TULSA — Mike Iaconelli and Cliff Pace made Bassmaster Classic history Friday, forging the first-ever tie in the tournament on Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees.
It happened in the first round when Pace and Iaconelli each caught five bass weighing 21 pounds, 8 ounces. Their catches obliterated predictions among the rest of the field that 17 to 18 pounds per day would be enough to win the tournament. Despite extremely cold weather and equally cold water, Iaconelli said it’s possible to catch 20 pounds or more all three days if you’re in the right places at the right times.
“So much of it is just timing,” said Iaconelli, who is well accustomed to fishing in cold weather. “If you pull up on the right area when fish are eating, that’s when you’re going to get those big bites. If you’re 30 minutes early or 30 minutes late, you’re not going to catch the kind of fish you need.”
In third place was Hank Cherry of Maiden, N.C., who caught five bass that weighed 20-15, followed by Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich. (5/19-12), and Tracy Adams of Wilkesboro, N.C. (5/19-10).
Mike McClelland of Bella Vista (5/17-15) was ninth and Mark Davis of Mount Ida finished the first round in 15th place (5/15-11).
Chris Lane of Guntersville, Ala., the defending Bassmasters Classic champion, was the only angler in the field who did not catch a fish Friday.
The full field will fish in today’s second round. Then the top 25 anglers will fish the final round Sunday.
Iaconelli, who won the 2003 Classic in New Orleans, said he’s mixing techniques and speeds. When fish appear, he said he turns his trolling motor speed way down and fishes small areas thoroughly. He said he’s mixing a finesse technique with a spinning rod into his repertoire.
Pace, who finished second at the 2007 Classic at Lake Hartwell, S.C., said he’s fishing a pattern that he isolated in practice that centers on visible cover and a football jig.
“With the weather we had, I knew nothing was going to change from practice to today,” Pace said. “I’m doing what I need to be doing. It’s just a grind.”
Pace said he only got about seven bites Friday, but the low numbers don’t worry him.
“I can’t fish for numbers and catch big ones,” Pace said. “I have to settle down and get those quality bites. If I pull up on a spot and they’re not there, it’s not a crisis. I just go to the next spot until I find them.”
Cherry said he cut his day short by about 30 minutes because of an elbow injury suffered Thursday night when he slipped on ice getting into a shuttle bus. He said his hand started locking up at about 11 a.m. and that the injury didn’t cost him any fish, but it was on his mind.
VanDam is one of only two anglers to win four Classics. He said he’s in a good position if somebody stumbles, providing he doesn’t stumble himself.
“Look at how many people are around 20 pounds,” Van-Dam said. “I think it is going to take 20 pounds a day, and 20 pounds happens all the time here. Winter conditions don’t affect the bite much.”
If any of the top five stay consistent, VanDam said it’s unlikely that anyone else will come from farther down in the pack to win.
“The first day is really, really important,” VanDam said. “The decision I made in Shreveport [in 2012] didn’t pan out, and I was scrambling to catch up. Somebody is going to have to catch them every single day. You can’t have a bad day. But if you want to win, you’d better have a great day.”
Adams agreed, saying he expects the top weights to remain about the same. Anglers will have to adjust, he added, because the best spots have been “picked over.” He also said stained water is going to be a challenge for him to maintain his pace.
“The stain is no good for me,” Adams said. “I’m just staying away from it. I’ve got two different patterns working in two different places. We’ve got plenty of clear water to fish.”
McClelland said he fished well Friday, but that he might have been too hasty early in the day. He caught fish when he finally slowed down.
“That’s just the excitement and the adrenaline of the Classic,” McClelland said. “With the temperature in the water falling 2 degrees since we were on the water last, the fish have gotten more lethargic, and I really had to slow down today. I felt like I was fishing slow, but I did make multiple presentations to a lot of key locations. I made two or three casts and probably just moved on too quickly.”
Results 43rd BASSMASTER CLASSIC Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees, Tulsa
ANGLER, HOMETOWN FISH/WT
1.Michael Iaconelli, Pittsgrove, N.J. .5 / 21-08
1.Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss. .................5 / 21-08
3.Hank Cherry, Maiden, N.C. ..........5 / 20-15
4.Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich. 5 / 19-12
5.Tracy Adams, Wilkesboro, N.C. ...5 / 19-10
6.Jason Christie, Park Hill, Okla. ....5 / 18-12
7.J. Carter, S. Portland, Maine .......5 / 18-11
8.Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C. .....5 / 18-08
9.Mike McClelland, Bella Vista ...5 / 17-15
10.Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla. ..........5 / 16-13
11.B. Palaniuk, Rathdrum, Idaho ...5 / 16-10
12.Ott DeFoe, Knoxville, Tenn. .......5 / 16-02
13.J. VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich. ..5 / 16-01
14.S.E. Grigsby Jr., Gainesville, Fla. .5 / 15-15
15.Mark Davis, Mount Ida .........5 / 15-11
16.Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla. ........5 / 15-07
17.Randy Howell, Springville, Ala. .5 / 14-15
18.Greg Hackney, Gonzales, La. .....5 / 14-14
19.Joshua Wagy, Dewitt, Va. ..........5 / 14-06
20.John Crews, Salem, Va. ............5 / 13-10
21.Mark Dove, North Vernon, Ind. .5 / 13-08
22.D. Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz. ...5 / 13-00
23.Boyd Duckett, Demopolis, Ala. .5 / 12-11
24.Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas ....5 / 12-05
25.Bill Lowen, Brookville, Ind. ........5 / 12-05
Sports, Pages 19 on 02/23/2013