“I couldn’t get anything going on my side of the deal, so I finally ran to another place where I’d catch a nice one on each day.” 

Unable to get anything going there Denny explained that he knew he was going to have to totally abandon what he’d been doing all week. “I headed upriver and started flipping wood,” he said. “I ended up catching that big one and a few others.

The fact that he was unable to bring in a limit on the final day was disappointing to the longtime Missouri pro, but he’s still pleased with the week overall. “I really had a horrible practice, and found one little area that I milked with two other guys to get into the finals,” he said. 

“I was able to scramble and find a little area today that suited my strengths, but it had had so many guys on it earlier in the week that it was pretty much beat to death too.”

Bait of Choice: 6-inch Strike King Rage Tail Lizard in June bug (Thursday/Friday); Strike King Pure Poison; ½-ounce Premiere Pro Model Jig tipped with a Rage Craw

6th Place: Skeet Reese
With a Classic title under his belt, and a Top 12 finish in the second event of the season, there’s not another angler any hotter right now than Skeet Reese. Still, his heat wasn’t enough to warm the water. “It was a cold, cold, cold front, that’s for sure,” he expressed. 

“I was hoping that I could make an adjustment today and give myself an opportunity to catch a big bag. I lost one big on this morning, but I was hoping that this front would put a damper on the shallow bite. I don’t think it did.”

Skeet explained that he was in the vicinity the caliber of fish required to win this week, but never committed to the specific area in order to do so. “There was one area where they caught a lot of fish around me,” he said. “I just didn’t go far enough back in there and practice…it’s as simple as that.” 

Coming into the week Diamond Drive, Reese confessed that his goal this week was a Top 12, so finishing it in 6th place was “just a bonus.” 

“I had a pretty good week, all in all,” he added. “I fished pretty well and made good decisions, so I can’t complain at bit.”

Bait of Choice: Lucky Craft RC 2.5; Berkley Crazy Legs Chigger Craw in green pumpkin; black and blue-sapphire jig

7th Place: Cliff Pace 
Final-Day Thoughts: “Today was a real bad day for me. I really thought that if I went back to my area and worked it slowly I could still make something happen. It just didn’t work out for me at all.”

Bait of Choice: V&M swimming jig

Key to the Week: “I was catching fish – both pre- and post-spawn – that were moving in and out of an area. That cold snap just really, really shut it down.”

Week in Review: “In hindsight, I should’ve found some water that had a little deeper conditions to it, or at least some kind of cover that they could get into. It’s just hard to leave an area that you’ve done well in all week on the last day. Hindsight is what it is, you know? It was a lot of fun for two days, but today it just didn’t happen.”

8th Place: Fred Roumbanis 
Final-Day Thoughts: “Today was a shocker. I got to the spot where the first day I caught 40 bass, and since, I thought that I might be okay because of what I was doing. I wound up having to run to some other creeks, but everywhere I stopped the water was just really muddy.

“It got to the point that I had to stop and fuel up, but before I did I ran to a bridge where I got some good bites last year and caught a four-and-a-half-pounder on a crankbait. After I fueled up, I ran upriver and started throwing the swimming jig. Every 10 minutes (the water temperature) would increase a degree, and by the time I had to come in they’d really started firing. 

“If I would’ve had one more hour, it might have gotten interesting.” 

Bait of Choice: Black Angler signature-series Magician Swimming Jig in black and blue

Biggest Challenge: “With these fish spawning, the little creeks are about the only place that they have to go. If the bottom is right, that’s where they’ll be, but the problem is that when the water cooled off so much, it pulled them out.”

Key to the Week: “I was doing something totally different by reeling that jig so fast. Usually, in that super-shallow water, they don’t have a choice but to react to it. In that cold water though, it just wasn’t happening today.”

Week in Review: “I am very pleased with the way that I fished overall. I had the opportunity today to have a limit, but I just didn’t execute on all them.”

9th Place: Matt Herren 
Final-Day Thoughts: “All in all, I fished a really good day. I thought I’d made the correct adjustments; I just didn’t get the right bites. I had seven bites today, but unfortunately only three of them were keepers.”

Bait of Choice: Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver in black/neon; ½-ounce Taboo black and blue jig

Biggest Challenge: “I knew that I was in trouble this morning when I couldn’t even get in to where I’d been fishing earlier in the week. They just sucked the bottom out, but it was really a combination between the water temperature falling 10 degrees and them drawing the lake down. I just couldn’t relocate my fish.”

Key to the Week: “It was a real simple deal. They were all spawning fish and were keying on any kind of wood or pad stems.”

Week in Review: “I wish that I would’ve located another area with some depth to it, but sometimes you’re just not able to do that.”

10th Place: Alton Jones
Final-Day Thoughts: “My water temperature dropped from 61 degrees all the way down to 48 degrees, and they dropped the bottom out of the river. The problem is that I didn’t practice for a day like this. I had a good idea of how the fish would react to this, but I no clue as to where they would go.”

Bait of Choice: 6-inch YUM Dinger; 4-inch YUM Mega-tube

Biggest Challenge: “I had five keeper bites today, but I was only able to boat three of them. I spent a lot of time just running around trying to find productive water.”

Key to the Week: “Weather’s always important. I caught my fish up shallow this week in an area that didn’t have any real targets like a creek channel or anything other than pad stems, but the one thing you can’t bank on is what the Corps (of Engineers) is going to do with the water level. My fish were literally in less than six inches of water, so they really sucked it out.”

Week in Review: “I learned a lot this week – particularly today. It’s days like this that you really are able to put away useful information. Hopefully it will help me out the next time we come to Dardanelle. Really though, I have no real regrets this week. It was a good tournament in the sense that it will keep me up in the (TTAOY) standings. I just wish that I would’ve had an extra day of practice.”

11th Place: Greg Vinson
Final-Day Thoughts: “It was pretty tough. I’ve been fishing shallow all week, so I knew that the cold temperatures were going to really make it difficult to catch fish. I was hoping that I could just slow down, and that (the fish) wouldn’t move out. None of use caught fish in there today.”

Bait of Choice: 3/8-ounce spinner bait; 4-inch tube

Biggest Challenge: “I was concerned with this cold front, and knew that I couldn’t afford to lose any fish. I lost one that would’ve gone four pounds, and that really cost me.”

Key to the Week: “I went to one little back-up area that I had this afternoon and managed to catch a good keeper, and then stopped by another spot that I practiced on and caught another one real quick. At that point, I thought that it was going to be on, but that was it.”

Week in Review: “I had a great week, and a great second day. I can’t complain. The biggest mistake I made was to not be prepared for this cold weather. In hindsight I would liked to have had an area with a little bit deeper water nearby, but to be a rookie and have a Top 12 in my second tournament…I really can’t complain.”

12th Place: Brad Hallman
Final-Day Thoughts: “Honestly, I feel like I should’ve just gotten my check this morning and went on to Alabama. From the minute that I dropped my trolling motor in my very first spot, I knew that it was going to be a bad day.”

Biggest Challenge: “On Thursday, I had 64-degree water (temperatures), but when I got to my best spot this morning, it was 49.9 degrees. All the rain and stuff we’ve had this week hadn’t really been a problem because it was backed up in all the creeks. The started pulling water yesterday and it sucked all that cold, muddy water in and just killed my spot.”

Key to the Week: “They were definitely in spawning bays up on stumps. Whether you could see them or not, that’s what they were doing.”

Week in Review: “I spent a lot of time today, and pretty much every day, just trying to expand what I was doing. I found a lot of the other guys trying to run the same pattern, but never found anything else as productive. I wish that I had spent a little more time in the pits, because they tend to stay a little bit deeper. But after catching 18 pounds in there Friday, it’s hard to give up on a spot.”