CHICAGO, Ill. - In the three short years since the Tournament Trail took the show out west, the bass pros in that region have certainly made their presence known with fishing fans from coast to coast.
Although no western pro has ever won a Top 150 event, they have certainly won the attention of fishing media and fans. Skeet Reese's year-long battle with Tim Horton for the coveted B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year title and Aaron Martens' impressive consistency (qualifying for four finals appearances in seven events) are two of their many examples of excellence on the national scene.
But it was on the three-year-old Western Invitational circuit that the west coast pros really strutted their stuff.
In an April tournament on California's Clear Lake, Nevada's Byron Velvick destroyed the B.A.S.S. record for a three-day catch with a mind-boggling 83 pounds, 5 ounces (15 bass). The previous record had been set a year earlier by another western pro, Robert Lee, who caught 78-3 on the California Delta.
"If you had told me that I would catch 72 pounds, 3 ounces, and finish second, I would have thought you were nuts," Reese said. "But it happened." Martens felt the same way about his third-place catch of 68 pounds.
But there was no reason to offer much sympathy to Reese and Martens. Both enjoyed fabulous seasons in the Western Division.
Despite his youth, Martens, the 27-year-old whiz kid from Castaic, Calif., has long dominated western circuits. He has worked that same magic on the trail, qualifying for the last two BASS Masters Classics. Martens won an Invitational tournament on Lake Oroville in November and displayed enough consistency to walk away with the points title in the West.
Reese, 31, who is also competing in his second Classic, won the Western Invitational on Lake Powell and made the finals in three tournaments on the Top 150 circuit.
The western pros have made a definite impact on the national tournament scene in a short period of time.
"I think it's enlightened the eyes of all of America as far as the quality of fishermen that come from the West," Reese said. "I believe we have the quality fishermen that obviously can compete anywhere and anytime.
"We still have a learning curve coming from the west coast down to the south and eastern part of the country. The fisheries do fish differently," Reese continued. "But I think once an angler becomes accomplished and confident in his skills, once he gets out here, he's going to learn and adapt. The biggest thing is just the learning curve out here and the different styles of lakes. Once you relax and adapt to these situations, I think western fishermen are more than capable of doing well."
"I don't know what people thought about the west coast before, but we may have earned a little respect from the pros out here, the people in general, and the media," Martens added. "It's a good thing I'm sure. It's made the sport bigger.
"Personally, it's been a dream since I was probably 7 or 8 years old. It was my dream to compete on this circuit since I was old enough to watch The on TV. So it's a dream come true for me."
Joining Martens and Reese from the western contingent are fellow two-time Classic qualifier Mark Rizk, a 37-year-old certified marine technician from Antelope, Calif.; Brett Hite, 21, of Phoenix; and Kotaro Kiriyama, 29, of Torrance, Texas (one of two Japanese pros to qualify for the 2000 Classic).
With such talented representatives competing for the most important title in professional fishing July 20-22 in Chicago, could we see the first western pro ever crowned as BASS Masters Classic champion?
"It wouldn't surprise me at all," Reese said. "I have no doubt in my mind that the western guys are more than capable of winning the Classic this year. If they don't win it this year, they're going to win it some year coming up."
The 2000 Classic in Chicago:
During week of July 17-22, the Windy City will be site of the biggest celebration in the sport of fishing. On Wednesday, Jackson Lake Park will be the site of the Kids Klassic' contest (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and a Meet the Pros Autograph session (8 a.m. to 11 p.m.).
McCormick Place will host the highly popular Classic Outdoor Show. This year's show is being held in conjunction with American Sportfishing Association's annual ICAST trade show - meaning that Classic visitors will enjoy a rare opportunity to get a glimpse at all of the new fishing and boating products that will go on the market in 2001.
For the second consecutive year, local and visiting fishing fans will also be treated to an extra day of show attendance on Sunday after the Classic competition has concluded. The show opens on Thursday and runs through Sunday.