ESPN Classic

Day One Bass Blog
Day Two Bass Blog

ANDERSON, S.C., 3:15 p.m. — 2/24/2008

The track shows most of the boats in or near the check-in area. So assume the fishing part of this Classic is over.

Now we get to see how close these little reports were during the course of the day. While I have some confidence that they are close, I'm sure there's an angler or two in there we've completely missed.

Those are the ones who will give us nice surprises at the weigh-in. We still remind everyone that these results or completely unofficial. And like those politcial polls we have a plus/minus margin of error of about 4 pounds, maybe more on the final day.

But this is how we have it right now:

• Alton Jones 49-5
• Bobby Lane 43-5
• Cliff Pace 41-15
• Michael Iaconelli 41-13
• Greg Hackney 41-9
• Kevin VanDam 40-1
• Aaron Martens 39-9
• Scott Rook 39-4
• Kitaro Kiriyama 38-15
• Jeff Kriet 38-13
• Edwin Evers 38-5
• Charlie Hartley 37-1
• Clark Reehm 35-13
• John Crews 35-11
• Dave Wolak 35-11

You can still get some updates from the lake side, though. In the next few minutes one of live streams, the LakeCam, will be set up to video the anglers coming off the water. When possible, we'll be asking them questions.

I'm sure there's a lot to learn about this Classic yet.

ANDERSON, S.C., 2:45 p.m. — 2/24/2008

Cliff Pace finally got off the 7-pound mark. He just landed a 2-pound fish that gives him a limit weighing 8-10. That little fish moves him from fifth to third and brings his three-day total to 41-15.

Alton Jones is still on top of the standings with a 13-5 limit. He appears to have the tournament in hand, but you know he doesn't know that.

You have to wonder how he's feeling right now. Every day, stringers from 18- to 20-pounds have been caught at a fairly decent clip. And any of the top five catches from one of those anglers against his 13-5 and they win.

I'm certain that is a thought that is filtering through his mind. The only question is how is Alton is dealing with that?

Personally, I would be panicking, as would most of the rest of us. Alton is a different breed of cat, though. I would suspect he's pretty comfortable with however it plays out.

He's quoted often about how he leaves God's plan for him up to God. These are times when that position could certainly be tested.

We're still keeping an eye on things. But it still looks like this:

• Alton Jones 49-5
• Bobby Lane 43-5

Again, all of those are just best guesses, nothing official

.

ANDERSON, S.C., 2:30 p.m. — 2/24/2008

There's not much time left, and I feel like I'm sitting on a deer stand waiting for a Boone and Crockett buck to slip by.

With each ticking of the clock, the chance of something big like that happening becomes as likely as that buck slipping in. But I'm still sitting here while virtually nothing is changing.

Of the three days of competition, this has been the slowest hour yet. Don't know why, but you can feel the lull. The skies are getting brighter, though, which may help some of those guys in deep water and a few others still knocking around the docks.

I've never been in a tournament when someone didn't catch one that made a difference in the last hour.

I'm kind of reminded of the 2004 Classic. It was really similar, and it all but looked like Dean Rojas or Aaron Martens was going to win that Classic when Takahiro Omori started putting on a show.

Something like that could happen at any moment.

At the moment, the standings are virtually the same as in the last report.

ANDERSON, S.C., 2 p.m. — 2/24/2008

All quiet on the Hartwell front.

Standings look like this:

• Alton Jones (5 fish, 13-5) 49-5
• Bobby Lane (5 fish, 13-8) 43-5
• Michael Iaconelli (4 fish, 10-10) 41-13
• Greg Hackney (5 fish, 10-14) 41-09
• Cliff Pace (5 fish, 7-10) 40-15
• Kevin VanDam (5 fish, 8-0) 40-1
• Aaron Martens (5 fish, 10-12) 39-9
• Scott Rook (5 fish, 10-09) 39-2
• Kotaro Kiriyama (5 fish, 10-4) 38-15
• Jeff Kriet (3 fish, 7-2) 38-13.

ANDERSON, S.C., 1:45 p.m. — 2/24/2008

Michael Iaconelli is making a little noise, he's just moved into third place. He reports catching a 4-pound, 8-ounce largemouth that brings his total to 10-10 for the day and 41-13 for three days.

He's still more than 7 pounds behind Alton's unofficial total. But that catch shows us that those better-than-average fish are still being found.

Not much changed on the leaderboard other than that.

But stay tuned. They could be coming any moment.

ANDERSON, S.C., 1:20 p.m. — 2/24/2008

Not a lot of change to report at the moment. Alton is still holding. Bobby Lane is sitting in second and the room of writers in the Mansion beside the lake insists that KVD is sandbagging with just an 8-pound limit.

If he is, that could shake things up a bit.

He is making a big move at the moment. He's spent a good portion of the day way up the Seneca River, but as I type this his track is moving down the lake.

We have even money that he is motoring to the Lightwood/Gumlog areas where the lion's share of his and Alton's three-day weight have come from.

Overall, the weights for the day, along with the catch rates are way off.

Of the 25 anglers in the field only 11 have caught a limit. And the heaviest stringer is Bobby Lane's at 13-8. None of that is impressive. It's actually kind of confusing. The conditions are overcast and mild in relation to the rest of the week. It's not a perfect fishing day, but it's as close to perfect as we've had all week.

One noticeable change in the last hour is the wind, which has been blowing 5- to 10-miles an hour all day, has died to almost nothing.

That may make it tougher, but who knows. One thing it could do is make some of that schooling activity more visible and raising the odds of someone tripping into a miraculous finish, or at the least a few minutes of fun.

ANDERSON, S.C., 12:50 p.m. — 2/24/2008

At 12:46, Alton Jones finished his limit with a 2 pound, 4 ounce very important fish.

I doubt he went "Ike" at that time, but I bet he feels a little better than he did an hour ago. His stringer is estimated to weigh 13 pounds, giving him 49-5, a full 6 pounds ahead of Bobby Lane.

That fish filled out the limits of the top seven. Kriet is still stuck on three fish.

ANDERSON, S.C., 12:30 p.m. — 2/24/2008

Alton Jones made a big adjustment: He's moved from Lightwood and Singing Pines to an area between the take-off and the Tuglaoo River.

Was it a good move?

Evidently so — he added a 3-pounder to his creel, giving him an 11 pound, 1 ounce total and just less than a 4-pound cushion on Bobby Lane.

Another one of those, especially without a big push from our other contenders, and Alton Jones could be on his way.

You have to remember all our weights are unofficial. You never know when the techincal genius in Kriet's boat has a brother in one of these other rides.

Plus, some of these anglers are sure-enough sandbaggers on Day Three.

Hackney is the worst. He could be holding a 5-pounder in his fist and make you believe it only weighs 2 pounds, sort of a reverse Roland Martin thing.

Don't know why they do it, they just do.

Here's our top 10:

1. Alton Jones (4 fish, 8-0) 47-01
2. Bobby Lane (5 fish, 13-0) 43-5
3. Greg Hackney (5 fish, 10-1) 41-9
4. Cliff Pace (5 fish, 7-1) 40-15
5. Kevin VanDam (5 fish, 8-0) 40-1
6. Scott Rook (5 fish, 10-0) 39-2
7. Aaron Martens (5 fish, 10-0) 38-13
7. Jeff Kriet (3 fish, 7-0) 38-13
9. Kotaro Kiriyama (5 fish, 9-0) 38-3
10. Michael Iaconelli (3 fish, 6-0) 37-5

Meanwhile, the weather here is still overcast and if the rumors I'm hearing are true, I'm wishing rain on Fontana, Calif.

How does that figure in this event? That's where the NASCAR race was rained out yesterday. It's raining there now, and to be honest, I need them to cancel that race today.

If not, that telecast will coincide with our Bassmaster Classic show this evening, moving fishing off of ESPN2 to ESPN Classics for the evening.

ANDERSON, S.C., 12:20 p.m. — 2/24/2008

Bobby Lane has made an adjustment in the last few minutes. At 12:15, he caught a 4-pounder, followed that up with a 3-pounder at 12:17; now he's jumped into second place with a 13-pound limit.

His three-day estimated total is 43-5, less than a pound behind Alton Jones who has an estimated total 44 pounds.

If Bobby Lane were to pull this off, it would be the second year in a row a Classic rookie has won this event.

Meanwhile, from a fishing tactics standpoint Alton Jones, who is still in the driver's seat of this event, has been catching his fish deep, swapping from the Lightwood area of the lake on the west side to the Singing Pines area on the east side.

Don't know exactly what bait he's using, but the key has been getting it to that area where Hartwell's clay banks meet sand. According to Jones, there's a little trough there and if you miss it you won't get bit.

ANDERSON, S.C., 12 p.m. — 2/24/2008

This is the time in the day when more than likely the adjustments that will either win or lose this tournament is taking place.

Earlier in the day, we talked about Alton Jones and how he had basically had his weight by 10:30 a.m. each day. He expected to have his weight early today and really milking it at this point.

It doesn't look like it's playing out as planned.

So there are a couple of scenarios that come with that.

One is he stays, continuing to work at it, hoping to scratch out a limit by day's end. Alton has a pretty cool head and he will know if that is a possibility at this point.

The second is to panic. The mere mortal would do that. Alton probably won't.

But he may be forced to make a change. That change could be one that allows him to hit a home run or completely strike out. There's no way of being certain of either.

And then there's the scenario that no decision needs to be made. He's already made all the right moves. He's in the lead right now with only three fish that weigh 8 pounds. This Classic could already be over.

I doubt that's the case, but right now Alton is in control of the outcome.

He could start slamming the door on everyone else by catching a couple of quality bass. Or he could leave the door open and one of the guys scrambling around behind him could get fotunate enough to catch him with the help of the right bites.

The next hour will be critical in seeing how that will turn out.

Here's how it looks now, which is exactly how it looked 30 minutes ago.

1. Alton Jones (3 fish, 8-0) 44-00
2. Greg Hackney (5 fish, 10-1) 41-9
3. Cliff Pace (5 fish, 7-1) 40-15
4. Kevin VanDam (5 fish, 8-0) 40-1
5. Aaron Martens (5 fish, 10-0) 38-13
6. Jeff Kriet (3 fish, 7-0) 38-13
7. Scott Rook (5 fish, 9-1) 38-8
8. Bobby Lane (5 fish, 8-0) 38-5
9. Kotaro Kiriyama (5 fish, 9-0) 38-3
10. Michael Iaconelli (3 fish, 6-0) 37-5

ANDERSON, S.C., 11:30 a.m. — 2/24/2008

All that talk about how a couple of these guys can make big moves with just a couple of catches and wouldn't you know it, they start catching them and it doesn't create much of a ripple at all.

VanDam has his limit. They weigh 8 pounds. But, it just moved him to 4th overall.

And, our intrepid observer in Kriet's boat has made a boo-boo.

Evidently, he hit the wrong key stroke and Kriet's actual stringer is three fish that total 7-pounds.

It's like he caught a negative fish. We've spent the morning thinking he's had two 4-pounders. Talk about your bubble busters. But there's still room for a lot of these guys to move around.

I think it's interesting that the 4-pound class fish have been non-existent this morning.

The way it looks right now:

1. Alton Jones (3 fish, 8-0) 44-00
2. Greg Hackney (5 fish, 10-1) 41-9
3. Cliff Pace (5 fish, 7-1) 40-15
4. Kevin VanDam (5 fish, 8-0) 40-1
5. Aaron Martens (5 fish, 10-0) 38-13
6. Jeff Kriet (3 fish, 7-0) 38-13
7. Scott Rook (5 fish, 9-1) 38-8
8. Bobby Lane (5 fish, 8-0) 38-5
9. Kotaro Kiriyama (5 fish, 9-0) 38-3
10. Michael Iaconelli (3 fish, 6-0) 37-5

ANDERSON, S.C., 11 a.m. — 2/24/2008

It was just a matter of time. Alton Jones has started catching them. And the Hack Attack has started.

Jones has three in the boat weighing 8 pounds and has re-taken the lead with 44 pounds total. That alone puts a lot of guys in the chase mode.

Meanwhile, Hackney is having his best Classic to date (which isn't saying much). He's finished a limit at 10 pounds, 1 ounce and has moved to second place with 41-9.

Cliff Pace is still stuck on a 7-1 limit and has slipped to third.

Jones' little flurry, though, has started to put this event out of reach for a lot of guys in more than just mathematical terms. Going into the event, there was a small chance anyone in the field could have an exceptional day, with Alton stumbling and taking the title.

Alton's not exactly running away with it, but with 8 pounds in the boat, it's pretty much out of reach for anyone who was outside the top 15 this morning. Really, it should go much higher, but I'm covering myself, in case one of those miracle flurries starts to take place.

If it does, it better start happening. We're at the halfway point and I don't see the conditions making that big of a swing between now and the end.

Someone slipping up on one of those pods of largemouth schooling on blueback herring could happen, but even that likelihood is starting to slip away.

At this point, the really big largemouth (5 to 6 pounds for this lake) haven't started showing up. They've been absent enough to date, and it's a good bet they won't turn up in any numbers.

But there are still a couple of guys with a really good shot at making it happen.

Alton Jones is first with 44 pounds, and able to add to that easily by merely catching two more keepers.

Hackney has 41-9, a limit and a small fish in the range of 1-4. He can make up ground, but he needs those 4-pound-class fish to do it.

Pace is in a similar fix. The size fish he's caught so far won't cut it. He needs those kickers to start rolling in. Same goes for Martens and Rook.

VanDam and Kriet, on the other hand, can catch just about anything worth keeping and start moving up the ranks.

KVD has three fish and sits in sixth with 37-12. One 4-pounder and he's in second. Kriet is in seventh place with two fish and a 37-11 weight. One more 4-pounder and he's in second, two more and he's in the lead with a fish to go.

ANDERSON, S.C., 10:30 a.m. — 2/24/2008

The clouds have basically taken over the lake, producing one of those days where you just know someone is catching the daylights out of them somewhere.

That's not exactly happening on Lake Hartwell, but it looks like it could start at any time.

Cliff Pace continues to lead and Jeff Kriet is breathing down his neck. But outside of a few catches here and there, not a lot has happened since the last update.

KVD is finally catching them. He has two weighing in at 4 pounds, 5 ounces. That gives him 36-6 and an eighth-place standing, and he has four guys in front of him with limits: Kiriyama (seventh place) Martens (fifth place) Rook (fourth place) and Pace.

Still fishless today are Todd Faircloth and John Crews. Everyone else has boated at least one keeper.

From a location stanpoint, Alton is swapping back and forth across the lower lake from the Lightwood area on the west side to the opposite side and back again.

Kriet is staying in one spot almost in sight of the launch ramp. Cliff Pace appears to be making a milk run in the mouth of the Tugaloo, and Scott Rook has moved well up the Tugaloo.

And KVD is way up the Seneca, near where Rook spent the first two days. VanDam made that same move yesterday late in the day. He's doing it early this morning.

ANDERSON, S.C., 9:45 a.m. — 2/24/2008

I've watched several of these tournaments progress over the years, and as you do that you can't help but try and guess how things will play out.

Looking at it as objectively as possible, here is how it looks like things could play out. Those guesses are centered around three anglers. Be warned, though, my quesses are wrong more than they are right.

Right now Cliff Pace has the lead with 40-11. He's got a limit and they total 7-10. And Jeff Kriet has added another 4-pounder, bringing his total to 8 pounds on the day and 39-11.

Alton Jones has a 3-pounder and is in third with 39-0.

Having visited with most of these guys and watched the progression of events, Kriet and Jones seem to be the ones to watch. Kriet has an interesting game plan, and if he gets five bites, which he's on pace to do right now, the pressure shifts to Alton.

Alton, though, showed what he was capable of doing yesterday. He and Kriet are catching the same type quality, and Jones has proven to be a bulldog when he's in this position. This is realistically the first Classic he's been in a position to win handily. But he's been in this spot in other events and he knows how to put it away.

And the other guy is obviously Kevin VanDam. The guy is a flurry of giants waiting to happen. He's fishless right now, but you know that won't last. He understands how to adjust better than anyone, and his position in the tournament game is one where he can take huge gambles. There are times when it seems even the fish want to get close to KVD.

Updating some of the other anglers:

Scott Rook has finished his limit. They weigh 9-15 and have him sititng in fourth place overall. He's the type angler who can double that, but he would need some bad luck to fall on Jones, and for Kriet to just stop catching them.

Hartley's schooling fish was a 1 pounds, 4 ounce keeper. It moved him to sixth and he could start making a move if he could find the quality from Day One.

ANDERSON, S.C., 9:30 a.m. — 2/24/2008

Alton Jones is now on the board. He's boated a 3-pounder, pushing his total to 39 pounds. But he's still trailing Cliff Pace, who has four fish weighing an estimated 6-12 and has a three-day total of 39-15.

As these guys start to catch them, it becomes apparent how far some of these guys have to climb. Aaron Martens has a limit at 9 pounds, but he's falling down the standings to third place with 37-13.

Scott Rook is in fourth. He's boated four keepers weighing 8-7, bringing his overall total to 37 pounds.

Kriet still sits in fifth and Kotaro Kiriyama has the second limit of the day and has moved into sixth place.

I have a couple of checks and balances besides just hoping that the observer keys in the right information.

For example, a few minutes ago ESPN cameraman Wes Miller sent me a text saying Charlie Hartley got in the middle of some schooling fish and was able to boat one. That catch hasn't showed up and I don't know how big it may be.

But once we get a handle on that he'll jump into the top five.

The amazing thing about that is it's 40 degrees outside, water temps have to be in the 50s and these guys are catching largemouth schooling. That's a product of the blueback herring and the impact they have on a lake.

Can't wait to hear what lure he caught the fish.

ANDERSON, S.C., 9 a.m. — 2/24/2008

Jeff Kriet wasn't kidding about the quality of his fish. He's boated his first keeper and it weighs in at around 4 pounds, giving him a total of 35-11 and virtually pulling him into a tie with Alton Jones.

If he keeps up that average, and even adds that 6-pound class fish he lost yesterday, that would mean Alton, who started the day with basically a 4-pound lead over Kriet, would have to still come with the goods today.

All of that is nothing more than something to think about. But as this final day takes shape, it's fun to think of all the scenarios.

At this moment, Cliff Pace is sitting atop the standings. He's caught four keepers at about 6-10 giving him 39-15 total.

Aaron Martens is second with a 9-pound limit and 37-13 overall.

Alton Jones is fishless, but still in third with 36-0.

Jeff Kriet's 4-pounder has him in fourth with 35-11 And Charlie Hartley is fishless and sits in fifth with 34-13.

Others on the board, include Hackney with a 2-10, Bobby Lane with two at 3-8, Scott Rook with three at 4-11, Edwin Evers with two at 3-8 and Kotaro Kiriyama with three fish at 4 pounds.

Several other anglers have one or two, but no giant moves have come yet.

ANDERSON, S.C., 8:30 a.m. — 2/24/2008

The topsy-turvy ways of a final day in the Classic have begun.

Aaron Martens has just boated the first limit. It totals 9 pounds, giving him 37 pounds, 13 ounces and the lead.

(Who said Aaron was "always" second at the Classic?)

He's still going to have to build a big stringer to overtake Alton if he starts catching them. But it's nice to see Martens in the mix once again.

Whoops, spoke too soon — Cliff Pace just leap frogged over him. He has three fish at 5 pounds total and sits in the lead with 38-5.

Bobby Lane has started catching them, too. He's back in his little honey hole in the Tugaloo and has two keepers.

Meanwhile, Alton and KVD are fishless. But you know that won't last.

We have to keep an eye on Jeff Kriet today. He posted the largest sack of Day Two, even after losing a reported 6-pound-plus fish that jumped twice before throwing his grub.

In his words, "I ain't getting many bites, but when I do, they are as long as your leg."

If the top four struggle at all to break the 12 pound mark and things work for Kriet, he could actually scare the hell out of some folks.

ANDERSON, S.C., 8 a.m. — 2/24/2008

Aaron Martens caught the first fish of the day: a 2 pound, 8 ounce keeper. He boated it at 7:39 a.m., then put another in the boat at 7:40 a.m.

Then there was a flurry of activity.

At 7:41 a.m., Gary Klein, Kevin Short, Casey Ashley and Edwin Evers all boated keepers. What's more interesting? All of those guys are miles apart.

At that time, they and Martens are the only ones who have caught fish. Cliff Pace joined the group at 7:55 a.m.

He added another keeper at 7:59 a.m., and unofficially took over the lead in the first hour, with two keepers at 4 pounds and a 37-5 total. Jones is in second with 36-0.

Haven't heard a thing from Bobby Lane this morning. That's unusual. Usually by this time of the day, he's either had a limit or getting real close to it. Not so much as a sniffle.

The guy winning the catch rate game this morning is Aaron Martens. He's boated three already, weighing about 5 1/2 pounds.

ANDERSON, S.C., 7:30 a.m. — 2/24/2008

The final 25 anglers have left the dock. I've never seen a more tired group of anglers for the start of the final day of the Classic.

Most of them fell asleep watching the Classic show on ESPN2. I did as well.

...

For the most part, these guys have made it to their first fishing area.

In some parts of the lake, it's cloudy, in others, it's clear as a bell. I'm sitting right where the clear and cloudy meet.

Already, I'm starting to see some interesting things.

The biggest is Scott Rook, who spent the last two days up the Seneca River, and is now up the Tugaloo. He didn't go a long way, but he's completely switched directions, at least for the morning.

Meanwhile, Kevin VanDam and Alton Jones are pretty much going about their regular game plans, which is fishing a long point. They can't be more than 400 yards apart.

Alton Jones is obviously the odds-on guy to win this thing. The interesting thing about him is that he hasn't fished hardly at all after 10:30 a.m. on the first two mornings. (The catch log basically backs that up.)

He's spent that time looking for new water and trying new things. And in his mind, today is the first day he will really get to bear down on his fishing spots.

Something to think about. I will try and remember that after 10:30, so we can track any and all changes.

Click here to read the Day One blog
Click here to read the Day Two blog

Bassmaster.com will provide unprecedented live video coverage of the Classic this week, Feb. 22-24. We'll have live "Hooked Up," daily launches at 7:15 a.m. ET and live weigh-ins and real-time leaderboards starting at 4:30 p.m. ET broadcast live from the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, S.C.

Click here to JOIN BASS!