Fishing News - 2/22/01
From BASS
Stone, Horton take lead in Louisiana Top 150
Toledo Bend produces quality bass despite cold front
MANY, La. (February 21, 2001) Toledo Bend didn't produce the big catch that local anglers expected for the BASSMASTER Louisiana Top 150, but the massive reservoir showed it can be pretty good under tough conditions during Thursday's opening round.
A cold front accompanied by muddy water and 20 mph winds changed fishing conditions from what the pros found earlier this week during practice. To make matters worst, Wednesday's first round was cancelled because of heavy fog.
However, Marty Stone of Linden, N.C. and Tim Horton of Muscle Shoals, Ala. aren't complaining. Stone took the lead with 20 pounds, 15 ounces while Horton had an even 20 pounds heading into Friday's semifinals, when the field will be cut to the 10 finalists. Ben Matsubu of Mineola, Tex. and Stephen Browning of Hot Springs, Ark. are tied for third with 18 pounds, 9 ounces and Terry Baksay of Monroe; CT. is fifth with 18-3.
In the amateur division, Dan Bickon of Vernon Center, N.Y. leads with 15 pounds, 15 ounces while Earl Campbell of Springfield, Mo. is second with 13-8. Robert Wilkinson III of Suffolk, Va. is third with 12-11 and Richard Gibson of Heflin, La. won the daily, $400 big bass prize with a 5 pound, 14 ounce fish.
Despite the tough conditions, nearly half the pro field caught a limit and the 530 bass weighed in averaged nearly three pounds each. "There are some big fish in this lake," said Stone, who won the Alabama Top 150 in 1999. "If we could have gotten out yesterday before the front, fishing would have been a lot better. But BASS made a good decision. It wasn't safe to be out there."
Horton, the reining B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year, didn't have a fish for the first half of the day. "The sun popped out and they turned on," said Horton, who caught his bass flipping Riverside jigs into bushes. "I caught my first fish at 10:40 and had a limit by 12:30."
Horton was a little more confident than Stone about his chances of producing another good catch on Friday. Stone was afraid the wind and weather could move his fish, while Horton said he was fishing an area protected from the north wind "That was something I looked for during practice because I knew this front was coming," he added. Chris Elliott of Raleigh, N.C. won big bass honors with a 6 pound, 9 ounce largemouth.
The three-day competition runs through Saturday. Daily weigh-ins for the Louisiana BASSMASTER Top 150 are held at Cypress Bend Park in Many, La., beginning at 2:30 p.m. Anglers are prepared to launch from Cypress Bend Park tomorrow, beginning at 6:45 a.m.
Additionally, a free CastingKids event presented by Chevy Trucks, will be held here on Saturday, February 24, 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 skills of casting, pitching and flipping. Local B.A.S.S. clubs conduct the events and provide instruction to all youngsters.
The Louisiana BASSMASTER Top 150 is the fifth of seven events on the BASSMASTER Top 150 Trail this season. The winning pro will take home $110,000, and the winning amateur, $27,000, out of the overall $431,450 purse. In addition to the prize money, anglers will be vying to earn valuable points that will help them qualify for next summer's BASS Masters Classic. The top 25 anglers in the season's points standings will qualify to fish in the "Super Bowl" of bass fishing.
By sanctioning over 20,000 tournaments worldwide, The Bass Anglers Sportsman Society is the world's largest fishing organization. The BASSMASTER Tournament Trail is America's oldest and most prestigious pro bass fishing tournament circuit. It continues to set the standard for credibility, professionalism, and sportsmanship after more than three decades.
Sponsors of the 2001 BASSMASTER Tournament Trail include: Ranger Boats, RangerTrail Trailers, Mercury Outboards, Chevy Trucks, Long John Silver's, Kumho Tires, 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 and GMAC Insurance.
The event is sponsored locally by the Sabine River Authority and Sabine Parish Tourist Commission.
B.A.S.S. Web site: http://www.bassmaster.com.
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