Yet, there are plenty of pros who have figured out the Potomac’s roller coaster.  Let’s start crunching the data to discover who these guys are in time for the FLW Tour event this weekend.

There are some big-name locals that many will feel need to be watched in David Dudley and Jacob Powroznik. Their averages may say otherwise. In the last five years, Dudley has been, well, Dudley. He’s a certified beast with a 936.473 average in his last three tournaments on the river. His average dips to 844.314 if you expand over the last 11 years, which is still an average most pros would kill for on any body of water. Powroznik? Not so much at 517.456 over the last five years. He has a 19th and a 20th, but he also has a number of finishes in the hundreds. I think you know which pro to pick for your fantasy team.

As good a pick as Dudley should be, Dave Lefebre may be better. His last five tournaments there read like a highlight film — fourth, 32nd, third, 13th, 20th. Oh, and he won there back in 2007. My Spidey senses tell me there are a lot of reasons to watch him.

Chris Baumgardner is another guy to highlight. He had two mediocre finishes in 2011 on the Potomac, but before that he finished seventh, 30th, first, second and 15th. I’m calling 2011 a fluke.

Someone who may fly under the radar is Clark Wendlandt. In four tournaments there since 2000, he has a top 20 and two top 10s. Yet, his latest effort was a 70th, hence the overlooking.

Of course, everyone will have Luke Clausen on their radars after he won last year, but don’t be stunned if he was a one-year wonder. His other two tournaments on the Potomac since 2000: 31st and 123rd.

Shinichi Fukae is a solid bet lately, with a pair of top 20s his last two trips to the river. And Andy Morgan has a pair of near top 10s to go with some middle-of-the-pack finishes.

Some other names to keep on your radar because of their averages the last five years are, no surprise, Brent Ehrler (756.988), John Voyles (751.391) and Clifford Pirch (750.977).

In the last year, Kennedy has a 972.789 average fishing the PAA. Yes, you read that correctly. He has beaten 97 percent of the field.

He finished first at Neely Henry and fifth at the  Toyota Texas Bass Classic at Lake Conroe in 2011. Then, he won again this past weekend at Old Hickory.

The victory, along with the 2010 Elite Series event at Guntersville dropping off, jumped Kennedy from 66th to just outside the top 50 at 52nd in the latest update of the Majors World Ranking.

Making an even larger jump was Dean Rojas. He finished third at Old Hickory, and he dropped off a 64th at Guntersville. His jump: 26 places, from 77th to 51st.

While those were some large moves just outside the top 50, inside that benchmark was pretty quiet. Though, 33 seems to be the lucky (or unlucky) number this week.

Mark Rose slipped outside the top 10 to 11th after his 33rd at Old Hickory. Mike Iaconelli went from 33rd to 25th thanks to his 66th at Guntersville dropping off. And Alton Jones moved up six places to, you guessed it, 33rd.

Rounding out the notable moves, Terry Scroggins and Scott Canterbury nearly flip-flopped. Scroggins went from 44th to 37th, while Canterbury fell from 36th to 42nd.

Minors: KY Lake locals move up

The local sticks dominated the Central Everstart on Kentucky Lake last weekend. No surprise, two of them made the most notable moves.

Curt McGuire, fresh off a sixth at KY Lake, jumped inside the top 20 to 18th, his first stint inside the top 20.

Randy Haynes, who won the event, jumped from 50th to 39th.

With his 41st at the BASS Elite Series event at Douglas Lake over the weekend, VanDam had his worst back-to-back tournaments since 2008 (it seems he struggles every other year).

That being said, with his second-worst finish of 2010 dropping off last week, and his incredible 2011 on the books, VanDam is again back at the top of the rankings despite his poor (by his standards) spring. If he can work himself out of his funk in the month between now and Toledo Bend and go on another patented KVD run, he will put a stranglehold on the No. 1 spot. If not, there are plenty of other pros waiting to overtake him if he continues to slip up.

Speaking of the guys behind VanDam in the top 10, Edwin Evers slipped to fourth after his 63rd at Douglas, while Ott Defoe again pops into the top 10 in ninth after he finished seventh.

As for the rest of the field, Aaron Martens is the lone angler in the top 30 to move up the rankings (29th to 22nd), while Keith Combs (12th to 15th), Brent Chapman (23rd to 32nd) and Michael Iaconelli (26th to 33rd) all slipped.

Then there is Randy Howell. He’s leading the points race for Angler of the Year, and he continues to sky rocket up the rankings, cracking the top 50 for the first time as he went from 64th to 49th in the latest update — a far cry from the 111th place he started the season. Andy Montgomery is also back in the top 50, in 46th.

Minors: Uribe takes over No. 1

He’s been hovering around the No. 1 sport for months. Finally, Joe Uribe isn’t hovering anymore.

With Joseph Kremer finishing 57th at the Lake Guntersville EverStart over the weekend, his average slipped him to third, allowing Uribe to finally take over the top spot.

Other notable moves in the top 50 include Yancy Windham (26th to 43rd) and Troy Gibson (43rd to 27th) essentially switching spots, Rodger Beaver going from 48th to 33rd, and George Kapiton falling from 34th to 57th.

Bass Rankings, a Website devoted to keeping statistics and ranking tournament bass anglers, has brought together a number of the industry’s experts to create the first tournament bass fishing opinion poll — the Media Poll.

This ranking will deal with Major-level anglers, though the opinions of the experts can be based on all levels of tournament bass fishing. In other words, if an expert wants to take into account Minor-level events or he doesn’t, that’s his opinion. We simply combined all their opinions in one place to reflect popular opinion at a given time, which offers a complimentary view to Bass Rankings’ statistical rankings.

The experts were asked to rank the top 20 anglers on all three Major tours, with the lone exceptions being Ken Duke and Chad Gay, who will just rank BASS and FLW anglers, respectively, as these are the organizations they work for and they will serve to offset each other. Other experts participating in this poll are Terry Brown from Wired2Fish.com, Mark Jefferys from BassZone.com, and Jesse Schultz from BassRankings.com. Visitors can see bios of the experts, along with their individual picks via the drop-down menu in the navigation.

1. Chris Lane – Lanes’ hot streak puts him at the top of my list. In 2012 alone he has already racked up two wins (one being the Bassmaster’s Classic) and a second-place finish. Enough said.

2. Anthony Gagliardi – Gagliardi leads the FLW Tour Angler of the Year race after fifth- and sixth-place finishes at the first two stops on the tour. It seems the hardest thing to do in fishing is to find your groove before it’s too late. Needless to say, he is in his groove.

3. Skeet Reese – Reese took it to the hoop strong in Florida, finishing third and fifth in the last two events to land high on my list. We have seen Reese make runs like this before in the past, but somehow he falls apart at the end of the season. Can’t wait to see how this year plays out.

4. Brent Chapman – If you don’t know who Chapman is put his name in the memory bank right … now. Chapman’s resume has two top-5 finishes in the Bassmaster Classic and he is taking the Elite Series by storm in 2012.

5. Dan Morehead – Morehead continues to impress me year after year. He finished last year with a win at the Everstart Championship on Kentucky Lake. Yes, it was his home water, and yes, he was throwing the Alabama Rig. But so was EVERYONE else. It couldn’t have been a more equalizing tournament when everyone is throwing the same bait. Looks like he carried over the momentum to 2012 and snagged a seventh- and 11th-place finish at the first two FLW Tour events. I wonder if the A-Rig keeps him locked in this position.

6. Todd Faircloth – Faircloth flipped his way to sixth on my list with a ninth-place in the Classic, a second at the St. Johns River, and an 11th at Okeechobee. I’m sure he wishes all the tournaments had shallow-water grass. Unfortunately, they don’t, which means Faircloth is really going to have to step up his game in the upcoming events to stay in the top 10 on my list.

7. Kevin VanDam – KVD may be the best angler in the world, but if we are just looking at his recent finishes he sits at a respectable seventh on my list. I have heard many anglers say if KVD survives Florida he will win AOY. Well, he definitely “survived” Florida with a 24th and an eighth-place finish. Look out guys, here he comes!

8. Tom Monsoor – Monsoor is an incredible fisherman that is known for throwing the swim jig. If you haven’t ever thrown one, start taking notes on his last two finishes on Hartwell and Table Rock. This guy knows how to catch fish the way he wants them to bite. No need to teach this old dog new tricks. Just keep swimming Tom … and swimming, and swimming …

9. Travis Fox – Travis surprised everyone by jumping into our Majors One-Year World Ranking at the No. 1 spot, even above KVD. With two top-30 finishes on the FLW Tour, Travis is looking to hold his ground as KVD tries to rip it out from under him.

10. Edwin Evers – Evers has been moving up our rankings for the last few months and is going head-to-head with VanDam for the right to be called the best. With three solid finishes in the last three events he is making it known that he wants the coveted No. 1 spot!

11. Keith Combs – Combs won the 2011 PAA Toyota Texas Bass Classic, edging out Mike Iaconelli. He continues to strut his stuff on the Elite Series and had a great finish in this year’s Classic. Combs is one who could be moving up on my list.

12. Ott Defoe – Defoe has shown he can compete in all the above: PAA, FLW Tour and now BASS Elite Series. How about we call him Mr. Consistent? Defoe will be a tough contender for angler of the year once again in 2012.

13. Brent Ehrler – Ehrler started the FLW Tour Majors with a win on Lake Hartwell. However, he struggled on both Lake Okeechobee and Table Rock. This is a Media Poll, and we get to take into consideration any tournaments the anglers have fished in the recent year. Brent was the only FLW Angler in the Major League Fishing tournament and he won, which says something to me. Ehrler is truly a terrific angler that will bounce back from his recent struggle.

14. Cliff Crochet – Crochet did well in Florida, and I expect him to continue his run up north. In the last two years he has proven himself to be a versatile angler. Let’s see how he fairs with the rest of the schedule this year.

15. Jason Christie – Christie had a break-out season in 2011 and continues to be a force in 2012. He really seems to be dialing into his A Game, and I can bet we will see Christiee holding up yet another trophy this year.

16. Blake Nick – If you don’t know Nick yet, checkout his profile on BassRankings.com. He is in his second year with the FLW Tour and making a swing at winning a major event here soon. I have personally fished with Nick, seen the way he fishes and how he makes decisions. This guy knows his stuff!

17. Terry Scroggins – Scroggins tore through Florida like a freaking manbeast looking for more meat on the grill. I don’t think I will ever take Scroggins off my fantasy team ever again when the Elites are fishing in the Sunshine State. However, Scroggins has a tough road ahead of him. No more shallow grass for a while. I hate to think he will struggle but, well, we will just have to wait and see.

18. Gerald Swindle – The funniest man on tour is also one of the best anglers in the world. The way Swindle is fishing right now, he is probably making jokes at all the other competitors that are behind him. You wonder how the G-man can even catch a fish with all the things that go through his head, but he always seems to put the pieces together a little bit quicker than most people. Someone once said that Swindle could see a leave fall and know exactly what the fish are doing. So far he seems to be well in tune with his surroundings.

19. Todd Auten – I’m not sure there isn’t a day that goes by that Auten isn’t fishing a tournament. He fishes the FLW Tour, PAA and BASS Opens. How does he keep his schedule straight? At the end of 2011 he finished the year with a sixth-place at the FLW Cup and third-place at the PAA Classic. So why not start the year with a 16th and a fourth on the FLW Tour? That’s right, Auten might spend more time on the road then on the water, but he knows how to manage his time and find the bass fast.

20. Jay Yelas – Some of these picks may be a little off the wall, and you might say I left some of the greats off this list. But there are only 20 spots to fill, and I did the best I could. To round out the top 20, I choose Jay Yelas. Yelas has seen just about everything come through the fishing industry. He competed on all ends of the spectrum and still kicks butt! As the No.9-ranked angler in the world, Yelas doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. With a great start to 2012, we are just seeing the start to Yelas’ reign.

1. Jason Christie
2. David Dudley
3. Bryan Thrift
4. Jay Yelas
5. Scott Martin
6. Brent Ehrler
7. Randall Tharp
8. Anthony Gagliardi
9. Dan Morehead
10. Tom Monsoor
11. Travis Fox
12. Dave Lefebre
13. Luke Clausen
14. Jacob Powroznik
15. Andy Morgan
16. Stetson Blaylock
17. Wesley Strader
18. Scott Canterbury
19. Brett Hite
20. Shinichi Fukae

1. KVD – Simply the best.
2. Brent Ehrler – Versatile stick with one win already this year. Hard to argue with success and Brent has remained consistent throughout his career.
3. Skeet Reese – Leading AOY should have others worried. Doesn’t like to lose and is tough as nails. Fishes well under pressure.
4. Randall Tharp – Put a frog or a flipping stick in his hands and he is money. Shaping up to being a great year for Randy.
5. Chris Lane – May be the hottest angler on the planet right now. Great guy to boot and fishing easy right now. That is real scary.
6. Edwin Evers – One of the best natural anglers who can find them quick on the planet. One step away from superstardom.
7. Alton Jones – Great ability to find fish and milk an area. Versatile angler to boot.
8. Bryan Thrift – AOY and a top finisher in just about every event. Fishing easy and that is dangerous for his competition
9. Bobby Lane – Another guy who can quickly catch fire and learned a ton last season. Fished his entire life to be a pro. Like this guy!
10. Ish Monroe – Should be in the top 5 by year end. Fishes a lot of events to keep himself sharp.
11. Steve Kennedy – Hard to figure him out but cannot argue with success. Wonder how good he would be if he used new equipment?
12. Ott Defoe – Great 2011 and just has it dialed in. Humble guys with tools to make a big run at every event.
13. Mike Iaconelli – Calmer demeanor could put more fish in the boat for Mike. Great at every technique.
14. Aaron Martens – One of the best anglers on the planet and needs to get the monkey off his back this year. He should be in the top two or three on the BASS trail this year.
15. David Walker – One of the hottest anglers out there and has a new found confidence. Fishing easy and free.
16. Luke Clausen – Seems to be a top finisher and a threat to win everywhere. Great with a spinning rod.
17. Dave Lefebre – A natural on every kind of water he fishes. Dave would be a stick fishing out of a jon boat.
18. Jason Christie – A under the radar guy that can flat catch them. 2012 could be his break out year.
19. Jeff Kriet – Found his groove and can really find them. Could be his year.
20. Davy Hite – Veteran who always fishes to win. Love his approach.

1 – Brent Chapman: 5 events into the season (3 Elites and 2 Opens) Chapman is simply the best this year. The Kansas Pro’s worst finish this year is 20th at the Table Rock Open. An Open win, 3 Sunday appearances on the Elite Series, almost $100,000 in earnings this year and his worst finish on the Elite Series is 5th. So far, this is the year of Brent Chapman.

2- Randy Howell: Howell jumps into the number 2 spot due to his performance on the Elite Series. His worst finish this year is 14th at Bull Shoals and the Big O. Howell started off the season with a Sunday appearance at the SJR. Forget about his performance at the Red River…….Howell is on a roll.

3- Skeet Reese: Reese drops from the number 2 spot to number 3 due to his performance at Bull Shoals. Reese just missed the cut at Bull Shoals and you can’t take away the fact his worst finish on the Elite Series prior to Bull Shoals was 5th at the SJR. Reese was leading the AOY and trails Chapman by 56 points. Reese, like many other pros, did not get the “BIG” bite at the Bull Shoals event. BS was not an indication of his game in 2012.

4- Jason Christie: No longer is this man on his way to being a superstar in the sport, he is a superstar on the FLW side. Christie finished 4th in the FLW AOY race in 2011 and now the Oklahoma Pro leads the FLW AOY race after 3 events. Christie’s worst finish this year is 25th at Lake Hartwell and he has earned almost $40,000 in 3 events. Christie has used his versatile style to adapt to all conditions thrown at him this year. Christie has surpassed the $500,000 mark in earnings in only 4 years on the FLW Tour.

5- David Walker: Quietly since Walker’s win at the final event of the 2011 Elite season, Walker has been rock solid. After finishing 13th at the Classic, Walker has put together 3 top 20 finishes on the Elite Series and 2 cashes on the Southern Open. Walkers earning for 2012 surpassed the $50K mark. Look for big things at Douglas Lake, stop number 4 on the Elite Series. It’s in his backyard.

6- Kevin VanDam – A solid year so far but…….just not KVD year. No wins and one Sunday appearance.
7-David Dudley – A huge win at Beaver Lake. Over $140K in earnings and a shot at repeating as FLW AOY.
8-Edwin Evers – 4th place finish at Bull Shoals and into the “Edwin” part of the schedule.
9 – Keith Combs – Survived Bull Shoals with at 38th place finish and has cashed in 8 consecutive events.
10 – Brent Ehrler – Stumbled at Table Rock but, has a win at Hartwell and remember this fact, Ehrler has not finished lower than 9th in the AOY standings since 2007.

11– Chris Lane – Is the momentum of the Classic and Florida swing gone?
12 – Tommy Biffle – He just keeps on ticking……
13 – Jacob Powroznik – Close to $750K in career earnings and poised for a run at the AOY.
14 – Todd Faircloth – Solid…….as always and getting better every tournament.
15 – Matt Herren – 3rd at Bull Shoals and with a new mental game, could be a breakout year.
16 – Brandon Card – The new Rookie Sensation?
17 – Troy Morrow – No sophomore slump for the Georgia pro.
18 – Gerald Swindle – G…….just being G. GRINDING away to a 6th place finish at Bull Shoals
19 – Bobby Lane – Who doesn’t like Bobby Lane? 3 for 3 and all top 20’s,
20 – Jay Yelas – Too many 6’s but still have a good year: 6th at Hartwell, 66th at Table Rock and 6th at Beaver.

This is painful. Ranking the very best bass anglers in the world (and that’s what the Bassmaster Elite Series anglers are) is not just difficult and far more subjective than I’d like, it’s actually gut wrenching. I’m lucky to not have any hair; I’d have pulled it all out in the process.

With apologies to all the Elite Series anglers I admire and have followed throughout their careers, if you don’t find your name here or don’t find it as high on the list as you believe you deserve, know that you can move up that ladder. You control your own destiny. As Al Davis, the late owner of the Oakland Raiders used to say, “Just win, baby.”

Here are my rankings, and a little rationale.

1. Kevin VanDam — I started to simply type “Duh!” and leave it at that, but there might be a few people who would argue with this pick. Let me start by saying that I don’t hope to change your mind here. You are too far gone for my words, my numbers or my arguments. KVD is simply the best there ever has been, and he’s still in his prime. He’s won a third of the Bassmaster Classics since 2001 and a total of seven Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year awards. Any system that does not currently rank him first among all competitive bass anglers is flawed. For the past four seasons VanDam has completely dominated the toughest tournament circuit in the world. Cher and Madonna are known by their first names; KVD only needs initials.

2. Edwin Evers — He’s been the runner-up to VanDam in the last two AOY races, nearly won the All-Star Week competition last summer and had a solid Classic. Evers is hungry for an AOY and Classic title. The Classic eluded him again this year, but he’s a solid 4th in the AOY standings after three events in the Elite Series.

3. Brent Chapman — He started the year with a Central Open win. Then I jinxed him in the Classic by picking him to win, so it’s probably not fair to count his 18th-place finish against him. Right now he’s leading the AOY race by a fair margin and had a solid finish at the Central Open on Table Rock. Only a mediocre season in 2011 keeps him out of the number two spot.

4. Chris Lane — He’s coming off the best season of his career and won the first two B.A.S.S. events he fished in 2012, the second being the Bassmaster Classic. Lane seems to have turned a corner in his career over the past 12 months. Is he a top 10 Elite Series angler? I think he is right now.

5. Todd Faircloth — In 2011, Faircloth had a bad year (for him) and still finished 21st in the AOY rankings. I think he’s going to “rebound” from a good season to a great one. He’s currently ninth in the AOY race and almost ran Alton Jones down on the last day at the St. Johns River in the season opener. Faircloth has a tremendous inner drive and executes on the water as well as anyone in the business. I expect him to make a run at AOY this year.

6. Skeet Reese — Someone or something must have poked this lion’s cage because Reese is back and obviously on a mission. After a disappointing 2011, he led the AOY race after the two Florida tournaments (he’s currently sixth) and should be at or near the top at the end of the season. If it weren’t for the numbers he posted in 2011, he’d be ranked higher than this.

7. Gerald Swindle — The G-Man is off to a strong start in 2012; he’s 12th in the AOY race and headed to waters where he should be even stronger. The best “junk” fisherman in the sport is remarkably adept at making something from nothing, scraping together a limit when everything seems to be falling apart and turning in solid performances when it would be easy to throw in the towel. When I think about anglers who truly never give up, I think of Swindle.

8. Ott DeFoe — He was fourth in AOY last year, won the All-Star Week competition and finished fifth in his first Classic. He’s 16th in the current AOY race and the schedule is just starting to move to waters where he’s expected to excel. Sometimes an angler hits his stride and learns that his reach can exceed his dreams. That’s DeFoe.

9. Alton Jones — When he’s dialed in, the fish don’t stand a chance. Jones got the Elite Series monkey off his back at the St. Johns River and will take more chances now that a Classic berth has been secured. A 69th-place finish at Okeechobee almost certainly took him out of the AOY race for 2012 (he’s currently 19th), but he’s still a threat to win any tournament he enters.

10. Randy Howell — Consistency doesn’t necessarily win a lot of tournaments, but it’s what marks Howell as a great angler. He’s been in the top 25 of the AOY race eight of the last 15 years and always seems to be a lock as a Classic qualifier. If he can break through with an Elite win in 2012, he’ll get a lot more of the attention he already deserves.

11. Terry Scroggins — He had a bad Classic (39th place), but Big Show is a force to be reckoned with anywhere there are bass — and especially in his home state of Florida. With the Sunshine State tournaments now in the rear view mirror (and after a dismal finish at Bull Shoals), Scroggins is 23rd in the AOY race. No one has a better attitude or approach to the business of tournament fishing.

12. Keith Combs — There were two breakout rookies in 2011, but one (Ott DeFoe) got the lion’s share of the press. Watch out for the other. His name is Keith Combs and he was 15th in AOY last year and fifth so far this year. He’s versatile, smart and ready to take it to the next level.

13. David Walker — To call him a rookie in 2011 was pretty ridiculous. Walker had fished the Bassmaster Tour and competed in six Classics before 2012, so he was a seasoned vet. His slow start last year has been turned around. After winning the final event of the 2011 season, he’s been hot and is currently third in the AOY race. What’s more, as I write this the Elites are headed to Douglas Lake, where Walker will be a big favorite.

14. Steve Kennedy — Kennedy is one of the smartest guys on tour and someone’s who’s developed a reputation for not practicing very much or very hard. The truth is that he simply puts things together faster than most and knows when practice has become more form than substance. Besides, who wants to win practice?

15. Michael Iaconelli — When it comes to his Elite Series performances, Ike’s been quiet for the past few years — no Elite wins, no runs at another Classic title since 2009 — but he’s also been solid and consistent. His worst finish since 2009 was 66th-place, and he’s got the fourth highest bassing average (average number of bass brought to the scales each competition day) in Elite Series history. Between tournaments and his television commitments, he’s probably the busiest guy on tour, and that’s biound to take a little something off an angler’s competitive edge.

16. Bobby Lane — Before 2012, Chris Lane was Bobby’s younger brother. Now that Chris has a Classic win under his belt, Bobby’s taken a supporting role when it comes to media attention. Don’t worry about his fishing, though. Bobby can catch ‘em with the very best. And if he could have avoided disaster at the St. Johns River (where he finished 60th), Bobby would be high in the AOY standings. Right now he’s 13th and fishing really well.

17. Greg Vinson — B.A.S.S. announcer Dave Mercer calls him “The Rooster” because of his red hair and jersey, but I think that’s a misnomer for a guy who’s quiet, unassuming, intelligent, polite and doesn’t crow about himself. Vinson has spent the last two years proving he belongs at the highest level. His second-place finish at the Classic showed that he can compete on the biggest stage. Watch for “V” to solidify his position as one of the sport’s best this year.

18. Dean Rojas — Kermit’s buddy is usually one of the fastest starters on tour and a shallow-water specialist who can also catch ‘em deep when he has to. He’s 49th in AOY after three events, which is a very slow start for him, but the rest of the schedule looks really good for Rojas.

19. Aaron Martens — I call him “The Natural” because he’s the best natural angler I’ve ever seen. No matter where or when you schedule a tournament, Martens is going to catch them. In fact, I’ve long believed that the only angler who can beat Martens is Martens. Fortunately for “The Natural” that happens less and less as he gains experience and finds the reins on his talent. He’s off to a slow start in 2012 (currently an unfathomable 79th in the AOY race), and that’s why he ranks this low. Expect him to move up — a lot — as the season progresses.

20. Brandon Card — He’s sort of the wild card on this list because he’s a rookie and very young, but he’s already impressing fans of the sport. In three Elite events, Card has ranked 21st, 41st and 18th on waters he’s seldom — if ever — seen before. Now that the Elites are headed to Douglas Lake, where Card has spent lots of time, we’ll see what he’s made of and whether he deserves this ranking.

The Bass Rankings Media Poll is an industry opinion poll contributed by industry experts. This ranking will deal with Major-level anglers, though the opinions themselves can be based on all levels of tournament bass fishing. In other words, if an expert wants to take into account Minor-level events or he doesn’t, that’s his opinion. We simply combined all their opinions in one place to reflect popular opinion at a given time.

The experts were asked to rank the top 20 anglers on all three Major tours, with the lone exceptions being Ken Duke and Chad Gay, who will just rank BASS and FLW anglers, respectively, as these are the organizations they work for and they will serve to offset each other. If you want to see their rankings, or any of the experts’ individual rankings, feel free to click on their names.

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