Fishing News - 4/4/01
From BASS
Kelly Jordon Claims Alabama Top 150 for First Career Win
ROGERSVILLE, Ala. (March 31, 2001) Capping two days of fishing that saw him rise from 22nd place into the lead, Kelly Jordon brought in a 15 pound, 15 ounce limit on Saturday to claim his first win at the Alabama BASSMASTER Top 150 on Wheeler Lake.
Jordonıs four-day total of 59-1 gave him a winning margin of 8 pounds, 4 ounces over second place finisher Peter Thliveros. Jordonıs catch the final two days of the event was nearly double his total for the first two days.
"This is a tremendous accomplishment," said Jordon, a rookie on the top level of the BASSMASTER Tour. "You have to go into each tournament thinking you can win, but I am honored to have won against the top competitors in bass fishing."
As champion of the event, the Mineola, Texas pro claims the $110,000 first prize.
Jordonıs winning pattern involved shad-colored crankbaits that he bounced along underwater logs in a creek channel. He alternated casts with a Norman Deep Middle N, Bagley Killer BII, and a Pradco Fat Free Fingerling .
"There were literally several hundred fish in the area," Jordon said. "I fished it a little too conservatively the first two days. If I had fished it hard each day I believe 70 or 80 pounds would have been possible."
Thliveros, who leaped from 10th to second on the last day, claims $48,000 for his performance. "I worked a roadbed that was about 6 feet at the top and around 9 feet on the sides," the Florida veteran explained. "I relied on an Allen Lures D9 (blue chartreuse) and an EWC Tap crankbait made by Zoom (chartreuse and green) to take advantage of the early bite."
Jordonıs win ends the winning streak of fellow angler and roommate Dean Rojas who had won the previous two Top 150 events. Rojas finished in third place with 49-14, earning $28,000 for his efforts.
"Iım extremely happy and proud for Kelly," said Rojas. Missouri pro Mark Tucker caught 49-8 to pocket $15,000 for fourth and Texan Todd Faircloth caught 49-4 to win $14,000 for fourth.
With only one event to go on the Top 150 trail, the attention turns to the race for B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year. Arkansas pro Mark Davis, who finished ninth at Wheeler Lake, moved into a 10-point lead with 693 points. The top 25 in the standings following BASSMASTER MegaBucks will qualify for the 31st BASS Masters Classic to be held in New Orleans, La., August 2-4.
The Alabama BASSMASTER Top 150 was held at Joe Wheeler State Park. By sanctioning over 20,000 tournaments worldwide, The Bass Anglers Sportsman Society is the worldıs 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 as it has for more than three decades.
Sponsors of the 2001 BASSMASTER Tournament Trail include: Ranger Boats, RangerTrail Trailers, Mercury Outboards, Chevy Trucks, Long John Silverıs, 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 Florence/Lauderdale Tourism, Athens-Limestone County Chamber of Commerce, Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce and the State of Alabama.
B.A.S.S. Web site: http://www.bassmaster.com.
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