Fishing

Jordan Lee is the 2017 Bassmaster Classic champion.

He concluded the three-day event at Lake Conroe in Houston atop the leaderboard thanks to his impressive 27-pounds, four-ounces effort Sunday. It was an incredible turnaround considering he tallied just eight pounds, six ounces on Friday.

Here is a look at Lee and the rest of the top 10 finishers, per the event's official website (where the entire standings can also be found):

Place	Name	Day 1 Weight (pounds-ounces)	Day 2 Weight (pounds-ounces)	Day 3 Weight (pounds-ounces)	Total Weight (pounds-ounces)
1	Jordan Lee	8-6	21-0	27-4	56-10
2	Steve Kennedy	17-7	15-11	21-15	55-1
3	Brent Ehrler	23-3	20-1	11-10	54-14
4	James Elam	20-1	17-12	12-7	50-4
5	Ott DeFoe	13-13	16-5	18-10	48-12
6	Michael Iaconelli	21-2	16-6	10-15	48-7
7	Bradley Roy	22-1	15-9	9-10	47-4
8	Bobby Lane Jr.	16-8	11-5	19-7	47-4
9	Jared Lintner	14-10	12-5	19-10	46-9
10	Kevin VanDam	18-6	17-13	9-15	46-2

Brent Ehrler held the lead over Bradley Roy after Friday's competition and stayed ahead of his challengers following Saturday's action. Dave Lefebre was in second and two pounds, three ounces off the pace, while Edwin Evers was in third.

Alas, Lee completed his late charge and beat them all. Bassmaster shared his triumph on Twitter:

Congratulations on winning the 2017 @GEICO #bassmasterclassic presented by @DICKS, @JLeefishing! pic.twitter.com/y1PpkLwY1d

— Bassmaster (@bassmaster) March 27, 2017

Saturday is often known as moving day in golf, and Lee followed that formula in Houston with his 21-pound effort. That at least put him in position for a Sunday spurt, and he took full advantage and surpassed Ehrler and others.

His closest challenger ultimately proved to be Steve Kennedy, who amassed 21 pounds, 15 ounces Sunday and would have otherwise won was it not for Lee's notable haul. Ehrler settled for third with 11 pounds, 10 ounces and fell less than two pounds short of the title after leading the first two rounds.

He at least finished in the top three, which is more than Evers can say.

Evers was looking to defend his title with some of the late magic he used in last year's event. He notched a head-turning 29-pound, three-ounce catch to spearhead a comeback victory over Jason Christie but couldn't replicate his miracle Sunday.

Despite being in the top three entering Sunday's action, he tallied a disappointing six-pounds, 11-ounces effort and couldn't keep up with the likes of Lee and others and finished outside the top 10.

Elsewhere, Lefebre was in ideal position right behind Ehrler entering Sunday but finished with a disappointing showing with just one pound, 15 ounces

While he went the wrong direction, there were some notable movers in the positive direction Sunday. Bobby Lane Jr. and Jared Lintner moved into the top 10 with their 19 pounds, seven ounces and 19 pounds, 10 ounces, respectively. Ott DeFoe was also formidable Sunday with 18 pounds, 10 ounces.

There were a number of solid efforts Sunday, but nobody could match Lee's clutch performance.

             

Post-Event Reaction

Lee commented on his victory, per Bryan Brasher of Bassmaster's official website: "To all of the guys fishing the college tournaments right now, this just says you can do it. It's hard work—and you're going to have a lot of days out here that aren't good. On this lake, I wasn't sure there was any way I could do it. But you're never out of it here."

Ehrler weighed in on his finish, per Brasher: "I'm disappointed. But what I really wanted to do coming in was be in position to win on the final day. I did that, but things just didn't work out today."

The 2017 Bassmaster Classic continued into its second day Saturday at Lake Conroe in Houston.

Brent Ehrler sat in first place following Friday's fishing. His five fish weighed in at 23 pounds, three ounces. Bradley Roy was a little over a pound behind in second.

Ehrler remained in first place after he reeled in five more fish weighing a total of 20 pounds, one ounce. Roy, meanwhile, fell back to fifth place following an underwhelming haul Saturday. Shimano shared a photo of Ehrler putting his bag on the scale:

https://twitter.com/ShimanoFishUSA/status/845775083264192512

Here's a look at the top 10 anglers, with the full leaderboard available on the event's website:

Place	Angler	Total Fish	Weight (Pounds-Ounces)
1	Brent Ehrler	10	43-4
2	Dave Lefebre	10	41-1
3	Edwin Evers	10	39-0
4	James Elam	9	37-13
5	Bradley Roy	10	37-10
6	Michael Iaconelli	10	37-8
7	Kevin VanDam	10	36-3
8	Steve Kennedy	9	33-2
9	Justin Lucas	9	31-7
10	Drew Benton	10	31-1

The Houston Chronicle's Shannon Tompkins wrote how the blustery conditions on Lake Conroe made life difficult for many anglers Friday. The fish weren't biting in great numbers Saturday, either.

Four anglers (Ehrler, Dave Lefebre, Edwin Evers and Jordan Lee) hit the 20-pound plateau on the event's second day after seven reached the mark to open the Bassmaster Classic.

Lefebre climbed into second place after registering the second-highest weight (20 pounds, 11 ounces) Saturday, bringing his total to 41 pounds, one ounce.

At the other end of the spectrum, the trio of Clifford Pirch, Wesley Strader and Matt Herren had a Saturday to forget.

They were fifth, eighth and ninth, respectively, after the first day. Pirch caught one fish weighing six pounds, and neither Strader nor Herren brought anything to the scale on the second day, and as a result, they've all fallen out of title contention.

Pirch dropped to 20th, and Strader and Herren are 28th and 29th.

Only one day remains in the 2017 Bassmaster Classic, and barring a major shock, the title will likely come down to Ehrler, Lefebre or Evers.

Ehrler has a roughly five-and-a-half-pound lead over James Elam, who sits in fourth place through Saturday. That's a significant gap to close in one day, especially considering the less than favorable conditions on Lake Conroe so far.

Fans in Houston still have a chance to witness history. Kevin VanDam is the last angler to win back-to-back Classics (2010 and 2011). Following his strong effort Saturday, Evers remains in the hunt, and if everything breaks right for him Sunday, he could collect his second Classic victory in as many years.

Friday marked the first day of the 2017 Bassmaster Classic, with 52 of the best bass-fishers in the world converging on Houston's Lake Conroe for the right to call themselves a champion. 

Edwin Evers is the defending champ. Last season, he wrangled a total of 14 bass over the three days, including a spectacular 29-pound, three-ounce catch on the final day to breeze past Jason Christie.    

Here are the results from the opening day of this year's Bassmaster Classic, along with reaction from what happened on the water:

Place	Angler	Total Fish	Weight (Pounds-Ounces)
1	Brent Ehrler	5	23-3
2	Bradley Roy	5	22-1
3	Cliff Crochet	5	21-8
4	Michael Iaconelli	5	21-2
5	Clifford Pirch	5	20-11
6	Dave Lefebre	5	20-6
7	James Elam	4	20-1
8	Wesley Strader	5	19-9
9	Matt Herren	5	19-7
10	Ish Monroe	5	19-4

Full results available via Bassmaster.com.

There are high expectations for this year's event based on the quality of the bass in the lake. Prior to the start of Friday's festivities, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department fisheries biologist Mark Webb offered a brief assessment on Lake Conroe. 

"I think you're going to see some really impressive catches—maybe even some records broken," Webb said, per Shannon Tompkins of the Houston Chronicle. "Lake Conroe has a very high-quality bass fishery."

Tompkins also noted several of the anglers competing in this year's classic believe the record weight of 69 pounds, 11 ounces could be in jeopardy. 

"Lake Conroe has coughed up more than two-dozen largemouths weighing 13 pounds or more, and the lake record stands at 15.93 pounds," Tompkins wrote.

Brent Ehrler started the day nearly one-third of the way to the all-time weight total in the event. He started with 23 pounds, three ounces from his five bass. 

The talent in the field is another reason for optimism about the high level of competition this weekend. Twelve former Bassmaster Classic champions are participating, including the ones for each of the past three years (Evers, Casey Ashley, Randy Howell). 

From that trio, Evers had the best start to the Bassmaster Classic, sitting in 13th place with 18 pounds, three ounces. Ashley and Howell had rough starts, with both sitting outside the top 40 after the first day. Howell is fourth from the bottom with just two catches totaling four pounds, eight ounces. 

Among the top-10 finishers Friday, James Elam was the only angler not to catch five bass. He made his catches count, generating 20 pounds, one ounce from four.

With one day in the books, there are no definitive statements to make. Ehrler's slim edge at the top of the leaderboard may give him confidence heading into Saturday, but Lake Conroe is proving to be fruitful for large bass. 

Even those anglers who got off to a slow start, like Howell and Ashley, can climb back into the mix with the right catches tomorrow. 

The Bassmaster Classic is one of the biggest events in fishing, and this year, the competition will take place on Lake Conroe in Houston, Texas, from March 24-26.

This year's Classic will feature nine former champions, including 2016's champion Edwin Evers. The 52 anglers who qualified will compete in what is considered the “Super Bowl of Bass Fishing."

Here's everything you need to know about the Classic:

Date	Time	Event	Stream
Fri, March 24	8 a.m.	2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic (LIVE)	WatchESPN
Fri, March 24	12:30 p.m.	2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic (LIVE)	WatchESPN
Sat, March 25	8 a.m.	2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic (LIVE)	WatchESPN
Sat, March 25	12:30 p.m.	2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic (LIVE)	WatchESPN
Sun, March 26	8 a.m.	2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic (LIVE)	WatchESPN
Sun, March 26	12:30 p.m.	2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic (LIVE)	WatchESPN

Last year, 55 anglers competed for bragging rights and a prize of $300,000, but this year, 52 anglers are competing for in the storied competition. 

No.	Name	Number of times qualified for Classic
1	Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C.	8
2	Drew Benton, Panama City, Fla.	1
3	Hank Cherry, Maiden, N.C.	3
4	Jason Christie, Park Hill, Okla.	5
5	Keith Combs, Huntington, Texas	6
6	Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La.	3
7	Ott DeFoe, Knoxville, Tenn.	6
8	Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala.	8
9	Brent Ehrler, Newport Beach, Calif.	2
10	James Elam, Tulsa, Okla.	2
11	Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla.	16
12	Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas	15
13	John Garrett, Union City, Tenn.	1
14	Shaw Grigsby, Gainesville, Fla.	16
15	Greg Hackney, Gonzales, La.	14
16	Skylar Hamilton, Dandridge, Tenn.	1
17	Wil Hardy, Harlem, Ga.	1
18	Charlie Hartley, Grove City, Ohio	2
19	Matt Herren, Ashville, Ala.	7
20	Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz.	5
21	Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala.	15
22	Michael Iaconelli, Pittsgrove, N.J.	18
23	Alton Jones Sr., Lorena, Texas	18
24	Alton Jones Jr., Lorena, Texas	1
25	Steve Kennedy, Auburn, Ala.	8
26	Timothy Klinger, Boulder City, Nev.	1
27	Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla.	10
28	Ryan Lavigne, Gonzales, La.	1
29	Jordan Lee, Vinemont, Ala.	3
30	Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa.	2
31	Jared Lintner, Arroyo Grande, Calif.	6
32	Bill Lowen, Brookville, Ind.	9
33	Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala.	3
34	Aaron Martens, Leeds, Ala.	18
35	Ish Monroe, Hughson, Calif.	10
36	Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C.	3
37	Darrell Ocamica, Fruitland, Idaho	1
38	Takahiro Omori, Emory, Texas	12
39	Brandon Palaniuk, Hayden, Idaho	7
40	Cliff Pirch, Payson, Ariz.	4
41	Jacob Powroznik, Port Haywood, Va.	3
42	Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif.	17
43	Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.	15
44	Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky.	1
45	Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn.	2
46	Gerald Swindle, Guntersville, Ala.	16
47	Randall Tharp, Port St. Joe, Fla.	4
48	Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.	26
49	Jesse Wiggins, Cullman, Ala.	1
50	Jason Williamson, Wagener, S.C.	2
51	Chris Zaldain, San Jose, Calif.	3
52	Scott Clift, Dadeville, Mo.	1

All eyes will be on the legend Kevin VanDam, the four-time winner of the Classic. Although his name is already cemented among some of the best anglers ever, VanDam hasn't tasted victory in five years. A fifth victory will immortalize VanDam, but there is steep competition in this year's field of anglers.

Last year's winner, the aforementioned Eyers, will have the momentum coming into the classic with the confidence to begin a legacy of his own. For others, such as Scott Clift, they will be enjoying their first time in the competition but will also have their sights set on making a name for themselves in the sport.

All it takes is one fish to make history. The Classic is the truest meaning on quality over quantity, as it is the weight of the fish caught that matters most.

Who will be the 2017 champion? Only time will tell.

Warning: Video includes NSFW language.

Going viral can be a good or bad thing.

Yesterday, YouTube account "Gabe and Garrett" posted a horrifying video of a shark breaching a cage with a diver inside.

Luckily, the diver seemed to be unharmed, which is unbelievable.

A shark-proof cage has one job to do, and it was unsuccessful this time.

Not enough details have come out about how the shark got in or the diver's current condition.

One thing we do know: This video is rapidly climbing in views and already has more than 670,000 in less than 24 hours.

[YouTube]

Oklahoma’s own Edwin Evers claimed the Bassmaster Classic title with an incredible haul Sunday at the Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees outside Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Evers netted five fish for a haul of 29 pounds, three ounces to surpass Jason Christie, who had a commanding lead of nearly six pounds after the first two days.

But Christie was plagued by his worst day of the tournament, catching just four fish weighing 12 pounds, nine ounces. Coupled with Evers hauling in the biggest load of the weekend, Christie was out of luck and failed to secure his first Classic title.

Here is a look at the final results for the top 10 finishers:

Place	Angler	Fish	Weight	Total Score
1	Edwin Evers	5	29-3	60-7
2	Jason Christie	4	12-9	50-2
3	Aaron Martens	5	16-0	46-5
4	Bill Lowen	5	15-3	45-11
5	Randy Howell	5	16-7	45-10
6	Todd Faircloth	5	13-1	44-15
7	Dean Rojas	5	18-6	42-11
8	Alton Jones	5	12-15	42-8
9	Keith Combs	5	16-9	40-13
10	Greg Hackney	5	14-10	40-9

VisitTulsa congratulated the first-time winner:

https://twitter.com/VisitTulsa/status/706639362692284416

Evers, a 13-time Classic qualifier, was widely considered to be among the best anglers who had never won the event.

He was in a position similar to Christie's at the 2014 event, leading after two days only to finish third after Randy Howell shocked the field by making up nine pounds on the final day.

Given most weights were down after Day 2, many anglers thought a comeback would be unlikely Sunday, per Kelly Bostian of the Tulsa World.

“I dug myself into a hole that first day,” Evers said Saturday, per Bostian. 

Sunday's weather conditions were cloudy and windy, with gusts reaching 20 mph after two days of relatively clear skies.

Evers took a different approach far up the Elk River, “reportedly almost as far as a bass boat can possibly run,” according to Bostian, and found a great deal of his fish up there. 

Here is a look at him with a big catch, per Mike Simons of the Tulsa World:

Might be seeing history at the #bassmasterclassic @BASS_nation @edwinevers2 hooks one. see https://t.co/990ueFVxg2 pic.twitter.com/w3GUe82tqK

— Mike Simons (@mikesimonsphoto) March 6, 2016

Christie, however, returned to the portion of the lake where he had success for most of the weekend, per Bostian. But the fish there were all smaller than before, as he had only 10 pounds by lunch and didn’t improve much before the weigh-ins.

Evers said he’d been wishing since he was a child that he’d eventually win the Bassmaster Classic, according to Brandi Ball of News on 6 in Tulsa.

Now that he has the Classic title in hand, the one major accomplishment missing from his resume is Angler of the Year honors.

Hometown hero Jason Christie maintained his lead after Day 2 at the Bassmaster Classic on the Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees near Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

Christie didn’t have the biggest haul Saturday—that belonged to Edwin Evers—but he built his cushion to nearly six pounds over second-place Todd Faircloth. 

Christie’s score after two days is now at 37 pounds, nine ounces, per Bassmaster:

Jason Christie @christiefishing leads with 37 pounds, 9 ounces! https://t.co/P3dVik7M5C #bassmasterclassic pic.twitter.com/XlIM1rPKf2

— Bassmaster (@bassmaster) March 6, 2016

The local favorite is in prime position to win his first Classic with another strong showing Sunday.

Here is a look at the top 10 on the leaderboard following Day 2 of the three-day event:

Place	Angler	Fish	Weight	Total Score
1	Jason Christie	5	16-11	37-9
2	Todd Faircloth	5	16-15	31-14
3	Edwin Evers	5	17-8	31-4
4	Bill Lowen	5	13-15	30-8
5	Aaron Martens	5	16-13	30-5
6	Alton Jones	4	11-12	29-9
7	David Walker	5	15-4	29-6
8	Randy Howell	5	11-13	29-3
9	James Watson	5	14-7	28-1
10	Micah Frazier	5	13-10	26-12

Evers, who is also from Oklahoma, had a resurrection after a mediocre outing Friday, but he was able to make up only 13 ounces on the leader. The 13-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier is still seeking his first win in fishing's version of the Super Bowl.

Kevin VanDam, a four-time Classic winner, was eliminated after failing to catch a single fish Saturday. Arguably the most popular professional angler, VanDam hooked only three fish Friday for seven pounds, 14 ounces—a little more than one-third of Christie’s haul. He seemed to be a long shot to advance even if he had converted bites into catches Saturday.

"This will go down as one of the most challenging Classics, but it's also going to go down as one of the best because of the people in Tulsa,” VanDam said, per Brandi Ball of News on 6 in Tulsa.

The local crowd packed out the BOK Center for weigh-ins for the second straight day, as Rob Gardenhire of the Tulsa Drillers showed:

@BASS_nation bringing in the crowds! Great job @TulsaSportsCom @VisitTulsa @cityoftulsagov pic.twitter.com/RUEZmPu6iS

— Rob Gardenhire (@RobGardenhire) March 5, 2016

Thirty anglers have been trimmed from the field since the competition opened Friday. With a comfortable lead, Christie seems primed to secure his first Classic title in front of his home crowd. But the smaller field will also create more opportunities for other anglers to haul in heavier loads in the catch-and-release tournament.

Fifty-five of the top anglers and audiences from around the world descended upon Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees outside Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the Bassmaster Classic on Friday. 

Local favorite Jason Christie took a commanding lead after Day 1 with a five-fish haul totaling 20 pounds, 14 ounces.

Christie has more than a two-pound advantage over second-place Greg Vinson, but the margin between Vinson and 10th-place Marty Robinson is less than four pounds.

Here is a look at the top 10 after Day 1:

Place	Angler	Total Fish	Weight
1	Jason Christe	5	20-14
2	Greg Vinson	5	18-1
3	Alton Jones	5	17-13
4	Randy Howell	5	17-6
5	Bill Lowen	5	16-9
6	Matt Herren	5	16-4
7	Greg Hackney	5	16-2
8	Casey Ashley	5	15-5
9	Todd Faircloth	5	14-15
10	Marty Robinson	4	14-12

The Bassmaster Classic isn’t about quantity, but quality—weight trumps all. Positioning is determined by the heaviest load of fish, which must be at least 12 inches long. And as a catch-and-release tournament, all fish must be alive at the weigh-in, or a penalty will be assessed.

Christie competed in his first Classic at Grand Lake three years ago, finishing seventh in what remains his best Classic outing. He hails from Park Hill, Oklahoma—90 miles from Grand Lake. 

Christie catapulted from 10th place around lunchtime to take the lead by the end of the day with an increase of nearly eight pounds to his load.

The waters on Grand Lake were plagued by flooding in December, and the carry-over could still be seen during the competition's early stages Friday.

Here is a look at the anglers taking off Friday, via VisitTulsa:

https://twitter.com/VisitTulsa/status/705740213364985856

Water temperatures dropped into the 40s, and the shallow levels left few bites in the morning. But the catch rate climbed drastically after the lunch hour. Winds were calmer than the 25 to 35 mph gusts in practice earlier this week, and temperatures were higher than the freezing conditions from the last time the Classic took place in Oklahoma.

Following the day on the water, the anglers convened at the BOK Center in downtown Tulsa for the weigh-in.

John Laws of KTUL in Tulsa shared a photo of Christie taking the stage as the leader following Friday’s outing:

Park Hill #Oklahoma native Jason Christie new leader @ 20lbs 14oz. #BassmasterClassic pic.twitter.com/2eZfWdCVKK

— John Laws (@TheJohnLaws) March 4, 2016

And here is a look at Alton Jones after his outing, which was good for third, via Yamaha Outboards:

Day 1: @JonesProFishing is 3rd with 17-13. #BassMasterClassic #BassFishing #AltonJones #Fishing pic.twitter.com/tuUxQeFEmU

— Yamaha Outboards (@YamahaOutboards) March 5, 2016

After Day 2 of the three-day event, the field will be trimmed to 25 anglers. Christie will look to continue his strong outing Saturday in his native waters as he seeks his first Classic title.

The Bassmaster Classic is one of the biggest events in fishing, and it kicks off on Thursday from Grand Lake O' the Cherokees in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

Here's everything you need to know about the Classic.

Date	Stream	Schedule (ET)	TV	TV Air Date	TV Time (ET)
Friday, March 4	Bassmaster LIVE	8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.	ESPN2	Saturday, March 19	7 a.m.
Saturday, March 5	Bassmaster LIVE	8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.	ESPN2	Saturday, March 19	8 a.m.
Sunday, March 6	Bassmaster LIVE	8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.	ESPN2	Sunday, March 20	12 p.m.

There will be 55 experienced anglers competing for the Bassmaster Classic crown as they bring some stacked resumes to fishing's biggest stage.

No.	Fisher	Note
1	Casey Ashley	Won 2015 Bassmaster Classic
2	Edwin Evers	Won 2015 BASSfest
3	Chad Morgenthaler	Won Southern Open #1
4	Brandon McMillan	Won Southern Open #3
5	Chris Dillow	Won Northern Open #1
6	Whitney Stephens	Won Northern Open #3
7	Gene Bishop	Won Central Open #1
8	James Elam	Won Central Open #2
9	James Watson	Won Central Open #3
10	Trevor Lo	Won College Classic Bracket
11	Aaron Martens	First in Angler of the Year points
12	Justin Lucas	Second in Angler of the Year points
13	Dean Rojas	Third in Angler of the Year points
14	Jacob Powroznik	Fifth in Angler of the Year points
15	Chris Zaldain	Sixth in Angler of the Year points
16	Brent Ehrler	Seventh in Angler of the Year points
17	Greg Hackney	Eighth in Angler of the Year points
18	Jordan Lee	Ninth in Angler of the Year points
19	Brandon Palaniuk	10th in Angler of the Year points
20	Matt Herren	11th in Angler of the Year points
21	Skeet Reese	Won 2009 Bassmaster Classic
22	Jason Christie	13th in Angler of the Year points
23	Keith Combs	14th in Angler of the Year points
24	Bill Lowen	15th in Angler of the Year points
25	Greg Vinson	16th in Angler of the Year points
26	Alton Jones	Won 2008 Bassmaster Classic
27	Bernie Schultz	18th in Angler of the Year points
28	Chris Lane	Won 2012 Bassmaster Classic
29	Cliff Pirch	20th in Angler of the Year points
30	Bobby Lane	21st in Angler of the Year points
31	John Crews	22nd in Angler of the Year points
32	David Walker	23rd in Angler of the Year points
33	Kevin VanDam	Four-time Bassmaster Classic Winner
34	Randy Howell	Won 2014 Bassmaster Classic
35	Chad Pipkens	27th in Angler of the Year points
36	Micah Frazier	28th in Angler of the Year points
37	Russ Lane	29th in Angler of the Year points
38	Ott DeFoe	30th in Angler of the Year points
39	Brett Hite	31st in Angler of the Year points
40	Todd Faircloth	32nd in Angler of the Year points
41	Josh Bertrand	33rd in Angler of the Year points
42	Boyd Duckett	Won 2007 Bassmaster Classic
43	Marty Robinson	35th in Angler of the Year points
44	Mark Davis	36th in Angler of the Year points
45	Brandon Lester	37th in Angler of the Year points
46	Brandon Card	38th in Angler of the Year points
47	Michael Iaconelli	Won 2003 Bassmaster Classic
48	Billy McCaghren	40th in Angler of the Year points
49	Greg Vance	Won B.A.S.S. Nation Northern Division
50	Albert Collins	Won B.A.S.S. Nation Central Division
51	John Proctor	Won B.A.S.S. Nation Southern Division
52	Fabian Rodriguez	Won B.A.S.S. Nation Mid-Atlantic Division
53	Levi McNeill	Won B.A.S.S. Nation Western Division
54	Charles Sim	Won B.A.S.S. Nation Eastern Division
55	Thomas Martens	Won Team Championship Classic Bracket

Kevin VanDam has been in a drought of sorts having not won a Bassmaster Classic in the last four years. From 2001-11, VanDam won the Bassmaster four times. Only Rick Clunn has won the competition four times, too. 

VanDam will have plenty of company when it comes to past Bassmaster winners. The past four winners will be in the field, and each will look to start a VanDam-like dynasty of his own. 

But this isn't a tournament to see who can catch the most fish. At the Bassmaster Classic, it's all about weight. The angler who catches the heaviest fish is the winner, but they must be at least 12 inches long. The fish also have to be alive at the time of the weigh-in, or else the competitor will be penalized. 

Because there is limited space on their boats, anglers might have to pick and choose which fish they bring into the weigh-ins, so strategy will play a large part in this competition as well.

Stats courtesy of Bassmaster.com.

In late-breaking marine mystery news, a giant tiger shark was caught off the coast of Australia, though exact details as to when and how remain murky.

Buzz around the catch began this week when a man named Geoff Brooks posted pictures on Facebook of the animal, according to the Daily Mail's Belinda Grant Geary. 

Brooks initially claimed the shark was six meters (19.7 feet) long and caught off Lennox Head in northern New South Wales last week as part of some kind of threat-to-society bounty.

"As far as I'm aware, it was a kill order on a shark here on the far north coast that was identified as being responsible for a local attack," Brooks told Geary.

Brooks' initial claims (since edited) stood in contrast to those in a report later published by the Northern Star's Rodney Stevens, who reports the shark was caught "a while ago" in the waters off Tweed Head by a fisherman named Matthew, who says he reeled the four-meter (13.1 feet) creature in after it swallowed a six-foot hammerhead he had on the line. 

"You can't turn around and go 'No, don't touch,' to something like [a giant tiger shark]," Matthew told Stevens. "I was fighting the hammerhead shark, and he [the tiger shark] came up and swallowed it. ... I was the one that took that photo, and I was the one that caught that fish."

Matthew told Stevens the shark was sent to the fish market after being caught, and all that remains of it is a set of jaws he kept as a souvenir—a statement that clashes with Brooks' initial claim about the body being turned over to CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization).

Add to this the recent rumors of a secretive shark culling currently being spearheaded by Australian surfers, as reported by the Telegraph's Jonathan Pearlman, and you've got an Illuminati-level shark-spiracy on your hands.

Consider the plot holes: We don't know for sure where the shark was caught. The guy claiming he reeled it in will only identify himself as "Matthew." We don't even know for certain what happened to the body.

Where is the body, Matthew? Where the hell is it??

As infuriating as it is, we seem to only know one thing for sure:

So take all the above claims with a huge, apex predator-sized grain of salt.

As for you, tiger shark, we will get to the bottom of this. Your true story will be told. The world needs to know why you were caught, how only two pictures were taken and why no images from the dock or fish market have turned up.

Because right now, this is a big fish that didn't leave a big trail. It just doesn't add up.

Dan is on Twitter. Deep-sea shadow games are afoot, my friends.