LEESBURG, Fla. - Though international anglers commandeered Day 1 of the BASS Federation Championship bass fishing tournament, it was stateside anglers who overpowered the field Thursday, including tournament leader and 2006 Bassmaster Elite Series angler Bill Lowen of Ohio.
Lowen, of Cincinnati and competing in the Southern division, didn't have a long way to go to reach the top. The formerly second-place angler pounced on Day 1 leader Anré De Villiers of South Africa by catching 10 pounds, 14 ounces and bringing his total weight to 24-9. De Villiers fought back, though, with a 9-2 bag and settled into second place with 24-1. Less than one pound separates the anglers, who are vying for one of six berths into the Bassmaster Classic on Lake Tohopekaliga in Kissimmee, Fla., Feb. 24-26.
To see the nail-biting ending, tune in to ESPN2 Saturday, Jan. 21, at 10 a.m. EST. Coverage will re-air on Jan. 27 at 7 a.m. and again on Jan. 30 at noon.
"As soon as the camera boat was on me, I had my first fish," said Lowen. "I told him he was my lucky charm," he joked.
Lowen covered a half-mile stretch, flipping a 4-inch craw-type lure into thick grass and lily pads. "I started getting good bites at 10 a.m.," said Lowen. "All the fish are buried up in the grass and it's like looking for a needle in a haystack. Tomorrow I've got to slow down and pick it apart a little better than I did today."
De Villiers said he would revisit his sweet spot on Friday, hoping to find the bigger bite. "The fish moved a lot today, and I just got smaller ones," he said.
Italy's Alessandro Debbi remained the sole international angler to keep the lead within his division. Debbi weighed a 1-pound, 8-ounce fish, or just enough to stay on top in the Northern standings with 12-8.
"I lost three fish, broke off one and caught only one keeper," said Debbi. "It wasn't a bad day of fishing, just a bad day for me. Tomorrow will be much better."
Joel St. Germain of Cumberland, R.I., leads the Eastern division with 15 pounds, 4 ounces; Greg Alexander of Hebron, Md., is top of the Mid-Atlantic division with 19-3; James Kennedy commands the Central division with 11-2; and Marc Lippincott of Spokane, Wash., is winning the Western division with 19 pounds even.
All 55 anglers will return to fish on Friday, with their weights carrying over. In addition to $50,000 in total prize money awarded at the Federation Championship, the top angler from each division will advance to the Classic, Feb. 24-26, on Lake Tohopekaliga in Kissimmee, Fla.
2006 Federation Championship 01/09-01/13
Harris Chain Of Lakes, Leesburg Fla.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown D No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1. Bill Lowen Cincinnati, Ohio (KY) S 8 24-09
2. Anre' De Villiers Goodwood, South Africa S 10 24-01
3. Greg Alexander Hebron, Md. (DE) M 9 19-03
4. Marc Lippincott Spokane, Wash. (WA) W 10 19-00
5. Danny Lee Shanz Adamstown, Md. (DC) M 8 18-06
6. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, Ala. (AL) S 9 18-05
7. Bob Soley Trenton, N.J. (NJ) M 9 17-07
8. Nelson Walker Manning, S.C. (SC) S 8 15-06
8. Bill Golightly Preston, Idaho (WY) W 7 15-06
10. Joel St. Germain Cumberland, R.I. (RI) E 10 15-04
11. Joe Conway Colorado Springs, Colo W 6 14-09
12. Mark Schroeder Red Bluff, Calif. (CA) W 8 14-06
13. Roger Bogosh Attieboro, Mass. (MA) E 9 14-04
14. Daniel Gray Butler, Pa. (PA) M 9 14-02
15. Garrett Green Bracebridge, Canada (O E 7 14-01
16. Matthew Sphar Pavilion, N.Y. (NY) E 10 13-05
17. David Mehalechko Gundale, Ariz. (AZ) W 10 12-08
17. Alessandro Debbi Sassliolo, Italy (Ital N 6 12-08
19. Kevin Goff New Martinsville, W.Va M 5 12-06
20. Rob Johnson Murray, Utah (UT) W 7 11-12
21. Fred Myers Bloomington, Ill. (IL) N 8 11-11
22. Jim Severson Breezy Point, Minn. (M N 7 11-10
23. James Kennedy Lacombe, La. (LA) C 3 11-02
24. Kevin Waterman Laplata, Md. (MD) M 3 11-00
25. Gary Thompson Hiram, Ga. (GA) S 8 10-15
26. Scott Parker Londonderry, N.H. (NH) E 10 10-14
27. Doug Moore Van Buren, Ark. (PVA C S 5 10-04
28. Ron Nale Milltown, Ind. (IN) N 5 10-01
29. Bobby Lane Lakeland, Fla. (FL) S 6 9-15
30. Steve Roberts Lynchburg, Va. (VA) M 8 9-12
31. Kevin Miller Augusta, Kan. (KS) C 6 8-09
32. Zachary King Clarksville, Ark. (AR) C 7 8-02
33. Steve Blocker Harrogate, Tenn. (TN) S 5 8-00
34. Ed Cowan Greeley, Pa. (2005 Fed M 6 7-15
35. Gary Yexley Wilsonville, Ore. (OR) W 4 7-10
36. Gerry Jooste Harare, Zimbabwe (Zimb M 5 7-08
37. Sean Alvarez Rutland, Vt. (VT) E 4 6-15
38. Steven Houdek Calmar, Iowa (IA) N 3 6-11
39. Alex Franks Boystown, Neb. (NE) C 3 6-09
40. Lee Sanders Stillwater, Okla. (OK) C 4 6-08
41. Tom Jessop Dalhart, Texas (TX) C 4 5-08
42. Mike Williams Leland, N.C. (NC) S 4 5-05
43. Curtis Spindler Missoula, Mont. (MT) W 4 4-15
44. Joe Hanning Millfield, Ohio (OH) N 3 4-00
45. Jimmy Johnson La Crosse, Wisc. (WI) N 3 3-13
46. Paul Soma Traverse City, Mich. ( N 2 3-12
47. Dusty Womack Caldwell, Idaho (ID) W 2 3-11
48. Gary Steichen Woonsocket, S.D. (SD) N 2 3-09
49. Steven Harris South China, Maine (ME E 1 3-05
50. Greg Lownds Dunbury, Conn. (CT) E 2 3-04
51. Daniel Zepeda Edinburg, Texas (Mexic C 2 2-11
52. Randy Haynes Starkville, Miss. (MS) C 1 1-15
53. Mark Adams Edgewood, N.M. (NM) W 0 0-00
53. Luke Payne Warsaw, Mo. (MO) C 0 0-00
53. Kentaro Yamada Moriguchi, Japan (Japa W 0 0-00
--------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 21 161 293-08
2 11 144 254-11
----------------------------------
32 305 548-03DIVISIONAL STANDINGS Day 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Southern
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Bill Lowen Cincinnati, Ohio (KY) 8 24-09
2 Anre' De Villiers Goodwood, South Africa (S 10 24-01
3 Greg Vinson Wetumpka, Ala. (AL) 9 18-05
4 Nelson Walker Manning, S.C. (SC) 8 15-06
5 Gary Thompson Hiram, Ga. (GA) 8 10-15
6 Doug Moore Van Buren, Ark. (PVA Cham 5 10-04
7 Bobby Lane Lakeland, Fla. (FL) 6 9-15
8 Steve Blocker Harrogate, Tenn. (TN) 5 8-00
9 Mike Williams Leland, N.C. (NC) 4 5-05Mid-Atlantic
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Greg Alexander Hebron, Md. (DE) 9 19-03
2 Danny Lee Shanz Adamstown, Md. (DC) 8 18-06
3 Bob Soley Trenton, N.J. (NJ) 9 17-07
4 Daniel Gray Butler, Pa. (PA) 9 14-02
5 Kevin Goff New Martinsville, W.Va. ( 5 12-06
6 Kevin Waterman Laplata, Md. (MD) 3 11-00
7 Steve Roberts Lynchburg, Va. (VA) 8 9-12
8 Ed Cowan Greeley, Pa. (2005 Federa 6 7-15
9 Gerry Jooste Harare, Zimbabwe (Zimbabw 5 7-08Western
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Marc Lippincott Spokane, Wash. (WA) 10 19-00
2 Bill Golightly Preston, Idaho (WY) 7 15-06
3 Joe Conway Colorado Springs, Colo. ( 6 14-09
4 Mark Schroeder Red Bluff, Calif. (CA) 8 14-06
5 David Mehalechko Gundale, Ariz. (AZ) 10 12-08
6 Rob Johnson Murray, Utah (UT) 7 11-12
7 Gary Yexley Wilsonville, Ore. (OR) 4 7-10
8 Curtis Spindler Missoula, Mont. (MT) 4 4-15
9 Dusty Womack Caldwell, Idaho (ID) 2 3-11
10 Mark Adams Edgewood, N.M. (NM) 0 0-00
10 Kentaro Yamada Moriguchi, Japan (Japan) 0 0-00Eastern
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Joel St. Germain Cumberland, R.I. (RI) 10 15-04
2 Roger Bogosh Attieboro, Mass. (MA) 9 14-04
3 Garrett Green Bracebridge, Canada (ON) 7 14-01
4 Matthew Sphar Pavilion, N.Y. (NY) 10 13-05
5 Scott Parker Londonderry, N.H. (NH) 10 10-14
6 Sean Alvarez Rutland, Vt. (VT) 4 6-15
7 Steven Harris South China, Maine (ME) 1 3-05
8 Greg Lownds Dunbury, Conn. (CT) 2 3-04Northern
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Alessandro Debbi Sassliolo, Italy (Italy) 6 12-08
2 Fred Myers Bloomington, Ill. (IL) 8 11-11
3 Jim Severson Breezy Point, Minn. (MN) 7 11-10
4 Ron Nale Milltown, Ind. (IN) 5 10-01
5 Steven Houdek Calmar, Iowa (IA) 3 6-11
6 Joe Hanning Millfield, Ohio (OH) 3 4-00
7 Jimmy Johnson La Crosse, Wisc. (WI) 3 3-13
8 Paul Soma Traverse City, Mich. (MI) 2 3-12
9 Gary Steichen Woonsocket, S.D. (SD) 2 3-09Central
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 James Kennedy Lacombe, La. (LA) 3 11-02
2 Kevin Miller Augusta, Kan. (KS) 6 8-09
3 Zachary King Clarksville, Ark. (AR) 7 8-02
4 Alex Franks Boystown, Neb. (NE) 3 6-09
5 Lee Sanders Stillwater, Okla. (OK) 4 6-08
6 Tom Jessop Dalhart, Texas (TX) 4 5-08
7 Daniel Zepeda Edinburg, Texas (Mexico) 2 2-11
8 Randy Haynes Starkville, Miss. (MS) 1 1-15
9 Luke Payne Warsaw, Mo. (MO) 0 0-00