Fishing News - 3/3/01
From BASS
Takahiro Omori Claims BASSMASTER Central Invitational on Sam Rayburn
JASPER, Texas (March 3, 2001) Takahiro Omori capitalized on a last minute change of fishing areas during final round of the Texas BASSMASTER Central Invitational on Sam Rayburn Reservoir to claim his second career BASSMASTER Tour win, finishing with 55 pounds, 12 ounces, more than 11 pounds ahead of runnerup Kelly Jordan.
Omori, who claimed $51,000 with the win, is one of the nation¹s hottest anglers right now; he placed second last week in the BASSMASTER Top 150 event on nearby Toledo Bend reservoir, and he currently leads the standings for the prestigious B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year award on B.A.S.S.¹s top circuit.
He placed second at Sam Rayburn during last year¹s event fishing a lipless crankbait over deep hydrilla, but the high water conditions this year forced a different technique.
"I love Sam Rayburn Reservoir," exclaimed Omori, a native of Japan who now resides in Emory, Texas, and who has fished B.A.S.S. events for 10 years.
"The key here was twitching a floating worm very slowly over submerged bushes and willows in the backs of pockets. I used a spinning rod with 10 pound test fluorocarbon line and worked the lure about a foot under the surface."
Omori, whose previous win came on Lake of the Ozarks (Missouri) in 1996, also used a bait of his own creation, the T. O. Fry, in his winning effort. He twitched it the same way he fished the floating worm.
Another Texas pro, Kelly Jordon, who lives near Omori in Mineola, finished second with 44-13 and took home $32,000. "I caught two of my keepers on a Norman Deep Little N crankbait," explained Jordon, whose best B.A.S.S. finish was a second place earlier this season on the Red River in Louisiana. "The rest of my fish I caught Carolina-rigging a Lake Fork Baby Ring Fry (chartreuse pepper color). I fished a secondary point inside the split of a creek channel with a grass line that formed perfect habitat. It had thick grass with a bare high point in the middle. I believe some fish were coming in to spawn and others were going out."
Gary Yamamoto, also of Mineola, placed third with 43-11. His final day¹s catch of 17 pounds included the tournament¹s big bass, a 9-7 lunker he caught on a yellow Floating Senko. his own company produces. Yamamoto claimed $31,000 for his efforts.
Yamamoto actually missed the big bass earlier in the day and when he happened to meet Omori on the water he offered the bass to him. Omori didn¹t see the fish, and in mid-afternoon Yamamoto returned and the fish hit on his first cast but he missed it again. Then, several casts later, the fish hit still another time, and this time the veteran pro put it into the boat.
Local angler and day one leader David Wharton of Sam Rayburn finished fourth just two ounces behind Yamamoto with 43-9, while Robert Tucker of Sachse, Texas claimed fifth with 40-10. During practice, Tucker caught a 64 1/2 pound blue catfish on 12 pound test line, which is a pending line class world record.
Weigh-ins for the Texas BASSMASTER Central Invitational were held at Twin Dikes Marina in Brookeland, Texas. The Texas BASSMASTER Central Invitational was the third of four events on the BASSMASTER Central Invitational Trail this season. In addition to an overall purse of $232,000, anglers were vying to earn valuable points that will help them qualify for next summer¹s BASS Masters Classic. The top five anglers in the season¹s points standings will qualify to fish in the "Super Bowl" of bass fishing to be held in New Orleans, La., August 2-4.
By sanctioning over 20,000 tournaments worldwide, the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society is the world¹s largest fishing organization. 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 after more than three decades.
Sponsors of the 2001 BASSMASTER Tournament Trail include: Ranger Boats, RangerTrail Trailers, Mercury Outboards, Chevy Trucks, Long John Silver¹s, 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 was sponsored locally by the Jasper Sam Rayburn Lake Chamber of Commerce.
B.A.S.S. Web site: http://www.bassmaster.com.
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