WETUMPKA, Ala. — It may be Russ Lane’s turn to take advantage of his home turf.

Lane’s dramatic charge in Saturday’s round of the Bassmaster Elite Series’ Trophy Chase on Lake Jordan, from nearby Prattville, Ala.,  leapfrogged him from last in the 12-angler postseason week to second place, catching 17 pounds on the first day to lead second-place Greg Hackney of Gonzales, Ala., by a seven-ounce margin.

In the series’ regular-season finale last month, it was Wagoner’s Tommy Biffle who dominated the field on Fort Gibson Lake. Biffle, who by winning clinched his spot in this week’s events, was ninth on Saturday, catching 10 pounds, 6 ounces. All 12 had their five-fish limit.

Biffle, who averaged 18 pounds per day at Fort Gibson, is 10th in the tour standings.

Tour leader Skeet Reese, who was second to Biffle at Fort Gibson, was sixth at 12-4. The Auburn, Calif., native extended his overall lead, albeit by .5 points, in part because his closest competitors all faltered.

Talala’s Edwin Evers was eighth at 11-10 and fell from second to fourth. Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss., was 10th at 9-2 and fell from third to ninth. Derek Reimitz of Grant, Ala., fell all the way to last from fourth place after his limit amounted to a mere 6-10 on the scale.

Kevin Van Dam, who is seeking a threepeat Angler of the Year championship, was tied with Remitz in the fourth spot and moved up one spot with his third-place total Saturday of 15-4.

A sliding points scale starting at 50 for the highest weight in each leg gives any of the 12 pros a chance at winning the overall championship. The second and final leg at Wetumpka is today. The tour year and postseason week concludes at the Trophy Triumph on the Alabama River July 30-31.

Lane, who like Biffle at Fort Gibson had a large gallery of boaters following him all day, landed 15 keepers after 11 a.m. By his assessment, he gains the lead this weekend if he wins and Reese finishes last.

“Everything is out of my control,” said Lane, 37.  “I feel like I don’t have much of a chance to move up so I’m fishing like I have nothing to lose.  It’s like all the pressure is off of me and I can just go out and have fun.”

Reese had just three keepers by 1 p.m.

“I’m pretty dang happy right now,” said Reese after day one  “I feel good about heading into Sunday in the position I am in.  I knew it was going to be an interesting week and I just need to roll with the punches.”

Biffle, meanwhile, didn’t have near the success he did in winning last month. He had added an off-tour victory after the Fort Gibson win coming in to the final week here.

“It was a tough day. Slow all day. Just had a tough time out there,” he said. “They dropped the water and I think that’s what hurt me today.”

The third Oklahoma angler in the competition, Talala’s Terry Butcher, caught 8-12 and is 11th in both the tournament and season standings.



Bassmaster Elite Series

Trophy Chase

at Wetumpka, Ala.

Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala.    17-0

Greg Hackney, Gonzales, La.    16-9

Kevin Van Dam, Kalamazoo, Mich.    15-4

Aaron Martens, Leeds, Ala.,     14-0

Gary Klein, Weatherford, Texas    13-6

John Crews, Salem, Va.    12-4

Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif.    12-4

Edwin Evers, Talala    11-10

Tommy Biffle, Wagoner    10-6

Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss.    9-2

Terry Butcher, Talala    8-12

Derek Rimitz, Grant, Ala.    6-10

Angler of the Year standings:

1. Reese 242.5. 2. Lane 227. 3. VanDam 225. 4, Evers 223. 5. Hackney 222. 6. Martens 213. 7. Klein 209. 8. Crews 207.5. 9. Pace 203. 10. Biffle 201. 11. Butcher 197. Remitz 195.