Flipping Bite Implodes
VanDam Slams 19-08, Faircloth And Kriet Close Behind

Photo: BassFan VanDam led day 2 at the 2007 Lay Lake Bassmaster Classic – this time he's the day-1 leader.

At the same time, other big names who decided to flip struck out with one- or two-fish sacks. And Denny Brauer zeroed.

Overall it was a shocking day 1, simply because the flipping bite was so terrible despite high, clear skies and slick-calm conditions. Instead, rattlebaits and other reaction baits in Beeswax Creek represented the dominant pattern today, and some good fish were caught up the river.

Beeswax has a lot of boats in it, and the fish there got hit hard today. It's relatively isolated from the main river, so it's been warming a little faster than other creeks. It also has coontail and some other grass. Plus, it's a popular release site for local tournaments.

But with so many boats there – including 2nd-place Todd Faircloth (18-02) and 3rd-place Jeff Kriet (16-07) – plus the hordes of spectator boats that should appear tomorrow, that bite could be pretty fragile and it might not last 3 days.

There are other things happening. Cliff Pace, in 4th place with 16-03, said he fished downlake. He's throwing a jig and catching spotted bass exclusively.

And Takahiro Omori, in 5th with 15-07, caught fish up the river (although he stopped in Beeswax late in the day). Tommy Biffle, in 8th with 14-03, caught river fish too.

It all sets up an interesting dynamic. Kriet, VanDam, Faircloth and rest of the folks fishing near the launch caught a ton of fish today to get up to their final weights. Although there's certainly a heavy population of fish in there, they have to share them, and the area could start to wear down.

At the same time, the flipping bite could turn on tomorrow, which creates the possibility of 20-pound-plus bags from deep in the field.

And Alabama Power might ease off on generation and close more gates. That won't help water temperatures up the river, but it could slow the current enough to make presentations up there much easier. And since so many have already written the river off entirely, that bite could become very strong over the next few days.

What's clear right now is that the leaders are very catchable, and day 2 should provide a lot more answers about the relative strengths of the different patterns in play.

As well, Beeswax could turn into a bee's nest. VanDam was the first boat out this morning. Faircloth was third out and Kriet was eighth. Boat orders are flip-flopped tomorrow so those three will be some of the last out. They can only hope that their stretches aren't covered up tomorrow when they get there.

Photo: ESPN Outdoors VanDam says it's easy to look at his weight and think the fishing is easy, but it's not – 'it's a grind.'

Below is a look at the current Top 12. Total weight is followed by distance from leader in red.

1. Kevin VanDam: 19-08
2. Todd Faircloth: 18-02 (1-06)
3. Jeff Kriet: 16-07 (3-01)
4. Cliff Pace: 16-03 (3-05)
5. Takahiro Omori: 15-07 (4-01)
6. Billy McCaghren: 15-04 (4-04)
7. Michael Iaconelli: 14-09 (4-15)
8. Tommy Biffle: 14-03 (5-05)
9. Russ Lane: 14-01 (5-07)
10. James Niggemeyer: 13-03 (6-05)
11. Brent Chapman: 13-00 (6-08)
11. Terry Scroggins: 13-00 (6-08)

KVD was Confident

> Day 1: 5, 19-08

VanDam said he caught fish on three different baits and also did some color-switching.

"I was pretty confident I was in an area that had fish, but I didn't know how active they would be," he said. "I've got several different areas that I haven't gone to, but you never know who's going to be fishing there.

"I really tried to find areas that were more obscure. Sometimes that pays off and sometimes it doesn't."

He said his day wasn't nearly as easy as his bag might've made it seem.

"It might look like (the leaders) just went out and whacked them, but it really wasn't like that. It's hard work to catch them – a lot of guys who are really good fishermen struggled today."

His bag included four largemouths and one spotted bass, and he had one fish that topped 5 pounds.

"The fishing should get better for everyone (with warmer conditions) and the fish should get more active. With the water warming up, the fish are moving from a winter pattern to a pre-spawn pattern. It's been a real abnormal winter down here and without a doubt it has changed the fishing.

"That being said, the conditions could get real crazy. With a lot of guys flipping mats, that bite should get stronger and stronger."

He said that if he can't replicate what he did today, he has other options. He had a large group of spectator boats around him, but said there were no related issues.

However, he's aware that could change over the weekend.

"Tomorrow is Saturday and I have a history in Alabama."

2nd: Faircloth Anticipates Improvement

> Day 1: 5, 18-01

"My plan worked out pretty good," Faircloth said. "I caught my limit by about 10:00. Today was the warmest day since we've been here by far, and I really feel like the fishing should get better each day. I'm pretty excited about it. I've kind of anticipated where the fish are going to go."

Photo: ESPN Outdoors Todd Faircloth saw some 49-degree water later this afternoon.

He estimated that he caught 10 keepers, and all his weigh-fish were largemouths. He did catch some spots, but culled them all out.

About tomorrow, he said: "I may change up a little. I may start where I ended the day today. I've got one area with a lot of fish in it. I caught my limit there this morning, but I only weighed one of them.

"I'm excited. It's the Classic. You can't win a Classic on the first day, but you can get way behind. Hopefully I can catch enough tomorrow to where I maybe have a shot at this deal."

3rd: Kriet Has a Few Stretches

> Day 1: 5, 16-07

Kriet joked that he can think of a lot of people he'd rather fish around than VanDam and Faircloth. That's not a reference to any type of sportsmanship issue. They're just vacuum cleaners who don't leave anything behind.

He found the areas and pattern on the final practice day Wednesday, and it was so much stronger than his previous pattern that he decided to start with it, and stay with it.

About his day, Kriet said: "I caught one quick, then went over to another stretch where I'd caught them pretty good in practice, caught two and left, came back to my first spot and they were biting. I stung them pretty good. I probably caught 15 or 16 keepers.

Photo: ESPN Outdoors Jeff Kriet is fishing near Faircloth and isn't sure how well the area will hold up.

Given his position, he said he's "not nervous at all." And now that he's established in the area, he doesn't expect anyone to be on his stretches tomorrow. "Put it this way: If somebody comes over on it, it's not going to be pretty."

"Faircloth is across the creek from me," he added. "And he's very good at what I'm doing. I don't know if the area will get burnt. I've got one stretch that's got them and they're on it. That's where I caught most of my better ones."

He caught all largemouths and he said the water temperature in his area was 46 degrees.

4th: All Spots for Pace

> 5, 16-03

Pace spent most of the day on the lower end of the lake and caught a strong limit of spotted bass. He said he wasn't surprised by the quality and that he didn't lose anything that would've helped his cause.

“Most of my fish I caught on a jig today, and I really picked everything apart and worked real methodically,” he said. "There were definitely key stretches, where the key was to really pick them apart."

He culled several times and his best fish went about 4 pounds.

He said that with the changing weather and clearing water, he might have to make an adjustment to stay on his fish, but didn't know when the alteration might be necessary.

5th: Good Day for Omori

> Day 1: 5, 15-07

Omori ran way upriver and caught more than a dozen keeper spots out of the current despite water that maxed out at 41 degrees.

"It was way more than I expected," he said. "According to my practice, I thought it would be a challenge to catch five keepers.

"It's the coldest water I've every fished in my career. It was a surprise – a good surprise."

He fished a bank that had a relatively strong current flowing past it. He stayed until 1:00, and then moved to Beeswax and fished in the vicinity of Van Dam, trying for a kicker largemouth. He caught a couple of green ones, but neither helped him.

"I also lost one fish, but it probably wouldn't have helped either."

He's unsure about what he'll do tomorrow – he doesn't want to intrude on VanDam.

"I'll have to wait and decide in the morning."

6th: McCaghren Caught 'Em Early

> Day 1: 5, 15-04

Rookie Billy MCCaghren said that considering his practice, he feels pretty good about his 15 pounds. He boxed a limit quickly this morning, then went hunting for an upgrade. He never got a big bite, but with the warming weather, he's hoping fish will start to get active in his upgrade areas.

"I figured the afternoon bite would be better, with it warming, so I went strictly for a big bite and never got one," he noted.

About whether he thinks he can still be in the hunt on day 3, he said: "When I qualified for the Classic, I was coming down here to win it. After practice I wasn't so sure, but anytime I launch my boat, I'm out here to win. If I get them I get them. If I don't, I'll get beat by the best.

"I'll do the same things tomorrow – that's all I've got."

He declined to comment on where he's fishing, but it's suspected that he caught his morning limit in Beeswax.

7th: Ike Adjusted Nicely

> Day 1: 5, 14-09

Iaconelli had to change gears from what he'd been planning to do, but everything worked out fine. His bag was boosted by a 6-10 brute that took big-fish honors.

"It was a mixed-emotions day," he said. "I went to a place where I'd had nine bites on (the official practice day Wednesday) and that I was really enthused about, but I got one bite in 3 hours. At about 10:30 I went back to a pattern I'd found in pre-practice and used that to secure most of my weight.

"I feel good about what I did – making that late adjustment. There are definitely some fish moving up on this warming trend and I think I can catch some more if I fish around a little bit tomorrow."

The big one was one of five keepers he caught between 11:00 and 3:00 from a mid-lake area (he'd started upriver). He revealed that he caught all of those fish on a spinning rod.

"That was a big bonus and it's the kind of fish you need every day to have a shot to win. If you can get a handful of 2-pounders and throw in a 4 or 5, you're going to be in the teens."

8th: Biffle Keeping Quiet

> Day 1: 5, 14-03

Biffle said he flipped to catch some of his fish and casted for others. He wasn't thrilled with his bag, but he was aware that it would keep him in the hunt for the title.

"It was satisfactory," he said. "I'd have liked to have done a little better, but I didn't shoot myself in the foot.

"I fished where I wanted to and the way that I wanted to. I don't really want to say much about it because there were a couple of boats in the area."

He got only the five bites and his bag was topped by a 4-pounder. He'll employ a similar gameplan tomorrow.

"What I wanted to do was keep from losing it on the first day, and to do that I needed to do what I did or better. I think it could get better because I know a little more about what to do now.

"I know there's some big ones around, but it's a matter of whether I can get them to bite."

9th: Lane Waiting

> Day 1: 5, 14-01

Russ Lane started with a few quick fish near the launch in Beeswax, then spread out and did some running. He caught his morning fish flipping a Big Bite YoMama, added a few fish later on with a Buckeye football head, then culled those fish by swimming a jig.

"I would have liked to have a little more, but I think this keeps me in the hunt for sure," he said. "I was a little shocked at what VanDam had, but aren't we always? But I think the fishing's going to get better. I think the cut weight may go up tomorrow. I definitely don't think the weights are going to fall. I don't think we'll see any 19-pound bags though.

"I am waiting on a few areas to get good – I'm hoping that a couple areas I'm saving will turn on. They didn't today. I'll just keep hitting the areas hard the next couple of days. Hopefully I'm around on Sunday and I have a chance to catch a big bag and catch up with these guys."

10th: Niggemeyer Recovering

> Day 1: 5, 13-03

James Niggemeyer said he feels good about his day, especially since he had walking pneumonia during practice.

"I missed two days of practice, so going out this morning, I didn't know what to expect," he said. "It can change a lot every day here, but I caught my five then culled and I'm pretty happy with the way things turned out.

"I caught my two biggest ones flipping. My biggest was a 3 1/2 and I caught a mixed bag. I still have some stretches I haven't fished yet, and if conditions stay like today, I don't see how it couldn't get better. I'll just move into some new areas and some new water. I don't want to pound on the same stuff every day. I want to show my bait to some other fish."

11th: Chapman Surprised

> Day 1: 5, 13-00

After a mediocre practice, the 12 keepers that Chapman worked through to compile his bag left him surprised. There were no big bites, though.

“I'm on solid fish, but that’s what is really separating me from the rest of the guys at the top,” he said, referring to his lack of a solid kicker.

His bag consisted entirely of largemouths.

“From a winning standpoint, I'm glad to know that I'm catching the largemouth and I'm on that type of pattern because that’s what will ultimately win this deal.”

He noted that he fished within sight of Kriet and VanDam. Most of his fish came courtesy of shallow-running and lipless crankbaits, but he added that a flipping stick will be on his deck for the rest of the tournament due to the warming conditions.

11th: Scroggins was Up and Back

> Day 1: 5, 13-00

Scroggins made a couple of runs from Beeswax down to the dam. He started out flipping, the resorted to a shakey-head before going back to flipping late in the day.

"I tried to get a few big bites early, but those fish might've been too cold for too long of a time and they haven't showed back up yet," he said. "This will keep me in the game, but I'm kind of disappointed that didn't get a big one.

"Tomorrow I'll go out and catch five spots first and then flip. The only chance I have to win is flipping."

None of his fish weighed much more than 3 pounds and he said he lost a couple that likely would've helped him.

"I'm happy to have what I got because things didn't get better for me."

13th: Swindle Went Dam to Dam

> Day 1: 5, 10-08

Gerald Swindle got a good laugh when he told BassFan that one of the Federation anglers came up to him and said he was blown away that VanDam caught 19 1/2 pounds. Swindle told the Federation angler, "Welcome to our world."

Swindle actually had a slow morning. He started in the river and didn't catch a fish until 9:40. He dinked around with not much luck, then went and cranked and finally caught a few.

"They just got up real shallow," he noted. "I went from dam to dam and the current was ripping up in the river. There's just too much current. It's so fast you can't get your bait down and fish it at the speed you need to in 43-degree water. And if you go up to a 3/4-ounce jig, you'll hang up."

14th: Kiriyama Satisfied

> Day 1: 5, 10-03

Kota Kirayama fished upriver and boated eight keepers on the day. He stuck to the main channel and worked depths from 3 to 6 feet with crankbaits and a Jackall Flick Shake worm.

His bag was a mix of spots and largemouths and was headed up by a 3-pounder. He lost two fish that likely would've boosted his total by a few ounces.

"It was difficult," he said. "That was about what I thought I could catch.

"I'll start the same way tomorrow and then maybe make an adjustment. I need to try to catch 15 or 16 pounds."

15th: Two Good Ones for Velvick

> Day 1: 5, 10-00

Byron Velvick said he spent the day fishing plastics down by the dam. His bag consisted of two 3-pounders and three barely-legal keepers.

"There was nobody around and I made a tactical error by leaving that area, thinking I could catch bigger fish somewhere else," he said. "That didn't happen."

He said he also lost two good fish that would've pushed him higher up the standings.

Notable

> Day 1 stats – 51 anglers, 30 limits, 4 fours, 1 three, 7 twos, 6 ones, 3 zeroes.

> Weigh-in started a little late today because the field got caught in a Friday rush-hour traffic jam on the way back from Lay Lake.

> There are three former Classic champions currently in the Top 10 – VanDam, Omori and Iaconelli.

> BassFan Big Stick John Murray came in one fish shy of a limit and resides right on the cut line (25th place) with 7-12. To read his day 1 report, click here.

> Pam Martin-Wells, the second woman ever to fish the Classic, is currently 30th with 6-13. She said she went for a limit of spots right away and got it, because she always fishes better with a limit. Then she went flipping but never hooked up.

> Jason Quinn (35th) had an equipment problem today. He got his bait hung and pushed his rod down to the bait to free it up. A little later, two fish broke him off. Upon closer inspection, he saw that he'd damaged one of his guides under the water and it was fraying his line.

> Brauer not only didn't catch a fish, he never even got a bite. He and Greg Hackney (40th) were fishing the same cut.

> Kelly Jordon (44th) thinks he knows why the flipping bite died. He said he looked closely in the grass and the bass were just sitting there sunning themselves. If a bait landed within 30 feet of them they'd shoot off. It's sort of like when bass suspend under docks and are pretty much uncatchable.

Weather Forecast

Here's the weather forecast for the remaining tournament days.

> Sat., Feb. 20 - Mostly Sunny -61°/39°
- Wind: From the S at 3 mph

> Sun., Feb. 21 - Partly Cloudy - 64°/51°
- Wind: From the S/SE at 10 mph

Day 1 Standings

1. Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, Mich. -- 5, 19-08
Day 1: 5, 19-08

2. Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, Texas -- 5, 18-02
Day 1: 5, 18-02

3. Jeff Kriet -- Ardmore, Okla. -- 5, 16-07
Day 1: 5, 16-07

4. Cliff Pace -- Petal, Miss. -- 5, 16-03
Day 1: 5, 16-03

5. Takahiro Omori -- Emory, Texas -- 5, 15-07
Day 1: 5, 15-07

6. Billy McCaghren -- Mayflower, Ark. -- 5, 15-04
Day 1: 5, 15-04

7. Michael Iaconelli -- Pittsgrove, N.J. -- 5, 14-09
Day 1: 5, 14-09

8. Tommy Biffle -- Wagoner, Okla. -- 5, 14-03
Day 1: 5, 14-03

9. Russ Lane -- Prattville, Ala. -- 5, 14-01
Day 1: 5, 14-01

10. James Niggemeyer -- Van, Texas -- 5, 13-03
Day 1: 5, 13-03

11. Brent Chapman -- Lake Quivira, Kan. -- 5, 13-00
Day 1: 5, 13-00

11. Terry Scroggins -- San Mateo, Fla. -- 5, 13-00
Day 1: 5, 13-00

13. Gerald Swindle -- Warrior, Ala. -- 5, 10-08
Day 1: 5, 10-08

14. Kotaro Kiriyama -- Moody, Ala. -- 5, 10-03
Day 1: 5, 10-03

15. Byron Velvick -- Del Rio, Texas -- 5, 10-00
Day 1: 5, 10-00

16. Mark Tucker -- Kirkwood, Mo. -- 5, 9-15
Day 1: 5, 9-15

17. Jeff Freeman -- Max Meadows, Va. -- 5, 9-08
Day 1: 5, 9-08

18. Matt Herren -- Trussville, Ala. -- 5, 9-07
Day 1: 5, 9-07

19. Cliff Crochet -- Pierre Part, La. -- 5, 9-05
Day 1: 5, 9-05

20. Stephen Browning -- Hot Springs, Ark. -- 5, 8-15
Day 1: 5, 8-15

20. Randy Howell -- Springville, Ala. -- 5, 8-15
Day 1: 5, 8-15

22. Aaron Martens -- Leeds, Ala. -- 5, 8-11
Day 1: 5, 8-11

23. Kevin Wirth -- Crestwood, Ky. -- 5, 8-09
Day 1: 5, 8-09

24. Bobby Lane -- Lakeland, Fla. -- 5, 7-13
Day 1: 5, 7-13

25. John Murray -- Phoenix -- 4, 7-12
Day 1: 4, 7-12

26. Mark Menendez -- Paducah, Ky. -- 5, 7-09
Day 1: 5, 7-09

27. Frank Scalish -- Cleveland Heights, Ohio 5 -- 7-02
Day 1: 5, 7-02

28. Don Hogue -- Pasco, Wash. -- 2, 7-01
Day 1: 2, 7-01

29. Shaw Grigsby -- Gainesville, Fla. -- 4, 6-15
Day 1: 4, 6-15

30. Pam Martin-Wells -- Bainbridge, Ga. -- 5, 6-13
Day 1: 5, 6-13

31. Alton Jones -- Waco, Texas -- 5, 6-12
Day 1: 5, 6-12

32. Dean Rojas -- Lake Havasu City, Ariz. 5 -- 6-09
Day 1: 5, 6-09

33. Brent Long -- Cornelius, N.C. -- 5, 6-08
Day 1: 5, 6-08

34. Bryan Schmidt -- Olney, Texas -- 2, 6-02
Day 1: 2, 6-02

35. Jason Quinn -- Lake Wylie, S.C. -- 2, 5-12
Day 1: 2, 5-12

36. Mike McClelland -- Bella Vista, Ark. -- 2, 5-09
Day 1: 2, 5-09

37. Skeet Reese -- Auburn, Calif. -- 3, 5-00
Day 1: 3, 5-00

38. Randy Phillips -- Oxford, Mass. -- 4, 4-05
Day 1: 4, 4-05

39. Casey Ashley -- Donalds, S.C. -- 4, 4-02
Day 1: 4, 4-02

40. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, La. -- 1, 3-05
Day 1: 1, 3-05

41. Terry Butcher -- Talala, Okla. -- 2, 2-15
Day 1: 2, 2-15

42. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, Ala. -- 2, 2-10
Day 1: 2, 2-10

43. Gary Klein -- Weatherford, Texas -- 1, 2-10
Day 1: 1, 2-10

44. Kelly Jordon -- Mineola, Texas -- 1, 2-09
Day 1: 1, 2-09

45. Jami Fralick -- Martin, S.D. -- 1, 2-08
Day 1: 1, 2-08

46. Kevin Short -- Mayflower, Ark. -- 2, 2-06
Day 1: 2, 2-06

47. Scott Ashmore -- Broken Arrow, Okla. -- 1, 1-07
Day 1: 1, 1-07

48. Boyd Duckett -- Demopolis, Ala. -- 1, 1-02
Day 1: 1, 1-02

49. Jody Adkins -- North Canton, Ohio -- 0, 0-00
Day 1: 0, 0-00

49. Denny Brauer -- Camdenton, Mo. -- 0, 0-00
Day 1: 0, 0-00

49. Darrell West -- Drasco, Ark. -- 0, 0-00
Day 1: 0, 0-00

Big Bass

> Day 1 -- Mike Iaconelli -- Pittsgrove, N.J. -- 6-10