TW_Staff
03-31-2009, 12:24 PM
Tackle Warehouse pro staffer Mark Menendez edges out Kevin Vandam to clinch his first B.A.S.S. Elite Series win!
Mark's long journey back from a bout with life-threatening viral meningitis was capped today with a victory at the weather-shortened Dardanelle Bassmaster Elite Series.
"Coming back from the illness (which he contracted in early 2005, causing him to miss the bulk of that season) and then winning the Open later that year was really special just because I was thrilled to get back out and fish," he said. "Since then, I've been grinding it out (on the Elite Series) and I think I've had five Top 10s since becoming sick.
"To put myself in position to win, and then to go out and close the door is really rewarding."
He had some trouble getting to his out-of-the-way stretch today because of the low water. He struggled to get across the two wing dams, and then had to physically remove rocks from the culvert he'd had little difficulty traversing all week.
Menendez used an aluminum boat to access a backwater stretch that couldn't be reached in a full-sized, fiberglass rig, but most everybody else was left to divvy up a couple of creeks that held fish in various stages of the spawn.
"It was almost dry and there were rocks in there that I didn't know existed. I had to lean out of the boat and physically pick them up and throw them out of the way. It took about 25 minutes and it was pretty scary."
His primary approach was flipping laydowns that had adjacent brush and grapevines with a variety of Strike King plastics, which he downsized as the tournament wore on.
Winning Pattern:
The key to his success was having a shallow backwater all to himself and adjusting to the fish each day of competition. With all manner of weather changes coming through the Russellville area, Menendez had to change lures and techniques as the tournament progressed.
With the cancellation of Day Three, Menendez fortunately didn't have to make his long run across the wind-ravaged main body of Lake Dardanelle, but on the final day, the front moved through leaving tough cloudless skies and temperatures that started in the 30-degree range.
"Each day, the fish got closer and closer to spawning," Menendez said. "That required a smaller and smaller presentation. Then, with the cold front that came through, I went to the smallest tube I could use to get my bites."
Winning Gear:
Flipping Gear: Power Tackle PG104 7’6” flipping stick paired with a Pflueger Patriarch casting reel (7:1 gear ratio), 20-pound Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BTFCC), 4/0 hook with a ¼-oz weight, Strike King Rage Tail Lizard (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKRL) (junebug), Strike King Coffee Flipping Tube (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKCTF) (black neon), Strike King KVD tube (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SDKT) (black neon).
Cranking Gear: 6’6” Power Tackle PGC166-66 Paragon Series rod paired with a Pflueger President reel (6.3:1 gear ratio), 15-pound Berkley Big Game (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BTBG), Strike King Series 3 (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKPM3) Bleeding Series crankbait (chartreuse & brown).
Extra Edge:
Mark used a pair of Strike King glasses (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKSG-) with amber lenses which allowed him to key in on targets.
"I could make out obstructions in the water with those Strike King glasses," Menendez said. "Laydowns were real keys because the bass were using them to spawn on."
The Field:
Kevin Vandam:
Van Dam spent the first 2 days working around a big spawning flat along with Cliff Pace and several others.
His main baits were a Strike King Caffeine Shad soft jerkbait and a Strike King KVD swim jig. He was throwing them around dead lily-pad stems and other vegetation.
He devoted a couple of hours to that locale on the final day, but pulled off at mid-morning and ran a series of spawning pockets that had deep-water access nearby. He caught his day-best bag that day by flipping a Strike King Rodent creature bait.
Soft jerkbait gear: 7'4" heavy-action Quantum PT Tour Edition rod, Quantum PT "Burner" (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=QTPVCR) casting reel (7:1 gear ratio), 20-pound fluorocarbon line, 4/0 hook, Strike King Caffeine Shad (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKPCS) (watermelon).
He said of the Caffeine Shad: "It's part of the Perfect Plastics line and it's real salty. It sinks slow and horizontal and has a good action to it."
Swim jig gear: 6'10" medium-heavy Quantum PT Tour Edition KVD (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=QSSCR)signature series spinnerbait rod, same reel, 50-pound braided line, 1/4-ounce Strike King KVD swim jig (bluegill), Strike King Rage Craw (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKRCR) trailer (green-pumpkin).
Flipping gear: Same rod, line and hook as Caffeine Shad (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKPCS), Quantum PT Tour Edition (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=QTPVCR) casting reel (6.3:1 ratio), 1/8-ounce tungsten bullet weight, Strike King Rodent (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKPR) (green-pumpkin).
Chris Lane:
He worked the tops of the pad stems on days 1 and 2 with a Gambler Cane Toad. When he moved to the deeper water on the final day, he threw an Azuma Shaker-Z lipless crankbait and flipped a Gambler Ugly Otter.
Cane Toad gear: 7'4" Quantum PT Tour Edition rod, Quantum PT "Burner" (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=QTPVCR) casting reel (7:1 ratio), 50-pound Spiderwire Ultracast (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SWUC) braided line, 5/0 Gambler Double Trouble Toad Hook (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GDTTH) (weighted with screw lock), Gambler Cane Toad (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GCT) (green-pumpkin swirl or ghost shad).
Crankbait gear: 6'10" medium-heavy Quantum PT Tour Edition KVD (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=QSSCR)signature series cranking rod, same reel, 15-pound Berkley Trilene 100% (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BTFCC) fluorocarbon line, Azuma Shaker-Z (white tiger).
Flipping gear: Same rod and line as Cane Toad (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GCT), Quantum PT Tour Edition (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=QTPVCR)casting reel (6.3:1 ratio), 3/16-ounce Gambler screw-in rattling weight (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GSRFR), 5/0 Gamakatsu straight-shank hook, Gambler Ugly Otter (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GUO) (Bowen silver or Florida 5-0).
Jim Murray:
Murray spent days 1 and 2 on a spawning flat, throwing a buzzbait and spinnerbait around pad stems and small patches of grass. He had a decent day 1, and then moved up 22 places with a big bag on the second day.
He tried the flat for awhile on day 4, but failed to get a bite in 2 1/2 hours. He moved to an adjacent place that had water in the 3- to 5-foot depth range and caught a strong bag on a crankbait.
Buzzbait gear: 7' medium-action St. Croix Legend Tournament Series (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SCLTC) rod, unnamed casting reel (6.3:1 ratio) unnamed 15-pound fluorocarbon line, 1/2-ounce Lunker Lure buzzbait (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=LLO) (black).
Spinnerbait gear: Same rod, reel and line, 3/8-ounce homemade spinnerbait (white/chartreuse with Colorado and Indiana blades), Zoom Tab Tail Grub trailer (white).
Crankbait gear: 7' medium-action glass-composite St. Croix cranking (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SCACR) rod, unnamed casting reel (5:1 ratio), same line, Bagley B2 (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BOBB238) crankbait (sour apple).
Denny Brauer:
He fished a Strike King Lizard "fairly fast" the first 2 days to catch spawning fish. When the water temperature and level dropped considerably for the final day, he switched to flipping wood in deeper water.
Lizard gear: 7' medium-heavy American Rodsmiths Titanium H3 Magnum Bass rod, Ardent XS 1000 casting reel (6.3:1 ratio), 15-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SCPFL) line, 1/8-ounce Tru-Tungsten weight (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=TTBW), 4/0 Mustad tube hook, Strike King 3X Lizard (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKXL) (junebug).
Flipping gear: 7'6" heavy-action American Rodsmiths Titanium H3 flipping stick, Ardent F500 flipping reel, 25-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SCPFL), 3/8-ounce Strike King Premier Pro-Model Denny Brauer (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKDJ) signature series jig (black/blue), Strike King Rage Craw (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKRCR) trailer (blue flake).
He also caught one fish on a Strike King Pure Poison (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKPPJ) swim jig with a Strike King Rage Craw (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKRCR) trailer.
TW Staff
Mark's long journey back from a bout with life-threatening viral meningitis was capped today with a victory at the weather-shortened Dardanelle Bassmaster Elite Series.
"Coming back from the illness (which he contracted in early 2005, causing him to miss the bulk of that season) and then winning the Open later that year was really special just because I was thrilled to get back out and fish," he said. "Since then, I've been grinding it out (on the Elite Series) and I think I've had five Top 10s since becoming sick.
"To put myself in position to win, and then to go out and close the door is really rewarding."
He had some trouble getting to his out-of-the-way stretch today because of the low water. He struggled to get across the two wing dams, and then had to physically remove rocks from the culvert he'd had little difficulty traversing all week.
Menendez used an aluminum boat to access a backwater stretch that couldn't be reached in a full-sized, fiberglass rig, but most everybody else was left to divvy up a couple of creeks that held fish in various stages of the spawn.
"It was almost dry and there were rocks in there that I didn't know existed. I had to lean out of the boat and physically pick them up and throw them out of the way. It took about 25 minutes and it was pretty scary."
His primary approach was flipping laydowns that had adjacent brush and grapevines with a variety of Strike King plastics, which he downsized as the tournament wore on.
Winning Pattern:
The key to his success was having a shallow backwater all to himself and adjusting to the fish each day of competition. With all manner of weather changes coming through the Russellville area, Menendez had to change lures and techniques as the tournament progressed.
With the cancellation of Day Three, Menendez fortunately didn't have to make his long run across the wind-ravaged main body of Lake Dardanelle, but on the final day, the front moved through leaving tough cloudless skies and temperatures that started in the 30-degree range.
"Each day, the fish got closer and closer to spawning," Menendez said. "That required a smaller and smaller presentation. Then, with the cold front that came through, I went to the smallest tube I could use to get my bites."
Winning Gear:
Flipping Gear: Power Tackle PG104 7’6” flipping stick paired with a Pflueger Patriarch casting reel (7:1 gear ratio), 20-pound Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BTFCC), 4/0 hook with a ¼-oz weight, Strike King Rage Tail Lizard (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKRL) (junebug), Strike King Coffee Flipping Tube (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKCTF) (black neon), Strike King KVD tube (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SDKT) (black neon).
Cranking Gear: 6’6” Power Tackle PGC166-66 Paragon Series rod paired with a Pflueger President reel (6.3:1 gear ratio), 15-pound Berkley Big Game (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BTBG), Strike King Series 3 (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKPM3) Bleeding Series crankbait (chartreuse & brown).
Extra Edge:
Mark used a pair of Strike King glasses (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKSG-) with amber lenses which allowed him to key in on targets.
"I could make out obstructions in the water with those Strike King glasses," Menendez said. "Laydowns were real keys because the bass were using them to spawn on."
The Field:
Kevin Vandam:
Van Dam spent the first 2 days working around a big spawning flat along with Cliff Pace and several others.
His main baits were a Strike King Caffeine Shad soft jerkbait and a Strike King KVD swim jig. He was throwing them around dead lily-pad stems and other vegetation.
He devoted a couple of hours to that locale on the final day, but pulled off at mid-morning and ran a series of spawning pockets that had deep-water access nearby. He caught his day-best bag that day by flipping a Strike King Rodent creature bait.
Soft jerkbait gear: 7'4" heavy-action Quantum PT Tour Edition rod, Quantum PT "Burner" (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=QTPVCR) casting reel (7:1 gear ratio), 20-pound fluorocarbon line, 4/0 hook, Strike King Caffeine Shad (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKPCS) (watermelon).
He said of the Caffeine Shad: "It's part of the Perfect Plastics line and it's real salty. It sinks slow and horizontal and has a good action to it."
Swim jig gear: 6'10" medium-heavy Quantum PT Tour Edition KVD (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=QSSCR)signature series spinnerbait rod, same reel, 50-pound braided line, 1/4-ounce Strike King KVD swim jig (bluegill), Strike King Rage Craw (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKRCR) trailer (green-pumpkin).
Flipping gear: Same rod, line and hook as Caffeine Shad (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKPCS), Quantum PT Tour Edition (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=QTPVCR) casting reel (6.3:1 ratio), 1/8-ounce tungsten bullet weight, Strike King Rodent (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKPR) (green-pumpkin).
Chris Lane:
He worked the tops of the pad stems on days 1 and 2 with a Gambler Cane Toad. When he moved to the deeper water on the final day, he threw an Azuma Shaker-Z lipless crankbait and flipped a Gambler Ugly Otter.
Cane Toad gear: 7'4" Quantum PT Tour Edition rod, Quantum PT "Burner" (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=QTPVCR) casting reel (7:1 ratio), 50-pound Spiderwire Ultracast (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SWUC) braided line, 5/0 Gambler Double Trouble Toad Hook (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GDTTH) (weighted with screw lock), Gambler Cane Toad (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GCT) (green-pumpkin swirl or ghost shad).
Crankbait gear: 6'10" medium-heavy Quantum PT Tour Edition KVD (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=QSSCR)signature series cranking rod, same reel, 15-pound Berkley Trilene 100% (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BTFCC) fluorocarbon line, Azuma Shaker-Z (white tiger).
Flipping gear: Same rod and line as Cane Toad (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GCT), Quantum PT Tour Edition (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=QTPVCR)casting reel (6.3:1 ratio), 3/16-ounce Gambler screw-in rattling weight (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GSRFR), 5/0 Gamakatsu straight-shank hook, Gambler Ugly Otter (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GUO) (Bowen silver or Florida 5-0).
Jim Murray:
Murray spent days 1 and 2 on a spawning flat, throwing a buzzbait and spinnerbait around pad stems and small patches of grass. He had a decent day 1, and then moved up 22 places with a big bag on the second day.
He tried the flat for awhile on day 4, but failed to get a bite in 2 1/2 hours. He moved to an adjacent place that had water in the 3- to 5-foot depth range and caught a strong bag on a crankbait.
Buzzbait gear: 7' medium-action St. Croix Legend Tournament Series (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SCLTC) rod, unnamed casting reel (6.3:1 ratio) unnamed 15-pound fluorocarbon line, 1/2-ounce Lunker Lure buzzbait (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=LLO) (black).
Spinnerbait gear: Same rod, reel and line, 3/8-ounce homemade spinnerbait (white/chartreuse with Colorado and Indiana blades), Zoom Tab Tail Grub trailer (white).
Crankbait gear: 7' medium-action glass-composite St. Croix cranking (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SCACR) rod, unnamed casting reel (5:1 ratio), same line, Bagley B2 (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BOBB238) crankbait (sour apple).
Denny Brauer:
He fished a Strike King Lizard "fairly fast" the first 2 days to catch spawning fish. When the water temperature and level dropped considerably for the final day, he switched to flipping wood in deeper water.
Lizard gear: 7' medium-heavy American Rodsmiths Titanium H3 Magnum Bass rod, Ardent XS 1000 casting reel (6.3:1 ratio), 15-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SCPFL) line, 1/8-ounce Tru-Tungsten weight (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=TTBW), 4/0 Mustad tube hook, Strike King 3X Lizard (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKXL) (junebug).
Flipping gear: 7'6" heavy-action American Rodsmiths Titanium H3 flipping stick, Ardent F500 flipping reel, 25-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SCPFL), 3/8-ounce Strike King Premier Pro-Model Denny Brauer (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKDJ) signature series jig (black/blue), Strike King Rage Craw (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKRCR) trailer (blue flake).
He also caught one fish on a Strike King Pure Poison (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKPPJ) swim jig with a Strike King Rage Craw (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKRCR) trailer.
TW Staff