Big Workout
The record-breaking competition in the Bassmaster Classic has created quite a strain on the muscles of BASS Tournament Director Trip Weldon.
Weldon, who is a booming 5'6 and 140 pounds, places fish into a plastic basket and then lifts the container on and off the BASS scales for the weigh-ins.
In the last two days, he has lifted more than two tons of cumulative weight. The total weight of the 492 fish caught is 1,310 pounds, but the basket itself weighs 27 pounds and Weldon has lifted it 102 times over the two days, adding 2,754 pounds to his workout. All totaled, Weldon has lifted 4,064 pounds while performing his duties, with one day of competition remaining.
CastingKids
Kiana Clark, 10, of Richland, Wash., and Alex Thomas, 14, of Crofton, Md., became champions after winning the National Bassmaster CastingKids competition Saturday at the Classic.
In the final round held during the pre-show of the Day 2 weigh-in at the Orange County Convention Center, Clark won the championship in the 7-10 age group for the second straight year, edging Bryce Bason, 10, of Mill Hall, Penn. Bason also finished second to Clark in last year's finals at the Bassmaster Classic in Pittsburgh.
"It means a lot to me," said Clark. "I can remember this for the rest of my life." Her sister, Jori Clark, was a finalist in the 11-14 age group but was bested by Thomas. Each winner received a $5,000 scholarship.
"I didn't think I was going to win because everybody was so good," said Thomas. "I was really nervous."
The CastingKids program was developed in 1991 to teach the techniques of bass fishing to children, and competitions focus on pitching, flipping and casting a hookless lure at a bulls-eye target. Twelve children advanced through local, state and national semifinal levels and competed in the finals representing six divisions of the country.
"They are two awesome kids from two awesome families," said Stacy Twiggs, senior manager of BASS youth programs. "They are absolutely the epitome of what we want the future of our sport to be."
Fishing with Presidents
BASS founder Ray Scott has gone fishing with both George H. Bush and George W. Bush, he told a crowd gathered at the BASS Booth at the Classic ESPN Outdoors Expo on Saturday.
Who was the better angler? "The old man (former President George H. Bush) isn't ready for tournaments, but he absolutely loves it," said Scott, while participating in a forum onstage at the booth. "I've been fishing with him about a half-dozen times, and he likes escaping the mayhem, just getting out and hearing the birds and enjoying it. But his son is a really good fisherman," said Scott. "He fished at my lake one time before he became (Texas) governor and he had 18 bass on a stringer, just to show me that he could do it."
Missing the Action
ESPN television personality and Elite Series angler Stephen Browning can't wait to get started fishing the new series when action begins next month at Lake Amistad in Del Rio, Texas. But right now, Browning is definitely missing being a part of the competition this weekend in the Bassmaster Classic.
"I've been doing some seminars here at the tanks and have been getting lots of bites," said the Hot Springs, Ark., resident, who appears on "Bass Tech" on ESPN2. "I wish they had bitten like that for me last year so I could have qualified the Classic."
Browning was interviewed onstage Saturday by Bassmaster magazine editor James Hall at the BASS Booth.
"I knew the Classic was going to be this way, with lots of big fish being caught," he said. "These guys are the best in the world, and anytime you go to a body of water with this type of quality fish, these guys are going to catch them."
More personalities from the bass-fishing industry will take questions at the BASS Booth on Sunday. Charlie Moore, host of the ESPN Outdoors show "Beat Charlie Moore," will speak at 11 a.m., while Melinda Mize, daughter of Classic contender Jimmy Mize and angler Lucy Mize, who is fishing the Women's Bassmaster Tour, will be onstage at 1 p.m.
Trip of a Lifetime
Though the Classic competition officially began Friday, the recent Junior Bassmaster World Championship set the stage for this week's intense competition. While not all of the aspiring pros brought bass to the scales, each one walked away with an experience of a lifetime.
"It was great!" said Isaac Kraushaar of Hutchinson, Kansas, who fished with reigning 2005 Classic champion Kevin VanDam. "He knew exactly what to do and gave us tips for every type of weather. He is a really nice guy and I'd definitely do it again."
Ryan Taylor of Canyon Lake, Calif., fished with reigning 2005 Angler of the Year Aaron Martens. "I couldn't believe it when my name got drawn, I really wanted to fish with him," Taylor said. "We were just hanging out, having a fun time fishing and getting bites."
Payden Hibdon of Stover, Mo., won the 11-14 age division with 9 pounds, 5 ounces, and Nick Kelly of Brownsville, Tenn., won the 15-18 age division with 12 pounds. Each received a $5,000 scholarship; a Triton boat with a Mercury motor valued at $8,000; and a Walt Disney World experience.
Another crowd
Less than 1,500 spectators came out to Kissimmee Lakefront Park in Kissimmee to watch Saturday morning's launch of the Classic. BassCenter hosts John Kernan and Byron Velvick also were at the park broadcasting live.
Segraves Gratified
The return of the Classic to Lake Toho is extremely gratifying to Kissimmee resident Terry Segraves, an angler on the Elite Series. Six years ago, Segraves met with officials of his hometown to discuss bringing the event to the area.
Segraves first approached Tim Hemphill, executive director of the Kissimmee Convention and Visitors Bureau, who introduced the angler to Jim Murphy, then heading the Central Florida Sports Commission. "We met in a little restaurant in St. Cloud and got the ball rolling," said Murphy, now chairman of the Osceola County Tourism Development Council.
"They give me a lot of credit, but I just sparked an idea and they took it from there and made it what you see here today," Segraves said. In addition to continuing his fishing career, Segraves supports The V Foundation for Cancer Research by helping stage a pro-am fishing tournament each year in Kissimmee.
"We have awakened a giant of fans here," he said.
On the Water Live Chat
Bass fishing fans posed questions to Classic anglers while they were fishing through a live chat powered by Mobile ESPN. Anglers submitted their questions on www.Bassmaster.com and a chat administrator relayed the responses, offering instant gratification. Early on Saturday, Marty Stone - who did not make the cut and will not fish on Day 3 - was asked where he was fishing.
"I made the long run earlier this morning and didn't like what I saw," he posted to the Web site. "So now I've moved closer back to the start. Here, I have more areas where I can move around. It's also more of a confidence thing.