|
The Bass
Bureau |
|
Change-Up in the wind.
|
Marine USA, Inc. hosted by far the most
elaborate and professionally ran Tournament
of Champions season ending bass fishing
finale of the entire 2007 season in my
humble opinion!!! Titled the Champions
Challenge, Marine USA, Inc. opened their
‘Totally Free Entry Fee’ qualifying slots to
Individual Champions and Team Champions
competing on a variety of highly competitive
bass trails throughout New England.
(www.marineusainc.com)
Showing no discrimination, as to which
trails qualified, Marine USA’s National
Nitro Pro Team member Johnny Nee, logged
individual champions to the qualifying board
throughout the 2007 competitive season.
Outstanding anglers qualifying for the
Champions Challenge included Bassmaster
Classic Qualifiers, The Bass Federation
Champions, and State Team Champions from
just about every New England state,
Championship Teams from Northern Bass Supply
tournament trails, as well as the New
England Paralyzed Veterans of America Bass
Trail.
(www.nepva.org)
According to Nee and Marine USA, Inc. Sales
Manger Bruce Gustafson, the highest placing
Tracker Marine/Nitro angler or team in these
qualifying events, also received a ‘Free
Entry’ into the Champions Challenge. With
that said Nee smiled at me, padded me on the
shoulder, informing me that I too had
qualified for the Sunday October 14th
Champions Challenge on Lake Winnipesaukee in
New Hampshire! “By placing as the highest
finishing Nitro Husband and Wife Team
(www.nitroboats.com) on the
CT-Outdoors Bass Trail, you and Trish have
an opportunity to win a fully rigged Nitro
591 Dual Console Bass Boat powered by a 150
HP Mercury Outboard
(www.mercurymarine.com), valued
at $25,000.00!”
Not since Lee Bailey Jr.s ‘Foxwoods
Bass Trail’ had Trish and I competed
together on her favorite body of water…Lake
Winnipesaukee. Now I had to some how
persuade my sweet little wife into believing
the late fall weather was going to be
absolutely awesome, as the surrounding
foliage would only enhance our trip! Which
by the way would not include any Factory
Mall Outlet Shopping trips. A three-day
excursion, a nice motel and dinner every
night,
framed with my promise of not fishing in
open water if windy and rough conditions
prevailed, seemed to seal the deal.
Leaving early on Friday morning in the
pouring rain, Trish looked over at me, gave
me her patent shopping grin smile and
politely whispered, “Strike one, it’s
raining!” In a silent prayer I asked for
cloudy skies and in the worst-case scenario
maybe a light rain or drizzle. Three-half
hours later we pulled into Meredith, NH…yes
in the pouring rain, stopped at the local
bait shop purchased a three-day license for
Trish, and picked-up a few pointers on the
bass bite.
Passing by Meredith Harley Davidson, Trish
replied, “Hawkeye, pull into their parking
lot, we’re going shopping. Since Trish used
the plural ‘we’ I knew I was at least going
to get a T-shirt. Obviously, not many
motorcycle riders stop at a Harley shop with
a fancy Nitro Bass Boat! Within, seconds of
walking through the doors I was surrounded
by inquiring spectator salesmen asking
questions about the huge Black Mercury Opti
Max 225 HP and just how fast my rig would
go. After a few laugh’s a cup of HD Coffee,
I asked the question, “Are their any bass
anglers in this crowd?” Much to my inquiring
surprise, a saleslady told me her husband
and brother-in-law fish for bass just about
everyday. BINGO!!!
A phone call to her husband, revealed his
live-bait tactics for just about anything
that would eat their offerings, but he did
mention the bass seemed to be most active in
the twenty to twenty-five foot range,
justifying my bait shop info.
As I sat in my motel room, logging a variety
of areas on my Lake Winnie map to checkout,
Trish listened to the weather channels
report. “Well, the weather isn’t going to
get any better, so I might as well join you
on the water.” Launching from Ames Farm, we
concentrated our efforts on tapering points,
by dragging Carolina rigged Yamamoto Hula
Grubs, lizards and drop-shot Berkley minnows
and leeches, into and through the 20-25 foot
range.
After five-hours of pouring rain, we had
covered every island, tapering point, and
discovered humps from Lake Shore Park to
Mingle Cove. Our patterns produced several
smallmouth bass mostly holding along outside
weed lines in 15-20 feet, while we did
manage a few smallies in deeper water the
pattern wasn’t strong enough to pursue.
Shallow water coves for largemouth’s along
boat docks and weedy rock piles produced
only keep size bass.
Overcast skies greeted us on Saturday
morning, and a slight breeze made for easy
traveling from Alton Bay to Paugus Bay.
Working topwater spooks, poppers and prop
baits over 20-25 foot depths drew the
attention of several nice three pound bass
in the morning, while spinnerbaits failed to
produced as the wind revved up it’s
velocity. Holding my promise, we bailed out
of the windy weather and headed for
sheltered coves and largemouth bass.
Keeping to the tournament hours our final
practice day’s time on the water started at
7:00am and ended at 3:00pm. We had
eliminated our run to Alton Bay, scratched
off a few shallow coves and decided to
concentrate all of our tournament hours in
the area near Locke’s Island. Tapering
points, thick weedlines, several humps and
adjacent coves were our target. Game plans
called for early topwater baits for
smallmouth’s, dragging a drop-shot on
tapering points, while flipping Vertical
Lures jigs
(www.verticallures.com) into
thick weed beds and skipping Yamamoto
Senko’s
(www.baits.com) under docks for
largemouth’s in the afternoon. If things
worked out I new it would take at least 15
lbs to win the tournament. Our smallmouth
bite was to be a bonus as most were
suspended fish, while our trump card was
definitely largemouth bass.
Morning registration was a line of ‘Who’s
Who’ in the Northeast Bass’n World. But, as
with most weather forecasts in New England
the weather had changed. A cold front had
dropped the water temperatures; wind
directions had taken a 180-degree turn,
while wind velocity called for increasing
speeds as the day progressed. With the wind
to our backs, my Nitro 911 CDC jumped on
plane, cruising across the top of the waves
produced a smooth comfortable cool ride for
my bride! However, pulling up on our first
smallmouth area water splashed over the bow
and as quick as I dropped my Minn Kota
Trolling Motor into the water I pulled it
out. The wind seemed to be echoing a string
of Thank-You’s, as I started up the big
motor and headed into Smith’s Cove, while a
cloud spelled out ‘Strike-two, it’s windy
and cold’!
With only specific sections and
spots-on-the-spot, we rotated from one area
to the next. All daylong we continued to
land non-keeper bass, while Pickerel, which
we never saw before, ate each bait we threw.
Our hour-clock was down to its final hour;
returning back to the weigh-in would take us
at least forty-five minutes. Our livewell
held one three pound largemouth, while the
vision of a four pound largemouth that
broke-off a drop-shot rig on my first cast
of the day kept replaying over and over
again…….’Strike Three, your Out’!
As in any bass tournament, someone always
finds the bass, and although there were a
large number of zero’s, several teams
managed to establish a five bass limit, yet
only three teams were actually in contention
to win the 2007 Marine USA, Inc Champions
Challenge.
Anchored with the tournaments Lunker, a 4.1
lb largemouth bass, Shawn White and Victor
Knight settled for third place with a total
weight of 12.49lbs. Nitro Pro Staffer Mike
Mantha and partner Bob Mazzone, spent an
enormous amount of time scanning the waters
of Lake Winnipesaukee in preparation for the
Champions Challenge. “We had two strong
patterns, shallow water smallmouth in 15-25
foot depths and deep water smallmouth’s
along 30-50 foot contours,” reveal Mantha
while on stage weighing their limit tipping
the scales at 13.40 lbs.
Having secured a limit by 10:00am, Mantha
and Mazzone worked their 591 Nitro over
deeper water dragging a Carolina rigged Zoom
6” lizard, and a Booyah blk/blu jig tipped
with a Yamamoto trailer. When they culled
out two smaller bass the team decided to
head back to the weigh-in early due to the
extreme windy conditions. Occupying the
Champions Challenge Prize Boat, Mantha and
Mazzone watched as one-by-one teams made
their way to the scales. That is until Steve
and Joe Lucarelli carried their five bass
limit to weigh-master Johnny Nee.
Edging out Mantha and Mazzone by a mere
.93lbs, New England’s Top Father-Son Team
Steve and Joe Lucarelli weighed in five
smallmouth’s for 14.33lbs, claiming the 2007
Marine USA, Inc. Champions Challenge Nitro
591 worth $25,000.00. Weather patterns
played a major role in the teams victory as
they concentrate on water depths of 24-30
feet dragging Yamamoto 5” green pumpkin Hula
Grubs and Drop-shot Berkley Gulp baits. The
Lucarelli’s claimed they were able to detect
subtle bites thanks to the sensitivity of
Trilene Sensation on their Rev baitcasters
and Trilene fluorocarbon leaders tied to
Spiderwire Ultra cast spooled on Cardinal
804 spinning reels.
THE BASS BUREAU would like to thank Marc
Tsourides and the Marine USA, Inc staff for
hosting the only ‘Entry Fee FREE’
Championship offering a Nitro Prize Boat
along with Professional Bass Angler Gino
Ellison and Toyota for the delicious after
weigh-in meal.
God Bless and Best Bass’n
Woods and Waters USA
Office: 1.413.467.9982
www.woodsandwatersusa.com
Column: THE BASS BUREAU
January 2008 Issue |
|
|
|
|
