Yamaha pros captured two of the top five and five of the top 10 positions in the 40th Bassmaster Classic that concluded Sunday on Alabama’s Lay Lake. They were led by Todd Faircloth and Russ Lane, who finished third and fourth, respectively.
Faircloth, runner-up in the 2008 Angler of the Year title chase, finished with a total of 44 pounds, three ounces, while Lane finished with 43 pounds 12 ounces. They were beaten by Michigan veteran Kevin VanDam who weighed in 51 pounds six ounces, and runner-up Jeff Kriet with 46 pounds six ounces.
Other Yamaha pros in the top 10 included Michael Iaconelli, 6th; Matt Herren, 7th; and Takahiro Omori, winner of the 2004 Bassmaster Classic, in 10th. On the first day of competition, Omori actually fished part of the same area VanDam was using, but readily surrendered it to him when he realized his competitor had taken the lead in the tournament.
Yamaha anglers Cliff Pace, Bobby Lane, and Kotaro Kiriyama finished 14th, 15th, and 16th, respectively, and Dean Rojas finished 23rd.
All of the Yamaha Pros who fished the final day of the Classic ran the new Yamaha VMAX SHO on the backs of their boats. Launched to critical acclaim last November, the revolutionary outboard is lighter, faster, more powerful and efficient than its two-stroke predecessor. Many of the Yamaha Pros will be fishing with the new outboard during the 2010 tournament season.
From Birmingham the pros travel to Stockton, Calif. where the 2010 Bassmaster Elite Series begins on the San Joaquin River Delta on March 11. The season concludes June 20 on the Arkansas River in Muskogee, Okla.
Yamaha Marine products are marketed throughout the United States and around the world. Yamaha Marine Group, based in Kennesaw, Ga., supports its 2,000 U.S. dealers and OEM partners with marketing, training and parts for Yamaha’s full line of products and strives to be the industry leader in reliability, technology and customer service. Yamaha Marine is the only outboard brand to have earned NMMA’s C.S.I. Customer Satisfaction Index award every year since its inception.By: Martin Peters, Mgr Communications
