BASS NEWS FEATURES
* Anglers Predict Tough Fishing for Second Bassmaster Southern Open on South Carolina’s Santee Cooper Reservoir
* Women’s Bassmaster Tour Visits Alabama’s Lake Guntersville
What’s at stake: $166,250 in cash and merchandise to the top 30 pro anglers and valuable points towards qualifying for the Bassmaster Classic and Bassmaster Elite Series. The top 30 co-anglers will compete for $69,700 in prizes. This is the second event of the Bassmaster Southern Opens.
The Pros Said It
“The practice has been pretty tough on me. I’ve been getting three or four bites a day and I’ve caught some quality fish, but what scares me is that I’m just not getting the numbers. It has been a tough practice outside of the quality bites I’ve gotten, and I don’t know if I can duplicate it or not. I’d like to be catching them a lot better, that’s for sure.” – Todd Auten, 41, Lake Wylie, S.C., two-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier (1999 and 2003).
“Right now it’s really slow. You will find fish on the bed one day and then they’re gone the next. If I can catch 15 pounds a day, I’ll be thrilled. I assure you someone will be on them. Someone will find a way to catch the big ones because they certainly live here.”– John Kremer, 39, Sanford, Fla.
“I think that the fish have probably been spawning and now are moving out into deeper water and I just haven’t been able to locate them. I haven’t caught many fish, but the ones I have caught have been quality-sized bass. I think that when the tournament comes along, you’ll see a lot of big fish weighed in. “– Roger Schofield, 61, Killen, Ala.
The Strategy
Auten: Auten is fishing a shallow pattern and using a variety of lures including worms and crankbaits. He describes the fishing as “real spotty” and is covering a lot of water to find locations on all sides of the lake, regardless of how the wind may blow. He is keying on 3 to 4 spots and estimates that it will take 9 pounds a day to make the Day Two cut to the Top 30.
Kremer: Kremer is targeting spawning bass in water three to four feet deep, pitching a worm into vegetation.
Schofield: The Alabama pro is fishing shallow water 2 to 4 feet deep and using a variety of lures including flipping a plastic craw, Senko, and shallow-running crankbait.
Location and Field
Bassmaster
Southern Open
Santee Cooper Reservoir
Manning, S.C.
May 3-5
Field
Cut to top 30 after Day 2
Launch & Weigh-in
Land, III, Boating & Sportfishing Facility
State Route 260
Manning, S.C.
6:45 a.m./2:45 p.m.
Background
Previous BASS events
2006 ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series
2006 Bassmaster Southern Tour
2006 Bassmaster Elite Series
2006 ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series
2005 ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series
2005 ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series
2004 Bassmaster Tour
2003 Bassmaster Tour
1998 Bassmaster Invitational
1997 Bassmaster Invitational
1994 Bassmaster Invitational
1994 Bassmaster Invitational
1976 Bassmaster Invitational
1975 Bassmaster Invitational
Previous winners
on lake
Kent M. Ware,
29.5, 2006
Glenn Kimbrell, 20-13, 2006
Preston Clark, 115-15, 2006
Lex Costas, 19-15, 2006
Lex Costas, 25-13, 2005
Joey Outlaw, 25-14, 2005
Kelly Jordon, 93-13, 2004
Zell Rowland, 98-9, 2003
Scott Martin, 39-2, 1998
Julian Reitzel, 61-13, 1997
Kevin Wirth, 39-15, 1994
O.T. Fears III, 77-4, 1994
Jimmy Houston, 67-5, 1976
Roland Martin, 64-0, 1975
Weather
Temperature
86 degrees
Lake level
75.42 feet above mean sea level
Local Sponsors: Local sponsor is Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce
Bassmaster Southern Open sponsors: Toyota Tundra, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Purolator, Berkley, Advance Auto Parts, Lowrance Electronics and MotorGuide
Women’s Bassmaster Tour Visits Alabama’ s Lake Guntersville
Famed Lake Guntersville Hosts Pivotal Third Stop on Mercury/Triton Circuit
What’s at stake: $88,940 in cash and merchandise to the top 25 pros and valuable points towards qualifying for the Women’s Bassmaster Tour championship and winning the Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year title. The top 25 co-anglers compete for $47,040 in cash and merchandise.
The Pros Said It
“It has been bluebird skies for practice and with the weather forecasted for the tournament, the practice period might not be a whole lot of help. We are supposed to get some wind and thunderstorms which should turn on the fish and make them easier to catch. I think that most anglers will be throwing spinnerbaits, crankbaits and possibly Carolina rigs.” – Jo Dee Bucki, 35, Birmingham, Ala.
“Guntersville is huge and I have been looking at a lot of water over the past few days. I think I located a deep structure bite but I’m not sure it will hold up with the thunderstorms scheduled. The key here is to find areas where you know the fish are located and junk-fish until you entice the bass.” – Sheri Glasgow, Muskogee, Okla., First in the Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year standings
“Practice has been really slow for me. I have yet to develop a morning bite and I haven’t found much of anything else. I have been catching a few fish in 5 to 10 feet of water near grasslines. It’s not fantastic out there but I think with the weather predicted, things could turn around quickly.” Mary Croft, 41, Bedford, Va.
The Strategy
Bucki: The Alabama pro is hoping that the wind will blow and in turn, cause the fish to bite. She is primarily working lipless crankbaits and a Carolina rig around grasslines and predicts that anywhere from 15 to 25 pounds a day could win the tournament.
Glasgow: The WBT Angler of the Year points leader has located a few fish on beds, but feels that the majority of the fish have finished spawning. She believes that to win the tournament, an angler will have to identify a pattern that doesn’t include concentrating on spawning fish. While she has identified some key areas, the Oklahoma pro hasn’t found a lure that she feels confident in.
Croft: The Virginia pro offered a conservative estimate of 40 pounds over three days to win the tournament. Like Bucki, she is hoping the wind blows which will trigger her spinnerbait and crankbait patterns.
Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour Presented by Triton Boats
Lake Guntersville
Guntersville, Ala.
May 3-5
Field
Cut to top 25 after Day 2
Launch and Weigh-in
5:45 a.m./ 2 p.m. CT
Lake Guntersville State Park
Background
Previous BASS events
2007, Bassmaster Elite Series
2006, Bassmaster Elite Series
2006, ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series
2006, ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series
2005, Bassmaster Open
2005, ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series
2005, ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series
2005, Bassmaster Tour
2004, Bassmaster Tour
2002, Bassmaster Tour
1997, BASS Invitational
1992, Bassmaster Megabucks
1992, BASS Invitational
1991, BASS Invitational
1990, BASS Megabucks
1990, BASS Invitational
1989, BASS Invitational
1988, BASS Invitational
1987, BASS Invitational
1980, BASS Champs Invitational
1976, Bassmaster Classic
Previous winners on lake
66-3, Kevin VanDam, 2007
71-13, Michael Iaconelli, 2006
16-13, Michael Robinson, 2006
24-9, Matt McLaughlin, 2006
56-6, Andy Morgan, 2005
27-23, Scott Keeling, 2005
22-11, Douglas True, 2005
87-0, Zell Rowland, 2005
99-10, George Cochran, 2004
83-11, Kelly Jordon, 2002
52-6, Chris Baumgardner, 1997
79-11, Denny Brauer, 1992
55-1, George Cochran, 1992
55-10, Zell Rowland, 1991
30-6, Larry Nixon, 1990
71-0, Edward Gettys, 1990
60-7, Robert Byrd, 1989
47-5, Don Snider, 1988
42-6, Rick Clunn, 1987
53-10, Basil Bacon, 1980
59-15, Rick Clunn, 1976
Heaviest winning weight
99-10, George Cochran, 2004
Lowest winning weight
16-13, Michael Robinson, 2006
Weather
Temperature
77 degrees, rain
Lake level
595 ft. above mean sea level
2007 Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats (Winner in parenthesis)
Feb. 8-10 Lake Amistad Del Rio, Texas (Juanita Robertson)
March 29-31 Lake Dardanelle Russellville , Ark. (Sheri Glasgow)
May 3-5 Lake Guntersville Guntersville, Ala.
June 14-16 Kentucky Lake Gilbertsville, Ky.
Sept. 20-22 Red River Shreveport-Bossier City, La.
Local Sponsors: Local sponsors include the Guntersville Chamber of Commerce, Lake Guntersville State Park, Holiday Inn of Guntersville, Covenant Cove Lodge of Guntersville, Jameson Inn Albertville and Microtel Inn of Albertville
Women’s Bassmaster Tour sponsors: Include Mercury Marine, Triton Boats, Lowrance Electronics, MotorGuide, Advance Auto Parts and Plano.
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