Management Decisions
Starks Slams 21-15 And Defeats KVD By 8 Ounces

Sunday, June 08, 2008   by:Bassfan.com  

Photo: ESPN Outdoors Jeremy Starks said fish management was the determining factor in this event.

It had all the makings of a classic final day – veteran Kevin VanDam vs. relative newbie Jeremy Starks. Each had a spot capable of winning the tournament. Each had to make difficult fish-management decisions the first 3 days. There was even a little smack flying around, like when Starks threw out a "Kevin who?" this morning.

And each was utterly determined to touch the trophy.

Starks trailed VanDam by 1-07 when the scales opened. VanDam weighed 20-00, but Starks answered with 21-15 and overtook VanDam to win by an 8-ounce margin.

Starks' 78-10, 4-day total was an easy 10 pounds better than the pre-tournament winning-weight predictions.

As Starks pumped his fist through the air, then later broke down emotionally, it was obvious to anyone watching how much this, his first tour-level win, meant to him.

VanDam yesterday lamented a day-1 decision to quit his area with 18 pounds, and noted that could cost him in the end. It did.

Terry Scroggins just plain ran out of quality fish. He caught 13-06 and finished 3rd with 67-01.

John Murray caught 15-03 off his channel edge and improved one spot to finish 4th with 66 pounds even.

And Matt Sphar's odyssey continued today. After a miserable day 1, which put him in 92nd place, he rebounded with a 16-pound day-2 sack, then jumped into the Top 12 yesterday when he caught 20 pounds. His 21-15 limit today moved him up five spots and he finished 5th.

It might be easy to assume that Starks' spot was simply the better one. It might be just as easy to assume that the tournament was decided by fish management.

Starks made very few casts to his spot the first 3 days – in fact, he made just one cast to it yesterday. VanDam worked his spot a little harder, but as noted above, his costly layoff decision on day 1 left the door open for Starks.

But remember too that Starks laid off on day 1 with 17 pounds.

So in the end, it looks like both factors played, and day 4 delivered as promised – an ounces-driven showdown where skill, decision-making, and perhaps a little luck were all part of the equation.

Starks Stoked

Starks made his hay from a single spot located at the very end of the Decatur Flats. It was near VanDam's area, and VanDam was also fairly close to Murray.

Starks guarded his hole, and tried to keep it a secret, throughout the event. But when he pulled up this morning, he "almost had a heart attack." An aluminum boat was sitting right on top of it, and a big old bass was on its way into the cooler. More on that in a minute.

About his first tour-level win, Starks said: "I said yesterday that it couldn't have been scripted any better. And this was just the most fun tournament. With Kevin and I, some of the media tried to play it up – the smack – but it was just all in good fun. To be able to beat the best – it feels awesome."

He pocketed $101,000 for the win, but said the money's not the most important part. "I'm not going to lie and say I don't want the $100,000, but that wasn't going to make or break me. The size of the prize doesn't matter. It's just winning and beating Kevin VanDam (that matters).

"I'm going to be honest. Today I don't think the money ever entered my mind. And Kevin was talking some smack – everyone was telling me what he was saying. It was just a lot of fun, and there was nothing disrespectful meant by it. It is a competition, and it is a sport. It's about competition, and that's what makes it exciting."

Notable too was he didn't have a scale with him today, and wasn't sure what he had as he came to the weigh-in. "When (VanDam) weighed in and had 20, I was thinking I was going to be a few ounces short. When they said 21-15, it was just unbelievable."

As noted earlier, he broke down on stage and tears welled in his eyes as he thanked his dad and wife Laura. His dad supported his initial campaign in the Bassmaster Opens by paying his first-year entry fees. Also, he said his father took him fishing at least five times a week every week, after work, when he was younger.

When asked to name the single factor that most decided this tournament, he said: "I think it was all management decisions. I think (VanDam) beat his fish up too much yesterday."

About the local boat on his spot this morning, he added: "There was an aluminum boat that went by me about 50 times yesterday right on it. But they never saw me fishing the meat of the spot. They were putting a giant in their cooler when I got there.
 

Photo: ESPN Outdoors Kevin VanDam knows he let this one slip away, and he's disappointed about that

"I said, 'Hey guys, if y'all don't mind, I'd really like to fish here.' They ignored me and kept fishing. I waited about 30 minutes, trying to calm down and let them fish their way out of there. They were so close to my best spot they could have cast to it. But they hadn't found it exactly. They stayed there about half the day and tried to come in on me all day, but never did. Once I started fishing, I caught my limit pretty quick."

He caught his fish on two baits this week – a 10" Berkley Power worm (plum) and a homemade football-head jig tipped with a Berkley Chigger craw. The full details of his winning pattern, plus pattern information for the other top finishers, will be published soon.

2nd: VanDam Disappointed

"It's a big disappointment, no doubt," VanDam said of his finish. "I'm real glad to have a good tournament, but its so hard to get in position to win one that it's definitely a letdown (to finish 2nd)."

When asked if his day-1 decision to lay off was his undoing, he said: "I had the opportunities today to have a phenomenal day – the fish just weren't taking the bait real good and I couldn't keep them on. We all make decisions. Jeremy did the same thing on day 1, trying to manage his fish. I'm sure I could have caught more that day, but he could have too.

"The bottom line is you have to be there on day 4 to have a shot to win. The thing is, you don't really go and check how good a spot is in practice. I had no idea the spot that I was fishing was going to be as good as it was. But after you fish it for a couple of days, you start to realize what you've got.

"And I'm sure I could have caught more that first day and it wouldn't have made a difference to the spot. But it's easy to say that now."

3rd: Scroggins Happy

Scroggins led the first 2 days, but failed to catch quality the final 2. He didn't run out of fish – he said he caught another 70 or 80 bass today – but the good fish had dried up.

That forced him to move from his primary area to an adjacent spot.
 

Photo: ESPN Outdoors Terry Scroggins has struggled here in the past, so he's 'tickled to death' to come away with a 3rd-place finish.

"I feel good about it," he said of his finish. "Coming into here, it was kind of worrying me a little bit. In past history here, I haven't really done that well. I've always done well at Guntersville, but the two lakes fish totally different.

"To come out of here with a 3rd, I'm tickled to death with that. It's been a real fun week. I probably caught 250 fish."

About his lighter sacks the past 2 days, he noted: "The quality had left, I guess. What was really killing me is they didn't generate a lot of water the last couple of days. I needed water to move to catch the good fish, so that's what really hurt me.

"I started out on (my main) spot this morning and caught 25 or 30 fish," he added. "At about 11:00, I left. I had another place up on Decatur Flats, a little shell bar, and I went and hit it. I caught 30 or 40 fish, and was able to upgrade a little bit."

5th: Murray Happy Too

This was Murray's best finish since last July (when he recorded back-to-back 3rds). He moved up 21 spots to 64th today in the BASS Angler of the Year (AOY) race, but needs to climb another 30 or so spots over the final four events to gain a Bassmaster Classic berth.

"I'm real happy," he said. "I had a pretty clean tournament – I lost one 4-pounder at the end of the day today, and that was the only fish I lost all week, so that's okay.

"Looking back, I probably should have looked over the spot a little better with my unit to see if they moved up somewhere else," he added. "But I think I milked it for all it's worth."

About his quest to make the Classic, he said: "It's going to take three or four more Top 12s to get back in there, and that's always in the back of your mind. But really, Top 50s are my goal – cold, hard cash."

What follows are highlights from today's weigh-in.

• 1st, Jeremy Starks (21-15 today, 79-10 total): "I heard a lot of the anglers were second-guessing my decision to hold off of that spot, but obviously, it worked. I made a little comment this morning, just talking some smack and 'Kevin who?,' but I have the utmost respect for Kevin VanDam. He's the best bass-fisherman the world's ever seen. And to come into the last day and to beat Kevin VanDam – it couldn't have been scripted any better than that.

   

  "I have to thank my dad, and Laura. My dad has supported me...(breaks down emotionally)...Bass Cat, Berkley, Carrot Stix – that 10" (Berkley) Power worm was the deal this week. Every one of them had it down their throat. And Friends of Coal of course. It's just been an unbelievable experience."

   

• 2nd, Kevin VanDam (20-00 today, 21-15 total): "I'm going to tell you, I know that both of us were extremely excited to go out fishing today. We've both been trying to manage the spots we've been on for this tournament, and to be able to just go and let it loose today was what we both were looking for. It was a lot tougher than I thought it would be. The fish didn't really bite real well, and I lost quite a few today. But I did get five quality bites that I got in the boat.

   

  "Jeremy and I go way back now. I didn't know really who he was until about a year ago. And we had a little discussion about a fishing spot up in New York last year. And since then, we've talked a lot and I think we're pretty good friends about it. When Jeremy told me I'd better have 25 pounds, I knew he had a pretty good spot. But we're just playing it up a little bit. He's just trying to put a few digs into me, but he really didn't need to do that to motivate me more. I was definitely excited to get out there and go fishing. But I'm going to tell you this, it didn't hurt either. I wanted to win this real bad.

  "Jeremy and I both talked about that (fish management). He backed off his and I backed off mine. It's one of those things – you just don't know. If you're not here on the final day because you catch too much too early, that doesn't do you any good either. At the end of the tournament, if you end up winning you look like a hero. If you don't, you're like, 'Oh, I made a mistake.' With these guys, you have to bring your 'A' game every day.

  "I hit a few (other) spots later in the day, but I pretty much sat on (my main spot) all day, just because there's so many quality fish moving in and out. That's the thing about this time of year when the bass are moving toward their summer patterns. A spot like that – they replenish. I never caught a fish with a hook mark in it. They're all new fish. They're heading out from the backs of these bays and creeks and pockets to the deeper water.

  "This week I caught most all my fish on my favorite crankbait – a Strike King Series 5 sexy shad and the brand new chartreuse/sexy shad."

   

• 3rd, Terry Scroggins (13-06 today, 67-01 total): "I'm glad we're not fishing tomorrow. I think I finally ran out of fish. The first 2 days, when I had the better weights, I caught them on a Booyah Pigskin football jig. The last 2 days I couldn't get bit on it – they wouldn't hold onto it – so I switched to a 10" plum Yum Ribbontail worm. It was same worm I used down at Falcon to catch that big sack down there."
  

   

   

  Photo: ESPN Outdoors Matt Sphar said he scrambled on day 1, but then started to figure things out.

• 4th, Matt Sphar (21-05 today, 78-10 total): "I actually had a pretty tough practice. I scrambled around the first day (of competition) and couldn't make up my mind on what I wanted to do. I kind of felt out what the other guys did, and how they caught their fish the first day. I didn't roll in on anybody or anything like that. We're all good out there and we can pretty much figure out what other guys are doing to get their fish. I just kept figuring it out and working the channel edges.

   

  "Yesterday I found this flat that had this little 1-foot drop on it, and the current was hitting it just right and rolling around it. I ran out of fish today, but luckily I had just enough to put a good bag together."

   

• 6th, Todd Faircloth (13-04 today, 65-01 total): "I didn't do anything different (today). Yesterday, I just got some big bites. Today was kind of like the second day – I only caught one quality fish. I started on this one spot every morning. I was boat 100 out the fist day, and I told myself I'd stop on the first spot that nobody was on and I had coordinates on. It just so happens that spot was it. Every morning I'd catch a fish on my first cast.

   

  "This was just a great time. It's a great fishery. And it's getting better, it seems like. There's a lot of fish. It's very fertile. Keep the grass alive and you'll have a good fishery for many years."

   

• 8th, Matt Reed (11-13 today, 61-02 total): "It was amazing how many fish are out there. I still caught a lot of fish today, (but) I caught no size. I still had a ball. It's an amazing fishery. You heard coming here that a 13- or 14-pound day was a very good sack. That's not so. It's got a lot bigger fish than that.

   

  "Basically, I was fishing scattered grass and the areas that were holding fish had little shellbeds on them. You'd have a clean area inside that grass, and those fish were really keyed in on those specific spots. There were lots of groups of fish out there, and to catch the good fish, you really had to key on the sweet spot in the group. You could catch the small ones (casting) around the outside, but those big fish were really on the edge of the shell where the grass was growing, it seemed to me."

   

• 9th, Corey Waldrop (12-11 today, 58-07 total): "Helicopters going, cameras right there in your face the whole time – it was something I'm not used to. I had an awesome time. I enjoyed myself, (and) I really enjoyed BASS letting me fish out of my own boat today. That helped a lot, this being my first Top 12."

   

   

• 10th, Shaw Grigsby (11-05 today, 54-05 total): "There's so many of the bigguns out there on the flats, and I just didn't get any of them to bite this week. This whole week I've been using this (Strike King) RedEye shad – 3/4-ounce. It's been a great bait – the only lipless crank I know that swims down (on the fall). This whole week has been pretty spectacular.

   

  "I dedicated this tournament to my father-in-law. He passed away on Saturday (of last week). And I made a 12-cut, which is pretty awesome. He's up there looking down on me."

   

• 11th, Kota Kiriyama (8-07 today, 53-14 total): "I think we caught almost all the fish in the area. And it was very tough. The water temperature was 3 or 4 degrees higher every morning, because there was no wind yesterday, and no current – flat. I never fished a tournament here. I spent more than 1 week just graphing around the flats here, and in the practice I went back to where I marked GPS marks and threw (a) key lure to find fish – a Squad Minnow from Jackall. When I got a bite or two (in practice), then I keep moving to another spot. Then I (came) back in the tournament and switched to a slower presentation.

   

  "I'd just like to say thank you everybody for coming here. I love this state so much I built a house in Birmingham, and I get to come here a lot now."

   

• 12th, Mark Menendez (9-13 today, 51-11 total): "I gambled. It was real slow for me today – I only caught 100. Something's changing out there. I didn't really have a chance to adjust to it. I just wanted to make sure I get a few extra points. Alabama's been so good to me in the past. Wheeler's been tough on me, but I've made every Classic I've made (here). I've won both my tournaments in Alabama. And I love fishing here in Alabama.

   

  "When I got to my area where I caught my 10 pounds, I'd been throwing a Strike King Series 5 all week, (but) there was such a massive mayfly hatch, when I reeled in my crank it would have dead mayflies on my line. I picked up a big worm and got my limit. I just didn't get the quality. I never got a bite today on the Series 5. Something is changed. But to come in with 52 pounds – I'm thrilled. It's a great deal."

  Notable

  > Day 4 stats – 12 anglers, 12 limits.

  > Todd Faircloth has moved back into the lead in the BASS Angler of the Year race. Kevin VanDam is now 2nd. Updated standings can be found below.

  Day 4 (Final) Standings

  1. Jeremy Starks -- Charleston, WV -- 20, 78-10 -- 305 $101,000
  Day 1: 5, 17-00 -- Day 2: 5, 19-11 -- Day 3: 5, 20-00 -- Day 4: 5, 21-15

  2. Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 20, 78-02 -- 300 -- $41,000
  Day 1: 5, 18-08 -- Day 2: 5, 16-14 -- Day 3: 5, 22-12 -- Day 4: 5, 20-00

  3. Terry Scroggins -- San Mateo, FL -- 20, 67-01 -- 300 -- $26,000
  Day 1: 5, 22-03 -- Day 2: 5, 18-07 -- Day 3: 5, 13-01 -- Day 4: 5, 13-06

  4. John Murray -- Phoenix, AZ -- 20, 66-00 -- 285 -- $18,000
  Day 1: 5, 16-11 -- Day 2: 5, 18-03 -- Day 3: 5, 15-15 -- Day 4: 5, 15-03

  5. Matthew Sphar -- Pavilion, NY -- 20, 65-02 -- 280 -- $19,000
  Day 1: 5, 07-13 -- Day 2: 5, 16-00 -- Day 3: 5, 20-00 -- Day 4: 5, 21-05

  6. Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, TX -- 20, 65-01 -- 276 -- $17,500
  Day 1: 5, 20-09 -- Day 2: 5, 11-09 -- Day 3: 5, 19-11 -- Day 4: 5, 13-04

  7. Morizo Shimizu -- Osaka CA JAPAN -- 20, 61-03 -- 272 -- $15,000
  Day 1: 5, 17-03 -- Day 2: 5, 17-08 -- Day 3: 5, 13-06 -- Day 4: 5, 13-02

  8. Matt Reed -- Madisonville, TX -- 20, 61-02 -- 268 -- $14,500
  Day 1: 5, 16-12 -- Day 2: 5, 17-10 -- Day 3: 5, 14-15 -- Day 4: 5, 11-13

  9. Corey Waldrop -- Fort Worth, TX -- 20, 58-07 -- 264 -- $14,000
  Day 1: 5, 14-01 -- Day 2: 5, 09-13 -- Day 3: 5, 21-14 -- Day 4: 5, 12-11

  10. Shaw E Grigsby -- Gainesville, FL -- 20, 54-05 -- 260 -- $13,500
  Day 1: 5, 18-07 -- Day 2: 5, 17-01 -- Day 3: 5, 07-08 -- Day 4: 5, 11-05

  11. Kotaro Kiriyama -- Moody, AL -- 20, 53-14 -- 257 -- $12,500
  Day 1: 5, 19-00 -- Day 2: 5, 10-02 -- Day 3: 5, 16-05 -- Day 4: 5, 08-07

  12. Mark Menendez -- Paducah, KY -- 20, 51-11 -- 254 -- $12,300
  Day 1: 5, 18-01 -- Day 2: 5, 11-10 -- Day 3: 5, 12-03 -- Day 4: 5, 09-13

  Big Bass

  > Day 4 -- Matthew Sphar -- Pavilion, NY -- 06-01 -- $1,000
  > Day 3 -- Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, TX -- 07-13 -- $1,000
  > Day 2 -- Matthew Sphar -- Pavilion, NY -- 06-14 -- $1,000
  > Day 1 -- Dave Wolak -- Wake Forest, NC -- 07-10 -- $1,000