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PROS SCOUT CLASSIC WATERS WITH
MIXED RESULTS
Weather Hampers Contenders, Efforts to Pinpoint Winning Patterns
Feb. 19, 2007 - CELEBRATION, Fla. "
Mother Nature played a nasty trick this week on the 50 competitors
preparing for the Feb. 23-25 Bassmaster Classic on Lay Lake in
Birmingham, Ala.
The contenders were given a three-day pre-fish
period Tuesday through Thursday to practice on the 12,000-acre
impoundment of the Coosa River.
But Mother Nature threw the nation,s top bass anglers
a curveball in the form of some of the worst weather seen in
Birmingham this winter. It included high winds and rain on Tuesday;
plummeting temperatures and even snow flurries on Wednesday;
and frigid temperatures that opened Thursday in the low 20s.
The precipitation and the cold weather have significantly
limited what the contenders learned about the Classic waters
during the three-day pre-fish period, which adds more importance
to the upcoming final Classic practice day on Wednesday, Feb.
21, and increases the intrigue entering the sport,s most important
event.
A warming trend is forecast for the actual Classic
competition days (Feb. 23-25) and anglers will most likely see
a different Lay Lake when they hit the water on Friday in search
of the $500,000 top prize.
Here's a sampling of the pros, scouting results
and a sneak preview of what,s to come during the competition:
Bassmaster Elite Series angler Kevin Wirth,
from Crestwood, Ky.: "It,s been pretty nasty. We got
drenched Tuesday and the next day it snowed on us. Today, it
was so blistering cold that we couldn,t get on the water early.
So it,s been pretty rough. The weather has definitely hindered
my ability to find fish and you just have to look and assume
what,s going to happen next week.
"You have to figure out how to catch them
under the current conditions and then try to find out how to
catch them if the conditions change. Trying to assume what will
happen makes things very difficult.
2005 Bassmaster Angler of the Year Aaron Martens,
from Leeds, Ala.: "I,ve been getting a high number of
bites, but not the quality I want to find yet. My local knowledge
will help me out on Lay, but this weather will make it tough
on the guys that don,t know the lake that well.
"If we get some super cold weather, it could
be a tournament won predominately by catching spotted bass. But
if it warms up and the water gets a little bit warmer, it definitely
will help the largemouth bite. At the end of the day, I think
it,s going to take a mix of species to post a winning weight.
Bassmaster Elite Series angler James Niggemeyer,
from Van, Texas: "Practice went alright but it was nothing
to write home about. I,m looking to improve the quality of what
I,ve been catching. I,ve been getting some bites " six or
seven keepers one day and then three the next but to win this
tournament I need to locate some of the larger fish.
"I think it,s going to take a mixed bag of
both spots and largemouths to pad your weight. I,ve caught both
species so I feel that I am prepared. There is supposed to be
a warming trend next week so that will make things interesting.
I,m hoping it warms up.
Bassmaster Elite Series angler Boyd Duckett,
Demopolis, Ala.: "Man, it,s been cold. The largemouth
bit pretty well the first two days of practice. I went up the
river and tried to locate some areas where I could catch spotted
bass, but I didn,t find that much. That warming trend should
cause the fish to become more active, so we should get to see
some good weights come tournament time.
The 2007 Bassmaster Classic will be hosted by the
Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau. The tournament
will receive 11 1/2 hours of television coverage on ESPN2.
Sponsors of the event include Toyota Tundra, Triton
Boats, Mercury Marine, Purolator, Berkley, Advance Auto Parts,
Lowrance Electronics and MotorGuide.
BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing,
sanctioning more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation
Nation annually. Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans,
BASS sets the standard for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship
and conservation, as it has for nearly 40 years.
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