(Garland, TX) – The Lady Bass Anglers Association (LBAA) 2011 Rookie of the Year Pam Ridgle is starting out 2012 like a house afire as she earned a hard fought come from behind victory to take home the win in the Lady Bass Anglers Association’s Lake Ray Hubbard bass fishing tournament. Ridgle’s two-day ten bass total came to 24.27 pounds to put her atop the leader board.
Ridgle who was in sixth place after day one obviously had her work cut out for her on day two. What happened?
“The wind didn’t blow today and it that allowed me to slow down and fish the way I wanted to,” Ridgle commented.
“By 10 AM I had four fish and was looking for the fifth. Everywhere I went, there were other competitors on the spots I wanted to fish. Finally around 1:30 I started culling as I was able to get on a couple spots and let it (the worm) do its thing,” Ridgle a Murchison, Texas resident added.
The bait of choice was a Wave Tiki Stick in the New Orleans color rigged wacky style.
“This is something you dream of doing and I’m still in the state of – I don’t believe this yet,” Ridgle added. “I know I can fish but when it comes to competitive fishing there are so many things that come in to play. This is just very overwhelming.”
“I thank God for the beautiful creation He gave us and for the beautiful waters He gave us to fish,” Ridgle concluded.
Joey Ridgle Septic, First State Bank of Brownsboro, Wave Worms, Fish Guardian, and Temple Fork Outfitters, Brass `n Blades, and Beckat Oil and Fuel, sponsors Ridgle.
Pelham, Alabama’s Kim Bain-Moore who had ten bass over the two days of competition that weighed 22.69 pounds earned second place. Simpsonville, South Carolina’s Martha Goodfellow was in third with 22.41. Fourth was Lynda Gessner with 21.49. Fifth, sixth, and seventh respectively were Leslie Anderson with 19.34, Pam Martin-Wells with 18.77, and Robbie Hartline with 18.46.
The Legend Big Bass Pro Division Award for Ray Hubbard was Foristell, Missouri’s Robbie Hartline as her 6.83 pound bass that she caught on Thursday held up through Friday. Hartline as you remember stated she was fishing slow and shallow. “I caught my big bass in the back of Bay View using a Spro Little John crankbait. The color I was using was Cellmate. It seemed to be a big fish bait,” Hartline added.
On the Co-angler side of the Lake Ray Hubbard event Fayetteville, Georgia’s Diane Smith had a huge come from behind win to claim her first ever LBAA Co-angler Championship. Smith zeroed, that is right – zeroed on day one of competition.
Weather was also a factor in Smith’s charge from back in the pack to first. “The wind, rain, and waves all stopped today and I could fish slowly like I wanted to, and it made all the difference,” Smith confidently commented.
Smith’s bait of choice was a Carolina rigged lizard watermelon candy in color.
“This is my first co-angler win with the LBAA and it feels great,” Smith stated. “This feels even better after zeroing yesterday.”
Finishing second at Hubbard in the co-angler division was Diana Uebelhack with 13.78, third was Jodi Galloway with 13.64, fourth went to Kim Giddens with 8.56, fifth was Alisa Johnson with 8.19, sixth was Vicki Henderson with 7.30, and in seventh was Cindy Strong with 4.18.
The Legend Big Bass Co-angler Division Award also went to the LBAA Lake Ray Hubbard Co-angler Champion Smith who caught a 6.78-pound bass from Hubbard’s waters.
Sponsors of the 2012 Lady Bass Anglers Association Tour are:
Bass Angler Magazine, Red Dirt Baits, Reaction Innovations, All Pro Rods, Legend Boats, Bass Kandi Baits, Kick’n Bass, Integrity Insurance, Progressive Insurance, Reel Girls Fish, Vickie’s Threadworks, Minn Kota, Hummingbird, River Runner Baits, Castaway, Rayjus, Save Phace, Deka Batteries, Fish Guardian, West Kentucky LED, ATF, Eco Pro Tungsten, and Sure Life.
Contingency Programs:
Legend Advantage Program, BoatUS Weigh-to-Win, Toyota Tundra Bonus Bucks, RayJus Wear It to Win, Skeeter Real Money, Phoenix First Flight, BassCat Quest, Triton Gold and Captain’s Cash.
Local Sponsors for Lake Ray Hubbard:
City of Garland, American Receivable, Bass Pro Shops Garland, Waffle House, Bakers Ribs, Bob LaMarch (Sand Bass’n Guide Service), Millennium Salon & Spa, Rural Electric Service, Wal-Mart of Greenville, Lake Fork Tackle, Primo’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Fishing World, Networking Warriors, Rockwall Marine, All Star Marine Electronics, Chili’s of Garland, Sonic, Cici’s Pizza, Dallas Bass’n Gals, Backward C Bucking Bulls, and Evans and Horton Roofing.
The LBAA 2012 tour heads back to Lake Dardanelle just outside of Russellville, Arkansas on May 17-19 for stop number two. Then the LBAA’s mid-summer stop is July 12-14 at Kentucky Lake – South, in Tennessee. The fourth and final regular season stop is at Alabama’s Lake Neely Henry September 6-8. The 2012 LBAA Lady Bass Classic will be held on Alabama’s Lake Guntersville on October 11-13, 2012.