As predicted by tournament officials, the final day weigh-in of the Women Bass Fishing Anglers' Tour here was filled with drama, lead changes and a close margin of victory. Starting the final day in third place, Emily Shaffer of Mt. Juliet, TN, cranked her deepest diving Strike King crank bait to a come-from-behind victory. After the final weigh-in Emily told this writer, "My arm is so sore from cranking for two days straight that I can barely lift it, but the reward is more than worth the pain."
Shaffer brought only three bass to the final weigh-in, weighing a total of 10.45 pounds, but it was enough to edge her into first place by a slim margin of only seven tenths of a pound. Her 2-day catch totaled 21.73 pounds. Shaffer took home a total of $7,980 for her first place finish, which included a daily lunker prize of $880 and a bonus lunker prize of $100 furnished by WBFA Tour sponsor Kick'N Bass Scents. Sheri Glasgow, from Muskogee, OK moved from 12th place to finish second, with 21.03 pounds, earning her a check for $3980, which included an $880 daily-lunker award and a $100 bonus lunker award from Kick'N Bass Scents.
Rounding out the in-the-money awards in the Pro Division were: 3rd, Susan Hand from Muscle Shoals, AL with 19.45 pounds and a check for $1,500; 4th Pam Martin-Wells from Bainbridge, GA with 18.56 pounds winning $1,000; 5th Dianna Rogers of Bumpus Mills, TN with 18.39 pounds winning $900; 6th Linda Redford from Blue Eye, MO had 18.05 pounds and won $800; 7th Joan Craig of London, AR with 17.16 pounds winning $600; 8th Donna Newberry from VanBuren, AR with 15.94 pounds and a check for $500; and 9th Judy Wong from Sugarland, TX with 15.94 pounds winning $500.
The Co-Angler Division experienced a complete turn-around of the first-day leaders as Laura Moore, from Vidor, TX, fishing a Carolina Rigged Brush Hog, came from 20th place to win with 14.13 pounds. Moore took home a $2,000 check for her efforts. Debbie Pegoli, of Loveland, OH moved up from 6th to finish 2nd and won $1,000.
Also claiming money from the Co-Angler Division were: 3rd Joan Davis from W. Lafayette, In winning $750; 4th Susan Wild of Lexington, KY winning $500; 5th Liz Sanders from Brandon, Ms winning $450; 6th Robin Babb from Livingston, TX taking home $400; and Bertha Cavakis from Amity, AR winning $300.
Stay'N Charge Charging systems awards one of their state-of-the-art battery charging systems to the first-out-of-the-money contenders of both divisions, at each event. Cindy Hill from Smyrna, TN will receive the Pro Division Stay'N Charge award and the Co-Angler Division award will go to Elaine Morris, of Camden, AR.
Pam Martin-Wells hung onto her lead to win the WBFA Tour Angler Of The Year title, the most prestigious award on most bass tours. Martin-Wells, the all-time leading money-winner of women's professional bass fishing, never finished below 4th place in any of the five 2005 season qualifying events, and ended the season with a total of 490 points, out of a possible 500. Susan Hand from Muscle Shoals, Al took the title of Pro Rookie Of The Year, Sponsored by Mercury Marine, amassing 448 points. Robin Babb from Livingston, TX, captured Co-Angler Of The Year, sponsored by Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits, with a total of 482 points.
This Robbie Cook Memorial Invitational event ended the 2005 regular season, and also served as the first qualifying event of the 2006 regular season. Qualifying points for both the 2005 and 2006 season were earned at this event. The second 2006 regular-season event is scheduled for Neely Henry Lake in Gadsden, Alabama, the month of October, 2005.
The Eufaula/Barbour County Chamber of Commerce hosted the WBFA Tour event, with Lakepoint Resort State Park serving as housing headquarters. Lake Eufaula is a premier fishery for many species of fish, and the city of Eufaula is a wonderful family-vacation destination. Both hospitality and good dining are easily found. Lakepoint Resort State Park and Marina offers housing from camping, rustic cabins, motel/lodge rooms to brand new, scenic cottages on the lake. Their golf course is both challenging and scenic, and opportunities to view wildlife are abundant.