Fishing News - 6/26/00
Alabama Angler Wins B.A.S.S. Federation Southern Divisional
South Carolina Takes Top Team Honors
EUFAULA, Ala., June 23, 2000-Matt Herren thought all week long that he
was fishing a classic type of summertime bass cover on Lake Eufaula,
carefully following the textbook of bass angling to keep him in contention
to win the B.A.S.S. Federation Southern Divisional Championship. Today,
the 37-year-old angler from Trussville, Ala., discovered otherwise, but it
did not matter.
"All week, I thought I was fishing an inside channel bend and I was
fishing it accordingly," he said. "Today I realized it wasn't a channel bend
at all, but a hump."
The bottom line is Herren caught 13 bass in three days of competition to
post the 48-pound, 8-ounce winning weight. He not only won but also
has qualified as the Alabama state champion. In doing so, he joins six
other state champions from this seven-state regional bass club
competition for the next level of attaining an amateur's ultimate dream.
And that is to qualify for the BASS Masters Classic, the sport's world
championship event.
Joining Alabama's Herren are state champions Mike Holt of Tennessee,
South Carolina's Ricky Shumpert, and Kentucky's Gerald Smith. Other
winning anglers include North Carolina's Donald Cooper, Georgia's Ricky
Layton, and Florida's Todd McGlon.
The mistaken hump found by Herren featured a contour line beginning
with a top-end depth of 8 feet dropping into a 25-foot deep creek
channel. In the early morning, the fish schooled on the top of the brushy
hump, where they fed on baitfish. As the sun warmed the shallows, the
fish would migrate down the side of the hump and hold in the deeper
water.
Herren chose three baits to follow the transition of the fish. The choices
included a Zoom French Fry (green/pumpkin) Carolina rigged with a
1-ounce sinker. He also used a 3/4-ounce Ledgebuster spinnerbait
(shad), and a Poes 400 Series crankbait (chartreuse).
The fishing was tough for everyone but Herren, who caught his limit of 5
bass on the first two days within 20 minutes of arriving at the magic
hump. Today, he only managed to catch 3 fish.
Next spring, the seven state champions join state champions from
around the nation to at the B.A.S.S. National Championship. State
champions will compete for first place in their respective divisions. Those
who do will advance to the 2001 BASS Masters Classic world
championship to compete with the sport's top 40 pros for the
international angling title, lucrative endorsement contracts and a
professional career on the BASSMASTER Tournament Trail.
In the team competition, Alabama, the clear contender to win, was
upended on the final day by the 12-man team from South Carolina. The
winning team caught a collective weight of 235 pounds, as compared to
Alabama's final tally of 228 pounds, 15 ounces.
In three days of competition, the 84 anglers caught 461 bass within the
16-inch minimum and five bass maximum limit. The catch weighed 1,398
pounds. The biggest bass weighed was caught Wednesday. It weighed
7 pounds, 12 ounces and was caught by Alabama's Jason McCollum.
The BASS Masters Classic is the next competition on tap for the world's
largest bass fishing organization. The Classic is July 17-22 in Chicago on
Lake Michigan. Information about the world championship and related
activities is available on the Internet at www.bassmaster.com.
Sponsors of the B.A.S.S. National Federation Central Divisional Championship are Ranger® Boats, RangerTrail® Trailers, Mercury® Marine, Chevy Trucks, BIG Kmart®, Humminbird®/Zercom® Electronics, Pennzoil® Marine, ACDelco® Batteries, Flowmaster® Exhaust Systems, MotorGuide® Trolling Motors, Quantum Rods and Reels, Berkley Trilene®, Berkley Power Bait®, Eagle Claw Fishhooks, Worldwaters.com and First USA.
