TRENTON, Mich. (Aug. 17, 2007) - Pro David Hasty of Toledo, Ohio, caught a five-bass limit weighing 23 pounds, 6 ounces Friday to capture the lead in the $275,225 Stren Series Northern Division bass fishing tournament on the Detroit River. With a three-day catch of 15 bass weighing 61-11, he holds a 1-pound lead over his closest competitor heading into the final day of competition.
Rounding out the top five pros are AC Campbell of Mineral Springs, Pa. (15 bass, 60-12); Koby Kreiger of Okeechobee, Fla. (15 bass, 59-01); Terry Baksay of Easton, Conn. (15 bass, 58-15); and Mike Trombly of Perrysburg, Ohio (15 bass, 58-09).
Also clearing the top 10 cut weight of 56 pounds, 2 ounces in the Pro Division are Chip Harrison of Bremen, Ind.; Jacob Powroznik of Prince George, Va.; Brian Hensley of Edwardsburg, Mich.; Chris Oeser of Egg Harbor Township, N.J.; and Mike Crisp of Union Grove, Wis.
Hasty earned $285 for the Snickers Bi g Bass award in the Pro Division thanks to a 6-pound, 3-ounce bass.
The weather forecast for Saturday calls for mostly sunny skies with a high of 72 degrees and winds of 5 to 10 miles per hour. Overall there were 661 bass weighing 1947 pounds, 2 ounces caught by 165 pros Friday. The catch included 97 five-bass limits. Pros are competing for as much as $65,000, including a 519VX Ranger powered by Evinrude or Yamaha if contingency guidelines are met, and valuable points toward qualifying for the $1 million Stren Series Championship in Mobile, Ala., Nov. 8-11 for a shot at $140,000. After four qualifying events are complete in each of the circuit's five divisions, the top 40 pros from each division will advance to the championship. The highest-finishing pro from each division at the championship will also earn a spot in the $2 million 2008 Forrest Wood Cup, where they will compete on Lake Murray in Columbia, S.C., against top pros from the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Ranger Owners Tournament Championship Series and TBF (The Bass Federation) for bass fishing's biggest prize - $1 million.
Robert Case of Point, Texas, leads the Co-angler Division in the chase for a top award of $35,000, including a 519VX Ranger if contingency guidelines are met, thanks to a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 53-07.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Jeffery Cox of Saline, Mich. (15 bass, 50-02); Charles Hasty of Toledo, Ohio (15 bass, 49-08); Renee Hensley of Edwardsburg, Mich. (14 bass, 49-05); and Lynn Baciuska Jr. of Afton, N.Y. (15 bass, 46-12). Also clearing the top 10 cut weight of 44 pounds, 9 ounces in the Co-angler Division are Robert Barta of Deerfield, Mich.; Steve Lewis of Marcellus, Mich.; Darren Heavner of Hartville, Ohio; Kris Thornton of Osceola, Ind.; and Doug Caldwell of Kane, Pa.
Stephen Semelsberger Jr. of Mt. Airy, Md., earned $144 for the Snickers Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division thanks to a 5-pound, 11-ounce bass.
Overall there were 537 bass weighing 1504 pounds, 14 ounces caught by 163 co-anglers Friday. The catch included 58 five-bass limits.
The top 40 co-anglers from each Stren Series division will also advance to the championship, where they will fish for as much as $70,000. The highest-finishing co-angler from each division at the championship will then advance to the 2008 Forrest Wood Cup.
Anglers will take off at 6:30 Saturday morning from Elizabeth Park Marina located at 202 Grosse Isle Parkway in Trenton, Mich. Saturday's final weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 23800 Allen Road in Woodhaven, Mich., beginning at 4 p.m. The takeoff and weigh-in are free and open to the public.