basswave English Edition 2004-09-03T02:17:43Z English Edition tag:basswave.b-s-o.com,2005:/e//4 Movable Type Copyright (c) 2004, DODGE Reed claims victory at Central Open 2004-09-03T02:17:43Z 2004-08-14T10:18:21+09:00 tag:basswave.b-s-o.com,2004:/e//4.869 2004-08-14T01:18:21Z 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... DODGE dai@basswave.jp Tournament (BASS) 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.

]]> "My current thing that I had been doing up at the dam was dead," Reed said. "I mean, there was no current. The same rock pile that I caught a 4-and-a-half pounder off of the first day, I just went back to it and it was on.

"We'd get them going for about 15 or 20 minutes and then they'd quit. Then about 15 or 20 minutes later, you'd kick them off again and you'd catch three, four or five more.

"It was just an awesome day. My partner and I kept laughing and saying, 'We're on this fishery and this is happening today.' It was just a deal that I stumbled on. It was a very insignificant rock pile."

Reed won the $50,000 top prize that included a fully rigged Triton bass boat.

Second place went to Iowa's Aaron Nelson. Nelson stayed in the primary spot that he had been fishing the first two days.

"The area that I was fishing was blocked from the current by a sand bar," Nelson said. "It was actually at the mouth of a creek and there was a ton of laydown wood there. It was everywhere. You couldn't make a cast without hitting some wood.

"I was just blind casting the first two days with a crankbait. Today, they didn't want anything. I couldn't catch them on the wood, I couldn't catch them on the crankbait anymore. I started burning a quarter-ounce Rattle Trap and caught a 3 pounder and some good fish."

Texas' James Stricklin (24-7), Indiana's Rodney Hardwick (23-15) and Louisiana's Wade Leblanc (23-3) rounded out the top five.

On the non-boater side, Illinois' John Farmer, who drew boater Matt Reed for the final day of his first BASS tournament, took top honors with a three-day weight of 21-8.

"I fished with goose bumps about the last two hours that I was out there," Farmer said. "I was kind of catching one on just about everything I threw today. We pulled up on this spot and I would call it Matt's (Reed) best spot and I made a cast in and caught a 4 pounder.

"I caught seven keepers today. It was a great day, just fantastic."

Tennessee's Keith Amerson (18-9), Texas' Dean Perkins (14-2), Oklahoma's Kirk Smith (12-0) and Louisiana's Mike Williams (11-3) rounded out the top five.

Farmer will take home the non-boater top prize of a $24,000 Triton bass boat and an additional $400 from Purolator for the Purolator Big Bass of the Day on the non-boater side for his 4-2 lunker.

The Purolator Big Bass of the Day went to Texan John Hope on the boater side. His 4-11 bass earned him $1,000 from Purolator, but wasn't enough to knock off Art Garza's 5-7 from day one. Garza was awarded another $1,000 for the Purolator Big Bass of the Tournament.

The CastingKids competition was held at JR's Executive Inn Saturday. In the 7-10 age group, Mount Sterling Kentucky's Jacob Hiler, 9, was the champion and in the 11-14 age group it was 12-year-old Ashleigh Cato from Madisonville, Kentucky. Both children will advance to compete at the state level later this year. Event instruction was provided by the Kentucky BASS Federation.

Sponsors of the CITGO Bassmaster Central Open presented by Busch Beer include CITGO Petroleum Corp., Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Toyota, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Lowrance Electronics, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, MotorGuide, Bass Pro Shops, and BankOne.

Local Sponsors include JR's Executive Inn.


BASS Communications -Aug 14, 2004

+For more infomation, clickwww.bassmaster.com.

]]> Former Classic champ wins Northern Open 2004-09-03T01:48:18Z 2004-08-14T09:40:26+09:00 tag:basswave.b-s-o.com,2004:/e//4.861 2004-08-14T00:40:26Z 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... DODGE dai@basswave.jp Tournament (BASS) 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.

]]> "The competition out here is really fierce and when you're 2 or 3 pounds behind on a tidal river, it's pretty hard to make up sometimes," he said at Saturday's weigh-in.

But Woo more than made it up, boating two largemouth bass and one smallmouth that weighed 8-3 and launched him into the winner's berth at the second tournament of the three-event Northern Open series. Daves said his secret weapon was a Zoom Ultravibe Craw in green pumpkin, heavily sprayed with Jack's Juice. During the early rounds, he also depended on a green pumpkin Zoom tube and a Bagley Killer'B.

Now he has his eye on a qualifying berth in the CITGO Bassmaster Open Championship presented by Busch Beer. Twenty spots in the championship will be awarded to the top anglers in the boater and non-boater divisions after the final Northern Open competition, slated for Oct. 14-16 at Virginia's Smith Mountain Lake. The top five boaters at the Open Championship will qualify for bass fishing's world championship, the CITGO Bassmaster Classic presented by Busch Beer.

Woo liked the $50,000 winner's purse and likes his chances at the Open Championship even more.

"I'm not a spring chicken, but I've won three tournaments since I turned 55, so that's not too bad," he said. "The main thing is to get points to make the championship to get the chance to make the Bassmaster Classic."

On his way to victory, Daves unseated New Jersey's Pete Gluszek and Pennsylvania's Dave Wolak, who swapped the first- and second-place spots during the tournament's early rounds. Gluszek finished seventh overall, and Wolak earned the fourth-place spot. The rest of the top five boaters included New York's Bill Alexander, 31-1; Wolak, 28-10; and Connecticut angler Terry Baksay, 29-8; and Virginia's Tony Black, 28-6.

Although he finished seventh, Gluszek picked up a prize bonus on Saturday, when his 6-1 lunker from day one earned the Purolator Big Bass of the Tournament award, a $1,000 prize for the biggest bass caught by any competitor throughout the competition. The $1,000 Purolator Big Bass of the Day on Saturday was a 4-15 catch that yielded to A.E. "Red" Moore of North Carolina. The non-boaters' $400 Purolator Big Bass of the Day went to a 3-10 bass caught by Robert Kowitski of New Jersey.

Although Sanders fished from the back of a different boater's boat during each competition day, he led wire-to-wire thanks to one very important secret.

"I used eight different lures in this tournament," he said. "I think versatility was key here. My partners all thought I was crazy."

For Sanders, it was the first tournament win after more than a decade of bass competitions.

"You know, the (non-boaters' top-prize) boat's going to come and go, but this," he said, tapping his trophy, "I'm going to look at this when I'm 70."

On the non-boater side, baseball coach Bill Sanders of Maryland earned the $24,000 top prize. The tournament's top five non-boaters included Sanders, 18-2; New Jersey's Robert Kowitski, 17-9; Maryland's Jim Kline, 15-6; Bryan Moeller of South Carolina, 14-10; and New Yorker Steven Bunt, 13-13.

Sponsors of the CITGO Bassmaster Northern Open include CITGO Petroleum Corp., Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Lowrance Electronics, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, MotorGuide, Bass Pro Shops, and BankOne.

Local Sponsors include Greene County Tourism Promotion Office.


BASS Communications -Aug 14, 2004

+For more infomation, clickwww.bassmaster.com.

]]> Auten ought to win 2004-09-03T01:49:41Z 2004-08-13T15:25:09+09:00 tag:basswave.b-s-o.com,2004:/e//4.868 2004-08-13T06:25:09Z 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... DODGE dai@basswave.jp Tournament (BASS) 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.

]]> Auten is competing in his home state, Kentucky, on the Tennessee, Ohio and Cumberland rivers, where he retained the lead after Day Two with a total weight of 20 pounds, 5 ounces. He battled for every fish on Friday and said the smallmouth that had been so generous early in the week are returning to their hard-fighting, wily form.

"The fish were there yesterday and weren't there today," Auten said. "This place is tough, but then again, yesterday I thought it was the best lake in the country.

"That's just how it is with smallmouth. They're there one day and the next day they're gone. I knew yesterday not to save anything because I figured that they would be gone.

"I'm going to stick to the smallmouth pattern tomorrow. My spot went from 3 feet (deep) today to about 6 feet and after about 10 casts, I knew I was in trouble."

Auten is fishing for both the win and the chance to go to the 2004 CITGO Bassmaster Open Championship presented by Busch Beer. Twenty boaters from the boater and non-boater ranks in each of the four Open divisions will earn berths, and the top five boaters will emerge with spots in the CITGO Bassmaster Classic presented by Busch Beer.

For now, however, Auten is a mere 9 ounces ahead of Indiana's Rodney Hardwick. Hardwick hauled in 10-8 on day two to bring his total weight up to 19-12.

"Yesterday they were coming deep at 10 to 12 (feet)," Hardwick said. "Today they came in at probably 8 to 10. There wasn't any current at all.

"When I found this spot, it was full of smallies, and I thought that's what I was on and I went there and it was full of largemouth. I'm strictly throwing a tube and that made all the difference today.

"I'll live and die at that spot. I left it once and I shouldn't have done that. I'll die there; I'll live and die there."

Iowa's Aaron Nelson rounded out the top three with 18-11.

Tennessee's Keith Amerson also retained the lead Friday on the non-boater side. Amerson held the top spot with a two-day weight of 12-9

"It's a lot of pressure," Amerson said. "I've really got to go out and catch some fish tomorrow if I want to win this thing. My first two day's partners have taken me to the same general area and I know what to do there. The guy that I drew for day three is fishing the same creek also, so I know I'm going to be doing the same thing tomorrow."

Oklahoma's Kirk Smith (10-10) and Illinois's Darin Reed (8-15) rounded out the top three.

The Purolator Big Bass of the Day Award on the boater side went to Texas' Jason Reyes. His 4-13 lunker earned him a $1,000 check from Purolator, but was not enough to take over Art Garza's claim to the bonus $1,000 Purolator Big Bass of the Tournament with his day one fish that weighed 5-7.

Colorado's Mike Stevens picked up the Purolator Big Bass Award on the non-boater side today. His 4-pound catch earned him $400 from Purolator.

Competition continues Saturday. Launch will be at 6 a.m. at the downtown Paducah Riverfront with indoor weigh-ins starting at 3 p.m. at JR's Executive Inn.

The Casting Kids competition will also be held at JR's Executive Inn Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. Children between the ages of 7 and 14 can compete for the chance at a scholarship. Event instruction is provided by the Kentucky BASS Federation.

Sponsors of the CITGO Bassmaster Central Open presented by Busch Beer include CITGO Petroleum Corp., Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Toyota, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Lowrance Electronics, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, MotorGuide, Bass Pro Shops, and BankOne.

Local Sponsors include JR's Executive Inn.


BASS Communications -Aug 13, 2004

+For more infomation, clickwww.bassmaster.com.

]]> Hudson yields lead to Pennsylvania angler 2004-09-03T01:50:19Z 2004-08-13T11:56:20+09:00 tag:basswave.b-s-o.com,2004:/e//4.860 2004-08-13T02:56:20Z 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... DODGE dai@basswave.jp Tournament (BASS) 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.

]]> Wolak, of Warrior Run, Pa., didn't have far to climb to take the lead. After the first round, he stood in second with 13-15. On Friday, he added 11-12 to bring his total up to 25-11, earning the lead.

"I'm fishing a half-mile stretch on the main river, hitting the outside edge in low tide, the inside edge in high tide," Wolak said. "I did the same thing today (that I did Thursday.) At about 12:30, I left my fish to go find some other fish, because I had five. I didn't find any, so I'll go back to my main stretch again tomorrow.

"I usually don't do as well (on tidal waters) 'cause I run around a lot. This week I'm being steadfast."

Gluszek, a noted tidal fisherman, had a different set of problems on Friday.

"I had a primary area where I caught everything yesterday. I stayed with it too long today 'cause I wanted to give the big fish a chance to bite," he said, adding that he spent four biteless hours on the area. "Tomorrow, I'm going to fish the tides a lot differently."

Both anglers are chasing the $50,000 prize for the top angler in the boater division. They are also in hot pursuit of berths to the CITGO Bassmaster Open Championship presented by Busch Beer. The top 20 boaters and non-boaters from each of the four Open divisions will qualify for the tournament, which will in turn send the top five boaters to bass fishing's world championship, the CITGO Bassmaster Classic presented by Busch Beer.

Gluszek, who finished seventh on the three-event series' first stop on New York's Lake Erie, is in strong contention for a berth. Wolak, however, has something to prove after a 76th-place finish on Erie.

"I was disappointed in Erie. I did well last year on Erie, and this year I finished out of the cut," he said, referring to the second-day cut that drops the full field to just the top 50 boaters and top 50 non-boaters at each tournament. "I'd like to bounce back and make the championship."

On the non-boater side, Maryland's William Sanders strengthened his grip on the leaderboard by bringing in 4-3, bringing his two-day total to 15-6, more than 4 pounds heavier than his closest competitor, New Yorker Robert Jorgenson, who brought in 10-14 over the first two days. If he keeps the lead, Sanders will earn the non-boaters' $24,000 top prize.

In addition to Wolak and Gluszek, the top five boaters include veteran angler and Classic champion Woo Daves of Virginia, 23-7; New York's Todd Cole, 21-12; and Terry Baksay of Connecticut, 21-9. On the non-boater side, Sanders and Jorgenson are joined by James Wylie of Canada, 10-6; Maryland's Jim Kline, 10-6; and Pennsylvania's Scott Thomas, 9-14.

The $1,000 Purolator Big Bass award on the boater side went to Todd Cole, whose 4-7 lunker helped him move into fourth place after a 21st-place showing on day one. The non-boater side's $400 Purolator Big Bass award went to Richard Baker of Pennsylvania, who brought a 3-7 bass to the scales before it was returned to the Hudson. Pete Gluszek's day one big bass, 6-1, remains the biggest bass caught at the Northern Open and will earn him an additional $1,000 as the Purolator Big Bass of the Tournament if it holds out through Sunday's round.

Daily weigh-ins will take place at Catskill Point Park at 2:30 p.m. Anglers launch beginning at 6 a.m.

Sponsors of the CITGO Bassmaster Northern Open include CITGO Petroleum Corp., Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Lowrance Electronics, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, MotorGuide, Bass Pro Shops, and BankOne.

Local Sponsors include Greene County Tourism Promotion Office.


BASS Communications -Aug 13, 2004

+For more infomation, clickwww.bassmaster.com.

]]> Kentucky's Auten leads Central Open 2004-09-03T01:51:10Z 2004-08-12T15:22:12+09:00 tag:basswave.b-s-o.com,2004:/e//4.867 2004-08-12T06:22:12Z 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... DODGE dai@basswave.jp Tournament (BASS) 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.

]]> Auten who jumped out to the early lead with 17 pounds and 7 ounces of bass, predominantly the smallmouth for which the area is well known. Smallmouth are known for hard fights, wily behavior and unpredictable movements. Auten said he has spent three days fishing one area in which smallmouth are, for some reason, staying put.

"Smallmouth are notorious for moving around," Auten said. "A lot of times you'll catch them one day there and the next day they're gone. That could happen to me tomorrow. A lot of it depends on the water. It's a current spot and if they stop pulling current, they could stop.

"You just pound it for what it's worth on the first day and try to catch all you can catch, especially when they're smallmouth. We'll see what happens tomorrow."

Texan John Hope was Auten's closest competitor with a day-one weight of 13-4, but knows it's still early in the tournament to be looking too far ahead.

"They were all over me today," Hope said of the competition. "I had to keep them shoved off all day. I caught three fish there yesterday and left. There were two limits taken out of there today. I'm hoping we didn't hurt (the area). It's the kind of spot that would renew itself. I can tell you I'll be sitting on it first thing tomorrow."

Iowa's Aaron Nelson brought in 12-2 to claim the third spot going into day two.

Tennessee's Keith Amerson was the early leader Thursday on the non-boater side. Amerson's 9-pound, 5-ounce limit kept him over 2 pounds ahead of second place Rick Brickman from Texas, who had 7-2.

"I had a great day," Amerson said. "I had a great partner in Tommy Martin and I just had a really good day. The fishing was tough and I hope I can catch them again tomorrow, it will depend on my partner tomorrow."

Texan Brian Merrifield rounded out the top three with a day one weight of 6-11.

The Purolator Big Bass of the Day Award on the boater side went to Texas's Art Garza. His 5-7 lunker earned him a $1,000 check from Purolator and, if it remains the largest bass caught in competition, it will earn him an additional $1,000 for the Purolator Big Bass of the Tournament.

Fellow Texan Brian Merrifield picked up the Purolator Big Bass Award on the non-boater side today. His 5-pound, 5-ounce catch earned him $400 from Purolator.

Competition continues Friday. Launch will be at 6 a.m. at the downtown Paducah Riverfront with indoor weigh-ins starting at 3 p.m. at JR's Executive Inn.

The Casting Kids competition will be held at JR's Executive Inn Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. Children between the ages of 7 and 14 can compete for the chance at a scholarship. Event instruction is provided by the Kentucky BASS Federation.

Sponsors of the CITGO Bassmaster Central Open presented by Busch Beer include CITGO Petroleum Corp., Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Toyota, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Lowrance Electronics, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, MotorGuide, Bass Pro Shops, and BankOne.

Local Sponsors include JR's Executive Inn.


BASS Communications -Aug 12, 2004

+For more infomation, clickwww.bassmaster.com.

]]> N.J. angler battles rain, tide for Open lead 2004-09-03T01:51:43Z 2004-08-12T10:53:04+09:00 tag:basswave.b-s-o.com,2004:/e//4.859 2004-08-12T01:53:04Z 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... DODGE dai@basswave.jp Tournament (BASS) 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.

]]> "The magic thing today was the fish," said Gluszek, whose 18 pounds, 11 ounces put him 5-12 above his closest competitor, Pennsylvania's Dave Wolak. "When everything goes right, you don't lose any."

Gluszek, who lives in Franklinville, N.J., has been fishing the Hudson since the late 1980s and won his first tournament here. Gluszek is known as a tidal fisherman and said he used two very different styles ― power fishing with heavy line and finesse fishing with light line ― to adapt to the changing water levels throughout the day.

"The tide was moving very aggressively, then very subtly," he said, adding that his 6-1 big bass struck while he was using 8-pound-test line, setting Gluszek up for the biggest battle of the day. "You have to change with the water."

The tides aren't the only factor affecting the 172 boaters and 172 non-boaters fishing the second Northern Open. Stiff breezes bearing buckets of rain tore across sections of the Hudson River Valley late Thursday and shook up the behavior patterns the fish displayed during practice earlier in the week; forecasters are calling for more of the same through the weekend.

"It'll probably be all right as long as there's wind," said Tim Carini of Shirley, N.Y., who had sunny weather most of the day Thursday and landed in 75th place. "You don't want sunny, no-wind days here."

The anglers are fishing for more than the $108,700 prize purse that will give $50,000 to the top boater and $24,000 to the top non-boater. They are also chasing the chance to qualify for December's CITGO Bassmaster Open Championship presented by Busch Beer, which will qualify five anglers for bass fishing's world championship, the 2005 CITGO Bassmaster Classic presented by Busch Beer. The top 20 anglers in each division's point standings after the three-event Northern Open series will earn berths in the Open Championship.

"Obviously, making the Open Championship is something that's important to me and the chance to make the Classic is something I'm going to focus on," said Gluszek, who finished 7th at the first of the Northern Opens and will sit solidly near the top of the season point standings with a win or strong showing this week. "Once you get to a certain level, everyone's good at reading water, at pitching, flipping and casting. Then it's about what's in your head; it's about who's the best chess player."

The leaders in the boater division include Gluszek with 18-11; Pennsylvania's Dave Wolak, 13-15; New Yorker Bill Alexander, 12-3; and Virginians Kurt Dove and Tony Black, who are tied for fourth with 12-1. The non-boater leaders include Maryland's William Sanders, 11-3; Bryan Moeller of South Carolina, 9-0; Pennsylvania's Harold Dunlap, 8-1; James Wylie of Ontario, Canada, 7-8; and New Yorker Wesley Coy, 6-11.

In addition to the lead, Gluszek also earned the Purolator Big Bass of the Day award with his 6-1 bruiser, which puts a $1,000 check in his pocket and has the potential to earn a bonus $1,000 if it holds out to become the Purolator Big Bass of the Tournament. On the non-boater side, Dunlap of Orefield, Pa., won $400 for a Purolator Big Bass of the Day weighing 5-7.

Friday's round is a make-or-break day for the anglers, whose numbers will be cut from 172 in each division to just the top 50 boaters and top 50 non-boaters who will fish Saturday's final round.

Daily weigh-ins will take place at Catskill Point Park at 2:30 p.m. Anglers launch beginning at 6 a.m.

Sponsors of the CITGO Bassmaster Northern Open include CITGO Petroleum Corp., Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Lowrance Electronics, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, MotorGuide, Bass Pro Shops, and BankOne.

Local Sponsors include Greene County Tourism Promotion Office.

BASS Communications -Aug 12, 2004

+For more infomation, clickwww.bassmaster.com.

]]> 2004 CITGO Bassmaster Classic qualifers 2004-09-03T01:52:24Z 2004-07-30T14:33:11+09:00 tag:basswave.b-s-o.com,2004:/e//4.857 2004-07-30T05:33:11Z 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... DODGE dai@basswave.jp Tournament (BASS) 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.

]]> AOY of 2003
Jay Yelas

Federation
Russ Lane
William Pippen
Thad Takes
Jeff Boyer
George Acord

Southern Open
Tim Horton
David Walker
Denny Brauer

Central Open
Edwin Evers
Tim Carroll
Steve Sennikoff

Northern Open
Art Ferguson III
Kevin Wirth
Chuck Economou

Western Open
Bink Desaro
John Murray
Skeet Reese

Bassmaster Tour
Gerald Swindle
Michael Iaconelli
Kelly Jordon
Aaron Martens
Scott Suggs
Bernie Schultz
Takahiro Omori
Brent Chapman
Chad Brauer
Davy Hite
Chris Baumgardner
Marty Stone
Brett Hite
Jim Bitter
Lee Bailey
Peter Thliveros
Harold Allen
Mark Kile
Brian Snowden
Mike McClelland
Randy Blaukat
Paul Elias
Mark Tucker
Jason Quinn
Ben Matsubu

ELITE50
Kevin VanDam
Stacey King
Alton Jones
Greg Hackney
Gary Klein
Zell Rowland
Mark Davis
Dean Rojas
Tommy Biffle
Dustin Wilks

BASS Communications -July 30, 2004

+For more infomation, clickwww.bassmaster.com.

]]> North Carolina anglers charged for local Classic 2004-09-03T01:52:55Z 2004-07-14T20:26:27+09:00 tag:basswave.b-s-o.com,2004:/e//4.870 2004-07-14T11:26:27Z 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... DODGE dai@basswave.jp Tournament (BASS) 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.

]]> Both Dustin Wilks of Rocky Mount and Chris Baumgardner of Gastonia are excited to see the world championship of bass fishing in their home state.

"It's a big change from New Orleans, not as expansive. It's a lot more civilized," Wilks said with a laugh. "It's a whole lot more familiar to me as far as the type of fishery."

Baumgardner concurs.

"I'm happy with it, of course," drawled the soft-spoken father of one. "I've fished Wylie all my life; it's where I learned to fish."

And while Wilks doesn't have the time on Wylie that Baumgardner has, he thinks that may actually help in his quest for the title.

"I won't be tempted to run to places I've caught fish before," said Wilks, who has a degree in fisheries biology from NC State University in Raleigh. "Plus, it's only four hours from my home, which is really nice. A lot of my friends are going down, along with my wife, mom, dad, and brother. I've had guys calling me up from my (BASS Federation) bass club days congratulating me. It's like my first Classic."

Baumgardner, too, should have a cheering section of family and friends in the stands come weigh-in time.

"I reckon they'll show," he joked. "I hope I can give them something to cheer for."

In addition, Wilks noted that he made the Classic as the 10th qualifier on the Elite 50 series, the last man standing at the door.

Both anglers had good practice days on the lake before the off-limits deadline.

"It's a perfect lake; clean water, dirty water, shallow cover, deep cover," said Wilks. "If it stays hot, it could be a real shallow tournament. It'll take close to 15 pounds a day to win it. There's enough 2.5-pounders to make a 12-pound sack not that spectacular."

Baumgardner, with much more experience on Wylie, had a more genial approach to practice.

"Actually, I had a fairly good practice," he said. "I kind of went out looked at it, kind of feeling out things. I didn't really want to fish my best places. To win, I'm thinking 15 pounds a day. It's got a lot of 2- to 4-pounders. I plan on catching most of my fish shallow."

One thing the two Tar Heel anglers agreed on was the favorite.

"I guess Jason Quinn would be one of the favorites," said Baumgardner, who falls in that category himself. "He's a good offshore angler."

Wilks was more succinct.

"Jason Quinn is definitely the favorite," he said. "I think he's been fishing Wylie since he could breathe."

Regardless of an anointed favorite, there will be 53 of the best bass anglers in the world playing the same course, hoping for that one big bite, for a limit that will bring them the $200,000 first prize and a whirlwind year as Classic champion.

Sponsors of the CITGO Bassmaster Classic presented by Busch Beer include CITGO Petroleum Corp., Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Lowrance Electronics, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, MotorGuide, Bass Pro Shops, and BankOne.

Local Sponsors include the Charlotte Regional Sports Commission, Visit Charlotte, the Auditorium-Coliseum-Convention Center Authority, the Rock Hill Sports and Tourism Council and Time Warner Cable.

BASS Communications -July 14, 2004

+For more infomation, clickwww.bassmaster.com.

]]> Classic marks Lake Wylie's 100th birthday/ Charlotte fishery has avoided grass, spotted bass invasion 2004-09-03T01:53:36Z 2004-06-30T11:43:38+09:00 tag:basswave.b-s-o.com,2004:/e//4.858 2004-06-30T02:43:38Z 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... DODGE dai@basswave.jp Tournament (BASS) 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.

]]> The popular lake will celebrate its centennial in grand style when it hosts the 34th CITGO Bassmaster Classic presented by Busch Beer July 30-Aug. 1.

"I think it will be a good place for a Classic," said Todd Auten, a veteran CITGO Bassmaster Tour pro of Lake Wylie, S.C. "It's going to be a little better than High Rock Lake (site of three previous Classics) was. High Rock gets really tough in the hot months, but you can still catch them in the summer deep or shallow.

"I think there will be a lot of limits caught. The lake is full of fish."

Lawrence Dorsey, local biologist for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, also agrees that Wylie will be a good Classic lake.

"As a Classic lake, I think it will do really well because it's a large lake and there's plenty of opportunity to go to different areas and try different things," he said. "It's a productive lake. It still produces quality fish even with pretty heavy pressure from anglers. It's one of the more productive lakes in the region."

How has Lake Wylie survived both the ravages of time and the enormous fishing and boating pressure it endures?

"Part of the reason is that it has very fertile input into it from the flow of the Catawba River that comes out of the Gaston County area and feeds into the top end of the lake," he said. "Most of the lake is fed by that arm and it just has a good in flow of nutrients.

"And it's a fairly shallow lake that has a lot of bass habitat in it. Those two things, I think, probably keep it going as strong as it does."

Lake Wylie has enjoyed an amazing run when you consider that it was impounded in 1904. Owned and operated by the Duke Power Company, Wylie, one of four hydroelectric lakes on the Catawba River, straddles the North Carolina-South Carolina border.

"It's not a real big lake, but it's going to fish pretty good because it's real long and has a lot of creeks," Auten said. "So you can get spread out on it pretty easily.

"The Classic fishermen will be able to catch fish a lot of different ways. I look for a deep-diving crankbait, a topwater and a jig to be the three main things. It's going to take a combination of things to win this Classic. You're going to have to do it all get a limit deep and then go shallow and catch some good fish. They stay shallow on that lake a long time.

"The dock bite will be good. In a lot of lakes that you go to it's hard to catch them off docks anymore (because of fishing pressure). But Wylie seems like it has a dock bite all year long."

Auten predicts that it will take about 15 pounds a day to win the $200,000 top prize and professional bass fishing's world championship.

Unlike previous Classic lakes, one type of fishing that will be missing is vegetation. Lake Wylie has somehow resisted the invasion of both native and exotic aquatic grasses that provide good habitat for bass.

Wylie has also escaped the introduction of spotted bass that are plentiful throughout the South. In Classic XXXIV, the 53 contenders will spend three days scouring its waters searching for the 15 biggest largemouth they can find.

Two of the Classic anglers will enjoy a home-lake advantage Jason Quinn of Lake Wylie, S.C., and Chris Baumgardner of Gastonia, N.C.

Sponsors of the CITGO Bassmaster Classic presented by Busch Beer include CITGO Petroleum Corp., Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Lowrance Electronics, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, MotorGuide, Bass Pro Shops, and BankOne.

Local Sponsors include the Charlotte Regional Sports Commission, Visit Charlotte, the Auditorium-Coliseum-Convention Center Authority, the Rock Hill Sports and Tourism Council and Time Warner Cable.


BASS Communications -Jun 30, 2004

+For more infomation, clickwww.bassmaster.com.

]]> Scalish squeaks out a victory on Lake Erie 2004-09-03T01:54:08Z 2004-06-26T15:09:00+09:00 tag:basswave.b-s-o.com,2004:/e//4.864 2004-06-26T06:09:00Z 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... DODGE dai@basswave.jp Tournament (BASS) 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.

]]> "Can you believe it?" asked an excited Scalish. "I nearly fell off the stage. They made me call my wife up there. She was screaming and crying and screaming and crying. Then she told me she loved me and I told her that I'd have to call her back later.

"I did nothing different today than the first two days. I found some bumps yesterday near the area that I was fishing and I thought today that I could go to them because I was catching a lot of smaller fish. I went there and found my big fish, a 4-14, and that's the fish that gave me the victory.

"I wasn't doing anything fancy. I was throwing a 4-inch watermelon Yum Dinger on a jig head. I think fishing it on a jig head helped because I could get more feel. I could pop it up over rocks and that's normally when the bite would come.

"I still can't believe it, though. I told Gaspare that we would be arm wrestling over this one because I knew it was going to be close."

Costabile was understandably dissapointed with the narrow upset, but gracious about his second-place finish.

"Five lousy ounces short," Costabile said. "Can you believe it? I have to give Frank the credit though. He really fished well. I couldn't have done any better.

"My fish moved out today; the weather was rough again. We had 8 and 9 footers (waves) out there. I'm not complaining, though. I had two excellent days and I did the best I could. I think the conditions dirtied up a lot of my spots and they wouldn't bite in the dirty areas.

"I threw smoke-colored tubes all day. I always like to win here. Nobody likes to lose, but I really wanted to win here, you know? The fishery here is just phenomenal."

Connecticut's Chris Bielert (53-1); Maryland's Aaron Hastings (51-3) and Canada's George Saliba (50-6) rounded out the top five.

On the non-boater side, it was Pennsylvanian Guyowen Hall taking home the $24,000 top prize. Hall, who was 17th after day two, brought in 17-4 Saturday, which catapulted him into first with a three-day weight of 45-14.

"This is the first event I've ever entered," Hall said. "It's awesome. I knew I needed a big bag today to be able to have a chance.

"The way this tournament is run is top notch. I'm really happy."

The Purolator Big Bass of the Day on the boater side, went to Oklahoma's O.T. Fears on the boater side for his 5-7 lunker, earning him $1,000. On the non-boater side Pennsylvania's Scott Thomas brought in a 5-2 bass, earning him the $400 Purolator Big Bass of the Day for the non-boaters. No one could top Canadaian Bill Wray's big catch from Friday. His 5-11 fish was the biggest of the tournament, earning him an additional $1,000 from Purolator for the Purolator Big Bass of the Tournament.

Sponsors of the CITGO Bassmaster Open series include CITGO Petroleum Corp., Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Lowrance Electronics, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, MotorGuide, Bass Pro Shops, and BankOne.

Local Sponsors include Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau.


BASS Communications -Jun 26, 2004

+For more infomation, clickwww.bassmaster.com.

]]> Costabile leads Day Two on Lake Erie 2004-09-03T01:55:07Z 2004-06-25T15:06:02+09:00 tag:basswave.b-s-o.com,2004:/e//4.863 2004-06-25T06:06:02Z 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... DODGE dai@basswave.jp Tournament (BASS) 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.

]]> "I'm a lot more comfortable today than I was yesterday," said Costabile, who is fishing for the $50,000 top prize and valuable points toward the CITGO Bassmaster Open Championship presented by Busch Beer. "The water was nice and slick today and I was able to stay on the fish a little easier. The bite is slow, though. Folks keep telling me that I'm burning them up, but I'm really not. It might be an hour or an hour and a half between each fish.

"I've been throwing, pretty much strictly tubes, with quarter-ounce or three-eighth-ounce heads. A lot of times I'm dead-sticking it. It's tough, though. I really like to catch smallmouth on a spinnerbait, but what ever it takes, you know?"

Costabile, who brought in 51-1 to claim third in this competition a year ago, knows how to succeed on this body of water.

"I'm going to stay the course tomorrow," he said, citing his 1-pound, 5-ounce lead over his closest competitor. "There's really no room to gamble. I'm going to stay with the sand and rock shoals. I culled about a half a dozen or more fish today and I dropped a couple of nice ones at the boat, so I know there will be fish there tomorrow."

Second-place honors again went to Ohio's Frank Scalish brought in a nice limit Friday that brought his two-day weight up to 38-6 and kept him in the hunt for the win.

"The bites didn't come on as strong for me today," Scalish said. "Today I had to work hard to get a limit, but once they started coming, I had them in a hurry.

"I changed up my presentation a little bit today. I started using a 4-inch Yum Dinger on a jig head, which is how I caught most of my better fish.

"If I get a good bite tomorrow, I have a shot, but I've got to get some 5-pounders. I know they're in there; this lake is phenomenal."

Connecticut's Chris Bielert (34-14); Maryland's Aaron Hastings (34-10); and Florida's Peter Thliveros (34-6) round out the top five on the boater side.

On the non-boater side, New York's Mike Cusano is leading the field with 32-1. Cusano gave most of the credit to his boater partners.

"I've been having an unbelievable time and I've been very fortunate to have two very excellent partners each day," he said. "Yesterday I fished with Richard 'Hootie' Smith and today I was in the boat with Mark Duerr, both great guys."

Ohio's Kevin Price took home $1,000 from Purolator for the Purolator Big Bass of the Day on the boater side, while Canada's Bill Wray picked up the $400 for the Purolator Big Bass of the Day on the non-boater side.

Wray's 5-11 lunker is currently leading the running for the Purolator Big Bass of the Tournament, which will earn him an additional $1,000 from Purolator if it proves to be the biggest bass of the competition.

The field was cut to the top 50 boaters and non-boaters after Friday's round. The CITGO Bassmaster Northern Open on Lake Erie concludes Saturday. Weigh-ins will be held at the Buffalo Harbor State Park & Marina starting at 2:30 p.m.

Sponsors of the CITGO Bassmaster Open series include CITGO Petroleum Corp., Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Lowrance Electronics, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, MotorGuide, Bass Pro Shops, and BankOne.

Local Sponsors include Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau.


BASS Communications -Jun 25, 2004

+For more infomation, clickwww.bassmaster.com.

]]> High winds make for excitement, big sacks 2004-09-03T01:55:39Z 2004-06-24T15:03:25+09:00 tag:basswave.b-s-o.com,2004:/e//4.862 2004-06-24T06:03:25Z 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... DODGE dai@basswave.jp Tournament (BASS) 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.

]]> "We had some nasty weather today," Costabile said. "The key was just to slow down enough to make a decent presentation with a bait. The fish were really not aggressive enough to attack anything today.

"This is my home lake, but I'm fishing in an area I've never seen before. This lake is so big, though, it's more like an ocean. I'm fishing rock shoals and I had all my fish in the livewell by noon. I caught a few more after that, but it was so rough that it was hard to stay on them. I couldn't keep them pegged.

"I've got a couple of areas that are very similar that I can go to tomorrow. I'll run as far as the weather lets me, but I'll run as close as it will let me as well. I just want to be up near the top and stay consistent for the three days and let the chips fall where they may."

The weather caused the day to end early for two anglers. After a wave crashed over the bow of New Yorker Dave Marion's boat, his bilge pumps couldn't keep up with the water, swamping his boat. Marion and his non-boater, Lutz Spika from Connecticut, both made it back safely and the Coast Guard was called to retrieve the sinking vessel.

"The wind was a little stronger than we had predicted," said BASS Tournament Manager Chuck Harbin. "If the conditions are like this tomorrow, we may not let them go. We will be monitoring the weather tonight and, depending on the conditions tomorrow, we may decide to cancel day two."

For Ohio's Frank Scalish, the tough conditions were a minor factor in a day that saw him bring in a limit weighing 19 pounds, 4 ounces.

"It was brutal today," Scalish said. "There were probably 7-foot waves out there and I'm fishing in the middle of the lake. I caught a limit early, too. I was culling fish at 8:30 this morning … I think I can get another good one tomorrow if I can get back to that spot."

New York's Vincent Brock claimed the early lead on the non-boater side, bringing in 17-5. He leads Pennsylvania's Guyowen Hall and Ontario's Cindy Burnham, who are tied for second with 15 pounds, 11 ounces going into Friday's round.

Costabille's big catch included a 5-8 lunker that earned an extra $1,000 as the Purolator Big Bass of the Day. If it holds out to be the largest fish caught over the remaining two days of competition, it will earn him another $1,000 as the Purolator Big Bass of the Tournament.

New York's William Beekman followed suit on the non-boater side with a 5-6 bass, earning $400 for the Purolator Big Bass of the Day in that division.

The CITGO Bassmaster Northern Open presented by Busch Beer will continue Friday and Saturday from the Buffalo Harbor State Park & Marina. Weigh-ins will start daily at 2:30 p.m.

Sponsors of the CITGO Bassmaster Open series include CITGO Petroleum Corp., Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Lowrance Electronics, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, MotorGuide, Bass Pro Shops, and BankOne.

Local Sponsors include Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau.


BASS Communications -Jun 24, 2004

+For more infomation, clickwww.bassmaster.com.

]]> After E-50s, seven anglers find way to Classic/ Final 10 anglers have clinched their berths in the Classic 2004-09-03T01:56:12Z 2004-06-21T10:28:00+09:00 tag:basswave.b-s-o.com,2004:/e//4.856 2004-06-21T01:28:00Z MONTGOMERY, Ala. ― After three months of pins-and-needles anticipation, the final 10 anglers have clinched their berths in the 2004 CITGO Bassmaster Classic presented by Busch Beer, set for July 30-Aug. 1 in Charlotte, N.C.... DODGE dai@basswave.jp Tournament (BASS) MONTGOMERY, Ala. ― After three months of pins-and-needles anticipation, the final 10 anglers have clinched their berths in the 2004 CITGO Bassmaster Classic presented by Busch Beer, set for July 30-Aug. 1 in Charlotte, N.C.

]]> The final 10 berths were reserved for the top 10 anglers in the Bassmaster Elite 50 series season point standings. Because seven of those 10 anglers had already qualified through the CITGO Bassmaster Tour presented by Busch Beer, an additional seven anglers slipped in from the Tour's season points list.

All of those anglers are understandably ecstatic to have a shot at the $200,000 world championship title, but possibly none more than Texas pro Ben Matsubu. Matsubu, ranked 38th at the end of the Tour season, was the last angler to qualify for bass fishing's top tournament. Because he qualified for the Elite 50s, he had two shots at making the Classic ― either by finishing in the top 10, or by benefiting from another pro's double qualification.

Matsubu, a first-time Classic qualifier, said the tension was almost unbearable.

"It's been like that all year," Matsubu said. "I'm really excited and I can sleep a little easier now. This being on the bubble is for the birds, but that's all over now and it's just about the excitement.

"I don't know how others block it out, but I couldn't. My fishing was off and my focus was off. The whole Elite 50 series, there were two things on my mind. 'Would I make the Classic and could I stay in the Busch Shootout?' It seemed like week after week, folks kept saying, 'Man, you still have a shot, they're down to 34th, they're down to 35th,' but now it's all over and I'm in. That's awesome."

Another angler who can finally rest easy is South Carolina pro Jason Quinn. Quinn, who lives near Lake Wylie, was close to the bubble and watched the final event intently to find out if he would be able to participate on his home water during the July 30-Aug. 1 world championship.

"I'm really excited," said Quinn, who will be competing in his third consecutive Classic. "I watched the weigh-in every night on the website and was figuring it up every night. After the second night, I figured it all out and I though there was no way possible that I wasn't going to make it."

Although his berth was by no means guaranteed, Quinn took pains to abide by the tournament rules for Classic anglers, which include a long off-limits period prior to the official practice. All 53 anglers who will be fishing the Classic are set to begin practice for the tournament June 28-July 2.

"It's been unbelievably hard not to fish Wylie," he said. "I run a guide service down here as well, so I've been sacrificing some income waiting for the Elite 50 to be over. I've lived on this lake all my life and I know where the fish swim. As a matter of fact, I pretty much know what spot I'll go to first on the first day of the Classic.

"I'm just really excited. Anytime you get to compete in a tournament of this size on your home water, you have to feel like you have some advantage. You know, everybody always talks about (how) the hometown curse always gets you, but I'm pretty confident that I can do well."

In addition to Quinn and Matsubu, the other five anglers who benefited from the Elite 50 double qualifications include Missouri's Brian Snowden (in his first Classic appearance), Arkansas' Mike McClelland (second), Missouri's Randy Blaukat (eighth), Mississippi's Paul Elias (14th), and Missouri's Mark Tucker (3rd).

Sponsors of the CITGO Bassmaster Classic presented by Busch Beer include CITGO Petroleum Corp., Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Lowrance Electronics, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, MotorGuide, Bass Pro Shops, and BankOne.

Local Sponsors include the Charlotte Regional Sports Commission, Visit Charlotte, the Auditorium-Coliseum-Convention Center Authority, the Rock Hill Sports and Tourism Council and Time Warner Cable.


BASS Communications -Jun 21, 2004

+For more infomation, clickwww.bassmaster.com.

]]> VanDam wins $150,000 Elite 50 Series 2004-09-03T01:56:48Z 2004-06-19T12:10:39+09:00 tag:basswave.b-s-o.com,2004:/e//4.855 2004-06-19T03:10:39Z PADUCAH, Ky. ― Michigan's Kevin VanDam made history Saturday when he added the first Bassmaster Elite 50 series championship to his collection of laurels, which includes three CITGO Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles and a world championship title from... DODGE dai@basswave.jp Tournament (BASS) PADUCAH, Ky. ― Michigan's Kevin VanDam made history Saturday when he added the first Bassmaster Elite 50 series championship to his collection of laurels, which includes three CITGO Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles and a world championship title from the 2001 CITGO Bassmaster Classic presented by Busch Beer.

]]> "What a day," VanDam said. "It was a great day today. This is a big deal. It probably commands as much respect as the Angler of the Year to the pros. We've dreamed about having a series like this for a long time and to be able to win it for the first time is great."

VanDam has owned the lead in the Elite 50 point standings since the conclusion of the series' second event. Although he was just a few points ahead of Mark Davis coming into the series finale, he pulled away from the competition with a 5th place finish this week to claim the $150,000 grand prize, the lion's share of the $1.6 million total purse.

"I respect each of these guys. They are the world's best," VanDam said. "It worked out this time for me. I came out on top, but it's tough; these guys are really good and I'm glad I got this one because there may not be another one. It's so competitive. Everything is getting so much bigger now and the sport is growing so fast that it just gets harder and harder every year."

And what about that winner's purse?

"It's going for a college education for my kids," he said. "I really wanted to win and the money's great, but the prestige of the Elite 50 championship is more."

In addition to VanDam's championship, the season finale put the final touches on the field for the 2004 CITGO Bassmaster Classic.

According to Classic qualification rules, the top 10 finishers in the Bassmaster Elite 50 series will join the 25 anglers from the CITGO Bassmaster Tour presented by Busch Beer, 12 anglers from the CITGO Bassmaster Open series presented by Busch Beer, five anglers from the CITGO BASS Federation Championship presented by Busch Beer and the 2003 CITGO Bassmaster Angler of the Year, Jay Yelas, as they advance to the crown jewel of bass fishing, July 30-Aug. 1 in Charlotte, N.C. However, seven of the top 10 anglers in the Elite 50 standings had already qualified through the Tour standings, which means the next seven pros in the Tour standings will earn Classic berths, according to qualification rules. BASS will announce the names of the additional qualifiers next week

Texan Alton Jones took top honors for the final Bassmaster Elite 50 tournament with a total of 22 pounds, 7 ounces. With the win, Jones slid into second in the Elite 50 series points and walked away with the $100,000 second prize.

"It feels really good," Jones said. "I'm tickled because, going into this event, I didn't even think I had a mathematical possibility of finishing any higher than about fifth. I thought I was looking at, on a bad tournament, winning $20,000 and on a good tournament winning $35,000, so coming out of here winning $100,000 is absolutely a dream come true. I'm still just in shock.

Jones' catch included a 3-5 bass that earned him $1,000 for the Purolator Big Bass of the Day. It wasn't enough to overtake Greg Hackney's 4-15 lunker from day one, which earned the Purolator Big Bass of the Touranment. Hackney earned an additional $1,000 for the fish.

California's Skeet Reese brought in a five-fish limit that tipped the scales at 19-5 Saturday and earned a $1,000 bonus from Busch Beer for the voluntary Busch Heavyweight incentive program. Jones does not participate in the program.

Paducah native Mark Menendez had a heartbreaking day. Menendez, a local favorite, was disqualified for removing his personal flotation device in an unauthorized area. When he realized his mistake, Menendez called BASS Tournament Director Trip Weldon and reported the infraction, at which time Weldon informed him that he should release all of his fish and that he had been eliminated from competition.

"We have to make it evident what this sport is about and where this sport is going," Menendez said. "That's what Bassmaster is about. It's about creating the highest playing field that you can possibly have. To do that you have to have a huge amount of credibility and honesty. That will assure that we have the absolute highest playing field that there is.

"I broke a rule. I called it in; no one else called it in. I could have kept fishing and it's tough because I caught about 17 pounds today and I could have won, but it would have been much tougher if I would have won the event and then when the show came out they would have seen that I broke the rule and taken the win away from me.

"If I had it to do over, I would do it over. If I had caught 30 pounds, I would do it over. It was the right call."

The Bassmaster CastingKids program sponsored by CITGO was held in conjunction with the BASS Sponsor Expo Saturday. Ten-year-old Texan Kristen Jones, pro angler Alton Jones' daughter, took the win in the 7-10 age group while 13-year-old Laurie Schreiber from Georgetown, Ky., won the 11-14 age group.

Fans can watch telecasts of the final event of the Bassmaster Elite 50 series on the Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers in two parts, Saturday, June 26 and Saturday, July 3 at 10:30 a.m. ET/9:30 a.m. CT on ESPN2.

BASS is the world's largest fishing organization, sanctioning more than 20,000 tournaments worldwide through its Federation. The CITGO Bassmaster Tournament Trail presented by Busch Beer, which includes the all-new Bassmaster Elite 50 series, is the oldest and most prestigious pro bass fishing tournament circuit and continues to set the standard for credibility, professionalism and sportsmanship as it has since 1968.

Sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite 50 series include CITGO Petroleum Corp., Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Lowrance Electronics, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, MotorGuide, Bass Pro Shops, and BankOne.

Local Sponsors include the J.R.'s Executive Inn/McCracken County Convention & Visitors Bureau.


BASS Communications -Jun 19, 2004

+For more infomation, clickwww.bassmaster.com.

]]> Jones pulls ahead at Friday's Elite 50 event 2004-09-03T01:57:16Z 2004-06-18T14:19:40+09:00 tag:basswave.b-s-o.com,2004:/e//4.854 2004-06-18T05:19:40Z PADUCAH, Ky. ― Only six anglers remain in the hunt at the final Bassmaster Elite 50 series event on the Ohio, Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, where zeroed weights heading into Friday's round set the stage for a complete shake-up of... DODGE dai@basswave.jp Tournament (BASS) PADUCAH, Ky. ― Only six anglers remain in the hunt at the final Bassmaster Elite 50 series event on the Ohio, Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, where zeroed weights heading into Friday's round set the stage for a complete shake-up of the leader board. Texan Alton Jones skipped from third to first place as the 12 anglers vied for the opportunity to make the top six and stay alive for Saturday's grand finale.

]]> Jones' day three weight of 12 pounds, 8 ounces came on a Yum Houdini worm that he is split-shotting and throwing into current.

"I've improved my position a little bit," Jones said. "I'm not catching big stringers where I'm at, you know, it hasn't coughed up any big fish yet, but it's a four-day event and consistency over a long haul will usually hold out. I hope it holds up for another day.

"Today I only fished that area for about two hours and then just tied up and just twiddled my thumbs for the rest of the day. It's produced probably about 25 keepers for me in the last three days. It's a really good spot; it's a strategically located spot, the kind of place that certainly has the potential to reload every night."

Jones' fellow Texan David Wharton jumped to second place Friday with a day three weight of 11-14. Wharton had a brush with danger as storms moved through the area and lightning came a little too close to his boat for comfort.

"I don't do well in lightning, I'm telling you," Wharton said. "That stuff scares me. I had a pretty good day today. I didn't catch any more fish today; they were just bigger, you know.

"I'm catching them on a small, shallow-running crankbait, a Norman Baby N. It's got a little square bill and runs about 3 feet deep. I'm also Texas rigging a Zoom Brush Hog."

Wharton took home some money for his catch Friday. He won the $1,000 Busch Heavyweight award for the heaviest sack of all the anglers who participate in the voluntary program. The 11-14 catch also contained a 4-pound, 2-ounce lunker that earned him an additional $1,000 from Purolator for the Purolator Big Bass of the Day.

Michigan's Kevin VanDam is still holding on to the lead in the Bassmaster Elite 50 points standings and, because he made the Super Six for the final day with a weight of 7-1, he is expected to retain the lead and the $150,000 grand prize.

Joining Jones, Wharton and VanDam are California's Skeet Reese (10-3), Missouri's Rick Clunn (9-7) and local favorite Mark Menendez (6-14). Clunn, who holds the most ever and most consecutive qualifications for the CITGO Bassmaster Classic (28), fell just short of his bid for one of the Elite 50s' 10 spots in the world championship. The popular pro would have had to lead Friday's round and win the tournament to make the 2004 Classic.

North Carolina's Dustin Wilks is still fighting for one of the world championship spots, but did not make the cut to the Super Six and finished the tournament in 8th place, earning 268 points. He is currently in 10th place in the Elite 50 standings and, depending on the outcome of Saturday's weigh-in, he may be locked into a Classic spot.

The Paducah Bassmaster Elite 50 event will conclude Saturday at J.R.'s Executive Inn. Launch will be at 10 a.m. with weigh-ins beginning at 7 p.m.

The BASS Sponsor Expo is also at J.R.'s Executive Inn Saturday. Fans can enjoy the interactive expo beginning at 10 a.m.

The Bassmaster CastingKids program sponsored by CITGO will be held in conjunction with the BASS Sponsor Expo Saturday from 3 p.m.-6 p.m. at the Executive Inn. Children between the ages of 7 and 14 can participate in the contest with the chance to earn scholarships.

Fans can catch the final event of the Bassmaster Elite 50 series on the Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers in two parts, Saturday, June 26 and Saturday, July 3 at 10:30 a.m. ET/9:30 a.m. CT on ESPN2.

Sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite 50 series include CITGO Petroleum Corp., Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Lowrance Electronics, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, MotorGuide, Bass Pro Shops, and BankOne.

Local Sponsors include J.R.'s Executive Inn/McCracken County Convention & Visitors Bureau.


BASS Communications -Jun 18, 2004

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