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BASS Tour: Smith Lake, AL

Tour Event # 2 of 6

Preview | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

Preview: Pros Struggle Through Smith Lake Practice

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JASPER, Ala. - It may be the first time in years that Roland Martin's vast
experience fishing the CITGO Bassmaster Tournament Trail presented by Busch
Beer doesn't give him an edge.

But even Martin, an elder statesman who fished his first BASS tournament in
1970, won't have an advantage when the pros begin competing in the second event
on the 2004 CITGO Bassmaster Tour pressented by Busch Beer. That's because the
tournament will be on Alabama's Smith Lake, and BASS hasn't launched into those
waters since 1968. Instead, Martin and most of the other 156 pros fishing the
Tour will be fishing nearly blind, with only three days of practice to prepare.


During practice, Arizona's John Murray has been finding the bigger fish, though
scarce right now, are in shallower areas. He hopes that the heavy rain in the
forecast will bring those fish out, but expects 12 pounds per day will win the
event.

"There are some big spots in this lake," Murray said. "We've got some bad
weather coming in, too, and that should really bring the bigger fish up. I
went out (Tuesday) and the bite was a lot better because it was cloudy. When
the sun came out, it got a little tough.

"This is the first time I've ever been on this lake," he added. "I've been
really excited to fish here."

Alabama native Coby Carden has fished on the waterway a handful of times and
believes it fishes much the same as a lake he won on in 2002, Logan Martin.

"It's the same kind of fishing," Carden said. "There are a lot of rocks and
laydowns like Martin, but you have to fish a lot deeper and slower here. I've
been catching them on a Yum Finesse worm about 15 to 20 feet deep, but the
weights will be down, I think, for this tournament. I don't think there will
be many limits weighed in."

Another issue that the anglers will have to deal with is the slot limit on
Smith Lake, which limits legal catches to fish smaller than 13 inches or larger
than 16 inches. Because BASS rules allow fish 12 inches or longer, anglers may
go after small bass in the 12- to 13-inch range, only targeting lunkers once
they have secured a five-fish limit. In practice, the anglers have struggled
to work around the slot limit.

"Fishing isn't tough here," said Arkansas' Scott Suggs. "Catching fish hasn't
been a problem, but you can only get about three or four keepers a day.

"I'm sure there are probably some schools of big fish wadded up somewhere that
someone will find and come in with a big limit. I'm scared to say what it'll
take to win, though."

Fans can catch the second event of the 2004 CITGO Bassmaster Tournament Trail
on Smith Lake in Jasper, Ala., Smith Lake, Jasper, Ala., Feb. 14 at 10:30 a.m.
ET/9:30 a.m. CT on ESPN2.

A popular component of the CITGO Bassmaster Tour events this season is the
highly interactive and family friendly BASS Sponsor Expo area. Sponsors
present interactive exhibits and provide a fun family experience for all ages.
The Expos take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and from 12 p.m. until
6 Sunday at the Old Walker County Airport.

The Jasper BASS Club will also host a Bassmasster CastingKids workshop and
scholarship competition for children ages 7-14, Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 1
p.m. at the Old Walker County Airport.

Day 1: Furious Weather Makes for Tough Fishing on Smith Lake

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Rain and wind combined to make pro anglers miserable, cold, and wet today during the second BASS Tour event of the year. Smith Lake's bass went into hiding during the storms and rain to make day 1 weights noticeably low.

If you doubt that these deteriorating conditions could affect the field, just look at these numbers: only three pros managed to catch a five-bass limit, and the angler currently in fourth place (Ben Matsubu) caught only three bass. What about four bass? Only three anglers caught that amount as well. To further testify to the toughness of Smith Lake, eight pounds is all it takes to place in the top 10.

However, there is a silver lining to the clouds over Smith Lake: the torrential downpour will raise water levels, hopefully bringing bass along with the swell.

"I need to get the fish in the boat," said Ben Matsubu, who lives in Mineola, Texas. "I had six bites and only boated three. The rain will probably help my fish. As shallow as most of them were, it might bring some more of it up, so the water going up might help things. I think I made a mistake by not going back for some today."

Mastubu is going to take chances tomorrow:

"I'm going in a totally different area tomorrow. I'm going in an area I haven't been in and hopefully I'll catch them."

In defiance of the miserable conditions, Louisiana's Greg Hackney managed to boat 16-1 today to lead the field. Hackney and second-place contender Lee Bailey, who caught 14-2, boated two of the three limits that pros managed to haul to the weigh-in at Lewis Smith Lake Dam.

Hackney won more than just a nearly 2-pound lead today by bringing in the heaviest catch of the day, he also became the fifth BASS pro to qualify as a Busch Heavyweight for the Shootout. If his weight remains one of the top 10 heaviest daily catches through all six Tour and four Bassmaster Elite 50 events, Hackney will earn an invitation for the $160,000 Busch Shootout Tournament that will be held at a mystery lake on Sept. 18.

Heading into Friday's round, after which the field will be cut to 12 anglers, Illinois' Chad Morganthaler is in third with 10-15, and Oklahoma's Edwin Evers, fifth with 10-8, rounded out the top five today. Evers was surprised that he was still in the top five, but knows he'll have to fish well tomorrow to stay in the running.

"I only had four today," Evers said. "Tomorrow I'll have to slow down and catch three or four fish. I caught all spots in less than 20 feet of water today."

In addition to the weather, pros face a challenge from Smith's stingy slot limit, which only allows them to bring in fish under 13 inches or over 16. BASS rules allow for fish over 12 inches, and many anglers are bringing in bass that hover just between the 12- and 13-inch marks.

Robert Hamilton of Hattiesburg, Miss., earned today's Purolator Big Bass award with a bass that tipped the scales at 5 pounds, 7 ounces. Hamilton will take home a $1,000 bonus and, if his bass remains the tournament's largest through Sunday's final weigh in, will take home another $1,000.

On the amateur side, only 27 anglers weighed in fish and just seven weighed in more than one. Alabama's Timothy Hatcher leads the field with 8-7, while fellow Alabamian Red Berry and Virginian Alex Sowell both had 6-10 sacks that will tie them for second. Tennessee's Dennis Arendt had 6 pounds to round out the top four.

Day 2 at the Smith Lake gets under way Friday with launch at 7 a.m. from Lewis Smith Lake Dam. Friday's weigh-in, beginning at 3:30 p.m. will also be at the Lewis Smith Lake Dam.

Fans can catch a telecast of the Smith Lake tournament on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 10:30 a.m. ET/9:30 a.m. CT on ESPN2.
 

Day 1 Pro Standings

Rank	Name	Hometown	Bass	Weight
1	Greg Hackney	Gonzales, LA	5	16-00
2	Lee Bailey	Hebron, Conn.	5	14-02
3	Chad Morgenthaler	Coulterville, IL	4	10-15
4	Ben Matsubu	Mineola, TX	3	10-10
5	Edwin Evers	Mannsville, OK	4	10-08
6	Chris Baumgardner	Gastonia, NC	3	10-02
6	Rick Clunn	Ava, MO	5	10-02
8	Kevin Short	Mayflower, AR	4	8-11
9	Charlie Weyer	West Hills, CA	3	8-01
10	Rick Morris	Virginia Beach, VA	3	8-00
11	Brett Hite	Phoenix, Ariz.	3	7-07
12	Kelly Jordon	Mineola, TX	3	7-04

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

13. Robert Hamilton Jr Hattiesburg, Miss. 2 7-03 $1,000.00
Day 1: 2 7-03
14. Gregory Pugh Cullman, Ala. 2 7-02
Day 1: 2 7-02
14. Dean Rojas Grand Saline, Texas 2 7-02
Day 1: 2 7-02
16. Mike Hicks Mineral, Va. 3 7-01
Day 1: 3 7-01
17. Kenyon Hill Norman, Okla. 2 6-13
Day 1: 2 6-13
17. David Mansue Robbinsville, N.J. 2 6-13
Day 1: 2 6-13
17. Morizo Shimizu Murrita, Calif. 3 6-13
Day 1: 3 6-13
20. Mark Shepard Labelle, Fla. 2 6-11
Day 1: 2 6-11
21. Gary Klein Weatherford, Texas 3 6-10
Day 1: 3 6-10
22. Luke Clausen Veradale, Wash. 3 6-09
Day 1: 3 6-09
23. Dustin Wilks Rocky Mount, N.C. 3 6-06
Day 1: 3 6-06
24. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, Okla. 3 6-05
Day 1: 3 6-05
25. Darryl Burkhardt Gresham, Ore. 2 6-03
Day 1: 2 6-03
25. Brooks Rogers Quitman, Texas 3 6-03
Day 1: 3 6-03
27. Jason Quinn Clover, S.C. 3 6-01
Day 1: 3 6-01
27. Tommy Stiles Mc Minnville, Tenn. 3 6-01
Day 1: 3 6-01
29. Jimmy D Mize Ben Lomond, Ark. 3 6-00
Day 1: 3 6-00
30. Dennis Kolender Henderson, Nev. 2 5-14
Day 1: 2 5-14
31. Jeff Reynolds Platter, Okla. 3 5-12
Day 1: 3 5-12
32. Charlie Hartley Grove City, Ohio 2 5-10
Day 1: 2 5-10
32. Aaron Martens Castaic, Calif. 2 5-10
Day 1: 2 5-10
34. Mike Reynolds Modesto, Calif. 2 5-07
Day 1: 2 5-07
35. Mark Tucker Saint Louis, Mo. 2 5-06
Day 1: 2 5-06
36. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, Mich. 2 5-05
Day 1: 2 5-05
37. Marty Stone Linden, N.C. 2 5-02
Day 1: 2 5-02
38. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, Ala. 2 5-01
Day 1: 2 5-01
39. Ken Cook Lawton, Okla. 2 5-00
Day 1: 2 5-00
40. John Crews Jetersville, Va. 2 4-13
Day 1: 2 4-13
41. Matt Reed Madisonville, Texas 2 4-11
Day 1: 2 4-11
42. Gerald Gostenik Dearborn, Mich. 2 4-10
Day 1: 2 4-10
43. Jack A Gadlage Benton, Ky. 2 4-07
Day 1: 2 4-07
43. Kevin Wirth Crestwood, Ky. 2 4-07
Day 1: 2 4-07
45. Bud Pruitt Spring, Texas 2 4-05
Day 1: 2 4-05
46. Mark Menendez Paducah, Ky. 2 4-04
Day 1: 2 4-04
47. Sean Hoernke Quitman, Texas 1 4-03
Day 1: 1 4-03
47. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, Ala. 2 4-03
Day 1: 2 4-03
49. Mark Davis Mount Ida, Ark. 2 3-13
Day 1: 2 3-13
49. Mike McClelland Springdale, Ark. 2 3-13
Day 1: 2 3-13

 

Day 2: Smith Lake Still Stingy on Day Two

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The storms are gone from Smith Lake, but weights are still very low for Day 2. Today's weights were so low, that Lee Bailey of Connecticut caught one bass and took the lead by one pound even. Greg Hackney, Day 1 leader, zeroed today and still remained in the top 12 by nearly four pounds. 12-10 is all it took to make today's top 12 cut; Bailey leads with six bass weighing 18-08.

Bailey caught a single 4-pound 6-ounce bass on a crankbait, in spite of the aftereffects of  Thursday's showers. Many pros predicted that the added six inches of water from Day 1 would help the fishing, but only two anglers caught their five-bass limit today. Bailey, like most anglers, suffered from the influx of water.

"I was fishing way up the river yesterday," Bailey said. "When I went up there today, it was just rolling mud. Every once in a while the fish can get crazy; even when the mud's rolling you can catch them.

"It looks like things will be better tomorrow in the area I'm fishing," Bailey added. "It's been tough, but I like spot fishing. I won an invitational at Table Rock and I've always done well at this kind of fishing. I got lucky today and caught that one 4-6."

California's Charlie Weyer leaped from ninth place into seconds with 9-7 catch on Day 2 to give him a total of 17-8. Weyer used a different pattern than most to catch his two fish Friday and thinks he may have the Smith Lake bass figured out.

"Today I figured out that the creeks are blowing in," he said. "I stayed outside the creeks 40 or 50 feet and cast in them. If the water level rises a lot, that's okay. They're just going to move up. If the temperature drops, that's okay, too. That'll bunch them up more."

Bailey and Weyer led anglers who survived today's top 12 field cut. A second cut will drop the field to just six anglers after Saturday's round.

While the weights were nearly as low as the temperatures Friday, Arkansas' Scott Suggs came screaming back from a zero on Day 1 to 9th. The four-fish sack of 13-12 felt like a breath of fresh air to the current Rookie of the Year leader.

"It's like it was meant to be," Suggs said. "Went into the first day pretty uptight. Fishing yesterday was tough. I fished today with Kim Striker and it was great. It was just relaxed. It's pretty awesome to get the biggest sack from a zero yesterday."

The 13-12 catch qualified Suggs as the Busch Heavyweight of the day. If his weight remains one of the top 10 heaviest qualified catches through all six Tour and four Bassmaster Elite 50 events, Hackney will earn an invitation for the $160,000 Busch Shootout Tournament that will be held at a mystery lake on Sept. 18.

With temperatures expected to plummet below freezing at launch tomorrow, Missouri's Mark Tucker thinks the top 12 will be hurting again for Day 3. His two-day total of 17-2 brought him up to the third spot Friday and included a 6-11 spotted bass that earned him the Purolator Big Bass award for Friday's round. He'll take home a $1,000 bonus for Friday's catch and currently has the tournament's largest bass. If the 6-11 weight hangs on through Sunday,
Purolator will reward him with another $1,000 for the biggest bass of the tournament.

Virginia's Rick Morris (17-0), Kentucky's Jack Gadlage (16-3), Louisiana's Greg Hackney (16-0), Oklahoma's Edwin Evers (15-5), Alabama's Gerald Swindle (14-7), Illinois' Chad Morgenthaler (13-5), Tesas' Ben Matsubu (13-3) and Arkansas' Kevin Short (12-10) complete the list of competitors for day three.

On the amateur side, Alabama's Red Berry claimed the lead with a limit weighing 14-11. He was followed by the Purolator Big Bass award winner on the amateur side, fellow Alabamian Shawn Striker. Striker's 10-7 catch included a 5-14 lunker that earned him an extra $500. Another Alabamian and day one leader Timothy Hatcher zeroed Friday, but his day one weight of 8-7 was strong enough to keep him in third. The amateurs will wrap up their competition on Saturday.

Day three at the Smith Lake gets under way Friday with launch at 7 a.m. from Lewis Smith Lake Dam. Friday's weigh-in, beginning at 4 p.m. will also be held at the Old Walker County Airport.

Fans can catch a telecast of the Smith Lake tournament on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 10:30 a.m. ET/9:30 a.m. CT on ESPN2.


Day 2 Pro Standings

Rank	Name	Hometown	Bass	Weight
1	Lee Bailey	Hebron, Conn.	6	18-08
2	Charlie Weyer	West Hills, CA	5	17-08
3	Mark Tucker	Saint Louis, MO	5	17-02
4	Rick Morris	Virginia Beach, VA	6	17-00
5	Jack A. Gadlage	Benton, KY	7	16-03
6	Greg Hackney	Gonzales, LA	5	16-00
7	Edwin Evers	Mannsville, OK	6	15-05
8	Gerald Swindle	Hayden, AL	5	14-07
9	Scott Suggs	Alexander, AR	4	13-12
10	Chad Morgenthaler	Coulterville, IL	5	13-05
11	Ben Matsubu	Mineola, TX	4	13-03
12	Kevin Short	Mayflower, AR	6	12-10

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$


13. Joe Thomas Milford, Ohio 5 12-00 251 $5,400.00
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 5 12-00
14. Jack L Wade Knoxville, Tenn. 5 11-14 248 $5,300.00
Day 1: 1 2-00 Day 2: 4 9-14
15. Kelly Jordon Mineola, Texas 4 10-11 245 $5,200.00
Day 1: 3 7-04 Day 2: 1 3-07
16. Peter E Thliveros Jacksonville, Fla. 4 10-10 243 $5,100.00
Day 1: 1 2-00 Day 2: 3 8-10
17. David Mansue Robbinsville, N.J. 3 10-07 241 $5,000.00
Day 1: 2 6-13 Day 2: 1 3-10
18. Darryl Burkhardt Gresham, Ore. 4 10-06 239 $4,900.00
Day 1: 2 6-03 Day 2: 2 4-03
19. Dean Rojas Grand Saline, Texas 3 10-03 237 $4,800.00
Day 1: 2 7-02 Day 2: 1 3-01
20. Chris Baumgardner Gastonia, N.C. 3 10-02 235 $4,650.00
Day 1: 3 10-02 Day 2: 0 0-00
20. Rick Clunn Ava, Mo. 5 10-02 235 $4,650.00
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 0 0-00
22. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, Ala. 4 10-01 231 $4,500.00
Day 1: 2 4-03 Day 2: 2 5-14
23. Gregory Pugh Cullman, Ala. 3 9-14 $4,350.00
Day 1: 2 7-02 Day 2: 1 2-12
23. Ray Sedgwick Cross, S.C. 4 9-14 229 $4,350.00
Day 1: 1 1-15 Day 2: 3 7-15
25. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, S.C. 3 9-12 225 $4,200.00
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 9-12
26. Luke Clausen Veradale, Wash. 4 9-07 223 $4,100.00
Day 1: 3 6-09 Day 2: 1 2-14
27. Mark Kile Tonto Basin, Ariz. 3 9-06 221 $3,900.00
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 9-06
28. Brett Hite Phoenix, Ariz. 4 9-04 219 $3,800.00
Day 1: 3 7-07 Day 2: 1 1-13
29. Jay Yelas Tyler, Texas 3 9-03 217 $3,700.00
Day 1: 1 2-09 Day 2: 2 6-10
30. Mark Shepard Labelle, Fla. 3 9-00 215 $3,600.00
Day 1: 2 6-11 Day 2: 1 2-05
31. Dustin Wilks Rocky Mount, N.C. 4 8-13 213 $3,500.00
Day 1: 3 6-06 Day 2: 1 2-07
32. Tom Burns Carbondale, Ill. 3 8-10 211 $3,400.00
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 8-10
33. Brooks Rogers Quitman, Texas 4 8-07 209 $3,300.00
Day 1: 3 6-03 Day 2: 1 2-04
34. Guy H Eaker Cherryville, N.C. 4 8-06 207 $3,150.00
Day 1: 1 2-06 Day 2: 3 6-00
34. Davy Hite Prosperity, S.C. 3 8-06 207 $3,150.00
Day 1: 1 2-12 Day 2: 2 5-10
36. Dennis Kolender Henderson, Nev. 3 8-02 203 $3,000.00
Day 1: 2 5-14 Day 2: 1 2-04
37. Mike Reynolds Modesto, Calif. 3 8-01 201 $2,900.00
Day 1: 2 5-07 Day 2: 1 2-10
38. Brian Snowden Springfield, Mo. 3 8-00 199 $2,800.00
Day 1: 1 3-06 Day 2: 2 4-10
39. Mike Wurm Hot Springs, Ark. 4 7-15 197 $2,700.00
Day 1: 1 1-15 Day 2: 3 6-00
40. Randy Blaukat Joplin, Mo. 3 7-12 195 $2,550.00
Day 1: 1 3-11 Day 2: 2 4-01
40. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, Ala. 3 7-12 195 $2,550.00
Day 1: 2 5-01 Day 2: 1 2-11
42. Kyle Mabrey Birmingham, Ala. 3 7-09 191 $2,450.00
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 7-09
42. Ishama Monroe Patterson, Calif. 2 7-09 191 $2,450.00
Day 1: 1 3-12 Day 2: 1 3-13
44. Aaron Martens Castaic, Calif. 3 7-08 187 $2,400.00
Day 1: 2 5-10 Day 2: 1 1-14
45. Coby Carden Shelby, Ala. 2 7-07 185 $2,350.00
Day 1: 1 3-11 Day 2: 1 3-12
46. Chad Brauer Osage Beach, Mo. 3 7-06 183 $2,350.00
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 7-06
47. Skeet Reese Auburn, Calif. 2 7-05 181 $2,300.00
Day 1: 1 2-02 Day 2: 1 5-03
48. O T Fears III Sallisaw, Okla. 3 7-03 179 $2,233.33
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 7-03
48. Robert Hamilton Jr Hattiesburg, Miss. 2 7-03 179 $3,233.33
Day 1: 2 7-03 Day 2: 0 0-00
48. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, Mich. 3 7-03 179 $2,233.33
Day 1: 2 5-05 Day 2: 1 1-14
 

Day 3: Low Temperatures Hamper Fishing for Third Straight Day

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Gerald Swindle was an odds-on favorite heading to Smith Lake for the second stop on the Bassmaster Tour. However, all anglers, including Swindle, have been severely handicapped by rain, wind, and rapidly dropping temperatures. Unlike the rest of the field, Swindle has prior experience fishing Smith Lake, which is hosting its first BASS event since 1968.

At Saturday's weigh-in, the Alabama angler showed up with a three-fish catch that moved him into fifth place and will give him the chance to fish Sunday's final round.

Although he's just 2 pounds, 4 ounces out of the lead, Swindle will still have his work cut out for him in order to jump past California's Charlie Weyer, whose 7-2 sack brought his total weight up to 24-10 and gave him the lead heading into the final day. Weyer was more than aware of the competitive field nipping at his heels.

"I'm really happy to be where I am, but I could go out tomorrow and not catch a thing," Weyer said. "I've got to get there the first thing in the morning. I found this spot at 2:30 yesterday afternoon. I broke a fish off there and my partner caught an 18-incher but I ran out of time. Today, I decided to start there and they were loaded up. I had three fish in the boat by nine."

A stubborn cold front that produced snow flurries Saturday has played a key role in shaping Weyer's strategy.

"The area I'm fishing has about a half a mile on each side of steep bluffs," he said. "The fish are trying to find that warm water and the run-ins are two or three degrees warmer, plus all the shad are congregating in there because the water is a little off color.

"Tomorrow, there are some spots that I want to try out. I haven't been in this situation before, but I'm going to let it all hang out tomorrow and try to get some more big bites."

Oklahoma's Edwin Evers came up five places to land in second place today with a three-day weight of 23-10. His 8-5 catch won him $1,000 and qualification as a Busch Heavyweight. If his weight remains one of the top 10 heaviest qualified catches through all six Tour and four Bassmaster Elite 50 events, Evers will earn an invitation for the Busch Shootout Tournament.

The Oklahoma angler was not confident about fishing conditions for Sunday's Super Six.

"They seemed to bite better for me today," Evers said. "I caught a lot more fish today for some reason. I don't really know what's going to happen tomorrow, though. I can promise you that I'm going to go out there and try my hardest. I don't have a 'honey hole' type of thing; I'm just going out and running and when I see a place that looks good, I fish it."

Missouri's Mark Tucker landed in third with 23-5, while Day 2 leader Lee Bailey of Connecticut fell to fourth with 22-14 for three days. Swindle (22-6) and Virginia's Rick Morris (19-8) round out the Super Six pros. The six will launch again Sunday morning at 7 a.m. from the Lewis Smith Lake Dam. Sunday's weigh-in, beginning at 4 p.m., will be held at the Old Walker County Airport.

Although Ben Matsubu didn't make the cut into Sunday's final round, the 5-4 bass he weighed in on Saturday earned him a pretty good consolation prize: the $1,000 Purolator Big Bass award. Unless one of Sunday's anglers catches a break (and a big fish), Mark Tucker stands to pick up the $1,000 bonus for the Purolator Big Bass of the Tournament, thanks to a 6-11 fish he caught in Friday's round.

Saturday marked the final day of competition for the amateurs competing on Smith Lake. Alabama's Mike Bagwell won the amateur competition with a three-day weight of 17-5. Bagwell takes home over $36,000 in prizes, including a fully rigged bass boat and a year's worth of free gasoline as part of an incentive program from CITGO.

"It's been a long time overdue," Bagwell said. "It was tough. It's been snowing and it's been cold, but it's all worth it."

Fans can catch a telecast of the Smith Lake tournament on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 10:30 a.m. ET/9:30 a.m. CT on ESPN2.


Day 3 Pro Standings

Rank	Name	Hometown	Bass	Weight
1	Charlie Weyer	West Hills, CA	8	24-10
2	Edwin Evers	Mannsville, OK	10	23-10
3	Mark Tucker	Saint Louis, MO	7	23-05
4	Lee Bailey	Hebron, Conn.	7	22-14
5	Gerald Swindle	Hayden, AL	8	22-06
6	Rick Morris	Virginia Beach, VA	7	19-08

The following anglers did not qualify to fish the final day.

Day 4: Californian Takes Tough BASS Tour Event

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Even though the last three days on Smith Lake have been downright miserable, the sun came out today and helped the temperature to rise slightly.

California's Charlie Weyer used the weather to his best advantage, bringing in 8 pounds of hard-won bass to win his first BASS event. His four day total of 32 pounds 10 ounces put him comfortably above the rest of the field, with a margin of 4-3 over second-place finisher Mark Tucker of Missouri.

Weyer was overwhelmed with excitement about his first BASS Tour victory.

"I'm so excited," Weyer remarked. "I can't believe all these people want my autograph. It's unbelievable. I don't know what to say."

To earn the $100,000 winner's purse, Weyer stuck to his strategy from Day 3 by Carolina rigging a Fred Head shaky head worm on 10-pound test line, which he fished in backwater areas that were still swollen from Thursday's torrential rainstorms.

"These were some of the toughest conditions I've seen in a tournament," Weyer said. "I thought if I could at least catch three fish a day, I could possibly make the top 12. Today, at 12 o'clock I didn't have a fish and I ran to a spot where I caught three fish yesterday and I got three fish in two hours.

"I knew with the weather and the lake coming up, that the run-ins were going to be the key in this tournament. The water came up about 10 or 12 feet in the tournament. Friday, I found two of them and those couple of creeks are where I caught all of my fish."

Weyers picked up an extra $1,000 when his 8-pound sack proved to be the largest of the day, making him Sunday's Busch Heavyweight.

Mark Tucker entered the final day in the third spot, but brought in 5-2 to give him second place with a four-day total of 28-7. Tucker had been fishing deep for most of the first three days, and although his water was muddy, decided to stick with it for day four.

"For the fish I broke off this week and the fish that I lost, it's amazing that I'm still here," he said. "It was tough fishing. This morning I fished for two hours and had to engage my reel with my thumb. It wouldn't work, it was froze up and the water just kept coming up too much. I couldn't visualize where I've been catching my fish the last two days. All I needed was one of those big bites today and I might have had a chance."

Alabama favorite Gerald Swindle ended the tournament with 22-6, putting him in fifth. Swindle said he was thrilled with a top six finish, but is hungry for his first BASS win.

"It's pretty awesome to see everybody here," he said. "You want to do better. When I go to Guntersville, I've got to win, man. That's all there is to it. I have to come back and make the cut. The fire is going to burn deeper and deeper every day, and hotter and hotter."

Sunday's Purolator Big Bass award went to Weyer, who reeled in a 3-pound, 12-ounce bass  that earned him $1,000. Tucker added an extra $1,000 to his tournament earnings when his 6-11 Big Bass from Friday's round proved to be the Purolator Big Bass of the Tournament.

The CITGO Bassmaster Tour heads to Lake Guntersville in two weeks for the third event on the 2004 Tour, Feb. 26-29.

Fans can catch a telecast of the Smith Lake tournament on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 10:30 a.m. ET/9:30 a.m. CT on ESPN2.
 

Day 4 Pro Standings

Rank	Name	Hometown	Bass	Weight	Points	Winnings
1	Charlie Weyer	West Hills, CA	11	32-10	310	$101,000.00
2	Mark Tucker	Saint Louis, MO	9	28-07	295	$39,000.00
3	Lee Bailey	Hebron, Conn.	9	26-15	295	$23,000.00
4	Edwin Evers	Mannsville, OK	11	26-01	285	$20,000.00
5	Gerald Swindle	Hayden, AL	8	22-06	280	$15,000.00
6	Rick Morris	Virginia Beach, VA	8	21-06	276	$14,000.00

By Brandon Shook