GADSDEN, Ala. - Skills honed on South Carolina's plentiful bass lakes helped angler Brent Long tame Alabama's Lake Neely Henry on Thursday. The 36-year-old pulled into first place at the BASS Federation Nation National Championship with a second-day catch of 18 pounds, 9 ounces.
Long's two-day total was 33 pounds, 9 ounces and the Catawba, S.C., angler moved up from fifth place into a commanding lead of more than five pounds over Oklahoma's Royce Dennington, who on Thursday inched up from third into second place.
If Long holds on, he will take home $15,000 in cash and a Triton boat package valued at $50,000. The winner's most coveted prize, however, is a 2007 Bassmaster Classic berth; a victorious Long would take the Classic spot reserved for the Federation Nation's Southern division. He would be joined at the Feb. 23-25 Classic in Birmingham, Ala., by the leading angler in each of the five other Federation Nation geographical divisions.
"Neely Henry fishes similar to the lakes that I am used to fishing back home, like Lake Murray and Lake Wylie," Long said. "I feel very comfortable out here."
Long said that early in the day, he got reaction bites with a crankbait while later in the day, he looked for larger bites with a jig.
The part-time general contractor estimated that 45 pounds - a weight he felt was well within his reach - will be enough to win.
Dennington, although more than five pounds behind Long, wasn't out of the game yet. A high school science teacher, Dennington has brought in two solid limits totaling 28 pounds, 2 ounces, and said he saved key spots for Friday in anticipation of a tough final day. His go-to bait has been a custom-made jig, which he's working in 9 to 15 feet of water.
"I have only found one place that they are biting and I plan to spend the whole day [Friday] in that area," the 39-year-old said.
Shigeru Tsukiyama of Tokyo, Japan, finished the second day with 27-7, pushing him down one place to third. Texan Jimmy Johnson was fourth with 27-4. Rounding out the top five with 26-2 was David Kromm of Washington state.
Leading after Thursday in each of the six geographic regions were Terry McWilliams (Northern), Dennington (Central), Tsukiyama (Western), Scott Nadeau (Eastern), Long (Southern) and Ivan Morris (Mid-Atlantic). Morris is the brother of Bassmaster Elite Series angler Rick Morris. Complete divisional standings can be found below.
The 2006 Federation Nation champion, Anré De Villiers, was 21st going into the final day. Alabama's Justin Nichols was 29th and ex-Classic competitor Joel St. Germain was 30th.
2007 Federation Nation Championship 1/17-1/19
Neely Henry Lake, Gadsden AL.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Brent Long Catawba, SC 5 33-09 0
2. Royce Dennington Barnsdall, OK 5 28-02 0
3. Shigeru Tsukiyama Tokyo JAPAN 5 27-07 0
4. Jimmy Johnson Ganado, TX 5 27-04 0
5. David Kromm Kennewick, WA 5 26-02 0
6. Ivan Morris Virginia Beach, VA 4 25-08 0
7. Bryan Thrift Shelby, NC 5 24-10 0
8. Kevin Waterman Laplata, MD 2 24-04 0
9. Terry McWilliams Greenfield, IN 5 22-02 0
10. Greg Alexander Hebron, MD 5 21-13 0
11. Mike Edrington Olathe, KS 3 21-10 0
12. Hoyt Akins Alexander, AR 5 20-11 0
13. Scott Nadeau Springvale, ME 2 19-06 0
14. Dean Morris Tavares, FL 5 18-08 0
15. Tim Runions New Tazewell, TN 3 17-15 0
16. Jeff Brown Brandon, SD 5 17-14 0
17. Mike Mattis Hudson, WI 5 17-11 0
18. Mike McDonald Llanda Bulawayo ZIMBABW 3 17-07 0
19. Sean Alvarez Rutland, VT 5 17-06 0
20. Chris Novack Willington, CT 5 17-00 0
21. Anre' De Villiers Goodwood SOUTH AFRICA 4 16-15 0
21. Jim Lambert Pittsburg, PA 5 16-15 0
23. Bryan McNeal Enon, OH 5 16-07 0
24. David Junk Quincy, IL 4 16-03 0
25. Robert Laufenberg Dover, NJ 2 16-01 0
26. Marco Rodriguez Nyssa, OR 3 15-01 0
26. Gary Yexley Wilsonville, OR 5 15-01 0
28. Jim Severson Breezy Point, MN 4 13-03 0
29. Justin Nichols Tuscaloosa, AL 1 12-09 0
30. Joel St. Germain Cumberland, RI 3 12-08 0
31. David Porter Zephyrhills, FL 5 12-02 0
32. Curtis Spindler Missoula, MT 5 11-06 0
33. Mark Rorke St Cathrines ONTARIO CA 2 11-02 0
33. Luke Payne Warsaw, MO 1 11-02 0
33. Scott Lakey Augusta, MI 1 11-02 0
36. Ed Peterson Auburn, CA 5 10-13 0
37. Martin De Kock Crammond SAMOA 5 10-08 0
38. Greg Pink Montrose, UT 2 09-01 0
39. Bruce Shockley Hammond, LA 3 08-12 0
40. Pat Klausen Lincoln, NE 2 07-12 0
41. Ken Larrabee Phoenix, AZ 3 06-10 0
42. Alan Fluharty Fairmont, WV 2 05-15 0
43. Stephen Siddoway Teton, ID 1 05-14 0
44. Roberto Rondinini 0 05-06 0
45. John Gardner Durango, CO 0 03-02 0
46. Carl Hunter Snellville, GA 1 03-00 0
47. Edgar Romero 1 02-14 0
48. Eric Femiak Taunton, MA 3 02-13 0
49. Marks Wilkinson Pearlington, MS 1 02-12 0
50. Mark Adams Edgewood, NM 2 02-08 0
51. Les Underwood Louisville, KY 1 01-12 0
52. Joseph Matt Syracuse, NY 0 01-08 0
53. Pete Cherkas Des Moines, IA 1 01-05 0
53. Brian Morin Manchester, NH 0 01-05 0
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 20 168 384-07
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20 168 384-07
TEAM STANDINGS Day 2
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State Lbs-Oz
1 Southern 80-05
2 Western 67-03
3 Central 65-12
4 Mid-Atlantic 56-11
5 Northern 55-15
6 Eastern 37-07
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 1
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Northern
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Terry McWilliams Greenfield, IN 5 22-02 0
2 Jeff Brown Brandon, SD 5 17-14 0
3 Mike Mattis Hudson, WI 5 17-11 0
4 Bryan McNeal Enon, OH 5 16-07 0
5 David Junk Quincy, IL 4 16-03 0
6 Jim Severson Breezy Point, MN 4 13-03 0
7 Scott Lakey Augusta, MI 1 11-02 0
8 Roberto Rondinini 0 05-06 0
9 Pete Cherkas Des Moines, IA 1 01-05 0
Central
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Royce Dennington Barnsdall, OK 5 28-02 0
2 Jimmy Johnson Ganado, TX 5 27-04 0
3 Mike Edrington Olathe, KS 3 21-10 0
4 Hoyt Akins Alexander, AR 5 20-11 0
5 Luke Payne Warsaw, MO 1 11-02 0
6 Bruce Shockley Hammond, LA 3 08-12 0
7 Pat Klausen Lincoln, NE 2 07-12 0
8 Edgar Romero 1 02-14 0
9 Marks Wilkinson Pearlington, MS 1 02-12 0
Western
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Shigeru Tsukiyama Tokyo JAPAN 5 27-07 0
2 David Kromm Kennewick, WA 5 26-02 0
3 Marco Rodriguez Nyssa, OR 3 15-01 0
3 Gary Yexley Wilsonville, OR 5 15-01 0
5 Curtis Spindler Missoula, MT 5 11-06 0
6 Ed Peterson Auburn, CA 5 10-13 0
7 Greg Pink Montrose, UT 2 09-01 0
8 Ken Larrabee Phoenix, AZ 3 06-10 0
9 Stephen Siddoway Teton, ID 1 05-14 0
10 John Gardner Durango, CO 0 03-02 0
11 Mark Adams Edgewood, NM 2 02-08 0
Eastern
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Scott Nadeau Springvale, ME 2 19-06 0
2 Sean Alvarez Rutland, VT 5 17-06 0
3 Chris Novack Willington, CT 5 17-00 0
4 Joel St. Germain Cumberland, RI 3 12-08 0
5 Mark Rorke St Cathrines ONTARIO CA 2 11-02 0
6 Eric Femiak Taunton, MA 3 02-13 0
7 Joseph Matt Syracuse, NY 0 01-08 0
8 Brian Morin Manchester, NH 0 01-05 0
Southern
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Brent Long Catawba, SC 5 33-09 0
2 Bryan Thrift Shelby, NC 5 24-10 0
3 Dean Morris Tavares, FL 5 18-08 0
4 Tim Runions New Tazewell, TN 3 17-15 0
5 Anre' De Villiers Goodwood SOUTH AFRICA 4 16-15 0
6 Justin Nichols Tuscaloosa, AL 1 12-09 0
7 David Porter Zephyrhills, FL 5 12-02 0
8 Martin De Kock Crammond SAMOA 5 10-08 0
9 Carl Hunter Snellville, GA 1 03-00 0
10 Les Underwood Louisville, KY 1 01-12 0
Mid-Atlantic
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Ivan Morris Virginia Beach, VA 4 25-08 0
2 Kevin Waterman Laplata, MD 2 24-04 0
3 Greg Alexander Hebron, MD 5 21-13 0
4 Mike McDonald Llanda Bulawayo ZIMBABW 3 17-07 0
5 Jim Lambert Pittsburg, PA 5 16-15 0
6 Robert Laufenberg Dover, NJ 2 16-01 0
7 Alan Fluharty Fairmont, WV 2 05-15 0