Fishing News - 9/26/00

        From BASS

Washington State Is Next Stop For The BASSMASTERS

Tri-Cities Area to Host Western Invitational Season Opener

The BASSMASTER Western Invitational series will return to the Columbia River outside of Kennewick, Washington, October 5-7. Over 200 anglers will be vying for the championship and the $42,500 first place prize. The event will mark the first time that the B.A.S.S. pros have been to the Tri-Cities area since October of 1998.

Each of the anglers will fish the Columbia River for the three days of competition with the highest combined weight claiming the title. Anglers are allowed to keep a limit of five bass each day, all of which must be kept alive. If an angler brings a dead bass to the weigh-in he is penalized 4-ounces. All bass are released back into the Columbia River following the weigh-in each day.

Many of the anglers expect the championship to be decided on smallmouth bass in deep waters.  "It is going to be about 95% smallmouth fishing," said Arizona Pro Brett Hite. "It will be mostly current fishing. I am willing to guess that most of the fish are going to be caught between 10 and 25 feet deep. They are going to be a little bit deeper and they are going to be on eddys and current breaks. Deep-water methods will work real well there. It is the biggest river that we fish on the Western Trail and it has a real strong current, which is different than anything else that we fish. You have to gear yourself a little different in thinking about where the fish are going to hide."

Hite believes that in addition to the current, wind will play a factor in the event. "Last time we were there, I ran a long way the first two days, the problem with that is the wind can come up in ten minutes and ruin your whole day."

California's Skeet Reese agrees that it will be primarily smallmouth and that the current will play a major role in the outcome of the tournament. "A lot of the fishing will be determined by what they are doing with the current, whether they are letting water out of the dam or not," said Reese.  "If there is no current going through the area, it will be real tough. If they open the gates and there is some water flowing through the area, then you are going to see a lot of fish caught and it will be a good tournament."

Without a doubt smallmouth will be primarily what is caught. There are some largemouth, but I don't believe that there are enough for three days.  When you get into a three-day event it totally changes the way that you have to fish. A lot of guys are used to fishing one day events up there and gambling on largemouth and they win, but in this they are going to have to try and catch a limit of largemouth one day, and fill it with smallmouth after that."

Reese thinks that the fish will primarily be in a summer pattern and that a Carolina rig will be the technique that is successful for the most anglers.  He believes that anglers using a tube with an eighth or three-sixteenth ounce jighead will have the most luck.  In addition to the prize money, the anglers in this event will also be trying to qualify for the BASS Masters Classic. The top four anglers from the four-event BASSMASTER Western Series will qualify for the Classic, the "Super Bowl" of bass fishing. Additionally the top 20 will qualify to compete on the BASSMASTER Top 150 Trail next season. 

The weigh-ins will be conducted at Columbia Park beginning at 3 p.m. each day. All events are free to the public. A free BASSMASTERS CASTINGKIDS event, sponsored by Chevy Trucks and Zebco, will be held on Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This fun-filled national program designed by B.A.S.S. CEO Helen Sevier encourages children to perfect the basics of fishing - casting, pitching and flipping. The Washington B.A.S.S. Federation will conduct the event and provide instruction to all youngsters.

The BASSMASTER Tournament Trail is the oldest and most prestigious pro bass fishing tournament circuit. It continues to set the standard for credibility, professionalism, and sportsmanship for more than three decades.

Sponsors of the 2000 BASSMASTER Tournament Trail include: Ranger Boats, RangerTrail Trailers, Mercury Outboards, Chevy Trucks, ACDelco Batteries, Worldwaters.com, Humminbird/Zercom Marine, Pennzoil Marine, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, First USA/B.A.S.S. Platinum Visa, MotorGuide Trolling Motors, Gore-Tex Outerwear, GMAC Insurance.

         B.A.S.S. Web site: http://www.bassmaster.com.

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