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PROS GET FIRST LOOK AT CLASSIC
WATERS
Classic XXXII Contenders
Take Celebrities
for Ride on Lay Lake
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., July 23, 2002 - The 52 contenders for the $200,000 top
prize in the 32nd annual CITGO BASSMASTERS Classic got their
first look in almost a month at Lay Lake's bass-laden waters
Tuesday as they guided a group of celebrities during a fun big-bass
mini-tournament to benefit charity.
Included among the celebrities were former
American League batting champion Wade Boggs, former Auburn University
football coach Pat Dye, Toronto Raptors center Eric Montross,
National Hockey League star Pat Verbeek, actor Real Andrews of
General Hospital, Ed Clark of Atlanta Motor Speedway, and ESPN
college football broadcasters Lee Corso and Ron Franklin.
The contest was won by Richard Barker of
ProBass Networks, who caught a 3-pound, 15-ounce largemouth bass
while fishing with South Carolina pro Carl Maxfield.
But there was plenty of good-natured kidding
among the celebrities who came up short of winning.
"I was a team player today,"
said Boggs, who fished with Kansas pro Brent
Chapman. "I let some big fish go today. I had a big fish
that was 4 or 5
pounds hit my spinnerbait three times, but I left him for Brent
to catch on
Saturday."
When his 2-pound, 9-ounce spotted bass
proved to be 4 ounces heavier than Corso's catch, Franklin said
"Oh, thank goodness. If I had lost to Corso, I couldn't
have gone back to Bristol (Conn., home of ESPN)."
Corso fished with reigning B.A.S.S. Angler
of the Year Davy Hite. "I had to
prove to Corso that this isn't all luck," Hite said. "So
I went to a spot and told him to cast to this certain spot, and
he caught a 2-pound, 5-ounce
bass. He either thinks I'm the luckiest man on earth or I know
something
about what I'm doing."
In addition to guiding their celebrity
partners, the pros enjoyed their
first opportunity to check out Lay Lake since the 12,000-acre
reservoir went
off-limits about a month ago. Most agreed that the fishing is
likely to be
considerably more difficult during the three competition days
(Thursday
through Saturday) than it had been a month earlier.
"The conditions have changed since
we were here for pre-fishing," Texan Todd Faircloth said.
"We had a lot of rain back then and the water temperature
is a lot hotter. The fishing has gotten tougher."
The Classic is much more than just the
crowning event of the CITGO
BASSMASTER Tournament Trail. Classic Week is the annual celebration
of the sport of bass fishing that attracts B.A.S.S. members and
other fishing fans from across the country, who come to meet
their fishing heroes, attend the weigh-ins and participate in
youth and other fan-friendly events.
The launch venue for the event will be
Paradise Point Marina. The exciting
CITGO BASSMASTERS Classic weigh-in show will take place in the
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center. With the exception of the
launch site,
all of the venues for the event are located in close proximity.
B.A.S.S. Notebook
News and notes from the World Championship
of Bass Fishing
Celebrities Fish For Charity
Today marked the one and only practice
day for the Classic contenders, and also was the platform for
the 2002 Celebrity Fishing Tournament. Sports headliners like
Wade Boggs (Red Sox, Yankees, 3000-hit club), Eric Montross (Toronto
Raptors) and Pat Verbeek (Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings), and
members of the press fished from the back of the Classic contenders'
boats.
On the line: bragging rights and a $500
check going to the charity of the
winner's choice. Richard Barker of the Pro Bass Network brought
in a
largemouth weighing 3 pounds, 15 ounces, to win the prize. Barker
chose the Neiman Pick Foundation, which battles childhood disease,
as the recipient of the donation. As Barker's fishing partner,
Carl Maxfield also collected a $500 check. (For the record, Boggs
and Montross zeroed. Verbeek caught a 2-pound, 8-ounce spotted
bass.)
BASSMASTER Live!
For those fishing fans unable to attend
this year's Classic, B.A.S.S. has
made it possible to hear live coverage of the weigh-ins. Log
on to
bassmaster.com to hear co-hosts Tim Tucker and Gary Giudice,
and
commentators Terry Brown and Mark Menendez (current touring pro)
relate
updates and changes in the leader board as they happen. The real-time
audio also will feature interviews of past Classic champions
and 2002 competitors.
Thursday and Friday, log on at 4 p.m. for the live coverage.
The Saturday
show will begin at 5 p.m.
Skeeter Takes The Sting Out Of Tuition
Skeeter Performance Fishing Boats has launched
a program that will offer
scholarships to the children of Skeeter boat owners. Beginning
in April
2003, five $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to help offset
post-high
school education tuition. Applications for the Skeeter Scholar
program are
available at Skeeter dealerships. A panel of high school and
college
educators will select the five winners. To learn more about the
program,
visit the Skeeter Web site (www.skeeterboats.com).
Little-Known Fact
There is only one person on record who
has attended 31 of the Classic
championships. James "Pooley" Dawson has been on the
B.A.S.S. tournament
staff longer than some of this year's competitors have been alive.
When
asked the difference between the 2002 event and his first Classic
in 1972,
Pooley replied, "It's like going from the sandlot to the
World Series."
Arm Wrestle A Wrench
Those who attend the Classic Outdoor Show
at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic
Center will have the opportunity to flex their muscles. Armstrong
Industrial
Hand Tools is looking for folks to put their wrenches to the
test. Whoever
creates the most torque while turning a bolt (an electronic display
illustrates the poundage) will walk away not only with "strongman"
bragging
rights, but also a set of the Armstrong tools. The show runs
Thursday
through Saturday.
Like Father Like Son
In the 31-year history of the Classic,
there have been eight father-son duos
to qualify. This year, Woo Daves (16 Classic appearances) and
son Chris
Daves (two Classic appearances) are both in the field for the
Classic.
Quote Of The Day
"If there are 50 observer boats following
me on the lake during competition,
and I don't catch a single fish because of it, that's OK. It's
better than
sitting in the audience watching, like I did last year."
-- Angler of the year Davy Hite
ESPN and ESPN2 will offer same-day coverage of the Classic during
the last three days of its Bass Week programs, which will air
from 5-6 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2 July 22-24, 4-6 p.m. on ESPN2 July
25 and 26, and 7-11:30 a.m. on ESPN2 and 7-8 p.m. on ESPN July
27.
By sanctioning over 20,000 tournaments
worldwide through its B.A.S.S.
Federation, B.A.S.S. is the world's largest fishing organization.
The CITGO
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. B.A.S.S. is a wholly owned subsidiary of ESPN.
Sponsors of the 2002 CITGO BASSMASTERS
Classic include: CITGO Petroleum Corporation, Chevrolet Trucks,
Mercury Marine, Yamaha Outboards, Triton Boats, Skeeter Boats,
Lowrance Electronics, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, Kumho Tires,
Long John Silver's, MotorGuide Trolling Motors, Bass Pro Shops,
Armstrong Industrial Hand Tools, and B.A.S.S. Platinum Visa/First
USA.
Associate Sponsors include Bass Cat Boats
and G3 Boats.
The 2002 CITGO BASSMASTERS Classic will
be presented locally by the State of Alabama, City of Birmingham,
Jefferson County and Shelby County.
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