Louisiana’s Jamie Laiche holds on to lead on Ouachita River

Jamie Laiche of Gonzales, La., maintains the lead Friday with 30 pounds, 4 ounces, during the Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Championship on the Ouachita River held out of Monroe, La.

Nov. 6, 2015

Louisiana’s Jamie Laiche holds on to lead on Ouachita River

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MONROE, La. — The conditions changed on the second day of the 2015 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Championship on the Ouachita River, but the first-day leader did everything the same and managed to stay on top of the field. Louisiana’s Jamie Laiche added 13 pounds, 14 ounces, ending Day 2 with 30 pounds, 4 ounces and a 1 1/2-pound lead.

“I did the exact same thing,” said Laiche, “but I didn’t get that big bite like I did yesterday. I caught a ton of fish, but the size wasn’t there.”

The air temperature dropped 5 degrees from yesterday, and the Monroe area got an inch of rain. The final day should bring more rain and even cooler temperatures.

None of those weather changes bother Laiche.

“I have the opinion that if it affects me, it’ll affect everybody else,” he said, calmly. “If the Lord feels like it’s my time, I’ll find ’em.”

Laiche, who’s a member of the Ascension Area Anglers in Louisiana, is trying to earn a return trip to the Bassmaster Classic. He qualified for the 2008 Bassmaster Classic, where he came in 38th place. If he wins the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship on Saturday, he’ll get a chance to compete on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.

Laiche doesn’t actually have to win the championship; he only has to win his division. Each state is represented in the championship by its top angler, and several states make up each division. The Central Division has proved to be the toughest here on the Ouachita River, with three of the Top 4 overall spots from that division. Laiche is trying to fend off Albert Collins of Texas, who’s currently in second place overall, and Doug Thompson of Arkansas, currently in fourth. All three anglers are tested and true; all three have qualified for the Classic before. And all three are within 6 pounds of each other.

“Any one of us would represent the Central well at the Classic,” said Laiche. “They are some of the best anglers out there. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”

Laiche, who is fishing out of a small boat that helps him navigate the shallow backwaters and stumpfields, tops out at 28 miles per hour. As the leader of the tournament, he’ll go out first at takeoff on the final day.

“They’ll all be passing me,” Laiche said with a laugh. “But it’s not how fast you get there; it’s how much you come back with.”

Other division leaders who are trying to hold on for one more day to earn a Classic berth are Paul Mueller, Connecticut, in the Eastern Division; Fabian Rodriguez, Maryland, Mid-Atlantic; Greg Vance, Iowa, Northern; John Proctor, South Carolina, Southern; and Levi McNeill, Wyoming, Western.

Vance made up serious ground on the second day when he brought in a 13-pound, 11-ounce bag, vaulting him to the top of the Northern Division. Vance is one of the youngest competitors in the field at only 21 years old.

Vance’s bag was topped by only Laiche’s (13-14) and Albert Collins’ (14-8). But Vance did manage to catch the biggest bass of the day, a 4-pound, 3-ounce largemouth.

Whether Laiche pulls off a victory on Saturday or not, he’s already the winner of the Livingston Lures Leader Award. The leader on Day 2 wins a $250 package from Livingston Lures.

Competition resumes at Forsythe Park in Monroe, La., Saturday at 6:15 a.m. CT. The event concludes at the weigh-in, also at Forsythe Park, at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday. Tune in to Bassmaster.com for updates and for live streaming of the weigh-ins.

2015 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Championship 11/5-11/7Ouachita River, Monroe, La.(BOATER) Standings Day 2

Angler                                     Hometown                              No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Jamie Laiche                       Gonzales, LA (Cntrl)              10 30-04 02. Albert Collins                       Nacogdoches, TX (Cntrl)       10 28-09 03. Fabian Rodriguez                Ocean City, DE (MidAt)       10 26-08 04. Doug Thompson                 Mabelvale, AR (Cntrl)            10 24-02 05. Paul Mueller                       Naugatuck, CT (East)             10 22-10 06. Greg Vance                        Dubuque, IA (North)              10 22-07 07. Preston Frazell                   Cleveland, OK (Cntrl)            8 21-11 08. Levi McNeill                       West Valley, UT (West)         10 20-12 09. John Proctor                       Conway, SC (South)               10 20-09 010. Billy Lemon Jr                  Sand Springs, OK (Cntrl         10 19-07 011. Joaquim Maria Lopes      Evora PORTUGAL (Cntrl)          10 19-07 012. Mark Pierce                      Radcliff, KY (South)               10 19-00 013. Chad Shutty                      Northern Cambria, PA (M     10 18-14 014. Charles Sim                       Ottawa CANADA (East)       10 17-15 015. Gary Adkins                     Green Bay, WI (North)          10 17-11 016. Alex Wetherell                  Middletown, CT (East)          10 17-10 017. Tim Johnston                    Kalispell , MT (West)            10 17-07 018. David Watson                   Sullivan, IN (North)                10 16-15 019. Davick Hansen                  Clinton, UT (West)                10 16-07 020. Robert Peixotto                 Albuquerque, NM (West)      10 16-06 021. Samuel Ferroni                  POGGIO A CAIANO PRATO I 9 16-00 022. Brian Harold                      McGaheysville, VA (MidA   10 16-00 023. Roger Thomas                   Snow Hill, NC (South)           10 15-15 024. Nick Leonard                    Cincinnati, OH (North)          10 15-10 025. Dave Andrews                  Hudson, MA (East)                10 15-10 026. Larry Triplett                     Castle Rock, CO (West)         10 15-09 027. Kieron Samkin                  Gillitts SOUTH AFRICA      10 15-07 028. Dan Brown                       Joliet, IL (North)                   10 14-15 029. Donald Adcock                 Richland, MS (Cntrl)              9 14-14 030. Michael McMahon           Hackettstown, NJ (MidAt       10 14-11 031. Corey Brant                      Minnetonka, MN (North)        7 14-04 032. Jami Fralick                       Martin, SD (North)                10 14-03 033. Pat Hanning                      Tucson, AZ (West)                8 14-02 034. Cesar Ventura Pecellin Munoz Badajoz SPAIN (East)    10 13-13 035. Marcelo Lozano                San Luis Potosi MEXICO      9 13-11 036. Jerome Pape                      Milford, IA (Cntrl)                 10 13-11 037. Samuel Bounds Jr             Charleston, WV (MidAt)       9 13-07 038. Casey Smith                      Macedon, NY (East)               10 13-05 039. Lance Freeman                  Eddyville, KY (South)            9 13-00 040. Brad Weese                       Petersburg, WV (MidAt)        8 12-12 041. Matthew Roberts               Pulaski, IA (Cntrl)                  7 12-09 042. Bruce Cooke                     Greendale ZIMBABWE (Mid 10 12-09 043. Brad Durden                     Atlanta, GA (South)               9 12-08 044. Wayne Black                     San Mateo, FL (South)           10 12-05 045. Skip Sjobeck                     Randolph, VT (East)              8 11-11 046. Jeff Fischer                       Farmington, MI (North)         8 11-11 047. Steven Wilson                   Rohnert Park, CA (West)       8 11-01 048. Kentaro Yamada               Osaka JAPAN (West)            7 10-13 049. Brent Shores                     Boise, ID (West)                     8 10-08 050. Kyle Glasgow Jr               Guin, AL (South)                    6 10-02 051. Brian Croteau                    Blackstone, MA (East)           6 09-09 052. Kory Ray                          Lebanon, OR (West)               8 09-06 053. David Kromm                   Kennewick, WA (West)          7 08-13 054. Alec Williams                    Windhoek NAMIBIA (MidAt   5 07-13 055. Robert Williamson            Gorham, ME (East)                4 05-02 056. George Barnes                   Cambridge, MA (East)           4 04-04 057. Stephen Pike                     Las Vegas, NV (West)            2 03-15 058. Jackie Barber                     West , TX (MidAt)                3 03-09 059. Stephen Kanowski            Shorncliffe AUSTRALIA       2 03-00 0

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TotalsDay #Limits #Fish Weight1 46 263 462-122 38 245 414-02———————————-84 508 876-14

TEAM STANDINGS Day 2———————————-State Lbs-Oz

1 CENTRAL 198-052 WESTERN 155-033 NORTHERN 143-124 EASTERN 131-095 MID-ATLANTIC 126-036 SOUTHERN 121-14

INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 2———————————————————————–

NORTHERNAngler                        Hometown                  No./lbs-oz Total $$$

1 Greg Vance           Dubuque, IA               10 22-07 02 Gary Adkins           Green Bay, WI            10 17-11 03 David Watson         Sullivan, IN                 10 16-15 04 Samuel Ferroni      POGGIO A CAIANO PRATO I 9 16-00 05 Nick Leonard          Cincinnati, OH            10 15-10 06 Dan Brown             Joliet, IL                      10 14-15 07 Corey Brant            Minnetonka, MN         7 14-04 08 Jami Fralick             Martin, SD                 10 14-03 09 Jeff Fischer             Farmington, MI          8 11-11 0

CENTRALAngler                        Hometown                  No./lbs-oz Total $$$

1 Jamie Laiche            Gonzales, LA            10 30-04 02 Albert Collins         Nacogdoches, TX       10 28-09 03 Doug Thompson     Mabelvale, AR            10 24-02 04 Preston Frazell        Cleveland, OK            8 21-11 05 Billy Lemon Jr        Sand Springs, OK       10 19-07 06 Joaquim Maria Lopes Evora PORTUGAL 10 19-07 07 Donald Adcock       Richland, MS              9 14-14 08 Marcelo Lozano San Luis Potosi MEXICO 9 13-11 09 Jerome Pape            Milford, IA                 10 13-11 010 Matthew Roberts     Pulaski, IA                 7 12-09 0

WESTERNAngler                        Hometown                  No./lbs-oz Total $$$

1 Levi McNeill           West Valley, UT         10 20-12 02 Tim Johnston          Kalispell , MT            10 17-07 03 Davick Hansen        Clinton, UT                10 16-07 04 Robert Peixotto       Albuquerque, NM      10 16-06 05 Larry Triplett           Castle Rock, CO         10 15-09 06 Pat Hanning            Tucson, AZ                8 14-02 07 Steven Wilson         Rohnert Park, CA       8 11-01 08 Kentaro Yamada     Osaka JAPAN            7 10-13 09 Brent Shores           Boise, ID                     8 10-08 010 Kory Ray              Lebanon, OR               8 09-06 011 David Kromm       Kennewick, WA         7 08-13 012 Stephen Pike         Las Vegas, NV            2 03-15 0

EASTERNAngler                        Hometown                  No./lbs-oz Total $$$

1 Paul Mueller            Naugatuck, CT            10 22-10 02 Charles Sim            Ottawa CANADA     10 17-15 03 Alex Wetherell        Middletown, CT         10 17-10 04 Dave Andrews        Hudson, MA              10 15-10 05 Cesar Ventura Pecellin Munoz Badajoz SPAIN 10 13-13 06 Casey Smith            Macedon, NY            10 13-05 07 Skip Sjobeck           Randolph, VT             8 11-11 08 Brian Croteau          Blackstone, MA         6 09-09 09 Robert Williamson Gorham, ME               4 05-02 010 George Barnes     Cambridge, MA          4 04-04 0

SOUTHERNAngler                        Hometown                  No./lbs-oz Total $$$

1 John Proctor           Conway, SC                10 20-09 02 Mark Pierce            Radcliff, KY                10 19-00 03 Roger Thomas        Snow Hill, NC            10 15-15 04 Kieron Samkin        Gillitts SOUTH AFRICA 10 15-07 05 Lance Freeman       Eddyville, KY             9 13-00 06 Brad Durden           Atlanta, GA                9 12-08 07 Wayne Black           San Mateo, FL            10 12-05 08 Kyle Glasgow Jr      Guin, AL                     6 10-02 09 Stephen Kanowski  Shorncliffe AUSTRALIA 2 03-00 0

MID-ATLANTICAngler                        Hometown                  No./lbs-oz Total $$$

1 Fabian Rodriguez    Ocean City, DE          10 26-08 02 Chad Shutty            Northern Cambria, PA 10 18-14 03 Brian Harold            McGaheysville, VA    10 16-00 04 Michael McMahon   Hackettstown, NJ       10 14-11 05 Samuel Bounds Jr   Charleston, WV          9 13-07 06 Brad Weese             Petersburg, WV           8 12-12 07 Bruce Cooke           Greendale ZIMBABWE 10 12-09 08 Alec Williams          Windhoek NAMIBIA     5 07-13 09 Jackie Barber          West , TX                    3 03-09 0

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