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Kansas' Brent Chapman Holds On To Lead of Bassmaster Elite Series Lake Toho Event

Skeet Reese wins Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Title

By BASS Communications
(Archive)

Updated: September 15, 2007, 7:58 PM ET

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Brent Chapman fished two very different patterns Saturday to hold on to the lead in the Bassmaster Elite Series Sunshine Showdown presented by Allstate Boat Insurance on Lake Tohopekaliga.

Brent Chapman, leader after Day Three of the Bassmaster Elite Series Sunshine Showdown, presented by Allstate Boat Insurance

The Kansas pro caught a five-fish limit that weighed 12 pounds, 9 ounces, for a three-day total weight of 42-3 and a 1-pound lead over Ben Matsubu of Hemphill, Texas, in the season-ending Bassmaster Elite Series event.

All the drama of the Sunshine Showdown can be viewed on The Bassmasters on ESPN2 on Saturday, Sept. 29, at 9 a.m. ET.

Chapman, of Lake Quivira, Kan., is seeking his third BASS victory Sunday and the $100,000 prize that goes to the winner. Matsubu caught 17-8 Saturday to move from seventh to second at 41-3. Glenn DeLong of Bellville, Ohio, moved up a spot to third at 37-12, followed by first-day leader Bill Smith of Somerset, Ky., at 35-12, Bradley Hallman of Norman, Okla., at 35-10 and Scott Rook of Little Rock, Ark., at 34-11, who had the Berkley Heavyweight Bag of the Day at 19-6 to jump from 38th to sixth. The top 12 anglers fish Sunday.

An emotional Skeet Reese claimed the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title and $125,000 by edging Kevin VanDam of Michigan, a three-time angler of the year. Reese, of Auburn, Calif., basically needed a top-30 finish to clinch the crown. He caught a limit weighing 10-5, and his total weight of 29-3 was good for 14th place. VanDam, who went into the day in 13th place, two spots ahead of Reese, had 7-2 to finish 19th at 26-5.

2007 Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year Skeet Reese of Auburn, CA., with his family

"This trophy means my career to me," a tearful Reese said after weighing in before an appreciative crowd at Lakefront Park.

"For me, it validates my career as a professional bass fisherman. To come out on top after this many days of fishing out here, it's priceless. At least one time in my career, I was No. 1."

Chapman caught all his fish Saturday in four small but key areas at the south end of Lake Kissimmee.

"I'm doing the extremes," Chapman said. "I'm fishing a drop shot with a 6-inch Zoom finesse worm to catch the real lethargic fish that aren't real aggressive and I caught my biggest fish flipping a Zoom Super Hog with an ounce-and-a-quarter tungsten weight.

"I got probably eight or nine bites. I missed a couple, but everything I hooked I put in the boat."

Matsubu changed tactics Saturday to catch his limit, which was anchored by a fish weighing 7-4. He credited Mary Delgado, his co-angler Friday, who caught a limit weighing 14-7 by Carolina-rigging a trick worm. Matsubu caught only 7-10 Friday.

"Mainly I've been throwing a crankbait," Matsubu said. "I tied on a Carolina rig (Saturday) and started catching them. All but one of my fish came on the Carolina rig."

He said he caught his fish in 7 feet of water around scattered grass in Lake Kissimmee. His rig consisted of an 18-inch leader with a quarter-ounce sinker.

"It's all timing. First thing in the morning and the last two hours," Matsubu said. "We left fish biting."

James Overstreet

Harry Potts visits with emcee Keith Alan about his co-angler win on Lake Toho

Matsubu's co-angler Saturday was Alabama's Harry Potts, who caught a limit weighing 14-11 to go wire-to-wire and win the co-angler division with 10 fish weighing 35-3. Frank Mealer of Alabama was second at 17-14. Don Moore of California was third at 16-10. Potts won a fully-rigged Triton/Mercury boat package valued at $50,000.

Reese said his goal coming into the tournament was to win the angler of the year title, but "then I put it into perspective and said, 'I can't fish chicken.' I wanted to go out and try to win this thing."

Each morning Reese caught fish on a Carolina rig by a shallow point in Lake Kissimmee that fellow pro Kevin Wirth had told him about. Then he moved to the Kissimmee River, where he caught his fish burning a LuckyCraft SKT Trap.

Going into Saturday, Reese said his plan was to catch 4 or 5 pounds of bass, which he felt would be enough to win the title.

"That was the benchmark I set for myself," he said, "so when I got my fourth fish, I knew I had achieved that."

As with every Elite-level tournament, www.ESPNOutdoors.com is providing live, streaming video of the daily weigh-ins. Additionally, visitors to the site can access analysis, photo galleries, blogs from Elite Series anglers and abundant coverage of events. On Sunday, fans can catch Hooked Up with ESPN2 Outdoors personalities Mark Zona and Tommy Sanders at 2:30 p.m. ET to preview the final weigh-in.

Local sponsors: Central Florida Sports Commission and the Kissimmee Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Bassmaster Elite Series sponsors: Sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series include Toyota Tundra, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Advance Auto Parts, Lowrance Electronics, MotorGuide, Evan Williams Bourbon, Ramada Worldwide and Costa Del Mar.

Live, streaming video of the Sunshine Showdown's daily weigh-ins begins at 3 p.m. ET at www.ESPNOutdoors.com. Also live on www.ESPNOutdoors.com, the pre-show Hooked Up will preview the final weigh-in Sunday. ESPN2 Outdoors personalities Mark Zona and Tommy Sanders return as the Hooked Up hosts.

For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit www.bassmaster.com. Visit www.espnmediazone.com for ESPN's latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video and audio clips and more.

News exclusives, audio and video clips of bass fishing's biggest stars, loads of discounts and more are all part of BASS Insider, an exclusive membership, now available at www.bassmaster.com.

BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, staging more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation Nation annually. Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it has for nearly 40 years.

BASS stages and sanctions bass fishing tournaments for every skill level culminating with the Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth programs, aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia platforms, BASS offers the industry's widest array of services and support to its nearly 530,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

2007 Sunshine Showdown 9/13-9/16 Lake Tohopekaliga, Kissimmee FL. (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 15 42-03 310 Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 18-12 Day 3: 5 12-09 2. Ben Matsubu Hemphill, TX 15 41-03 295 Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 07-10 Day 3: 5 17-08 3. Glenn Delong Bellville, OH 15 37-12 290 Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 10-02 Day 3: 5 12-03 4. Bill Smith Jr. Somerset, KY 14 35-12 290 $1,000.00 Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 10-12 Day 3: 4 06-10 5. Bradley Hallman Norman, OK 15 35-10 280 Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 5 14-01 Day 3: 5 13-02 6. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 13 34-11 276 $1,000.00 Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 3 03-08 Day 3: 5 19-06 7. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 15 33-06 272 Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 12-12 Day 3: 5 10-04 8. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 13 33-05 268 $1,000.00 Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 3 05-10 Day 3: 5 19-01 9. Mike Wurm Hot Springs, AR 15 32-12 264 Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 11-15 Day 3: 5 10-10 10. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 14 32-09 260 Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 10-00 Day 3: 4 04-12 11. Jon Bondy Windsor CANADA 11 31-03 257 $1,000.00 Day 1: 3 08-15 Day 2: 4 15-14 Day 3: 4 06-06 12. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 12 30-09 254 Day 1: 2 02-03 Day 2: 5 13-12 Day 3: 5 14-10 13. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 14 29-14 251 $10,800.00 Day 1: 4 05-15 Day 2: 5 10-09 Day 3: 5 13-06 14. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 15 29-03 248 $10,700.00 Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 09-03 Day 3: 5 10-05 15. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 14 29-02 245 $10,600.00 Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 08-15 Day 3: 4 05-14 16. Pete Ponds Madison, MS 12 28-14 243 $11,500.00 Day 1: 5 06-00 Day 2: 5 18-13 Day 3: 2 04-01 17. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 12 27-03 241 $10,500.00 Day 1: 4 04-15 Day 2: 5 14-01 Day 3: 3 08-03 18. Peter E Thliveros St. Augustine, FL 15 26-08 239 $10,500.00 Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 08-09 Day 3: 5 07-12 19. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 15 26-05 237 $10,500.00 Day 1: 5 09-00 Day 2: 5 10-03 Day 3: 5 07-02 20. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 12 26-03 235 $10,500.00 Day 1: 4 07-00 Day 2: 4 09-02 Day 3: 4 10-01 21. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 12 25-14 233 $10,250.00 Day 1: 2 06-12 Day 2: 5 09-14 Day 3: 5 09-04 22. Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 15 25-10 231 $10,250.00 Day 1: 5 08-03 Day 2: 5 10-04 Day 3: 5 07-03 23. Charlie Youngers Geneva, FL 14 25-08 229 $10,250.00 Day 1: 5 07-05 Day 2: 5 10-04 Day 3: 4 07-15 24. Jeremy Starks Charleston, WV 15 25-06 227 $10,250.00 Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 07-05 Day 3: 5 07-08 25. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 13 24-05 225 $10,250.00 Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 5 06-04 Day 3: 3 09-02 26. Jeff Connella Bentley, LA 15 24-02 223 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 05-05 Day 2: 5 11-01 Day 3: 5 07-12 27. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 15 23-14 221 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 08-05 Day 2: 5 07-03 Day 3: 5 08-06 28. Jimmy Mason Rogersville, AL 14 23-11 219 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 08-01 Day 2: 5 07-10 Day 3: 4 08-00 29. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 15 23-10 216 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 06-14 Day 2: 5 09-10 Day 3: 5 07-02 29. Matthew Sphar Pavilion, NY 14 23-10 216 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 07-04 Day 2: 5 09-07 Day 3: 4 06-15 31. John Crews Salem, VA 13 23-08 213 $10,000.00 Day 1: 3 03-07 Day 2: 5 13-14 Day 3: 5 06-03 32. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 14 23-07 211 $10,000.00 Day 1: 4 07-08 Day 2: 5 08-02 Day 3: 5 07-13 33. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 15 23-03 209 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 05-13 Day 2: 5 11-12 Day 3: 5 05-10 34. Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 13 22-12 207 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 3 05-01 Day 3: 5 07-03 35. Ishama Monroe Hughson, CA 12 22-11 205 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 05-02 Day 2: 5 12-15 Day 3: 2 04-10 36. Alton Jones Waco, TX 12 21-13 203 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 08-01 Day 2: 5 11-04 Day 3: 2 02-08 37. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 12 21-03 201 $10,000.00 Day 1: 4 10-05 Day 2: 3 03-08 Day 3: 5 07-06 38. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 13 21-00 199 $10,000.00 Day 1: 3 09-00 Day 2: 5 05-11 Day 3: 5 06-05 39. Guy Eaker Cherryville, NC 15 20-11 197 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 5 06-13 Day 3: 5 04-10 40. Bill Lowen North Bend, OH 14 20-10 194 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 05-11 Day 2: 5 09-00 Day 3: 4 05-15 40. Doc Merkin Downers Grove, IL 12 20-10 194 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 05-15 Day 2: 4 09-07 Day 3: 3 05-04 42. Preston Clark Palatka, FL 12 19-05 191 $10,000.00 Day 1: 2 03-02 Day 2: 5 10-15 Day 3: 5 05-04 43. Frank Scalish Cleveland Heights, OH 11 18-12 189 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 4 04-03 Day 3: 2 02-13 44. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 10 18-08 187 $10,000.00 Day 1: 3 06-13 Day 2: 4 08-05 Day 3: 3 03-06 45. Ray Sedgwick Cross, SC 12 17-12 185 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 08-13 Day 2: 5 06-13 Day 3: 2 02-02 46. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 14 17-02 183 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 06-12 Day 2: 5 06-14 Day 3: 4 03-08 47. Rick Ash Pottstown, PA 14 16-14 180 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 07-02 Day 2: 5 05-06 Day 3: 4 04-06 47. Terry Butcher Talala, OK 10 16-14 180 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 2 02-11 Day 3: 3 03-02 49. Jeff Reynolds Idabel, OK 7 16-02 177 $10,000.00 Day 1: 3 05-06 Day 2: 2 08-05 Day 3: 2 02-07 50. Mark Tucker Saint Louis, MO 12 15-14 175 $10,000.00 Day 1: 4 03-15 Day 2: 5 08-10 Day 3: 3 03-05 -----------------------------------------------------------------------

PUROLATOR BIG BASS Day 1 Jim Murray Arabi, GA 07-06 $1,000.00 2 Jon Bondy Windsor CANADA 07-15 $1,000.00 3 James Niggemeyer Van, TX 07-15 $1,000.00

BERKLEY HEAVYWEIGHT Day 1 Bill Smith Jr. Somerset, KY 18-06 $1,000.00 2 Pete Ponds Madison, MS 18-13 $1,000.00 3 Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 19-06 $1,000.00

----------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 46 377 649-02 2 58 410 709-10 3 27 209 386-12 ---------------------------------- 131 996 1745-08

2007 Sunshine Showdown 9/13-9/16 Lake Tohopekaliga, Kissimmee FL. (CO-ANGLER) Standings Day 3

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Harry Potts Ozark, AL 10 35-03 0 $50,500.00 Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 0 00-00 Day 3: 5 14-11 2. Frank Mealer Irondale, AL 9 17-14 0 $25,000.00 Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 2 02-01 Day 3: 2 02-02 3. Don Moore Ukiah, CA 12 16-10 0 $5,000.00 Day 1: 3 03-03 Day 2: 4 05-00 Day 3: 5 08-07 4. Russ Osborne Orlando, FL 8 16-06 0 $3,500.00 Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 0 00-00 Day 3: 5 07-11 5. Clint Belcher Uniontown, OH 7 15-12 0 $2,750.00 Day 1: 2 03-02 Day 2: 2 10-01 Day 3: 3 02-09 6. Clint Pack Gable, SC 8 15-02 0 $2,500.00 Day 1: 4 07-02 Day 2: 2 05-15 Day 3: 2 02-01 7. Lane Wright Loganville, GA 7 14-15 0 $2,250.00 Day 1: 2 04-10 Day 2: 1 01-03 Day 3: 4 09-02 8. Loel Brandstrom New Brighton, MN 4 14-12 0 $2,500.00 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 08-14 Day 3: 2 05-14 9. Marty Scoggins Trion, GA 12 14-09 0 $1,750.00 Day 1: 3 03-02 Day 2: 5 06-09 Day 3: 4 04-14 10. Mary Delgado Tampa, FL 5 14-07 0 $1,500.00 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 14-07 Day 3: 0 00-00 11. Kentaro Amagal New Port Richey, FL 9 14-04 0 $1,750.00 Day 1: 4 04-04 Day 2: 2 01-15 Day 3: 3 08-01 12. Tommy Swindle Cleveland, AL 7 13-05 0 $1,000.00 Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 1 00-15 Day 3: 3 06-01 13. Larry Triplett Parker, CO 8 13-00 0 $750.00 Day 1: 5 07-08 Day 2: 1 01-00 Day 3: 2 04-08 14. Michael Neal Dexter, KS 8 12-12 0 $750.00 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-02 Day 3: 5 06-10 15. Dennis Andersen Wellington, FL 8 12-10 0 $750.00 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-09 Day 3: 5 06-01 16. Shane Breeden Chickamauga, GA 5 12-08 0 $750.00 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 12-08 Day 3: 0 00-00 17. Steve Warner Winter Haven, FL 9 12-06 0 $750.00 Day 1: 5 06-02 Day 2: 1 00-13 Day 3: 3 05-07 18. Patrick Pierce Saint John, FL 8 11-06 0 $750.00 Day 1: 2 04-05 Day 2: 5 06-05 Day 3: 1 00-12 19. Terry Chapman Stanley, NC 8 11-02 0 $750.00 Day 1: 5 06-13 Day 2: 1 01-00 Day 3: 2 03-05 20. Mike Williams Delhi, LA 7 11-01 0 $750.00 Day 1: 5 07-04 Day 2: 1 02-12 Day 3: 1 01-01 21. Johnny Graham Tulsa, OK 10 11-00 0 $750.00 Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 4 04-02 Day 3: 5 05-03 22. Allen Burkhalter Columbus, GA 5 10-15 0 $750.00 Day 1: 4 10-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Day 3: 1 00-15 23. Robert Miley Miami, FL 7 10-14 0 $750.00 Day 1: 4 05-03 Day 2: 2 04-15 Day 3: 1 00-12 24. Dave Elder Tuscaloosa, AL 6 10-07 0 $750.00 Day 1: 2 02-01 Day 2: 3 07-09 Day 3: 1 00-13 25. Harold Beasley Dunnellon, FL 6 10-05 0 $750.00 Day 1: 2 03-13 Day 2: 4 06-08 Day 3: 0 00-00 26. Justin Hotz Colorado Springs, CO 10 10-04 0 $500.00 Day 1: 1 00-14 Day 2: 5 04-15 Day 3: 4 04-07 26. Kevin Cunningham Farmingdale, NY 8 10-04 0 $500.00 Day 1: 5 07-02 Day 2: 2 02-06 Day 3: 1 00-12 26. Chip Brooks Bradenton, FL 8 10-04 0 $500.00 Day 1: 4 04-02 Day 2: 2 04-06 Day 3: 2 01-12 29. Steven Abboud Orange Park, FL 7 10-03 0 $500.00 Day 1: 5 08-06 Day 2: 2 01-13 Day 3: 0 00-00 30. Wayne Loring Fort Lauderdale, FL 6 10-02 0 $500.00 Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 0 00-00 Day 3: 1 00-13 31. Jimmy Sparks Tuscumbia, AL 6 09-15 0 $500.00 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-01 Day 3: 3 03-14 32. Don Lewis Jacksonville, FL 4 09-10 0 $500.00 Day 1: 2 05-14 Day 2: 1 02-15 Day 3: 1 00-13 33. Brian Rodriguez Orlando, FL 7 09-07 0 $500.00 Day 1: 5 06-04 Day 2: 1 01-04 Day 3: 1 01-15 34. Raymond Trudeau Saint Cloud, FL 6 09-02 0 $500.00 Day 1: 3 05-13 Day 2: 2 01-13 Day 3: 1 01-08 34. Anthony Sammartino Orlando, FL 5 09-02 0 $500.00 Day 1: 3 07-04 Day 2: 1 01-01 Day 3: 1 00-13 36. L. E. Clark Palatka, FL 8 09-00 0 $500.00 Day 1: 5 06-01 Day 2: 0 00-00 Day 3: 3 02-15 37. James Whitman Ozark, AL 9 08-15 0 $500.00 Day 1: 1 00-13 Day 2: 5 05-05 Day 3: 3 02-13 37. Steven Raith Apollo Beach, FL 5 08-15 0 $500.00 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 4 07-12 Day 3: 1 01-03 39. Brandon Pedigo Lawton, OK 7 08-02 0 $500.00 Day 1: 2 02-07 Day 2: 4 05-00 Day 3: 1 00-11 39. Clint Sterling Oakland, FL 7 08-02 0 $500.00 Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 3 03-09 Day 3: 3 02-15 41. Michael Norman Okmulgee, OK 7 07-11 0 $500.00 Day 1: 3 02-14 Day 2: 2 02-09 Day 3: 2 02-04 42. Taylor Barnes Chickamauga, GA 8 07-09 0 $500.00 Day 1: 2 01-11 Day 2: 5 04-11 Day 3: 1 01-03 43. Paul Pagnato Vienna, VA 4 06-11 0 $500.00 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 04-14 Day 3: 1 01-13 44. David Hernandez Birmingham, AL 4 06-10 0 $500.00 Day 1: 2 04-10 Day 2: 1 00-15 Day 3: 1 01-01 45. Edward Abbott St. Cloud, FL 4 06-09 0 $500.00 Day 1: 3 05-12 Day 2: 1 00-13 Day 3: 0 00-00 46. Mark Eden Palm Bay, FL 4 05-13 0 $500.00 Day 1: 3 04-11 Day 2: 1 01-02 Day 3: 0 00-00 47. Kyle Lowrey Brandon, FL 2 05-12 0 $500.00 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 05-12 Day 3: 0 00-00 48. George Celi Kissimmee, FL 3 05-05 0 $500.00 Day 1: 1 02-14 Day 2: 2 02-07 Day 3: 0 00-00 49. Alan Bull Mccrory, AR 6 05-03 0 $500.00 Day 1: 5 04-04 Day 2: 1 00-15 Day 3: 0 00-00 50. Jimmy Dudley White, GA 4 05-02 0 $500.00 Day 1: 3 04-05 Day 2: 1 00-13 Day 3: 0 00-00 -----------------------------------------------------------------------

PUROLATOR BIG BASS Day 1 Harry Potts Ozark, AL 06-07 $500.00 2 Loel Brandstrom New Brighton, MN 07-15 $500.00 3 Kentaro Amagal New Port Richey, FL 05-06 $500.00

----------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 12 180 285-14 2 7 163 253-10 3 6 96 140-09 ---------------------------------- 25 439 680-01