Posted  April 5th, 2008  7:13 pm CST

88 Pounds To Make the Top 12 Cut - Davis, Velvick Blast By the Century Mark

Story by Brent Conway - Photos by Mark Jeffreys

Zapata, TX –The third stop of the 2008 Elite Series has definitely lived up to all the hype – it’s the sort of stuff that re-writes history…literally. About the only thing that you can say definitively at this point is that the wind didn’t blow, and conventional wisdom said that without the wind, things would get interesting.

There were changes at the top, but then that’s to be expected on moving day – when the field is culled to the top 12. So, was it the lack of wind that forced the leader to abandon his underwater meat locker in search of better grounds, or was it that after two days (and nearly 150 pounds of bass) it had just been fished it out?

Either way, the move signaled a change in what’s been going on at Falcon. The top man left his shared hole at around 11:00 this morning, giving some room to the then second-place contender. Mark Davis, the man in third when the day started – who was fishing just around the corner – was also nowhere to been seen this morning. 

On-the-water reports had Davis some 40 miles away from the spot that had been so good to him on the first two days. Davis was the first to cross the century mark, but he wasn’t the last. There haven’t been as many sows shown in front a crowd since last year’s Houston Rodeo & Livestock Show!

At the conclusion of Saturday’s swine-fest, with the four-day record now all but broken, Aaron Martens left the stage for the third day with lead and a three-day total weight of 109-8, after weighing 29-11 in front of a very lively Zapata crowd.

Mark Davis wound up in second, after weighing 33-4, with a total weight of 102-1. In third was Byron Velvick with an overall weight that climbed to 101-12 after weighing his lightest limit of the week at 25-3.

Arkansas’ Scott Rook was in fourth with 95-9, after bringing 35-4 to the scales Saturday. Less than a pound behind him in fifth place was Paul Elias, who carried 27-7 to the weigh-in, pushing his total weight to 94-13.

Rounding out the Super Six was Mike Iaconelli, whose three-day weight settled at 25-12, giving him 92-1 over three days of fishing.

Here’s the remainder of the field for Sunday’s final round:

7.   Rick Morris 91-2
8.   Casey Ashley 90-7 
9.   Scott Campbell 89-4
10. Ben Matsubu 89-1
11. Jason Williamson 88-5
12. Terry Scroggins 88-0

Martens Makes a Move
After sharing water for two days straight with Byron Velvick, Aaron Martens opted out of the arrangement and went to water he’d found in practice. “That spot seemed to be petering out,” he said. “We’ve just destroyed it there. We’ve caught like 300 pounds of bass there between four people.”

Martens noted that he’d been saving the spot – possibly just as good as the one that he’d been sharing with Velvick – for later only to learn that it too had been found by another competitor. “I’m really bummed about the spot,” noted Martens, not telling who the competitor was. 

“He just smoked the area today. He caught like 34 pounds or something. It was a really good spot, and I know he didn’t practice there but I did see him graphing it. I don’t know for sure, but I’m really pretty disappointed by it. I’m sick by, and it’s really suspicious, but I’m not going to say anything beyond that.” 

Still targeting the same migratory post-spawners, Martens suggested that a change in tactics might be required. “I’m going to the spot that I found in practice and hope that it’s not burned up,” he said. “I have some other stuff to go to – besides the spot that Byron and I were on, and this one. 

Davis on a Late Bite 
If there was a textbook on what to do in order to catch post-spawn bass in post-cold-frontal conditions, its author would most likely be Mark Davis. Though his is a master under the conditions faced Saturday at Falcon, Davis admitted that it didn’t come easily on the third day. 

“I just ran my little milk run today, but it wasn’t easy,” he said. “Early on I had a lot of misses and little fish. By the time I left though it was absolutely on fire.”

To overcome the leader, Davis is going to have to overcome a seven-pound hill – nothing special at place like this. “A seven-pound average is just off the mark here…I don’t know what to say,” he said. “I’m doing all I can do, and it’s just not enough. I came in thinking if I could catch 30 to 35 pounds a day I would be okay.

“There’s not an angler alive to day that wouldn’t say the same thing, but then I’d never been at Falcon before either. It’s a whole other universe down here.”

The veteran angler intends to use most all of the 15 or so spots he has at his disposal in an attempt to walk away with his first Elite Series win. “I’m going to go out and catch another 30 to 35 pounds tomorrow and hope that the leader stumbles a little bit,” he said. “We’ll see what happens.”

Velvick The Psychic
Byron Velvick has milked a single area for over 100 pounds of bass in three days – the effects of which are starting to show in quality. “I finally had to move around a little bit,” he said. “I think catching 270 pounds – and you can call me psychic or something – but I think it might have hurt it a little. 

The area, while still incredible in any other scenario, is going to have to have an overnight healing in order to support his quest for Sunday’s top prize. “I know what I brought in today was the fish I culled yesterday,” Velvick said. “It disgusts me to even say this, but it’s nowhere near enough to get it done.”

With no other options, Velvick is bound to stay on the foundations he’s fished all week.
“It’s wore out,” he said. “I’m going to put four of five fish in the well, and then pick up my flipping stick and go find a 10 (pounder).”

Rook Hoping for Giants Sunday
Scott Rook, growing up on the banks of the Arkansas River, has little-to-no frame in which to place the week he’s had. “I didn’t back off yesterday, but the wind blew me off a little deeper,” he said. “I caught them up there pretty good today, but man it’s just amazing. I don’t even know what to think – it’s just unreal.”

The only thing Rook can do is hope for is that the tapering point he’s fishing is harboring a bag of giants Sunday. “I’ve been by myself all week and I don’t think I’ve even touched these fish,” he said of the quantity of fish he’s on. “I got hung up there today just graphing the area and it’s unreal the schools of giant fish. 

“I’m going to need a bag of them tomorrow to have a chance.”

With near insurmountable odds against him, Rook will go back to the well one last time and hope for the best. “It’s not really my forte to fish out deep like this,” Rook explained. “I was forced this week to get off the bank and look for these big fish. The spot that I’m on – I know it’s got the fish to win. 

“I just have to hope that they cooperate with me tomorrow.”

Elias Hoping
With his territorial dispute behind him, Paul Elias was able to settle into a rhythm Saturday for a solid day. Still, the “what might have been” factor is in the back of his mind. “This spot is just so incredible,” Elias suggested. “I was rockin’ today, and caught everything I could. 

“My partner caught a 10-13 out of the back of the boat, I was happy for him, but sure could have used it.”

While it wasn’t a career day like he had Friday, Elias is still confident in where he’s at and what he’s doing. “You know, I found the area sort of late in the practice day on Tuesday,” Paul said. “And then I caught pretty much what I weighed yesterday in 30 minutes, so I know what I’m doing is the right thing and that the area is good.

“What I don’t know yet is if after the beating I gave it today will it hold up?”

Knowing that 12th is as far as he can fall, the wily Mississippi angler plans to swing hard Sunday and hope for the best. “I’m going to give the spot a good two hours tomorrow,” he said. “If I don’t think that I can get any big ones, I’ve got some other water that I can run.”

Iaconelli’s Water Showing Signs
Mike Iaconelli came to Falcon with the intention of winning. While he’s catching the fire out of bass, he’s got a huge mountain to climb to accomplish His goal. “I’m caught the same amount of fish today as I did yesterday,” he said. “The difference was that the seven pounders had been replaced by four pounders.

“I can’t even begin to count how many four-pound fish I caught today. They were all identical. You could hang them and the beam would barely nudge.”

Location is the key, Ike noted, and the effects of three days of near 30-pound stringers are starting to show up in the three areas he’s been all week. “I’m definitely starting to see the signs right now,” Ike said. “I’m going to have to go out in the morning and give it a few hours before I’ll know for sure, but my spot is definitely started to slow down.” 

Ike has the water, but he needs the bite in order to get closer to the top. “I may try to mix in a few new spots tomorrow,” he said. “I need to get five giants tomorrow if I’m going to have a chance.”

Day Three Standings

CLICK HERE TO COMMENT ON THIS STORY