Posted February 24th, 2007  9:51pm CST

KVD Storms Back To Take a Nine Ounce Lead Over Skeet Reese

Story by Brent Conway and  Dave Patterson

Birmingham, AL – With the field now cut to the top 25, and most of the anglers showing their hands, tomorrow’s day 3 will be even more gut wrenching than the last two. There will be no more saving a few good spots for tomorrow, because tomorrow is here. For those who are fishing, it will be about putting it all on the line and trying to be the 2007 Bassmaster Classic Champion. Someone’s life will change forever.

Will Kevin Van Dam become a three-time classic champion, or will we name a new first-time classic champ be crowned? Either way, come tomorrow evening, the burning questions will be resolved. 

With the top five only separated by a little over three pounds, it will be anyone’s guess. The guy who has it figured out – an it’s likely that there are at least four guys who have a legitimate shot right now – will have truly earned the title. The weather has been up and down since practice, with the first two day’s of the Classic being up, and Sunday’s final predicted to be down.

There are only two former classic champions in the top 25, so the odds are that we will have a new first-time champ…but don’t count any of them out. Particularly since KVD’s charging hard and took the top spot. As everyone knows, he’s hard enough to beat anytime, but particularly so when he has a little breathing room headed to the final day.

KVD brought in the biggest limit of the day weighing 19-14, and big bass honors at 5-7. He had a pair of twin five pounders to anchor his bag. He is sitting in first place with a two-day total of 32-15. 

In second place on day two is Skeet Reese, of Auburn CA, whose five-fish limit tipped the scales at 14-14, giving him 32-6 for two days. Terry “Big Show” Scroggins, of Palatka, FL improved his day one total to move into third, by catching a 13-15 bag of largemouths, bringing his two-day combined to weight 30-15. 

Day one leader Boyd Duckett, of Demopolis, AL fell to fourth with his 10-15 catch. The first time classic angler has a 30-13 stringer over two days. Rounding out the top five was Timmy “Sweet Home” Horton, of Muscle Shoals AL, who brought 12-6 to the scales today giving him a total weight of 29-11. 

The remainder of the Top 10 is as follows:

6. Gary Klien 10 fish 28-11
7. Steve Kennedy 10 fish 28-9
8. Tommy Biffle 10 fish 28-6
9. Terry McWilliams 10 fish 27-13
10. Randy Howell 9 fish 27-8

“It was a tough day yesterday with all sun and no wind, and I tried a lot of different things that I know work during those types of conditions. I should have just stuck the pattern that I’d established rather than trying to make something work, so I went out today with that in mind and it paid off.”

The weather will change tonight with high winds and rain likely for Sunday. That only helps KVD. “I want wind – the more the better,” he said. “I’m not worried about anything.”

Timmy Horton
Tim has some history on the lake, and used it to his advantage Friday. “Things went really good for me today,” he said. “I’m going to have to have a few more largemouth bites to really help me I think.”

Tim established a small pattern during the official practice period, and expanded it Wednesday. While no specifics of the pattern were provided, nor solicited, Horton was clear that it required some gas to make it go. “I burned a good bit of gas in the boat today,” he said. “My day started off good – I caught two fish on my very first cast.......on the same lure.  I was using an Xcalibur XR50 Rattle Bait and I caught two spots, one on the front hook and one on the back hook.  It got really slow after that though. I went the next six hours without a bite. I was finally able to fill out my limit, but that was about it.”

This is the Xcalibur XR50 that Horton double dipped spots

“Lay Lake isn’t a real big lake, which was my saving grace. I went up the river 10 miles, and then ran all the way down to the dam. I’m running a little pattern, so I bounced around quite a bit today.”

The weather forecasted for Sunday is changing by the hour – from the possibility of thunderstorms to light rain to heavy winds. Horton isn’t concerned whatever the case. “The weather won’t hurt me a bit,” he said. “In fact, a little bit more wind might even help me, to tell you truth.”

Scroggins had two nice spots in his bag on Friday, but never went looking for any of the current fish. Sunday, Terry intends to swing hard…with only a change in scenery. “I’m going to change my area, but not what I’m doing,” he said. “Don’t they always tell you not to try and fix something that’s not broken?”
 

Day Two Standings

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