Bassmaster Ashley Leads Top 8 into 'Bama River' Event

WETUMPKA, Ala. — They say Lake Jordan bass go deep in summer, but Casey Ashley proved on Sunday just how wrong “they” can be by winning the Ramada All-Star Semi-Final his way — in shallow water.

And while any pro likes to win — and win his way — Ashley was more impressed with the fact that he’d earned a spot in the $100,000 Evan Williams Bourbon All-Star Championship, which will begin Friday on the Alabama River out of Montgomery, Ala.

“Winning’s nice, but that I won today doesn’t really matter,” said the 27-year-old from Donalds, S.C., who had never before competed on Lake Jordan. He bested 11 other competitors with a two-day total of 25 pounds, 8 ounces.

Ashley was one of eight Bassmaster Elite Series pros who qualified Sunday to compete July 29-31 in the second half of Toyota Trucks All-Star Week. The Alabama River event will be three days of sudden-death match fishing. The format pits one angler against another; each day, half the field will be eliminated until only two remain on Sunday and go head-to-head for $100,000, winner take all.

Ashley, 27 years old and a two-time Bassmaster winner, was elated that his first Alabama River opponent would be Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., a fellow Elite Series pro with six wins, including the 2009 Bassmaster Classic.

“I wanted the best, and I got the best,” Ashley said.

A reporter asked Ashley if he felt he could take Reese. Ashley shrugged his shoulders.

“I’ve never been on the river before,” he said. “It depends how my practice days go. I’m not going to back down from him, I can tell you that.”

In the first minutes after he learned he’d been successful in making the top-eight cut, Reese said he was already thinking about his match against Ashley. But then Reese spoke of beating Kevin VanDam by 8 ounces for the last seat. VanDam, finishing the Ramada All-Star Semi-Final in ninth place, was first man out, eliminated along with Jeff Kriet, Steve Kennedy and Davy Hite.

“There’s satisfaction in knowing I beat Kevin out of this thing,” Reese said, grinning. “I don’t care what happens the rest of the week — I got Kevin, I took him out.”

VanDam has been Reese’s longtime postseason nemesis, especially in 2010 when VanDam fished past Reese to take the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.

On stage, VanDam, winner of the past two postseason events and a seven-time Angler of the Year, said he was disappointed to miss the second half of All-Star Week.

“I really wanted to be there,” he said. “I jumped off a good one today that probably will haunt me.”

Off stage, VanDam and Reese shook hands and slapped each other on the back.

Besides Ashley and Reese, inside the cutline was 2010 Bassmaster Rookie of the Year Ott DeFoe of Knoxville, Tenn. He placed second in the Jordan leg, just 5 ounces behind Ashley. Like Ashley, DeFoe worked the backs of the lake’s creeks, where cooler water from streams keeps water temperatures down, a summertime draw for bass.

“It’s kind of a lot to take in,” DeFoe told the crowd from the stage. “It’s been an incredible week already.”

DeFoe and Michael Iaconelli of Pittsgrove, N.J., will face each other Friday on the Alabama River.

“We’re both passionate fishermen, we’re going to have fun,” Iaconelli said.

Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., was matched with Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla. Terry Scroggins of San Mateo, Fla., and Gerald Swindle of Leeds, Ala., will face each other. All matches were determined by seeding each angler according to their finishes on Jordan. First will be up against eighth, second against seventh, third against sixth, and fourth against third.

Scroggins and Swindle happen to be travel buddies and roommates, and they operate on an agreement to share fishing information with each other.

“We’ve been sharing information all year long,” said Scroggins as he and Swindle jested on stage about how they’d handle the sticky situation. “He’s from Alabama, so I hope he shares now.”

Said Swindle: “We’ll give each other all we’ve got. If he beats me, I just hope he wins the whole thing.”

Follow all the action of Toyota Trucks All-Star Week on Bassmaster.com.

2011 Bassmaster Elite Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha

2011 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Lowrance, Luck “E” Strike, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ramada

About B.A.S.S.
For more than 40 years, B.A.S.S. has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and an expansive tournament structure while connecting directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.

The Bassmaster brand and its multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications — Bassmaster Magazine and B.A.S.S. Times — comprehensive website Bassmaster.com, ESPN2 and Outdoor Channel television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, B.A.S.S. Federation Nation events presented by Yamaha and Skeeter Boats and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.

B.A.S.S. offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members and remains focused on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

DAY 2 STANDINGS- RAMADA All-STAR SEMI-FINAL

2011 Ramada All Star Semi-Final  7/23-7/24
Lake Jordan, Wetumpka  AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2

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