Fishing Tourney Casts Off
7 teams compete for 3 days on Mon
Morgantown Dominion Post
23 September 2009
By Joel Dandy
The West Virginia Bass Federation fishing team left Lake Erie in 2008
with more hardware than it arrived with.
"It was great last year," Robby Fleshman said of the trophy haul. "It
was a good deal since it wasn't our home waters."
This year, the team will be trying to defend its division title against
six other teams at the Bass Federation Mid-Atlantic Divisional
Championship Series, in Morgantown.
The tournament starts today and runs through Friday. Boats launch from
Fort Martin boat ramp at 7 a.m. and anglers fish until their daily
weigh-in dead-line of 3 p.m., at Hazel Ruby McQuain Park.
Anglers bring their best five fish of the day that must be at least 12
inches long and one of three types of black bass: small-mouth,
largemouth or spotter. The state with the highest cumulative
weight over the three-day tournament wins.
Seven teams with 12 members each are competing for a chance to win a
share of the $20,000 prize. West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., are represented.
"These states have fished for more than a year to have their top 12
anglers qualify for this event," said Robert Cartlidge, president of
The Bass Federation's national chapter.
John Burdette, president of the state federation chapter, said more
than 800 registered federation members from West Virginia competed for
the team's 12 available spots.
"They don't fish for a living, so it's tough and it's been a long year
of qualifying," he said. Burdette explained that each year a different
state hosts the event. "Every seven years, your state gets a chance to
host the event and this year it's our turn" he said.
Fleshman, from Charleston, is the only returning member from the 2008
championship team. He's fished the Mon River before but said the
transition from summer into fall is "a tough time of year."
"Right now, they're kind of scattered and it's hard to find the big
ones," Fleshman said. "You might find [the fish] forming schools but
it's tough."
Cartlidge said this tourney is important because it leads into national
competition. Anglers are competing for individual spots in the Bass
Federation national tourney and a chance to win $250,000 next April, in
Knoxville, Ky.
"The top two anglers from each state team will be awarded this honor,"
he said. "This is an important time and a critical step for the
individual angler, who has a lot at stake."
Team and individual winners will be announced Friday, during a trophy
ceremony.