Fishing News - 4/27/02
From BASS
Baker captures Maryland CITGO BASSMASTER Eastern Open
CHARLES COUNTY, Md. April 27, 2002 - After surging into the lead yesterday, Tennessee’s Chad Baker didn’t pull his foot off the pedal with a solid 15-pound, 13-ounce ounce four-fish catch that boosted his Maryland CITGO BASSMASTER Eastern Open three-day total to 45-12. Baker collected his $51,000 in winnings on the strength of a crankbait pattern that developed near the Fort Washington lighthouse, one of the most obvious and heavily fished areas on the Potomac River.
Using a Bandit Series 200 and a
custom-made "Uncle Ernie’s" crankbait in a variety of patterns from white/black to fire tiger, Baker made repeated casts to two small zones in a tiny 50-foot-wide area. When asked why he used so many colors, Baker laughed, "When you throw to the same exact spot for a hundred casts, you need to try something different. At times, changing colors did make a difference."In second place, Tom Dolin of Palatine Bridge, N.Y. also benefited from a crankbait pattern, using the same Bandit 200 model (chartreuse/blue back) as Baker in corraling a 39-10 total for 14 bass. Although Dolin mounted a determined charge on the final day with his best effort of the event - a 14-6 limit - he suffered a near miss for his first-ever CITGO BASS Masters Classic appearance. Just three points off the pace, Dolin placed sixth in the eastern points race, one spot away from a Classic invitation.
Rounding out the top five in the Potomac event were Rick Morris of Virginia Beach, Va. in third with 36-8, Jack Bell of Kane, Penn., taking fourth with 35-2 and Michael Huminik of Woodbridge, Va., holding onto fifth with 35-2.
The fortunate five who will be making their way to Birmingham, Ala. later this summer for the CITGO BASS Masters Classic will be Chris Daves - Virginia, Danny Correia - Massachusetts, Jeff Coble - North Carolina, Jason Quinn - South Carolina, Terry Scroggins - Florida. With the changes slated for next year’s CITGO BASSMASTER Tournament Trail, this Potomac tournament marked the very last time that anglers would be competing in a straight draw format where two professional anglers are paired together in the same boat.
The Maryland CITGO BASSMASTER Eastern Open event on Potomac River will be televised on ESPN2 Saturday, May11 at 10:30 a.m. (ET) and will be re-aired on Friday, May 17 at 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (ET). Additionally, a free CastingKids event, presented by Chevy Trucks and CITGO, will be held there Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This fun-filled national program 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.
Sponsors of the Maryland CITGO BASSMASTER Eastern Open include: CITGO Petroleum Corporation, Chevrolet Trucks, Mercury Marine, Yamaha Outboards, Triton Boats, Skeeter Boats, Lowrance Electronics, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, Stowaway Batteries, Kumho Tires, Long John Silver’s, Gore-Tex Outerwear, MotorGuide Trolling Motors, Bass Pro Shops, Armstrong Industrial Hand Tools, GMAC/ B.A.S.S. Vehicle & Boat Insurance, B.A.S.S. Platinum Visa/First USA. Associate Sponsors include: Bass Cat Boats and G3 Boats
The Maryland CITGO BASSMASTER Eastern Open is presented locally by the Charles County Government. For more information, contact B.A.S.S. Communications at (334) 272-9530.
B.A.S.S. Web site: http://www.bassmaster.com.
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