Texas pro takes slim lead in EverStart Championship
01.Nov.2012
MONROE, La. – When daylight cracked over the Ouachita River this morning 153 EverStart Championship qualifiers had already lined the banks with their boats, eagerly awaiting takeoff.
Among those sleek fiberglass chariots were a handful of aluminum boats. At least a half-dozen pros had shucked their bigger glass boats for smaller, lighter models that would allow more efficient access to the river’s stump-infested backwaters.
Imagine the surprise of those pros as they entered their coveted backwater only to find the other five or six pros in aluminum rigs also in that very same backwater. Though the backwater plan backfired a bit, at least two from the tin-boat contingent now sit in the top 10.
Others running standard full-size glass boats chose to utilize the whole extent of the Ouachita River with their speed and make long runs to fish the river itself. Of those, several are in the top 10.
And yet another group used their standard glass rigs to access small creeks along the river for their success.
After day one, it looks of if three different gameplans are working at the Ouachita River. No one was able to crack the teens in terms of weight and certainly no one posted a super bag of bass to take a dominating lead. Top weights are bunched up tight from the 9- to 13-pound range. Big bass in each division came in at nearly five pounds, showing that a few bruisers are to be had.
The top mark to beat in the Pro Division was 12 pounds, 13 ounces, which belonged to leader James Stricklin, Jr., of Texarkana, Texas. Stricklin is neither in a backwater, nor on the main river, yet was able to access his water fairly easily in his full-size glass boat.
“I’m in a backwater, but it’s a deeper backwater and I do not have to fight my way in there,” Stricklin said. “I ended up catching four of my better fish in there and then came out into the river and caught the littlest one in my limit.”
He noted that the area does not produce many bites, but when it does they are of better quality. And the best news: he did not see another boat all day.
“I think the area has the potential to produce a really big bag if things got right,” Stricklin added. “I feel good about it. It’s a big area and I’m encouraged that it’s not receiving much pressure. I did fish it hard for the four bites I got today, but I think there are still plenty of fish in there.”
SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE FISHING REPORT November 2012 DALE WILSON’S SML GUIDE SERVICE PHONE NO: 540-297-5650 / 540-874-4950 www.captaindalewilson.com Captain Dale Wilson with 2 of 7 Smallmouth bass caught Sunday 10/28/12 while fishing with his son Chris Wilson from Apex,NC.
OVERVIEW: During the month of November fish will be caught in various depths of water and various areas of the lake. Water temperature will be in the upper 50s to lower 60s. Early morning, late afternoon and after dark will be the best times to try your luck.
Largemouth Bass-Fishing will be fair. Best lures will be plastic worms, Carolina rigs, shaky heads, football head jigs and crank baits. Most largemouth bass will be caught around rocky shorelines, stumps, shallow brush piles and docks. Best depths will be from the surface to 25 feet deep. Cloudy days will be the best time to fish this month.
Smallmouth Bass- Fishing should be fair. Best areas will be rocky banks, humps and long flats. Best lures will be crawfish colored crank baits, tube lures, drop shot rigs and shaky heads. Best areas will be in the mid to the lower sections of the lake. Cloudy days will be the best time to try your luck. Most smallmouth bass will be suspended near bait fish.
Striped Bass- Fishing will be good. Stripers will be caught mostly in the mid to upper sections of the lake and the end of the major creeks. Best lures will be swim baits, buck tails, rattle traps, thunder sticks and Zoom flukes fished with 1/4 to 3/8 oz. jig heads. Casting will be a good method to catch stripers this month. Live bait and trolling will also be productive. The best depths will be from the surface to 40 feet deep. Best time to try your luck will be early mornings & late afternoons. Night fishing should improve this month. Schools of stripers will surface this month.
Crappie-Fishing for crappie will be good. They will be found 5 to 15 feet deep this month. Best areas will be in the main creeks around deep docks, fallen trees, and brush piles in the mid to upper sections of the lake. Small live minnows and 1 ½ inch tubes fished on 1/16 to 1/8 oz. lead heads will work best to catch crappie this month.
Tip of the month: Try fishing after dark on the warm nights. Clear water and bright sunny days will make most species of fish feed after dark. Keep your running lights on when fishing after dark. Take a kid fishing.
Winners of the 3rd stop on this years Fall Tournament trail were the team of Steve Roberts & Mark Cooper bringing in 5 fish with a total weight of 18.16lbs. Congratulations to them and to all who braved the wind.
DECATUR, Ala. — There may be no greater birthday present for a bass fisherman than to hoist a tournament trophy over his head, one that he’s been wanting for at least 15 years.
That was Mark Dove’s gift today, when he won the 2012 Cabela’s Bassmaster Federation Nation Championship on Alabama’s Wheeler Lake.
“I crossed the Bassmaster Classic off my bucket list back in 1997,” said Dove after his big win today, referencing the last time he qualified for the Classic through the Federation Nation. “I am looking forward to going back again. But the best thing for me is to be able to say that I was at the top of my peers here at the Federation Nation, at least for a period of time. For me, it was more about winning the tournament.”
As part of his prize, Dove will take home the Bryan D. Kerchal Memorial Trophy, a Skeeter ZX200 with a Yamaha 200SHO, Humminbird Electronics and a Minn Kota Trolling Motor, all valued at $53,465. He also wins entry in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic in Tulsa, Okla., and eligibility to compete in the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series.
Joining Dove at the Classic in February will be Jonathan Carter of Maine, representing the Eastern division; Andy Bravence of Arizona, representing the Western; Mark Pierce of Tennessee, Southern; Jared Knuth of Nebraska, Central; and Gerry Jooste of Zimbabwe, Mid-Atlantic.
Dove came in with 8 pounds, 12 ounces on Day 1 and followed it up with 10 pounds, 3 ounces on Day 2. His middle-of-the-pack weights on the first two days provided the foundation; the huge 20-pound, 1-ounce sack he brought in today provided the win. It also won him the Lowrance Heavyweight of the tournament, with a Lowrance HDS-7 Touch worth $1,599 as the prize.
“It was just one of those days where you catch one and then another one,” said Dove. “I was throwing back fish today that I would have died to have on the first two days.”
When Dove qualified to fish the 1997 Bassmaster Classic, his colleagues were Gerry Jooste and Dalton Bobo. Bobo came within 2 ounces of winning the 1997 Classic and went down in history as the Federation Nation representative closest to winning without actually winning the Classic. Bryan Kerchal won it for the Federation in 1994.
Bobo taught Dove a pattern that he asked Dove to not disclose, so he’s keeping that a secret. That pattern is what Dove was fishing for the first two days, running and gunning from the I-65 bridge down to the Guntersville Dam.
But today, Dove tried something a little different, what he calls a classic pattern for the Tennessee River in the fall. “I fished a main river flat adjacent to the creek along the break. The bass were holding on the break. I wasn’t surprised to catch them doing that; I was just surprised at the size of the ones I was catching.”
Dove paralleled the drop with three lures — a 1/2-ounce Accent Fishing Products River Special spinnerbait (silver skirt with green flake), a Boogerman buzzbait (black with a nickel blade) and a Paycheck Baits Repo Man (Blow-Up color, which is silver with a chartreuse belly). He used G. Loomis GLX rods, Shimano Chronarch reels and 15-pound Berkley Big Game line with all three lures.
Dove finished with 39 pounds even. Just behind him was Mark Pierce, with 37 pounds, 14 ounces. Pierce flipped laydown trees with a Big Bite Baits Dean Rojas Fighting Frog (black/blue sapphire) with a 3/8-ounce Eco-Pro tungsten sinker. He fished it with 7-foot St. Croix Mojo rod, Abu Garcia Revo STX reel with a 6.4:1 gear ratio and 16-pound Gamma fluorocarbon.
“I was slower getting my fish today,” said Pierce. “My area was more crowded. I tried a spinnerbait for a couple of hours but didn’t get a bite.” He went back to the frog and got his limit, and later in the day, the spinnerbait was responsible for helping him cull three times.
Today’s biggest bass was caught by Brent Boyette of North Carolina, who brought a 5-pound, 14-ounce bass to the scales. It was the biggest of the tournament, and it won him Cabela’s Big Bass honors for the day, which includes a $200 Cabela’s gift card.
Many contenders had expressed concern that their bite would shut off today, but almost the same number of bass were brought in today, and the average fish weight moved up to 2 pounds from yesterday’s 1-14 average. And 37 of the anglers brought in limits.
You’ll see Dove, Pierce, Jooste, Bravence, Carter and Knuth on the Classic stage, beginning Feb. 22, 2013, in Tulsa, Okla. The anglers will fish Oklahoma’s Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees, competing against top Bassmaster Elite Series pros and reigning champion Chris Lane, as well as anglers from the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens, the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series and the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series operated by American Bass Anglers.
“It means the world to an amateur angler to be invited to fish the Bassmaster Classic,” said Jon Stewart, B.A.S.S. Federation Nation senior manager. “It’s one of the few ways a grass-roots angler can make it to the pinnacle of the sport.”
“We’re especially proud of these guys,” continued Stewart. “The best thing about these anglers is they now have all the members of the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation across the world rooting for them at the Bassmaster Classic.”
DECATUR, Ala. — There may be no greater birthday present for a bass fisherman than to hoist a tournament trophy over his head, one that he’s been wanting for at least 15 years.
That was Mark Dove’s gift today, when he won the 2012 Cabela’s Bassmaster Federation Nation Championship on Alabama’s Wheeler Lake.
“I crossed the Bassmaster Classic off my bucket list back in 1997,” said Dove after his big win today, referencing the last time he qualified for the Classic through the Federation Nation. “I am looking forward to going back again. But the best thing for me is to be able to say that I was at the top of my peers here at the Federation Nation, at least for a period of time. For me, it was more about winning the tournament.”
As part of his prize, Dove will take home the Bryan D. Kerchal Memorial Trophy, a Skeeter ZX200 with a Yamaha 200SHO, Humminbird Electronics and a Minn Kota Trolling Motor, all valued at $53,465. He also wins entry in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic in Tulsa, Okla., and eligibility to compete in the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series.
Joining Dove at the Classic in February will be Jonathan Carter of Maine, representing the Eastern division; Andy Bravence of Arizona, representing the Western; Mark Pierce of Tennessee, Southern; Jared Knuth of Nebraska, Central; and Gerry Jooste of Zimbabwe, Mid-Atlantic.
Dove came in with 8 pounds, 12 ounces on Day 1 and followed it up with 10 pounds, 3 ounces on Day 2. His middle-of-the-pack weights on the first two days provided the foundation; the huge 20-pound, 1-ounce sack he brought in today provided the win. It also won him the Lowrance Heavyweight of the tournament, with a Lowrance HDS-7 Touch worth $1,599 as the prize.
“It was just one of those days where you catch one and then another one,” said Dove. “I was throwing back fish today that I would have died to have on the first two days.”
When Dove qualified to fish the 1997 Bassmaster Classic, his colleagues were Gerry Jooste and Dalton Bobo. Bobo came within 2 ounces of winning the 1997 Classic and went down in history as the Federation Nation representative closest to winning without actually winning the Classic. Bryan Kerchal won it for the Federation in 1994.
Bobo taught Dove a pattern that he asked Dove to not disclose, so he’s keeping that a secret. That pattern is what Dove was fishing for the first two days, running and gunning from the I-65 bridge down to the Guntersville Dam.
But today, Dove tried something a little different, what he calls a classic pattern for the Tennessee River in the fall. “I fished a main river flat adjacent to the creek along the break. The bass were holding on the break. I wasn’t surprised to catch them doing that; I was just surprised at the size of the ones I was catching.”
Dove paralleled the drop with three lures — a 1/2-ounce Accent Fishing Products River Special spinnerbait (silver skirt with green flake), a Boogerman buzzbait (black with a nickel blade) and a Paycheck Baits Repo Man (Blow-Up color, which is silver with a chartreuse belly). He used G. Loomis GLX rods, Shimano Chronarch reels and 15-pound Berkley Big Game line with all three lures.
Dove finished with 39 pounds even. Just behind him was Mark Pierce, with 37 pounds, 14 ounces. Pierce flipped laydown trees with a Big Bite Baits Dean Rojas Fighting Frog (black/blue sapphire) with a 3/8-ounce Eco-Pro tungsten sinker. He fished it with 7-foot St. Croix Mojo rod, Abu Garcia Revo STX reel with a 6.4:1 gear ratio and 16-pound Gamma fluorocarbon.
“I was slower getting my fish today,” said Pierce. “My area was more crowded. I tried a spinnerbait for a couple of hours but didn’t get a bite.” He went back to the frog and got his limit, and later in the day, the spinnerbait was responsible for helping him cull three times.
Today’s biggest bass was caught by Brent Boyette of North Carolina, who brought a 5-pound, 14-ounce bass to the scales. It was the biggest of the tournament, and it won him Cabela’s Big Bass honors for the day, which includes a $200 Cabela’s gift card.
Many contenders had expressed concern that their bite would shut off today, but almost the same number of bass were brought in today, and the average fish weight moved up to 2 pounds from yesterday’s 1-14 average. And 37 of the anglers brought in limits.
You’ll see Dove, Pierce, Jooste, Bravence, Carter and Knuth on the Classic stage, beginning Feb. 22, 2013, in Tulsa, Okla. The anglers will fish Oklahoma’s Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees, competing against top Bassmaster Elite Series pros and reigning champion Chris Lane, as well as anglers from the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens, the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series and the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series operated by American Bass Anglers.
“It means the world to an amateur angler to be invited to fish the Bassmaster Classic,” said Jon Stewart, B.A.S.S. Federation Nation senior manager. “It’s one of the few ways a grass-roots angler can make it to the pinnacle of the sport.”
“We’re especially proud of these guys,” continued Stewart. “The best thing about these anglers is they now have all the members of the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation across the world rooting for them at the Bassmaster Classic.”
DECATUR, Ala. — When you have a gut feeling, sometimes you just have to go with it.
That’s what happened for Jason Hemminger today at 10 a.m. He only had one keeper in the boat that he estimated at 1-pound, 3-ounces. “I knew it wasn’t working, so I just scrapped it all and started over.”
The California angler caught what he called a “California-size bag” today when he abandoned everything he’d been doing on Wheeler Lake during the 2012 Cabela’s Bassmaster Federation Nation Championship and started fresh.
“I had a gut feeling and it worked out,” said the Ventura County Bass Club member.
And when he says it “worked out,” he means it. Hemminger brought in a huge 19-pound, 10-ounce bag, far bigger than any other in the competition, with two bass that weighed 5-1 and 5-3. He bounced back from his 6-13 bag yesterday that left him mired in eighth place in the Western division, and moved nearly five pounds ahead of his closest Western competitor, Timothy Klinger.
Hemminger’s huge change was the most dramatic today, but it was representative of multiple success stories in Day Two of the tournament. Anglers who mixed it up had much bigger sacks than yesterday; anglers who didn’t brought in disappointing bags.
Tim Dycus of Arkansas credited his “mental adjustment” for bringing in a limit of 8-8, which was much stronger than his two fish that weighed 3-1 yesterday. Teb Jones of Mississippi said he made a change today, and it resulted in not only a 15-pound, 5-ounce bag, but also a 5-13 bass that took today’s Cabela’s Big Bass honors. JJ Patton of Iowa had a Day One total weight of 2-6, trumped by just one of his five fish today — a 4-pound, 6-ounce beauty that anchored his 13-6 bag.
And just as those who changed reaped the benefits, those who didn’t lamented their decision. Josh Polfer of Idaho, who led the Western division yesterday, brought in only 6-15 today. “Things changed today, and I should have adapted a little bit quicker,” said Polfer. Dale Hightower, yesterday’s overall leader, brought in 8-0 today, half of what he caught yesterday. “I think I spent too much time in one area before I decided to change,” Hightower explained. “The fish just kept getting smaller.”
Polfer and Hightower both said they figured something out in the afternoon, though, and they are looking forward to tomorrow, the final day of competition.
Tomorrow has the potential to be vastly different than today. The forecast calls for wind, rain and cold. Polfer joins Jamie Sochocki of Michigan and Jason Pecoraro of Louisiana in hoping for the big weather change. “The clouds and wind are going to help me,” said Pecoraro. Others, including Teb Jones of Mississippi and Andy Bravence of Arizona, expressed concern that the wind might make it tougher. But for Mark Pierce of Tennessee, it’s a mental game. “Weather affects the fishermen a lot more than it affects the bass,” he said.
The average fish weight moved up slightly today from 1-12 yesterday to 1-14. More anglers had limits — 41 instead of 34, like Day One — and only one angler goose-egged.
Hemminger’s 19-10 bag is currently in the lead for the Lowrance Heavyweight of the tournament. If he wins, he’ll take home a Lowrance HDS-7 Touch worth $1,599.
Four of the six divisions had leader changes today. Bryant Copley of Virginia took over the Mid-Atlantic lead; Brady Farrell of Wisconsin took the Northern; Mark Pierce of Tennessee moved up to first in the Southern; and Hemminger took over in the Western. Hightower of Oklahoma remained on top in the Central, as did Jonathan Carter of Maine in the Eastern.
The top angler in each division after competition ends tomorrow will head to the 2013 Bassmaster Classic in Tulsa, Okla., in February.
The final launch takes place tomorrow at 6:45 a.m. CT at Ingalls Harbor. All the contenders will weigh in on stage, also at Ingalls Harbor, beginning at 3 p.m. CT, and it will be streamed live on Bassmaster.com. Joining them on stage will be the junior anglers, who are fishing their one-day competition tomorrow on nearby Wilson Lake.
DECATUR, Ala. — When you have a gut feeling, sometimes you just have to go with it.
That’s what happened for Jason Hemminger today at 10 a.m. He only had one keeper in the boat that he estimated at 1-pound, 3-ounces. “I knew it wasn’t working, so I just scrapped it all and started over.”
The California angler caught what he called a “California-size bag” today when he abandoned everything he’d been doing on Wheeler Lake during the 2012 Cabela’s Bassmaster Federation Nation Championship and started fresh.
“I had a gut feeling and it worked out,” said the Ventura County Bass Club member.
And when he says it “worked out,” he means it. Hemminger brought in a huge 19-pound, 10-ounce bag, far bigger than any other in the competition, with two bass that weighed 5-1 and 5-3. He bounced back from his 6-13 bag yesterday that left him mired in eighth place in the Western division, and moved nearly five pounds ahead of his closest Western competitor, Timothy Klinger.
Hemminger’s huge change was the most dramatic today, but it was representative of multiple success stories in Day Two of the tournament. Anglers who mixed it up had much bigger sacks than yesterday; anglers who didn’t brought in disappointing bags.
Tim Dycus of Arkansas credited his “mental adjustment” for bringing in a limit of 8-8, which was much stronger than his two fish that weighed 3-1 yesterday. Teb Jones of Mississippi said he made a change today, and it resulted in not only a 15-pound, 5-ounce bag, but also a 5-13 bass that took today’s Cabela’s Big Bass honors. JJ Patton of Iowa had a Day One total weight of 2-6, trumped by just one of his five fish today — a 4-pound, 6-ounce beauty that anchored his 13-6 bag.
And just as those who changed reaped the benefits, those who didn’t lamented their decision. Josh Polfer of Idaho, who led the Western division yesterday, brought in only 6-15 today. “Things changed today, and I should have adapted a little bit quicker,” said Polfer. Dale Hightower, yesterday’s overall leader, brought in 8-0 today, half of what he caught yesterday. “I think I spent too much time in one area before I decided to change,” Hightower explained. “The fish just kept getting smaller.”
Polfer and Hightower both said they figured something out in the afternoon, though, and they are looking forward to tomorrow, the final day of competition.
Tomorrow has the potential to be vastly different than today. The forecast calls for wind, rain and cold. Polfer joins Jamie Sochocki of Michigan and Jason Pecoraro of Louisiana in hoping for the big weather change. “The clouds and wind are going to help me,” said Pecoraro. Others, including Teb Jones of Mississippi and Andy Bravence of Arizona, expressed concern that the wind might make it tougher. But for Mark Pierce of Tennessee, it’s a mental game. “Weather affects the fishermen a lot more than it affects the bass,” he said.
The average fish weight moved up slightly today from 1-12 yesterday to 1-14. More anglers had limits — 41 instead of 34, like Day One — and only one angler goose-egged.
Hemminger’s 19-10 bag is currently in the lead for the Lowrance Heavyweight of the tournament. If he wins, he’ll take home a Lowrance HDS-7 Touch worth $1,599.
Four of the six divisions had leader changes today. Bryant Copley of Virginia took over the Mid-Atlantic lead; Brady Farrell of Wisconsin took the Northern; Mark Pierce of Tennessee moved up to first in the Southern; and Hemminger took over in the Western. Hightower of Oklahoma remained on top in the Central, as did Jonathan Carter of Maine in the Eastern.
The top angler in each division after competition ends tomorrow will head to the 2013 Bassmaster Classic in Tulsa, Okla., in February.
The final launch takes place tomorrow at 6:45 a.m. CT at Ingalls Harbor. All the contenders will weigh in on stage, also at Ingalls Harbor, beginning at 3 p.m. CT, and it will be streamed live on Bassmaster.com. Joining them on stage will be the junior anglers, who are fishing their one-day competition tomorrow on nearby Wilson Lake.
DECATUR, Ala. — Once you’ve made it to one Bassmaster Classic, you can’t wait to go back.
At least, that’s what fans heard repeatedly on the stage at the 2012 Cabela’s Bassmaster Federation Nation Championship today during the weigh-in at Wheeler Lake.
Dale Hightower, George Crain and Josh Polfer have all made it to the Classic in the last two years, and all three are so anxious to get back that they took the Top 3 spots for the first day of the three-day championship.
“Once is just not enough,” said Polfer, who’s representing his home state of Idaho.
“When you go once,” said Hightower, “you spend the rest of your life trying to get back there.”
Hightower bested the rest of the field today with a 16-pound, 1-ounce showing, ahead of second-place Crain by 1 pound, 3 ounces. The Oklahoma angler said he is especially hoping to make this Classic because it’s in his home state on Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees.
Hightower traveled to Alabama at the beginning of this month to practice on Wheeler Lake before the cutoff, which was Oct. 15, and managed eight days of fishing on the 67,100-acre lake.
“During my pre-practice, I found two spots that are really holding fish,” explained Hightower. “I didn’t even go in there during the two days of official practice [Tuesday and Wednesday of this week]. Instead, I went looking for some new stuff and found it.”
Today, he sought out a couple of his honey holes and ended up catching fish in four different areas.
“I just got the right bites,” said Hightower. “There are good fish in there. And I didn’t lose any today.”
His 16-1 limit is in the lead for the Lowrance Heavyweight. If it holds up as the biggest bag of the tournament, Hightower will take home a Lowrance HDS-7 Touch worth $1,599.
Bill Golightly of Wyoming caught the day’s Cabela’s Big Bass, which weighed 5 pounds, 9 ounces. “I had a couple more big ones jump off,” said Golightly. “I hope I can put them in the boat tomorrow.” His lunker earned him a $200 Cabela’s gift card.
“The day went well,” said Jon Stewart, senior manager of the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation. “I don’t think they caught as many fish as they expected to today. But I think Day Two is the most important day because it shows who can maintain and who can bounce back. We’ll see how tomorrow goes.”
Of the 56 anglers in the field, 34 caught a limit and only two zeroed. The average fish weight for the day was 1 pound, 12 ounces.
The top angler from each division is invited to fish the 2013 Bassmaster Classic in Tulsa, Okla. Current division leaders are Hightower for the Central division with 16-1; Crain, Southern, 14-14; Polfer, Western, 13-6; Jonathan Carter, Eastern, 13-2; Rick Svoboda, Mid-Atlantic, 12-14; and Curt Samo, Northern, 11-13.
The overall winner of the 2012 Cabela’s Bassmaster Federation Nation Championship is also eligible to fish the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series.
Competition resumes tomorrow with a 6:45 a.m. CT launch at Ingalls Harbor. The weigh-in will be streamed live on Bassmaster.com at 3 p.m. CT. To view a full list of contenders, download this score card or view this photo gallery.
DECATUR, Ala. — Once you’ve made it to one Bassmaster Classic, you can’t wait to go back.
At least, that’s what fans heard repeatedly on the stage at the 2012 Cabela’s Bassmaster Federation Nation Championship today during the weigh-in at Wheeler Lake.
Dale Hightower, George Crain and Josh Polfer have all made it to the Classic in the last two years, and all three are so anxious to get back that they took the Top 3 spots for the first day of the three-day championship.
“Once is just not enough,” said Polfer, who’s representing his home state of Idaho.
“When you go once,” said Hightower, “you spend the rest of your life trying to get back there.”
Hightower bested the rest of the field today with a 16-pound, 1-ounce showing, ahead of second-place Crain by 1 pound, 3 ounces. The Oklahoma angler said he is especially hoping to make this Classic because it’s in his home state on Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees.
Hightower traveled to Alabama at the beginning of this month to practice on Wheeler Lake before the cutoff, which was Oct. 15, and managed eight days of fishing on the 67,100-acre lake.
“During my pre-practice, I found two spots that are really holding fish,” explained Hightower. “I didn’t even go in there during the two days of official practice [Tuesday and Wednesday of this week]. Instead, I went looking for some new stuff and found it.”
Today, he sought out a couple of his honey holes and ended up catching fish in four different areas.
“I just got the right bites,” said Hightower. “There are good fish in there. And I didn’t lose any today.”
His 16-1 limit is in the lead for the Lowrance Heavyweight. If it holds up as the biggest bag of the tournament, Hightower will take home a Lowrance HDS-7 Touch worth $1,599.
Bill Golightly of Wyoming caught the day’s Cabela’s Big Bass, which weighed 5 pounds, 9 ounces. “I had a couple more big ones jump off,” said Golightly. “I hope I can put them in the boat tomorrow.” His lunker earned him a $200 Cabela’s gift card.
“The day went well,” said Jon Stewart, senior manager of the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation. “I don’t think they caught as many fish as they expected to today. But I think Day Two is the most important day because it shows who can maintain and who can bounce back. We’ll see how tomorrow goes.”
Of the 56 anglers in the field, 34 caught a limit and only two zeroed. The average fish weight for the day was 1 pound, 12 ounces.
The top angler from each division is invited to fish the 2013 Bassmaster Classic in Tulsa, Okla. Current division leaders are Hightower for the Central division with 16-1; Crain, Southern, 14-14; Polfer, Western, 13-6; Jonathan Carter, Eastern, 13-2; Rick Svoboda, Mid-Atlantic, 12-14; and Curt Samo, Northern, 11-13.
The overall winner of the 2012 Cabela’s Bassmaster Federation Nation Championship is also eligible to fish the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series.
Competition resumes tomorrow with a 6:45 a.m. CT launch at Ingalls Harbor. The weigh-in will be streamed live on Bassmaster.com at 3 p.m. CT. To view a full list of contenders, download this score card or view this photo gallery.
Winner of the VA Bass Federation Nation 2012 Fall Classic event was Steve Roberts with at total two day weight of 19.92lbs. Steve is the First to make the 2013 state team. Runner up also making the 2013 state team was Frank Harris with a total weight of 19.25lbs. Congratulations to both of these men..