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Davis Leads on
Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway
COLUMBUS, Miss. – Anglers on the CITGO Bassmaster Tournament Trail have been struggling in practice for the Bassmaster Elite 50
series event
on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.
Early predictions were that 11 to 13 pounds a day would put an angler in
good shape.
Those predictions weren’t far off on day one as three-time CITGO
Bassmaster Angler
of the Year Mark Davis took the lead with 14 pounds and 8 ounces.
“I anticipated that it would be a good day and it was,” Davis said. “I
like to look
for schools of fish and I found one. What was really great was that I
caught five
really quick and I left them there to bite tomorrow.
“The fish are in a typical post spawn pattern. They’re all schooled
up.”
The Arkansas pro caught all of his fish, Wednesday, on three different
baits. A
tequila soft plastic worm, a Strike King Spitting King top water bait and a
Strike
King Series One crank bait.
“I’m fishing in a backwater area,” Davis said, “and I plan on going back to
the same
spot tomorrow.”
Second place Roland Martin, brought in 12-6 on day one, fishing the main
pool.
“I probably have the fastest boat out here,” Martin said. “I get it up
to about 70,
run it for about 30 seconds and shut it off. I have more time to fish
if I do it
that way. I don’t have to worry about the locks.”
Martin had never fished the Tenn-Tom until this tournament, however, he has
some
history with the waterway.
“My father wasn’t a fisherman,” Martin said. “He was an engineer.
As a matter of
fact, he was the lead engineer on a project called the Tennessee-Tombigbee
Waterway.”
Martin also picked up an extra $1,000 by participating in the Busch Shootout
program
and for producing the Busch Heavyweight Sack of the Day.
Another pro who is taking home some cash is Arizona’s John Murray.
Murray brought
in a 5-pound 3-ounce lunker today to earn him $1,000 from Purolator for the
Purolator Big Bass of the Day. If that fish holds out to be the
largest fish of the
tournament, Murray will earn an additional $1,000 for the Purolator Big Bass
of the
Tournament.
South Carolina’s Davy Hite brought in 12-4 to pick up third place.
Hite, like
Martin, is sticking with the main pool.
“I just put my head down and fished hard today,” Hite said. “When it’s
really tough
like this, I just thing you are going to be better off fishing rather than
running.
I mean I have eight hours to catch five keepers and I should be able to do
that.”
North Carolina’s Dustin Wilks (11-15), Murray (11-4) and Oklahoma’s Tommy
Biffle
(11-2) round out the top six for day one.
The Bassmaster Elite 50 series continues Thursday. Launch begins at 10
a.m. and
daily weigh-ins will begin at 7 p.m. at the Stennis Lock and Dam and are
free to the
public.
Day 1
Angler
Hometown
No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Mark Davis
Mount Ida, Ark. 5
14-08
Day 1: 5 14-08
2. Roland Martin
Naples, Fla.
5 12-06
Day 1: 5 12-06
3. Davy Hite
Prosperity, S.C. 5
12-04
Day 1: 5 12-04
4. Dustin Wilks
Rocky Mount, N.C. 5 11-15
Day 1: 5 11-15
5. John Murray
Phoenix, Ariz. 5
11-04 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-04
6. Tom Biffle
Wagoner, Okla. 5
11-02
Day 1: 5 11-02
7. Michael Iaconelli Runnemede, N.J.
5 10-15
Day 1: 5 10-15
8. Zell Rowland
Montgomery, Texas 5 10-14
Day 1: 5 10-14
9. Ben Matsubu
Hemphill, Texas 5
10-11
Day 1: 5 10-11
10. Alton Jones
Waco, Texas
5 10-01
Day 1: 5 10-01
11. Gary Klein
Weatherford, Texas 5 9-05
Day 1: 5 9-05
12. Brian Snowden
Springfield, Mo. 5
9-04
Day 1: 5 9-04
13. Todd Auten
Lake Wylie, S.C. 5
9-03
Day 1: 5 9-03
14. Kevin VanDam
Kalamazoo, Mich. 5
9-02
Day 1: 5 9-02
15. Larry Nixon
Bee Branch, Ark. 4
9-01
Day 1: 4 9-01
16. Gerald Swindle Hayden,
Ala. 5
8-13
Day 1: 5 8-13
17. Bud Pruitt
Spring, Texas 5
8-07
Day 1: 5 8-07
18. Ishama Monroe
Patterson, Calif. 5
8-06
Day 1: 5 8-06
19. Randy Blaukat
Lamar, Mo.
5 8-01
Day 1: 5 8-01
20. Randy Howell
Springville, Ala. 5
7-15
Day 1: 5 7-15
21. Brent Chapman
Shawnee, Kan. 5
7-13
Day 1: 5 7-13
22. Jay Yelas
Tyler, Texas
5 7-10
Day 1: 5 7-10
23. Denny Brauer
Camdenton, Mo. 5
7-08
Day 1: 5 7-08
24. David Fritts
Lexington, N.C. 5
6-11
Day 1: 5 6-11
25. Peter E Thliveros Jacksonville, Fla.
5 6-10
Day 1: 5 6-10
26. David Wharton Sam
Rayburn, Texas 4 6-09
Day 1: 4 6-09
27. Stacey D King
Reeds Spring, Mo. 4
6-07
Day 1: 4 6-07
28. Bernie Schultz
Gainesville, Fla. 4
6-02
Day 1: 4 6-02
29. Edwin Evers
Mannsville, Okla. 3
5-14
Day 1: 3 5-14
30. Paul L Elias
Pachuta, Miss. 3
5-08
Day 1: 3 5-08
31. Jack A Gadlage Benton,
Ky.
3 5-01
Day 1: 3 5-01
32. Rick Clunn
Ava, Mo.
4 4-13
Day 1: 4 4-13
33. Dean Rojas
Grand Saline, Texas 3 4-04
Day 1: 3 4-04
34. Todd Faircloth Jasper,
Texas 2
3-10
Day 1: 2 3-10
35. Tim Horton
Tuscumbia, Ala. 1
3-07
Day 1: 1 3-07
36. Kenyon Hill
Norman, Okla. 2
3-06
Day 1: 2 3-06
37. Greg Hackney
Gonzales, La. 1
3-04
Day 1: 1 3-04
37. Mark Menendez
Paducah, Ky.
3 3-04
Day 1: 3 3-04
39. Kevin Wirth
Crestwood, Ky. 3
3-01
Day 1: 3 3-01
40. Mike Wurm
Hot Springs, Ark. 2
2-13
Day 1: 2 2-13
41. Jim Bitter
Fruitland Park, Fla. 3 2-10
Day 1: 3 2-10
41. O T Fears III
Sallisaw, Okla. 2
2-10
Day 1: 2 2-10
41. Robert Lee
Angels Camp, Calif. 3 2-10
Day 1: 3 2-10
41. Skeet Reese
Auburn, Calif. 1
2-10
Day 1: 1 2-10
45. Brett Hite
Phoenix, Ariz. 2
2-09
Day 1: 2 2-09
46. Kelly Jordon
Mineola, Texas 1
1-04
Day 1: 1 1-04
47. Chad Brauer
Osage Beach, Mo. 0
0-00
Day 1: 0 0-00
47. George Cochran Hot
Springs, Ark. 0 0-00
Day 1: 0 0-00
47. Shaw E Grigsby, Jr Gainesville, Fla.
0 0-00
Day 1: 0 0-00
47. Ron Shuffield
Bismarck, Ark. 0
0-00
Day 1: 0 0-00
From BASS
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