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Russ
Lane Finishes in 7th
in
Angler of the Year
When
the 2010 Elite season
started Big Bites Russ
Lane had one goal in mind
and that was to fish good
enough throughout the year
to make it to the Elite
post season. It took all
the way to the last
tournament to secure a
spot into the post season,
but Russ reached his goal.
Finishing the Elite season
in a 4 way tie in 9th
place. Behind Skeet
Resse in the AOY race,
Russ knew he would have
his work cut out for him. But
they were heading to
Alabama the place that
Russ calls home; and the
icing on the cake was they
were fishing two bodies of
water that Russ knows very
well. 
The first tournament of
the
Elite post season
started July 24 and was
held on Lake Jordan just
miles from Russ’s home,
so he has had extended
practice time. Russ has
fished this lake numerous
times and knows the body
of water inside and out.
That showed during the
first day of competition
when Russ brought 17lbs to
the scales and sat in
first place when day one
was done. When day two
rolled around Russ was in
the driver’s seat and
had to just go out and
stay the course to have a
chance to win, and he did
just that. In the second
day Russ brought in
15.3lbs pulling out a 3oz
victory over Aaron Martens
and took home the $60,000 boat
package;
but the bigger story was
Russ ended up in 2nd place
in the AOY point’s race
and pulled just 5 points
behind Skeet Reese heading
into the second leg of the
post season.
The following week the Top
12 headed to the Alabama
River in Montgomery, AL.
Russ has had a storied
past here just like he had
at Jordan, but water
conditions when the top 12
were practicing were
conditions that Russ had
never fished in before.
Water levels were at a low
point for the season and
many of the spots that
Russ had depended on in
past tournaments to win
were now out of the water
or did not have enough
water on them to even hold
fish.
In the first day Russ
wasted no time in getting
his first fish into the
boat and caught a fish in
the first 15 minutes just
yards from the boat
ramp. Russ was able
to bring in 8-1lbs the
first day and hold a spot
in 7th when the
weigh in was done. It
all came down to the last
day fishing on the Alabama
River for the Elite Post
Season to crown a new
angler of the year.
It
came down to the wire on
an extremely hot day in
Alabama and both Lane and
Reese fished right up
until the last minute
hoping to catch just one
more big bite. Both
hooked fish right near the
dock, but both fish broke
off.
Russ
brought 5 bass to the
scales that weighted
9-4lb, making a two day
total of 17-5lb.
Russ finished the last
tournament of the year in
the Elite Post season in
10th place and
AOY in 7th place earning a
$20,000 paycheck.
When on the stage the last
day thanking the crowd for
their support the last few
weeks Russ was asked the
question did he know where
the post season will be
next year, a big grin came
on his face and he said
“right here again and it
is my goal in 2011 to be
here too”.
All of us at Big Bite want
to thank Russ for a great
year and a great run at
the end of the season at
the AOY crown.
Russ's
next stop will be the PAA
tournament on Lake Norman.
Scott
Petersen
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