Fishing News - 4/17/01
From BASS
Cody Bird Takes the Lead in Missouri
KIMBERLING CITY, Mo. - (April 19, 2001) -Cody Bird entered the first day of competition at the Missouri BASSMASTER Central Invitational knowing he needed to have a good tournament and a little luck to qualify for the BASS Masters Classic. He did his part towards a good tournament on Thursday by bringing in a 16-10 limit of Table Rock Lake bass to take the early lead and keep his Classic dreams alive.
"I knew coming in that to have a chance I probably needed to win the event," said Bird of Granbury, Texas. "Hopefully things will work out." Arkansas pro Keith Green holds second, just two ounces behind the leader with 16-8. Missouri's Bill Beck brought in 15-11 to take third, Oklahoma angler Edwin Evers is in fourth at 15-3 and Lee Bailey of Connecticut caught 14-14 for fifth.
Weather conditions during the first day of competition were considerably different from those anglers encountered during practice earlier in the week. Instead of clear sunny skies, participants were greeted with overcast conditions and strong winds. These conditions coupled with a high pressure system hampered the fishing patterns many anglers planned on.
Many anglers in the field are relying on a sight fishing pattern which deteriorated due to choppy waters. Even with the poor conditions, 80 anglers in the field of 236 brought in limits.
One angler who thought the conditions should have helped him was Kansas pro Brent Chapman. "I'm disappointed," explained Chapman who only brought in 2-1. "I think of this as my home lake, and with the weather the way it was today I really thought I would catch them, it just didn't work out."
Conditions for the remainder of the week should see conditions similar to those of the practice period, with temperatures expected to reach into the 70s.
In the race for the Central Division Championship, Texas pro Todd Faircloth maintains the overall lead with two days of competition remaining.
The Missouri BASSMASTER Central Invitational features a purse of $227,000 with $51,000 going to the winner. Daily weigh-ins for the Missouri BASSMASTER Central Invitational will be held at What's Up Dock Marina in Kimberling City, beginning at 3:00 p.m. Anglers will also launch from the marina daily, beginning at 6:25 a.m.
Additionally, a free CastingKids event, presented by Chevy Trucks, will be held there on Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This fun-filled national program encourages children to perfect the skills of casting, pitching and flipping. The B.A.S.S. Federation will conduct the event and provide instruction to all youngsters.
By sanctioning over 20,000 tournaments worldwide, B.A.S.S. is the world's 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 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 Kimberling Inn Resort.
B.A.S.S. Web site: http://www.bassmaster.com.
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