May 19, 2008
Columbia, SC – In four of the six events thus far along the 2008 Bassmaster Elite Series campaign, the trend has been if you have the lead going into the final day, that victory is about to escape you. At Lake Murray's Carolina Clash, Fred Roumbanis was hoping to snap that streak as he left the launch site leading the event on Sunday morning.
Roumbanis ultimately held on to win his second Elite Series title, but it certainly wasn't decided until the final limit was weighed. As the tournament week unfolded, it was clear that this wasn't a tournament where a single day would decide victory. Instead, the leader board was a veritable roller coaster each day of the tournament.
Saturday, traditionally called "moving day" on the Elite Series trail, based on pressure to make the Top 12 cut, proved to be the most volatile as half of the tournament's leaders made their appearance on this day. Among them were two Toyota Tundra pros – Kevin VanDam and Dave Wolak.
VanDam, who entered Sunday's cut as a result of a 16-pound stringer Saturday, was consistent all week as the Blue Back Herring-fueled Lake Murray suited his style perfectly. "It was a tournament where you cover as much water as you possibly can," the Kalamazoo, MI angler revealed.
"Being able to cover water, and move a bait fast to trigger reaction bites is a strength that I have," VanDam added. "That was the whole key to my success here at Murray."
VanDam finished the event in eighth place – his second Top 12, including one win, thus far in 2008. Although, even Kevin conceded, that at Murray getting bass into the boat was difficult. "These fish have so much pressure on them that they'll run up and just swat at the bait," Kevin explained. "You almost have to mask the bait in order to get them to commit to taking it, and even then, they would only get one hook in their mouth. It was really tedious and everyone lost a lot of fish."
Like VanDam, Dave Wolak, who finished the tournament in 10th, said losing fish was just part of the game this week at Murray. "I just felt like I was getting punched in the arm over and over," Wolak revealed. "I was fishing a swimbait, so you know that you're not going to get a lot of bites anyway, but then to lose the fish was just painful," said Wolak.
VanDam and Wolak agreed that despite a few lost fish, having a Top 12 among the level of competition that exists in the Elite Series is a great accomplishment. "I knew coming in, particularly after the last tournament at Clarks Hill, that Murray would be a lot of fun," Wolak said. "Anytime you can leave with a Top 12 at one of these tournaments you've had a good week."
VanDam, looking to the next stop at Alabama's Wheeler Lake, added, "Murray was a lot of fun, but I'll be glad to get to a lake where the bass behave like bass and not striper."
