Reed claims victory at Central Open

PADUCAH, Ky. ― On a day when fishing was at its toughest on the Tennessee, Ohio and Cumberland rivers, Texan Matt Reed cruised to an easy victory at the CITGO Bassmaster Central Open presented by Busch Beer.

Reed hauled in an astonishing 15-pound, 14-ounce limit on day three to catapult him from 10th place to the win with a three-day weight of 30-6.

Former Classic champ wins Northern Open

CATSKILL, N.Y. ― Heading into the final day of competition, former world champion bass angler Woo Daves was 2 pounds, 4 ounces from the leader's spot at the CITGO Bassmaster Northern Open presented by Busch Beer. So he went treasure hunting for the winning bass in the wreckage of a long-sunk Hudson River barge.

Auten ought to win

PADUCAH, Ky. ― If Mike Auten can keep his grip on the lead through the final day of the CITGO Bassmaster Central Open presented by Busch Beer, he will win $50,000 and be a giant step closer to a return trip to bass fishing's world championship.

Hudson yields lead to Pennsylvania angler

CATSKILL, N.Y. ― Dave Wolak and Pete Gluszek are neck-and-neck at the CITGO Bassmaster Northern Open presented by Busch Beer. Heading into the final day, neither is prepared to give an inch.

"If those fish show up where I caught them yesterday, I believe I'll win the tournament," said Gluszek of Franklinville, N.J., who boated four bass weighing 5 pounds, 15 ounces on Friday and dropped to second place, just 1-1 behind Wolak.

Kentucky's Auten leads Central Open

PADUCAH, Ky. ― Kentucky's own Mike Auten claimed the lead Thursday at the CITGO Bassmaster Central Open presented by Busch Beer on the Tennessee, Ohio and Cumberland rivers. It is the third time in as many months that BASS, the worldwide authority on bass fishing, has come to the fishery for tournaments that give anglers a shot at qualifying for coveted berths in the CITGO Bassmaster Classic presented by Busch Beer.

N.J. angler battles rain, tide for Open lead

CATSKILL, N.Y. ― On a normal day, Pete Gluszek talks with the speed of a carnival barker, peppering his conversation with nearly audible exclamation points and italics.

When he's leading a tournament, Gluszek's conversation heads into warp speed, as it did Thursday when he blasted to the top of the leaderboard at the CITGO Bassmaster Northern Open presented by Busch Beer on the Hudson River.

2004 CITGO Bassmaster Classic qualifers

The 34th CITGO Bassmaster Classic will be held on NC's Lake Wylie from July 30th to August 1st. 5 anglers from federation, 3 from each Opens, 25 from the Tour, 10 from Elite 50, plus AOY of 2003, in total of 53 will compete for the Classic title.

North Carolina anglers charged for local Classic

There's nothing like a Classic in your own backyard

CHARLOTTE, N.C. ― When sports fans think of the Tar Heel state, the college basketball of Tobacco Road and NASCAR racing immediately come to mind. When the CITGO Bassmaster Classic presented by Busch Beer hits Lake Wylie at the end of the month, two North Carolina anglers hope to change the mind-set.

Classic marks Lake Wylie's 100th birthday/ Charlotte fishery has avoided grass, spotted bass invasion

CHARLOTTE, N.C. We should all age so gracefully.

At 100 years old, Lake Wylie has lost little of her charm and charisma. She is just as fresh as ever, with a youthful renewal that shows itself year after year.

The 13,443-acre reservoir straddling the North Carolina and South Carolina borders, endures the popularity that comes with living in the shadow of North Carolina's most populous city. Million-dollar yachts, cruisers, water skiers, jet skiers and a wide array of fishing boats share her waters and at times it resembles a holiday parade.

Scalish squeaks out a victory on Lake Erie

BUFFALO, N.Y. ― After two days of coming up a little shy on Lake Erie, Ohio's Frank Scalish brought in 17 pounds and 2 ounces to edge two-day leader Gaspare Costabile of Canada by a mere 4 ounces and claim the $50,000 victory at the CITGO Bassmaster Northern Open presented by Busch Beer with a three-day weight of 55-4.

Costabile leads Day Two on Lake Erie

Buffalo, N.Y. ― The fishing conditions may have changed at the CITGO Bassmaster Northern Open presented by Busch Beer, but the leader did not. Canada's Gaspare Costabile kept a firm grasp on the lead heading into Saturday's final round. His 19-pound, 3-ounce catch on Lake Erie boosted his two-day total weight to 39-11.

High winds make for excitement, big sacks

BUFFALO, N.Y. - An extremely breezy day meant tough conditions at the CITGO Bassmaster Northern Open presented by Busch Beer on Lake Erie Thursday.

New Yorker Gaspare Costabile dug in his heels when the wind started to pick up and brought in an impressive limit to lead the first of three days of competition. Costabile's 20-pound, 8-ounce catch was enough to top his closest competitor by just over a pound.