Lady Bass Angler : Women's Bassmaster Tour News Archives

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=165 BGCOLOR="#3333CC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Women Fishing Business Owners"><IMG SRC="076d43c0.jpg" border=0 width="468" height="60" ALT="Lady Bass Angler www.ladybassangler.com The online meeting place for women who fish for bass" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Women Fishing Business Owners">Women Owned Businesses</A>  |  <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Womens Bassmaster Tour Stops and Info">WBT Tournament Info</A>  |  <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/wbt/index" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassm">WBT Website</A> |  <A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Womens Bassmaster Tournament Results : L">WBT Tournament Results </A>  |  <B>WBT News Archives </B>|  <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : : Womens Bassmaster T">WBT Point Rankings</A>  |  <A HREF="member_list.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WBT Fellowship of Christian Anglers :: F">WBT FOCAS Group</A> </div> <div> <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Women Fishing :: Meet the Lady Bass Angl">"Meet the Lady Bass Angler" Bio's </A> |  <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler :: WBT Youth Articles">Youth</A>  | <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler Article Archives">Article Archives </A> |  <A HREF="id37.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Women Fishing :: Lady Bass:Anglers Perso">Lady Angler Personal Websites</A>  | <A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Women Fishing :: Local Ladies Bass Fishi"> Local Club Directiory </A> |  <A HREF="contact_us.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lady Bass Anglers :: B.A.S.S. 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ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1269b3a0.gif" border=0 width="155" height="58" ALT="Keel Shield Hull Protectors" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>  <script type="text/javascript" src="http://optimizedby.rmxads.com/st?ad_type=ad&ad_size=120x600&section=200706"></script>   </B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFFCC WIDTH="722"><bR> <div> <A HREF="#sporty_women__mercury_marine_women_s_1" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>SPORTY WOMEN</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#rookies_ready_to_challenge_seven_return" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>Rookies Ready to Challenge Seven Return Contenders in WBT Championship</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#women_s_bassmaster_tour_co_angler" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>Women’s Bassmaster Tour Co-Angler Championship a One-of-a-Kind Competition</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#what_s_your_pet_peeve_when_fishing" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>What’s your pet peeve when fishing tournaments? </B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#disappointment_in_georgia" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>Disappointment In Georgia</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#bass_announces_2007_women_s_bassmaster" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>BASS ANNOUNCES 2007 WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR SCHEDULE</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#bassespn_photo" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>DIANNA CLARK BECOMES FIRST-EVER TOYOTA WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR ANGLER OF THE YEAR</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#tammy_richardson_triumphs_at_the_bull" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>TAMMY RICHARDSON TRIUMPHS AT THE BULL SHOALS WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#seeing_double" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>Seeing Double </B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#august_06__in_the_media_sightings______" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>In the Media Sightings-August 06</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#canadian_terri_mackinnon" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>Canadian, Terri MacKinnon Literally"Jumps for Joy"</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#lake_dardanelle_to_host_4th_women_s" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>LAKE DARDANELLE TO HOST 4TH WOMEN’S BASSMASTER EVENT OF THE SEASON </B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#lucy_mize_to_fish_citgo_bassmaster_" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>LUCY MIZE TO FISH CITGO BASSMASTER NORTHERN TOUR ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN </B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#lisa_sternard_hangs_on_for_the_win" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>LISA STERNARD HANGS ON FOR THE WIN Lake Norman Challenges Field in Third Women’s Bassmaster Tour Event</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#tennessean_shoots_into_women_s_tour_lead" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>TENNESSEAN SHOOTS INTO WOMEN’S TOUR LEAD</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#expected_thunderstorms_to_shake_up" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>EXPECTED THUNDERSTORMS TO SHAKE-UP FISHING ON LAKE NORMAN</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#huntersville_n_c____if_you_just_won_an" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>If you just won an ESPY, do you relax and rest on your laurels?</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#women_s_bassmaster_tour_moves_to" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR MOVES TO CHARLOTTE</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#wbt_angler_jo_dee_bucki" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>WBT Angler Jo Dee Bucki</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#tammy_richardson_wins__best_angler__espy" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>TAMMY RICHARDSON WINS ‘BEST ANGLER’ ESPY</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#gregory_survives_katrina_and_catches" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>Gregory Survives Katrina and Catches the Big Ones </B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#tammy_richardson_heads_for_hollywood" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>Tammy Richardson Heads for Hollywood</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#wbt_getting_wrapped" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>WBT getting wrapped (Jen Carrol)</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#litter_another_problem_at_local_lake" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>Litter another problem at local lake (Kim Striker)</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#retired_naval_officer_fishing_mercury" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>RETIRED NAVAL OFFICER FISHING MERCURY MARINE WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR (Rose Ellis)</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#a_love_for_the_outdoors" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>A LOVE FOR THE OUTDOORS (Marcia Rubin)</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#wbt_anglers_escape_accident" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>WBT Anglers Escape Accident (McKinney & Sesco)</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#team_fisher_girl_dianna_clark_takes" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>DIANNA CLARK TAKES WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR WITH WIRE-TO-WIRE WIN</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#wbt_angler_lands_sponsorship_with" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>WBT ANGLER LANDS SPONSORSHIP WITH COCA-COLA (Jo Dee Bucki)</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#women_bassmaster_pros_make_return_trip" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>WOMEN BASSMASTER PROS MAKE RETURN TRIP TO LEWISVILLE</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#media_darling" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>Media Darling (Violet Sesco)</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#angler_travels_from_south_africa_to" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>ANGLER TRAVELS FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO FISH  WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR (Christie Thomas)</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#wbt_kick_off_gets_big_time_approval" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>WBT Kick-Off Gets Big Time Approval</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#where_s_the_boat__" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>WHERE'S THE BOAT?? (Tammy Richardson)</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#the_arkansas_factor" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>THE ARKANSAS FACTOR</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#teamwork_nabs_thief__stolen_equipment" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B> </B></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="#teamwork_nabs_thief__stolen_equipment" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>TEAMWORK NABS THIEF; STOLEN EQUIPMENT RETUNED TO JAPANESE WBT ANGLER </B></A></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="#safety__what_s_the_fuss_all_about_" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>Safety--What's the Fuss all about?</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#oldest_active_bass_tournament_1" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>OLDEST ACTIVE BASS TOURNAMENT COMPETITOR FISHING WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR (Sesco)</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#toyota_to_sponsor_new_women_s" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>TOYOTA TO SPONSOR NEW WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR ANGLER OF THE YEAR PROGRAM</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#tammy_richardson_wins_first_event_of" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>TAMMY RICHARDSON WINS FIRST EVENT OF WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#first_women_s_bassmaster_tour_title_is" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>FIRST WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR TITLE IS ON THE LINE</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#women_s_bassmaster_tour_angler_to_wed" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR ANGLER TO WED AT SEASON-OPENING EVENT</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#one_less_mize_on_wbt" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>One less Mize on WBT</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#vacation_leads_to_fishing_career_for" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>VACATION LEADS TO FISHING CAREER FOR ANGLER (Angie Douthit)</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#funeral_arrangments_set_for" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>Funeral Arrangments set for Angler Robin Crawley </B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#wbt_anglers_excited_week_before" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>WBT ANGLERS EXCITED WEEK BEFORE SEASON-OPENER</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#women_s_bassmaster_tour_championship" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL PRACTICE HAS WOMEN READY</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#lady_bass_angler_website_sponsor" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>Lady Bass angler website sponsor news.......</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#tough_competitor" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>TOUGH COMPETITOR</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#babb_s_zephyr_" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>BABB’S ZEPHYR</B></A><A HREF="#babb_s_zephyr_" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou">.</A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#wbt_angler_jo_dee_bucki" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>WBT Professional angler, Jo Dee Bucki and her Whippet, Maya</B></A><A HREF="#wbt_angler_jo_dee_bucki" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B> </B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#are_you_getting_excited_thinking_about" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>ARE YOU GETTING EXCITED THINKING ABOUT FISHING LAKE GUNTERSVILLE?</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#toyota_texas_bass_classic" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>TOYOTA TEXAS BASS CLASSI</B></A><B>C</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#oklahoman_sheri_glasgow_takes_women_s" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>Oklahoman Sheri Glasgow Takes Women’s Bassmaster Tour by Storm </B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#who_s_the_money_leader_on_the_woman_s" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>Who's the money leader on the Woman's Bassmaster Tour?</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#bass_caddies_1" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>Bass Caddies</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#fish_against_team_iaconellirubin_on" TITLE="Lady Bass Angler : Womens Bassmaster Tou"><B>Fish against team Iaconelli/Rubin on 10/21/07</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________</B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="rookies_ready_to_challenge_seven_return"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Rookies Ready to Challenge Seven Return Contenders in WBT Championship</B></div> <bR> <div> One makes her living as a cabinet designer, one owns a business, three are professional fishing or hunting guides, six are full-time pro anglers and one is a heavy-equipment operator in a steel mill.</div> <bR> <div> From nine states and with diverse backgrounds and ages, all have one thing in common: They rank as the best women anglers in the country. Make that two things in common: They all qualified for the February 21-23 Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship presented by Academy Sports & Outdoors.</div> <bR> <div> The dozen pros will compete on South Carolina’s Lake Keowee for the coveted championship title and $60,000 first-place prize.</div> <bR> <div> The competition is in conjunction with the February 22-24 Bassmaster Classic out of Greenville, South Carolina. Just before the 50 Classic contenders begin their weigh-ins Feb. 22 and 23, the WBT contenders will bring their catches to the scales on the Classic stage at Greenville’s Bi-Lo Center.</div> <bR> <div> Getting to the WBT championship was a struggle. Each qualifier had to place high enough in all five 2007 season events to stay within the top 12 in the 2007 Toyota WBT Angler of the Year points race.</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="11" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="7"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="7" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> The points winner was Sheri Glasgow of Muskogee, Oklahoma, who works for a custom cabinet shop when she isn’t competing. She finished second in last year’s inaugural championship on Alabama’s Lake Mitchell, behind Pam Martin-Wells of Bainbridge, Georgia, who’s a professional fishing guide on Georgia’s Lake Seminole.</div> <bR> <div> Reigning AOY Glasgow and defending champion Martin-Wells are two of seven repeat qualifiers for the championship.</div> <bR> <div> That makes the other five contenders first-timers. Technically, they’re WBT Championship rookies, but not in the sense that they’re inexperienced pros.</div> <bR> <div> Penny Berryman and Judy Wong both hold titles to multiple major events. Neither has given their first-timer status at the championship a second thought.</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="11" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="7"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="7" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> “I’ve competed on the national scene for 23-odd years, so I don’t see myself as at a disadvantage at all,” said Berryman of Hot Springs, Ark., who’s a full-time pro angler. “And I’ve worked at the Bassmaster Classic for many years for my sponsors, so I’m very familiar with what it will be like.”</div> <bR> <div> Wong of Many, Louisiana, also is confident her competition experience will stand up to the pressures of a championship event.</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="11" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="7"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="7" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> “I am considered a veteran in this sport. In another major circuit I won back-to-back championships, so I’m used to competing at this level,” said Wong, who’s a guide on Toledo Bend Reservoir as well as a tournament pro. “I’d be lying if I said the extra attention won’t affect me - it probably will - but I try to remain focused. It (attention) is what our careers are based on.”</div> <bR> <div> Marcia Rubin of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, who owns a repair business for woodworking machinery, acknowledges that her two years as a pro can’t match the experience of some of the other qualifiers. Still, she doesn’t feel handicapped going into the Keowee event, especially after several days of scouting the lake.</div> <bR> <div> “We all made it into the top 12,” said Rubin. “Whether you’ve been there (at a championship) before or not, this is still a new tournament.”</div> <bR> <div> Like Rubin, first-time qualifiers Audrey McQueen of Luna, New Mexico, a hunting guide, and Secret York of Benton, Kentucky, spent enough time scouting Keowee that they feel good about their chances.</div> <bR> <div> “On the tour, we’ve gone to several deep, clear-water lakes, so we’re used to that,” said York, who works in a steel mill as an operator of a 50-ton fork lift, 40-ton overhead crane and a train engine. “But I don’t think anyone in the championship has competed on Keowee before, which makes the lake a good choice because it evens things up. It’s going to be a fair test of our skills.</div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="women_s_bassmaster_tour_co_angler"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Women’s Bassmaster Tour Co-Angler Championship a One-of-a-Kind Competition</B></div> <bR> <div> When 12 pros battle it out Feb. 21-23 on South Carolina’s Lake Keowee in the Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship presented by Academy Sports & Outdoors, right behind them will be another 12 anglers in a separate competition.</div> <div> The second set of 12 anglers will compete in the WBT Co-Angler Championship for a first-place prize of $34,500; total co-angler payout will be $57,000. </div> <bR> <div> The WBT event is in conjunction with the Feb. 22-24 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell. The WBT weigh-ins Feb. 22-23 will be on the Classic stage at the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, S.C., at 3:45 p.m. ET, just before the 50 Classic pros bring their catches to the scales. Admission is free.</div> <bR> <div> Like their pro counterparts, the WBT co-anglers earned their berths in the finals by finishing at the top of their division’s 2007 points race. Jan Hudson of Harrison, Ark., came out on top, beating Karol Whitehurst of Winnsboro, Texas, by just one point. Both are first-timers for the co-angler championship. </div> <bR> <div> Each of the 12 co-anglers will fish from the back of a pro’s boat. Determined by random draws, the pairings will change daily. But Hudson doesn’t think the outcome of the draws for the February event will be a big factor in a co-angler’s performance.</div> <div> “You’ve got the top 12 women in the championship, and they’re all going to be working their hardest, so I don’t think the draw will affect how I do,” she said. “Co-anglers have to rely on their own fishing abilities and prepare themselves, just like pros do. And confidence — keeping up your confidence is important.”</div> <bR> <div> Whitehurst, who won two co-angler competitions in 2007, her first full year on the WBT circuit, sees it much the same way.</div> <div> “I’ve been paired with three of the pros who are in the championship, so I have an idea of how they fish, but with all of them being in the top 12, I don’t think it’s going to matter that much who I’m paired with,” said Whitehurst, who has decided to switch to the pro side for the 2008 regular season. Last week she scored a sponsorship with Legend Boats, also a new sponsor of the WBT circuit. </div> <bR> <div> Angie Everitt of Livingston, Texas, is one of four co-anglers who have one championship under their belts. Everitt finished second in last year’s inaugural event on Alabama’s Lake Mitchell.</div> <bR> <div> “I could barely sleep at night last year, and I learned that I have to get more rest,” Everitt said. “I know it will be exciting and hectic, but I just have to remain calm and pace myself so I can be at my best on the lake.” She said a co-angler’s greatest strength is the ability to adapt. “You don’t have a clue what will happen until you get out there,” she said, “and you have to be ready to go with what your pro is doing that day.”</div> <bR> <div> Although Everitt wasn’t able to scout the deep, clear waters of Keowee, she knows through her research that dropshotting will be a key technique for catching the lake’s plentiful spotted bass. “I taught myself to dropshot, and I like it so much that it’s hard for me now not to go to it,” she said. “And I won at Bull Shoals (in Missouri) in 2006, and that’s a deep-water lake like Keowee, so I’m comfortable with that type of fishery. And I’ve learned to fish for spots.”</div> <bR> <div> Among co-anglers, the other three second-time qualifiers are Colleen McKay of Worcester, Mass., who placed fifth in last year’s co-angler championship; Kim Stapp of Ringgold, Ga., who came in seventh; and Bonnie Ward of Snohomish, Wash., who was ninth. Last year’s co-angler champion was Keri Schieber of Cumming, Ga., who turned pro for the 2007 season but did not qualify for the Keowee event.</div> <bR> <div> Along with Hudson and Whitehurst, six other co-anglers will be first-time championship contenders: Kala Wright of Spiro, Texas; Laura Elkins of Amarillo, Texas; Debbie Pegoli of Loveland, Ohio; Cheryl Holloway of Pollack, La.; Dianne Kegley of Norphlet, Ark.; and Barbara Gaskins of Suffolk, Va.</div> <bR> <div> The WBT contenders will launch daily at 7:10 a.m. ET, Feb. 21-23, from Lake Keowee’s South Cove Ramp, 1099 South Cove Road, Seneca, S.C. </div> <bR> <div> Classic contenders will launch at 7:15 a.m. ET, Feb. 22-24, at Lake Hartwell’s Portman Marina. The Classic weigh-ins will begin at 4:30 p.m. ET. ESPN2 will air daily coverage of the Classic, and <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>www.Bassmaster.com</U></FONT> will present live video of the weigh-ins.Admission to all events is free. </div> <bR> <div> <B>___________________________________________________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="fish_against_team_iaconellirubin_on"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Fish against team Iaconelli/Rubin on 10/21/07</B> </div> <bR> <div> Women’s Bassmaster Tour Pro Marcia Rubin and Bassmaster Elite Angler Mike Iaconelli</div> <div> are teaming up to compete against YOU at a Team Bass USA tournament that will be held on October 21, 2007 at Raytown Lake in Pennsylvania</div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="a73d2e00.png" border=0 width="210" height="224" ALT="Marcia Rubin and Mike Iaconelli" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="a757b6b0.png" border=0 width="123" height="107" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> This is a<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#330000" FACE="Arial" > Team Bass USA "open</FONT>" tournament where proceeds are given to local children's hospitals.</div> <div>  </div> <div> Joe Chillari, President of Team Bass USA and owner of the Sportsmen’s Village tackle store in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, tragically lost his daughter in a car accident almost five years ago. Fishing was a passion that this Father and Daughter team shared together. Creating this Tournament trail and having proceeds benefiting local children’s hospitals is Joe’s way of keeping his daughters memory very much alive.</div> <bR> <div> Entry fee is $150.00 per team and the yearly member due's will be waived for this tournament.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="what_s_your_pet_peeve_when_fishing"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>What’s your pet peeve when fishing tournaments?  </B></div> <div> As reported by Conny Jenkins</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Here are the responses from a recent survey.  Comments are actual quotes.  </B></I></div> <bR> <div> •  Anglers that don’t know how to operate their boats.</div> <div> •  When another angler walks up to you after coming off the water and acts like they are talking to you only to try and see what you have been using.</div> <div> •  Anglers who are not ready to be a pro. </div> <div> •  Folks blaming someone or something other than themselves as the reason the big one got away.  </div> <div> •  Dumb questions at the registration meetings.  </div> <div> •  Long pre-tournament briefings.. </div> <div> •  When some one does not use proper boat etiquette.  </div> <div> •  Contestants that encroach on your fishing area </div> <div> •  When a co-angler does not know how to act in a boat, hooking seats, stepping on seats, spilling scent or dye in the boat and not telling you so you can try and fix it.  </div> <div> • Gossip or rumors. </div> <div> • Paired partner showing up late. </div> <div> • When another angler follows you to your spot or marks your spot when going past you on the lake so they can come poach your water.....there is no honor in that!  </div> <div> • Weekend boaters who can't get the boat on/off the trailer, the boat doesn't run, and then when it does run they can't drive it or the vehicle pulling it.  They are usually accompanied by a group of other folks offering ‘good advice’.  </div> <div> •  Lack of respect.  </div> <div> • Petty complaints at tournaments.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="9cb253f0.jpg" border=0 width="37" height="63" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="who_s_the_money_leader_on_the_woman_s"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Who's the money leader on the Woman's Bassmaster Tour?</B></div> <bR> <div> As the tour nears the end of the sophomore year, LBA thought that it would be interesting to see who's currently ahead in the money race.</div> <bR> <div> Pam-Martin Wells has long been regarded as the all time money winner in women's professional bass fishing tournaments. As the winner of the first WBT Tournament (Preview) and the first WBT Championship, it is no surprise that her name is near the top of the money board in fourth place.</div> <bR> <div> But, it is a lady who is relatively new on the woman's professional tour that dominates as the current WBT money leader. It's Arkansas's Tammy Richardson! In 2006 she won the first official WBT tournament and hasn't looked back since that first win.  She has won three WBT tournaments and is ranked #2 in the current Toyota Angler of the Year race. </div> <bR> <div> The reigning 2007 Toyota Angler of the year, Diana Clark is ranked second among the money leaders. Two first place wins in 2006 as well as AOY propelled her to near the top.</div> <bR> <div> An angler who is giving all of the ladies a run for the money is third place leader Sheri Glasgow, Her record on the WBT Tour includes one first place and four 2nd place finishes.</div> <bR> <div> Rounding out the top seven money winners are Lucy Mize, Juanita Robinson and Lisa Sternard. </div> <bR> <div> What do all seven of these ladies have in common? They each have won at least one WBT tournament!</div> <bR> <div> Tammy Richardson Career Winnings: $163,930.00</div> <div> Diana Clark Career Winnings: $117,180.00 </div> <div> Sheri Glasgow Career Winnings: $98,790.00</div> <div> Pam Martin-Wells Career Winnings: $92,210.00</div> <div> Juanita Robinson Career Winnings: $72,230.00</div> <bR> <div> Lucy Mize Career Winnings: $76,829.00* </div> <div> Lisa Sternard Career Winnings $67,236.00*</div> <div> *<I>Includes total winnings from other B.A.S.S. tournaments</I></div> <bR> <div> Source ESPN/BASS angler profiles. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="oklahoman_sheri_glasgow_takes_women_s"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Oklahoman Sheri Glasgow Takes Women’s Bassmaster Tour by Storm </B></div> <bR> <div>  There is a Bassmaster pro dominating BASS tournaments in impressive fashion, scoring eight top-five finishes in 11 events and leading the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B><IMG SRC="6658fea0.jpg" border=0 width="143" height="234" ALT="Sheri Glasgow" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> Here’s the surprise: It’s not Kevin VanDam. </div> <bR> <div> Sheri Glasgow, a 40-year-old veteran angler from Oklahoma, is piling up accolades on the Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats. </div> <bR> <div> “That’s impressive,” said VanDam, who leads the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race on the Elite Series circuit. “The hardest thing to do in tournament fishing is to be consistent. When you’re in the top five, you’re probably in contention to win and that’s even tougher to do. </div> <bR> <div> “In any sport, anybody would be really proud of that. It doesn’t matter if it’s golf, NASCAR, tennis or anything, that’s an impressive stat.”</div> <bR> <div> In the WBT’s inaugural season, Glasgow had two runner-up finishes and a fourth-place showing and finished fifth in the Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings.</div> <bR> <div> Since placing second in the 2006 WBT Championship on Alabama’s Lake Mitchell in February, Glasgow has been nothing short of phenomenal. Her finishes include a third at the WBT season opener on Texas’ Lake Amistad; first at Arkansas’ Lake Dardanelle; fifth at Alabama’s Lake Guntersville; and second at Kentucky Lake. With just one event remaining, she holds a 129-point lead over 2006 AOY runner-up Tammy Richardson. Just two points behind Richardson is Pam Martin-Wells, the 2006 WBT Championship winner.</div> <bR> <div> “I’ve had a blessed year,” Glasgow said. “It has kind of blown me away. What’s interesting about it is I’ve actually been on the fish to win every tournament. To be fortunate enough to win tournaments you have to have all those little key elements go right. But to have the opportunities I’ve had to win this year has almost been surreal to me. I find myself in awe over the season.”</div> <div> Despite a sizable lead in the AOY race, Glasgow doesn’t think she can cruise to the season finale at Louisiana’s Red River. </div> <div> “I’ve got a pretty significant lead, but I’m not uncatchable,” she said. “I could go over there and have one of those terrible tournaments like I had the end of last year, and walk away with my tail tucked again. So I don’t want to go to the Red River counting my chickens before they hatch.”</div> <bR> <div> Meanwhile, Glasgow has to wait more than two months before she can attempt to wrap up her incredible season. The Red River tournament is set for Sept. 20-22.</div> <bR> <div> “It’s keeping me so anxious, because I’m wired up and pumped up about it right now that I would go fish it next week if they’d move it up,” Glasgow said. </div> <bR> <div> <B>___________________________________________________________________________________________________</B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="women_s_bassmaster_tour_pros_head_to"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Women’s Bassmaster Tour Pros Head to Kentucky Lake </B></div> <bR> <div> CELEBRATION, Fla. — After enjoying record-breaking weights during the first three tournaments of the 2007 Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats season, the top women’s circuit should see the impressive weights continue during a visit to Kentucky Lake on June 14-16. </div> <bR> <div> The WBT pros opened 2007 by breaking records in February at Texas’ Lake Amistad and followed that up with productive events at Arkansas’ Lake Dardanelle and Alabama’s Lake Guntersville. And now they come to Kentucky Lake Village, home to two of the country’s finest fisheries, Kentucky and Barkley lakes.</div> <bR> <div> The women and their co-anglers will participate during the height of the post-spawn season, when the resident largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass will be accessible as they flock to offshore ledges.</div> <div> “Oh, yeah, it should be great,” said Secret York, a WBT pro from Benton, Ky. “The fish should be out there on the ledges, so you’re going to see some big limits brought in. </div> <bR> <div> “If everything goes right, there should be some 20-pound (five-bass) limits brought in.”</div> <div> Recent history certainly supports York’s contention. The Bassmaster Elite Series came to Kentucky Lake in June 2006 and the top seven pros caught more than 60 pounds over four days. Winner Morizo Shimizu of Japan weighed in 66 pounds, 9 ounces. </div> <bR> <div> Straddling the Kentucky-Tennessee border, Kentucky Lake is massive — 185 miles in length, it has 160,000 surface acres and 2,380 miles of shoreline. Barkley, a navigable canal, adds another 80,000 surface acres. </div> <div> Largemouth have been king at Barkely for decades, but Kentucky Lake is home to an outstanding smallmouth fishery. Despite this, York expects largemouth to dominate during the WBT event.</div> <bR> <div> The event, the fourth of the season, will be pivotal toward positioning in the Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Angler of the Year race. Through three events, Oklahoma’s Sheri Glasgow leads WBT Championship winner Pam Martin-Wells, Texan Juanita Robinson and Arkansas’ Tammy Richardson. </div> <bR> <div> Although York expects a strong topwater bite in shallow water early each morning, she looks for the majority of the bass to be offshore and deep, where they will vulnerable to crankbaits, jigs, big worms and Carolina rigs.</div> <div> “I’ll live or die out on those ledges,” said York, who is 14th in the season standings after two 10th-place finishes. “They will make me a zero or a hero.”</div> <bR> <div> York, who expects the fishing pressure to be evenly divided between Kentucky and Barkley, predicts that the winner could have 60 pounds for the three-day WBT event.</div> <bR> <div> The daily launches at Kentucky Dam Village will begin at 5:30 a.m. ET. Daily weigh-ins will begin at 2:15 p.m.</div> <bR> <div> The local sponsor of the event is the Kentucky Sports Authority. </div> <div> Sponsors of the Bassmaster Southern and Central Opens include Toyota, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Lowrance Electronics and MotorGuide. </div> <div> <B>______________________________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="inside_bass_wbt_angler_of_the_year"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Inside Bass: WBT Angler of the Year Race Heats Up </B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> CELEBRATION, Fla. –The Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats has turned the corner in the 2007 season and heads into the home stretch with just two tournaments remaining. </div> <bR> <div> As a result, the Toyota Tundra Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year race is heating up — and is dominated by some familiar names.</div> <bR> <div> The leader after three tournaments is Sheri Glasgow of Muskogee, Okla., with 885 points. The eventual winner of the award will receive a 2007 Toyota Tundra double-cab pickup truck. </div> <bR> <div> Glasgow, who finished fifth in the 2006 standings, has put together an amazing run in 2007. To kick off the season, Glasgow placed third on Texas’ Lake Amistad and then finished as runner-up in the inaugural WBT Championship on Alabama’s Lake Mitchell. She followed that up with a win on Arkansas’ Lake Dardanelle and a fifth-place showing at the recent Lake Guntersville event. </div> <bR> <div> “If I won Angler of the Year this year, I think the exposure and publicity that surround it would help me out with advancing my career,” said Glasgow, who works as a designer and representative for a custom-cabinet business. “Performing consistently enough to win the Angler of the Year award is a difficult thing to do and says a lot about what kind of angler you are.”</div> <bR> <div> Trailing Glasgow by more than 30 points in second is reigning Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship winner Pam Martin-Wells. Wells, of Bainbridge, Ga., has scored finishes of second, fifth and sixth in 2007. </div> <bR> <div> “Angler of the Year is always my top goal at the beginning of a season,” said Martin-Wells, who finished 12th in the 2006 Angler of the Year standings. “It would be a great honor.”</div> <div> Texan Juanita Robinson, who turned in a record-breaking performance with the heaviest three-day catch in WBT history en route to winning at Lake Amistad, is third with 807 points, followed by 2006 Angler of the Year runner-up Tammy Richardson of Arkansas with 781 points. </div> <bR> <div> “Sheri’s leading and she’s so consistent, so making up ground in the points is tough,” said Richardson, who won the last WBT event on Dardanelle. “Angler of the Year is such a hard title to get. And with my first tournaments this season, I‘m not where I want to be.”</div> <bR> <div> The Angler of the Year standings also will determine the anglers who qualify for the WBT Championship to kick off the 2008 season. The top 12 anglers will qualify for the tournament held in conjunction with the 2008 Bassmaster Classic. </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="bass_caddies_1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="935bd7f0.png" border=0 width="701" height="127" ALT="Bitmap Image" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="938281f0.png" border=0 width="552" height="287" ALT="Bitmap Image" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="93b16360.png" border=0 width="534" height="310" ALT="Bitmap Image" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="93ca7000.png" border=0 width="423" height="256" ALT="Bitmap Image" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> <I>Reprinted with permission of the author, Diana Kunde </I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>__________________________________________________________________________________________________</B></FONT></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <A NAME="toyota_texas_bass_classic"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>TOYOTA TEXAS BASS CLASSIC</B></div> <div> <B>WBT Anglers were Judges and Participants</B></div> <bR> <div> By Lila Bass</div> <bR> <div> I had the fantastic opportunity to work as an observer/judge on the boats with the Pro Teams as they attacked Lake Fork during last weekend’s PAA tourney. The lake is in “Slot Limit” <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#330033" FACE="Arial" ><B><IMG SRC="8c4a0e70.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="231" ALT="Lila Bass Judge PAA tourney" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></FONT>status, which means to keep one in the boat, it must be 14 to 16 inches long, or over 24 inches. This creates a problem for our normal livewell tournaments, and limits the ability to put on a traditional “bag” tournament. So the judges were on each boat to measure/weigh/radio in each fish.</div> <bR> <div>  The Professional Angler Association <A HREF="(http://www.proanglersassociation.com/joomla" TARGET="_top" TITLE="(http://www.proanglersassociation.com/jo">(</A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="(http://www.proanglersassociation.com/joomla" TARGET="_top" TITLE="(http://www.proanglersassociation.com/jo"><U>http://www.proanglersassociation.com/joomla</U></A><U>/</U></FONT> ) spent mega dollars to build a small city on the banks of Lake Fork, brought in top notch tournament directors, event coordinators, TV communications, video/photo staff on standards of a major PGA Golf event. The stage looked like one I’d seen at a Stone concert, and the coordination was close to a presidential visit. It was simply amazing! I wish I had more pictures to share, but frankly, as a judge, I was kept busy from predawn to dusk. <IMG SRC="8ce83a20.png" border=0 width="131" height="162" ALT="Toyota Texas Bass Classic" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Judith Hart/WBT was also a judge, but more importantly, Mary DiiVincenti was a competitor. She fished very hard, and did well with her team. The format was 20 four person teams, fishing two days toward a third day 5 team cut. Each day was cut into two four hour sessions. Between each, the anglers would confer openly, in a gated off area, with maps easily read, surrounded by attendees…..that was so gratifying….to see the cream of the crop, busy at their work, a master’s level course in fishing. </div> <bR> <div> My ventures out included Dean Rojas, Yusuki Mayazaki, Elton Luce, Jr., Chuck Economou, Mike Wurm, Pete Gluszek, Terry Scoggins & Chris Daves. All incredible angler’s, and I was honored to have the opportunity of a Master’s course in fishing. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  There will be a special on CBS on Mother’s Day. Watch Versus for replays of the shows.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="are_you_getting_excited_thinking_about"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>ARE YOU GETTING EXCITED THINKING ABOUT FISHING LAKE GUNTERSVILLE?</B></div> <div> These Tru-Tungsten Pro Staff Anglers can attest to the fact that there are Big Bass!</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="504" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 283 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="8ab04040.jpg" border=0 width="260" height="260" ALT="Kim Stapp" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Kim Stapp</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="8aae0050.jpg" border=0 width="224" height="261" ALT="Laura Gober" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Laura Gober</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> Laura Gober and Kim Stapp, both Tru-Tungsten Pro Staff members wanted to test their tools of the trade at Guntersville prior to the off-limits period that begins April 16th.  Despite the frigid and windy cold front that hit the south this past weekend the pair caught some good fish.  “With the fish in all stages of the spawning process, our goal was to focus on areas where we felt the fish would be come tournament time.  I think we accomplished that,” said Laura.  </div> <bR> <div> Laura’s busy tournament schedule is the only thing keeping her from heading to Lake Guntersville again this weekend for one last look before the official practice period.  She will be fishing the BFL on Lake Lanier Saturday and the Boating Atlanta Classic on Sunday with her husband Trent. </div> <div>  </div> <div> Kim plans to hit Guntersville for some additional pre-fishing before the Off-Limits" begins.</div> <bR> <div> <I><B> <A NAME="wbt_professional_angler_jo_dee_bucki"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></I><I><B>WBT Professional angler, Jo Dee Bucki and her Whippet, Maya</B></I><I> announce the first story-coloring book, in a series of fictional stories, based on their experiences in volunteer work with "Hand In Paw", a  Birmingham, Alabama  Animal Assisted Therapy group. </I></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="87aab300.png" border=0 width="427" height="560" ALT="Jo Dee and Maya"Maya Vsits a Hospital"www.wonderwhippit.com" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> ___________________________________________________________________________________________________</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <A NAME="tough_competitor"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>TOUGH COMPETITOR</B></div> <bR> <div>  Fishing fans might have noticed that Tammie Muse finished fourth in the recent Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship held on Alabama’s Lake Mitchell. But fans probably didn’t know Muse accomplished that high finish despite a case of walking pneumonia.<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B><IMG SRC="8457caf0.jpg" border=0 width="124" height="175" ALT="Tammie Muse ladybassangler.com photo" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> The Arkansas angler stopped at a hospital in Austin, Texas, after competing in the 2007 WBT season-opener on Lake Amistad in Del Rio, Texas, where she was diagnosed and urged to get bed-rest. The recommendation fell on deaf ears, and she continued on to Birmingham for the WBT Championship. </div> <bR> <div> “I wasn’t about to miss the championship,” Muse said. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.” </div> <bR> <div> Despite almost debilitating fatigue, she persevered and amazingly made a run at the title. </div> <bR> <div> “I got through it with the help of a lot of friends and nice people,” she said. “The other pros and my co-anglers were all so helpful. They helped me in the boat when I needed it and they made sure I got my rest at the hotel. I couldn’t have done it without them.”</div> <div>  </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><IMG SRC="5ddf4050.gif" border=0 width="500" height="5" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="babb_s_zephyr_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>BABB’S ZEPHYR</B>.</div> <bR> <div> In addition to preparing for the second-season of the Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats, Robin Babb has been busy discussing sponsorship opportunities for her new mode of transportation for the 2007 season - a Zephyr travel system.  </div> <bR> <div> The Texas pro, who finished in 12th place at the WBT Championship, will employ the giant customized tractor-trailer luxury motorcoach as her method of transportation to travel around the country competing in WBT events. She is the first WBT pro to get a Zephyr Elite. <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#330000" FACE="Arial" ><B><IMG SRC="84785b10.jpg" border=0 width="133" height="177" ALT="Robin Babb" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> To help pay for the impressive rig, Babb signed new sponsors that include the Escapees RV Club, TackleTech.net, Missoulian Angler (a Montana fly-fishing outfitter) and two hometown tourism councils — Livingston Specialty Merchants' Guild and Lake Livingston Tourism Council. </div> <bR> <div> The Escapees RV Club is headquartered in Livingston - the city where Babb currently resides. Several of the 2007 WBT stops are within easy traveling distance of RV parks in the Escapees RV Club’s Rainbow Parks system.  </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><IMG SRC="5ddf4050.gif" border=0 width="500" height="5" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="364" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="356"><div> <B>WEIRDEST CATCH</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 182 WIDTH="212"><div> <B> </B>Recent<B> </B>WBT winner Juanita Robinson once hooked into an object of disappointment for another angler while fishing on Toledo Bend Reservoir.</div> <bR> <div> “It was a brand new crappie pole with a brand new reel,” the Texas pro said. “It still had the price tag on it. We were jigging spoons and I hooked it and brought it up.”</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="84e86a90.jpg" border=0 width="134" height="169" ALT="Juanita Robinson BASS/ESPN Photo" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><IMG SRC="5ddf4050.gif" border=0 width="500" height="5" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="292" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <B>IF I HADN’T BECOME A BASS PRO… </B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 116 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="84d4a670.jpg" border=0 width="74" height="103" ALT="Kimberlee Chambers-Striker" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="196"><div> WBT pro Kimberlee Striker</div> <div>  would spend more time in her</div> <div> Cullman, Ala., salon — C<I>url Harbor. </I></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <I>News courtesy of ESPN/BASS</I></div> <div> __________________________________________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <A NAME="lady_bass_angler_website_sponsor"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Lady Bass angler website sponsor news.......</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.mustangsurvival.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mustangsurvival.com/"><B>MUSTANG SURVIVAL</B></A></div> <bR> <div>  Mustang Survival, which provided PFDs for the Classic competition, announced sponsorship of the FisherGirl Women’s Fishing Team Sunday.</div> <bR> <div> The team includes 2006 Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year Dianna Clark; Arizona’s Darla Bardelli; South Africa’s Christie Thomas; Alabama’s JoDee Bucki and Canada’s Angela Mitchell. All are competitors on the Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="http://www.baitholdeder.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.baitholdeder.com"><B>SEATON TACKLE SOLUTIONS</B></A></div> <div> Team Seaton Tackle ladies at the Classic Booth</div> <div> <IMG SRC="7b048040.jpg" border=0 width="328" height="260" ALT="Team Seaton" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="5ddf4050.gif" border=0 width="500" height="5" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="women_s_bassmaster_tour_championship"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><B>WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL PRACTICE HAS WOMEN READY</B></div> <div> <B>Day 1 of the Inaugural Championship Event Starts Thursday</B></div> <bR> <div> BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Bass fishing enters a new era on Thursday when 24 women will cast their lines on Day 1 of the inaugural Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship, Feb. 22-24 on Lake Mitchell out of Gadsden, Ala. Contenders, who advanced via their top-12 status in the Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year standings (pro and co-angler), wrapped up their final practice day on Lake Mitchell on Wednesday. </div> <div> The top WBT pro will take home a first-place prize of a 2007 fully rigged Triton boat valued at $50,000 as well as $10,000 cash. The total prize purse is $225,750, and the winning co-angler will receive a Triton/Mercury package valued at $24,000, plus $1,000 cash.</div> <bR> <div> Here’s a sampling of the WBT’s final practice results and a sneak preview of what’s to come during the competition:</div> <div> <B>• Women’s Bassmaster Tour Pro Angler Lucy Mize, from Ben Lomond, Ark.: </B>“I figured out a lot today about my fishing. I tried a variety of different things and hope that it will get better each day. I think that change in warm weather will help everybody and with the sun shining it should help the fishing. </div> <div> “I think it will take about 40 pounds to win the tournament. You’ll see some big sacks caught, but whether the girls can catch them three days in a row – that will be the trick.”</div> <div> <B>• Women’s Bassmaster Tour Pro Angler Emily Shaffer, from Mount Juliet, Tenn.: </B>“Today I went out to see what I could find versus the pre-fish period. The water was more muddy and stained, but I used my depth finder to run over my spots and I feel good about it. </div> <div> “They’re (the bass) not as active as I would like them to be, but I’m hoping that the sunshine tomorrow will put them on some structure. I’m fishing a variety of lures, looking for a quick bite in the morning so I can slow down and go after the bigger fish.”</div> <div> <B>• Women’s Bassmaster Tour Pro Angler Cindy Hill, from Smyrna, Tenn.:</B> “I looked at new areas today and the water is a lot higher than 30 days ago. It’s stained with not much current which makes a difference. </div> <div> “I think it will take 15-18 pounds a day to win the tournament, but it doesn’t matter if I catch I fish, I already feel like a winner.” </div> <div> <B>• 2006 Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year Dianna Clark, from Bumpus Mills, Tenn.:</B> “The water temperature dropped quite a few degrees and so some things did change. It can be a completely different tournament by tomorrow, but I feel confident that I’ll catch fish. </div> <div> “This tournament won’t be a Guntersville or a Lake Amistad, but instead I think it will be neck and neck. It could turn around for anyone competing.”</div> <bR> <div> On the final day of competition, the top-six WBT pros will weigh-in on the Bassmaster Classic stage at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center. The 12 co-anglers will compete in a two-day tournament finishing on Friday.</div> <bR> <div> <I>BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation Nation annually. Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it has for nearly 40 years. </I></div> <div> <I>BASS sanctions and stages bass fishing tournaments for every skill level and culminates with the Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth programs, aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia platforms, BASS offers the industry's widest array of services and support to its nearly 530,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla. </I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>_____________________________________________________________________________________________________</B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="women_s_bassmaster_tour_to_make_history"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR TO MAKE HISTORY IN ALABAMA</B></div> <div> <B>First-Ever Championship Gives Female Pros High-Profile Showcase</B></div> <bR> <div> Fishing history will be made when the inaugural Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship kicks off Feb. 22-24 on Alabama’s Lake Mitchell. The nation’s top female anglers will enjoy the brightest spotlight in the sport of bass-fishing over the three competition days. </div> <bR> <div> The championship event will be held as part of Bassmaster Classic week and will pit the top 12 pros and co-anglers from the 2006 Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year standings. The champion in the professional division will be crowned on the Classic stage at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. </div> <bR> <div> The WBT field is highlighted by four Tennessee, three Arkansas and two Texas pros including Toyota WBT Angler of the Year Dianna Clark and AOY runner-up Tammy Richardson. </div> <bR> <div> “It is awesome,” Georgia contender Pam Martin-Wells said. “When I saw commercials for previous Bassmaster Classics, I literally got goose bumps. So when this takes place and it’s my turn to step out on that stage, I just hope I don’t faint.”</div> <div> Martin-Wells, perhaps the most decorated female angler in the sport, assures fishing fans who will get their first taste of the WBT anglers during Bassmaster Classic week that there are some extremely talented anglers in the group.</div> <bR> <div> “There are 12 pros and they’re all excellent anglers,” the WBT preview event winner said. “So it’s not going to be a cakewalk, but stiff competition makes for a good show.”</div> <bR> <div> One of those anglers is 57-year-old Juanita Robinson. The Highlands, Texas, angler just scored a big, record-setting victory (heaviest WBT winning weight recorded) this past weekend in the 2007 WBT season-opener at Texas’ Lake Amistad with a three-day catch of 56 pounds, 8 ounces. </div> <bR> <div> “I’m really looking forward to it,” said Robinson. “The win has given me a ton of confidence and I am pumped and ready to go.</div> <div> “Preparation is mostly a mental thing — keeping the momentum going and treating the Championship as a regular tournament. I’m hoping all of the hype and the media attention doesn’t cause me to lose focus.”</div> <bR> <div> Lake Mitchell, part of the Coosa River chain, is a 5,850-acre Alabama Power Company hydroelectric reservoir located about 10 miles east of Clanton in central Alabama. It is the smallest impoundment of the Coosa chain, which is noted for the Alabama subspecies of spotted bass.</div> <bR> <div> At stake in the championship event is cash and merchandise totaling $225,750, including a first-place prize of a 2007 fully rigged Triton boat valued at $50,000 as well as $10,000 cash (the winning co-angler receives a similar package valued at $24,000, plus $1,000 cash).</div> <bR> <div> The 12 pro anglers will compete for two days before the field is cut to six for the final round of competition. On the final day of competition, the top six pros will weigh-in on the Bassmaster Classic stage at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. </div> <bR> <div> All 12 co-anglers will compete in a two-day tournament culminating on Friday, Feb. 23.</div> <div> <B>_________________________________________________________________________________________________</B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="wbt_anglers_excited_week_before"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>WBT ANGLERS EXCITED WEEK BEFORE SEASON-OPENER</B></div> <div> Texas’ Lake Amistad Will Host Nation’s Top Female Pros</div> <bR> <div> There is an air of excitement in anticipation of the second season of the Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats. And that’s not just because the sophomore season of the nation’s top female circuit will be getting underway Feb. 8-10.</div> <bR> <div> A sizeable portion of the excitement is that the season will kick off on Lake Amistad, arguably one of America’s top trophy bass factories, located on the Texas-Mexico border. The WBT anglers have been hearing about the massive lake in Del Rio, Texas, since the Bassmaster Elite Series pros posted mind-boggling weights last March during the Elite season-opener of the 2006 season.</div> <bR> <div> One of those remarkable weights belonged to California’s Ish Monroe who scored a four-day total of 104 pounds, 8 ounces. During the four-day event, Amistad surrendered a total of 1,347 bass weighing more than 5,000 pounds to the 106 pros. </div> <bR> <div> The fishing was so incredible that a number of Elite Series pros have bought land or homes in the Del Rio area since their first visit.</div> <bR> <div> That is the backdrop for the WBT pros and their co-angler partners as they arrive at Lake Amistad. But veteran angler and guide<IMG SRC="6434f5b0.jpg" border=0 width="79" height="91" ALT="Hengst" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> Debra Hengst says that the fishing likely won’t match the overall quality of the action that the Elite Series anglers enjoyed during their visit.</div> <bR> <div> “We just had a tremendous cold front down here and Del Rio had ice and snow, and there is another big front scheduled to come through,” said the San Antonio pro, who fished Amistad on three consecutive weekends before it went off-limits to the WBT anglers.</div> <bR> <div> “So I think those fronts will keep the fish in the same pattern that they’ve been in, which is deep. I don’t see the ability to match those weights now unless we get some extremely warm weather in the next couple of days. Checking the weather patterns, I don’t see that happening.”</div> <bR> <div> Although the fishing might not be on par with last year’s Elite Series tournament, Hengst still predicts that the winner will have 50 to 55 pounds in the three-day tournament. A winning weight like that would be considerably more weight than any champion posted in any of the five WBT tournaments in 2006.</div> <bR> <div> Hengst believes that most bass will be caught as deep as 30 feet on methodical bottom-bumping baits like jigs and soft-plastics fished around drop-offs adjacent to spawning grounds.</div> <bR> <div> “The water is extremely clear and approximately 10 feet below full pool,” she said. “The pre-spawners are out there and they want to move up. But the water is just too cold. They stack up in certain places. When you find one, you’ll usually find a pile of them out there. But you have to make them bite.”</div> <bR> <div> The 67,000-acre border lake was created with the impoundment of three rivers – the Rio Grande, Pecos and Devils – and is chock full of prime bass habitat that includes abundant hydrilla, a variety of points, coves, flooded brush, timber, rocky shorelines, inlets, submerged ledges, boulders and drop-offs that go as deep as 200 feet. </div> <bR> <div> The daily launches and weigh-ins will take place at Diablo East Launch ramp with launches beginning at 7:15 a.m. and weigh-ins beginning at 3:15 p.m. The Del Rio Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the event.</div> <div> <B>_______________________________________________________________________________</B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="inside_bass_martin_wells_eagerly"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>I</B><B>nside BASS: Martin-Wells Eagerly Awaits Inaugural Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>CELEBRATION, Fla. – Pam Martin-Wells is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished active female tournament anglers in the world</B>. </div> <bR> <div> The Georgia pro has secured Angler of the Year titles three times on various circuits, won multiple national tournaments and captured the Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats preview event in October 2005.<B><IMG SRC="644506e0.jpg" border=0 width="80" height="110" ALT="Pam-Martin Wells Lady Bass Angler Photo" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> Still, for Martin-Wells, nothing compares to the upcoming Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship set for Alabama’s Lake Mitchell Feb. 22-24 during Bassmaster Classic week.</div> <bR> <div> “Qualifying for the first ever Women’s Bassmaster Championship is almost indescribable,” the 43-year-old said. “It’s going to be an awesome event. I’m extremely excited. The crowd and the opportunity to be on stage with all the people and everything around — it’s going to be awesome. I really don’t know how to describe it.”</div> <bR> <div> The WBT pros will share the Classic stage with the 50 Classic contenders in Birmingham on the WBT championship’s final day of competition.</div> <bR> <div> Martin-Wells has been to past Classics as a spectator, including the 2006 edition in Kissimmee, Fla., and has allowed herself to dream about crossing the Classic stage. </div> <bR> <div> “To walk on that stage in front of all those people, the excitement is something a lot of us have wanted to do for a long time,” she said. “When I watch the Bassmaster Classic on TV or even a commercial for it, I get goose bumps. This is such a big deal that I hope I just don’t pass out.” </div> <bR> <div> This veteran angler and long-time guide on Georgia’s Lake Seminole is a fan of the Coosa River lakes, which includes Lake Mitchell. She expects that a number of patterns could play a role during the championship event. </div> <bR> <div> “I think Mitchell is a wonderful fishery,” she said. “It’s a very versatile and well-rounded lake. You can fish shallow; you can fish deep. It’s pretty much got anything an angler can ask for.”</div> <bR> <div> The 2007 WBT season will kick off before the championship event, Feb. 8-10 on Texas’ Lake Amistad. Martin-Wells is looking forward to the second season of the now established tour. </div> <bR> <div> “The first year was probably actually a little bit better than what I expected,” she said. “Unlike some of the circuits in the past we gained a lot of press coverage and publicity, which is, of course, what the sport needs to grow, and the women’s side of it needs to grow. So it was a great year.”</div> <bR> <div> <B>MORE WBT NEWS</B>. Speaking of publicity, the February issue of <I>Spirit</I>, the in-flight magazine of Southwest Airlines, will feature a story on the WBT.</div> <bR> <div> The magazine teased the story in its January issue with a two-page spread titled “Fishing Goes Co-Ed,” which featured a giant bass, a photo of WBT pro Kimberlee Striker of Alabama and the following copy block: “Until this year, practically the only sports that lacked professional women’s championships were football and bass fishing. Now you can scratch bass fishing. In late February, women will gather in America’s bass capital, Birmingham, Ala., for the first-ever women’s championship. The top dozen female anglers will compete in a four-day fish-off on Lake Mitchell. The women join the Super Bowl of fishing, the Bassmaster Classic, which culminates the season of one of America’s fastest growing spectator sports.”</div> <div> <B>______________________________________________________________________________________________</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="428" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#FFFF80 > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 295 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="6018fae0.jpg" border=0 width="143" height="174" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="265"><div>  <A NAME="funeral_arrangments_set_for"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Funeral Arrangments set for</B></FONT></div> <div> <B> Angler Robin Crawley </B></div> <bR> <div> Robin Crawley, age 50, passed away Tuesday from pancreatic cancer.  She is survived by her husband Allen and is the mother of two adult sons</div> <bR> <div> Funeral services will be held Thursday at 11:00 AM at the Colonial Funeral Home in Columbia Mississippi.</div> <bR> <div> Robin participated, along with four other ladies from Mississippi, in the 2005 WBT Inaugural Tournament</div> <bR> <div> Home address is: P.O. Box 1709  Prentiss, MS  39474</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>___________________________________________________________________________________________________</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <A NAME="disappointment_in_georgia"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>DISAPPOINTMENT IN GEORGIA</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="50b738a0.jpg" border=0 width="115" height="138" ALT="Caroline "Sunny" Carpenter" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <div> WBT Pro angler, "Sunny" Carpenter of Ocala, Florida landed the biggest bass in the recent Skeeter Owners tournament at Clark's Hill Reservoir. However, the disappointing fact is that she couldn't claim the prize as she and her fish arrived two minutes late for the weigh-in! She was awarded some consolation prizes, but they can't measure up to the 37K boat and cash prizes she almost won!</div> <div> <B>_______________________________________________________________________________________________________</B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="sporty_women__mercury_marine_women_s_1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>SPORTY WOMEN</B>. Mercury Marine Women's Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats angler Robin Babb and her <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#330000" FACE="Arial" ><B><IMG SRC="4fd86b30.jpg" border=0 width="134" height="179" ALT="Robin Babb" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></FONT>upcoming sponsor Vicious Bait Co. have donated a fishing trip to an ongoing Women's Sports Foundation auction. The item - a day of fishing on the private Ponderosa Pond near Pell City, Ala., and accommodations at a luxury, five-room cabin - will remain up for bid until Oct. 16 and can be found at <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.wsfauction.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.wsfauction.com"><U>www.wsfauction.com</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> The Women's Sports Foundation was established by Billie Jean King in 1974 and seeks to advance the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity. </div> <bR> <div> Babb recently became involved with the foundation and on Oct. 16, will travel to New York City to attend the 27th Annual Salute to Women in Sports Awards Gala and Auction at the Waldorf-Astoria. "Billie Jean King is on the forefront of promoting women’s sports and even though women have fished for years, we have the promotional engine of the WBT now,” said Babb, who lives in Texas and qualified to compete in the Women's Bassmaster Tour championship in February on Lake Mitchell in Alabama. “With BASS and ESPN’s backing, we can let women know there’s a circuit for them to compete in.” </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>_____________________________________________________________________________________________</B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="bass_announces_2007_women_s_bassmaster"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>B</B><B>ASS ANNOUNCES 2007 WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR SCHEDULE</B></div> <div> <B>5 Events Again in Sophomore Year; Tournaments Are Stand-Alone</B></div> <div> CELEBRATION, Fla. – The Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats will make its sophomore debut in 2007 with five stand-alone events designed to challenge the very best women anglers from around the world. </div> <bR> <div> In 2007, the Women’s Bassmaster Tour will visit well-known and productive fisheries in Texas, Arkansas, Alabama, Kentucky, and Louisiana from February through September. The winner of each WBT event takes home a fully rigged Triton boat valued at $50,000 and the total payout for pros and co-anglers will be more than $640,000 for the season. </div> <bR> <div> “The Women’s Bassmaster Tour debut was a banner year and now, we’re looking forward to another full-field season of high-stakes competition on some of the best lakes in the country with these anglers,” said Deb Wilkinson, Women’s Bassmaster Tour tournament manager. </div> <bR> <div> Women kick off the season Feb. 8-10 on Lake Amistad in Del Rio, Texas. BASS fans are well-versed on Amistad, as the 2006 CITGO Bassmaster Elite Series season launched there and produced near-record catches. The Elite Series will again be ushered in on Amistad in March 2007. </div> <bR> <div> On March 29-31, women anglers will revisit Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Ark. In 2006, Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year Dianna Clark won a WBT event there with 29 pounds, 9 ounces, beating her nearest competitor by 10 pounds. This is the only repeat location in the WBT schedule. </div> <bR> <div> On May 3-5, anglers will hit the mid-season when they travel to Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Ala. The Elite Series also will visit Guntersville in 2007 and this popular fishery gave up a winning weight of 59 pounds, 15 ounces to Elite Series angler Rick Clunn when it hosted the 1976 CITGO Bassmaster Classic.</div> <bR> <div> The fourth event puts anglers on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Ky., on June 14-16. The last BASS event there was won by Morizo Shimizu with 66-9 during the 2006 Elite Series. </div> <bR> <div> Athletes will end the regular season Sept. 20-22 on the Red River in Shreveport, La. The Red River last hosted a large BASS event in 2005, when Sean Hoernke of Texas beat out Elite anglers Gary Klein and Takahiro Omori with 36-2 during a Bassmaster Open. </div> <bR> <div> “I know BASS is putting us on great fisheries in 2007 and I’m excited and ready to get started,” said Clark, the reigning women’s Toyota Angler of the Year. “To succeed on this tour, you need to stay consistent and focus on catching fish. That is the mission.” </div> <bR> <div> Also in 2007, there’ll be one additional tournament for the top 12 pros and co-anglers from 2006. The Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship is scheduled for February on Lake Mitchell in Alabama, in conjunction with the 2007 Bassmaster Classic. The anglers will weigh-in on the final day of their three-day tournament at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center before the Classic. The winner receives a Triton boat valued at $50,000 plus $10,000 cash. </div> <bR> <div> Limited registration for the 2007 WBT begins Nov. 19 and general registration opens Dec. 3. Entry fees are $650 for pros and $350 for co-anglers. Interested anglers can visit <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>www.Bassmaster.com</U></FONT> for more information or call 1-877-BASS-USA. </div> <bR> <div> <B>2007 Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats</B></div> <bR> <div> <I>#</I>1 Feb. 8-10 Lake Amistad Del Rio, Texas</div> <bR> <div> #2 March 29-31 Lake Dardanelle Russellville, Ark. </div> <bR> <div> #3 May 3-5 Lake Guntersville Guntersville, Ala. </div> <bR> <div> #4 June 14-16 Kentucky Lake Gilbertsville, Ky. </div> <bR> <div> #5 Sept. 20-22 Red River Shreveport, La. </div> <bR> <div> <B>2006 Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship</B></div> <div> February Lake Mitchell Birmingham, Ala. </div> <div> <B>_________________________________________________________________________________________________</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <A NAME="bassespn_photo"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#CC0033" FACE="Arial" ><IMG SRC="2fff9a60.png" border=0 width="249" height="166" ALT="(L) Tammy Richardson (R) Dianna Clark" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></FONT></div> <div> <I><B>BASS/ESPN Photo</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="dianna_clark_of_tennessee_expresses_her"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I><I>Dianna Clark of Tennessee expresses her excitement at winning the 2006 Toyota Women's Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year title while second-place Tammy Richardson offers a hand shake. </I></div> <bR> <div> <B>DIANNA CLARK BECOMES FIRST-EVER TOYOTA WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR ANGLER OF THE YEAR</B></div> <div> <B>Top 12 in Points Qualify for the Inaugural Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship</B></div> <bR> <div> KIMBERLING CITY, Mo. — Celebrating a dominating performance in the 2006 season of the Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats, Dianna Clark of Bumpus Mills., Tenn., walked away from the fifth and final event as the inaugural Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year. </div> <bR> <div> Clark, who broke new ground by winning two of the Tour’s events and placed in the top 10 in one more, sealed her accomplishment – by just three points - with a fifth-place showing this week at the Bull Shoals tournament in Missouri. </div> <bR> <div> “I am very humbled by the award,” she said. “When I realized what I had done, it hit me so hard it took my breath away. I can’t ever remember feeling like that it my life.”</div> <bR> <div> Clark, 42, opened the season by placing 32nd on Neely Henry Lake in Alabama. She won the second event on Lewisville Lake in Texas and placed seventh in the third event on Lake Norman in North Carolina. She won again – this time on Lake Dardanelle in Arkansas – at the fourth event. She ended the season with 1,393 points.</div> <bR> <div> “I feel pretty good about winning the tournament on Dardanelle, and the excitement really took my breath away,“ said Clark. “It was something I never experienced in my life – leading an event all three days.”</div> <bR> <div> The Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year title rewards the season’s most consistent angler and includes a new, completely redesigned 2007 Toyota Tundra Double Cab Pickup Truck. </div> <bR> <div> “It’s hard to put in words, but it’s a great accomplishment,” said Clark. “To win Angler of the Year, that’s the top of the world right there. Once you’ve got it no one can take it away.”</div> <bR> <div> In addition to competing for the Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year title, WBT anglers were in hot pursuit of qualifying for the inaugural Women’s Bassmaster Tour </div> <div> Championship, Feb. 22-25, 2007, on Lake Mitchell in Alabama. Only the top 12 pros and 12 co-anglers in the points standings were invited to compete in this showdown that takes place during CITGO Bassmaster Classic week. </div> <bR> <div> Angler who qualified in the championship include Clark, ESPY winner Tammy Richardson of Amity, Ark., who finished second in the points with 1,390; Lucy Mize of Ben Lomond, Ark., Tammy Muse of North Little Rock, Ark.; Sheri Glasgow of Muskogee, Okla.; Emily Shaffer of Mount Juliet, Tenn.; Cindy Hill of Smyrna, Tenn.; Lisa Sternard of Clarksville, Tenn.; Juanita Robinson of Highlands, Texas,; Robin Babb of Livingston, Texas; Lisa Sands of Cullman, Ala.; and Pam Martin-Wells of Bainbridge, Ga. </div> <div> “It’s an honor to be part of the WBT and one of the top 12 to make it to the first championship,” said Muse, 46. “I think it’s going to be awesome. I’ve always set my goals pretty high and I’m going to set my standards high at this event. I would like to be the first woman to win it and think I have a pretty good chance.”</div> <bR> <div> On the co-angler side, Bonnie Ward of Snohomish, Wash., leads the charge with 1,184 points followed by Mary Croft of Bedford, Va.; Keri Schieber of Cumming, Ga.; Kim Stapp of Ringgold, Ga.; Heather Sullivan of Montevallo, Ala.; Lila Bass of Austin, Texas; Sharon Rushton of Kimberling City, Mo.; Tammie Ply of Harrison, Ark.; Angie Everitt of Livingston, Texas; Summer Stephens of Flintstone, Ga.; Colleen McKay of Worcester, Mass.; and Karen Williams of Stark City, Mo. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>###</B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="tammy_richardson_triumphs_at_the_bull"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>TAMMY RICHARDSON TRIUMPHS AT THE BULL SHOALS WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR</B></div> <div> <B>ESPY Award Winner Scores Her Second WBT Title </B></div> <bR> <div> THEODOSIA, Mo. — Tammy Richardson of Amity, Ark., capped off the 2006 Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats season in much the same way she opened it: By winning it. </div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="412cc880.jpg" border=0 width="204" height="136" ALT="Tammy Richardson" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B>The mother of one, who won an ESPY in the Best Angler category in July, took the tournament on Bull Shoals Lake with a total of 21 pounds, 9 ounces, or just 6 ounces more than second-place angler Mickie Wolfinbarger of Halfway, Mo. </div> <bR> <div> “I really didn’t think I had it,” said Richardson of the win. “I had three good fish, but I heard that Mickie had four.”</div> <bR> <div> Richardson and Wolfinbarger were neck-in-neck all week. Richardson led by 5 ounces on Day 1, then Wolfinbarger pulled ahead by 10 ounces on Day 2.</div> <div> On Day 3, Richardson’s three fish weighed 1 pound more than Wolfinbarger’s four bass, giving Richardson the win with a total of 21-9 to Wolfinbarger’s 21-3.</div> <div> Richardson, who also won the season-opener of the WBT, took home another Triton boat rig and Mercury outboard valued at $50,000. The event paid a total of about $85,000 to the top 25 finishers in the pro division.</div> <bR> <div> Competing on an unfamiliar lake and learning to drop-shot were two challenges Richardson overcame to win.  “I’d never fished Bull Shoals before,” said the 34-year-old pro. “This was my first time on clear, deep water — I’m not used to that. My spinning rod usually stays in the shed, but it got a workout this week.”</div> <div> She said that several weeks ago while practicing for the event, she realized she needed to drop-shot if she was going to hook Bull Shoals’ deep-holding spotted bass. “A local man showed me how to tie a drop-shot rig. That’s how I learned.”</div> <bR> <div> She said she used a 4-inch finesse worm made by Right Bite, an Arkansas lure manufacturer. Her go-to colors were watermelon seed, cotton candy and purple.</div> <div> Wolfinbarger, meanwhile, said she had a good-size fish on Saturday that could have made the difference for her, but she failed to boat it.</div> <div> Her pattern on the final day remained the same: Drop-shotting to bass chasing shad in water as deep as 80 feet. </div> <bR> <div> “The fish were shallower today, about 30 to 40 feet deep,” she said Saturday. She said her top bait was a shad-colored Kinami Cut Tail worm. </div> <div> Finishing third was Emily Shaffer of Mount Juliet, Tenn., with 14-2. Fourth was Angie Douthit of Clewiston, Fla., with 12-6. Dianna Clark of Bumpus Mills, Tenn., finished fifth with 10-5. In sixth was Tammie Muse of North Little Rock, Ark., with 8-12. </div> <bR> <div> Although Richardson had been in contention for the first Toyota Angler of the Year title, she ended three points short of the mark. Clark, meanwhile, made angling history Saturday as the first WBT Toyota Angler of the Year when her season-long points total climbed to 1,393.</div> <bR> <div> Clark’s fifth-place finish at Bull Shoals kept her ahead in the points race, where she’s been since her second win of the season, a wire-to-wire victory at Arkansas’ Lake Dardanelle in August. Clark’s first win — also wire-to-wire — came in May on Lake Lewisville in Texas.</div> <bR> <div> Richardson said missing the Angler of the Year title made her Saturday victory “bittersweet.” Clark said she had not even done the math to see if she would win until making the trip from Bull Shoals Lake to Table Rock Lake, site of the weigh-in for the top-six WBT contenders.</div> <bR> <div> “I knew I had a lot of people under me (in the points standings) who could come up through this tournament,” said Clark. “I thought I could get it, though.”</div> <bR> <div> The conclusion of the points race also determined which 12 pros qualified for berths in the inaugural WBT championship, Feb. 22-25, 2007, on Lake Mitchell in Alabama.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>ANGIE EVERITT WINS </B></div> <div> <B>CO-ANGLER DIVISION</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="413699c0.jpg" border=0 width="105" height="156" ALT="Angie Everitt " ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> In the co-angler division, Angie Everitt of Livingston, Texas, won the first-place Triton/Mercury package valued at $24,000, plus $1,000 cash. Everitt was the only co-angler who caught a keeper on Saturday and her three-day total was 5-13.</div> <bR> <div> De Lynn Montez of Squires, Mo., and Bonnie Ward of Snohomish, Wash., tied for second with 5-3. In fourth was Vicki Hester of Rainbow City, Ala., with 4-3. Kathy Riley of Terry, Miss. was fifth with 3-7, and sixth was Colleen McKay of Worchester, Mass., with 3-5.</div> <div> <I>BASS/ESPN Photo</I></div> <div> Ward, the winner in the co-angler division at the first WBT event on Neely Henry Lake, came out on top in the 2006 co-angler points standings. Also, the top 12 co-anglers in the final points standings qualified to fish in the Women’s Bassmaster Tour’s inaugural championship.</div> <bR> <div> <U>Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats</U></div> <div> <U>Day 3 Big Bass</U></div> <div> Angler: Tammy Richardson, Amity, Ark., 2-6</div> <div> Co-Angler: Angie Everitt, Livingston, Texas, 1-13</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>####</B></div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="august_06__in_the_media_sightings______"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>August 06--In the media sightings......</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>August Bass Times: "</B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Pro Tip of un-tuning crank baits", </FONT>Jan Heavener</div> <bR> <div> <B>Alabama Farmer Federation magazine</B>, "The Fishing Diva", Kimberlee Striker</div> <bR> <div> <B>Bassmaster.com: </B>Interviewed on Capitol Clash Day One, and day three<B>, </B>Christiana Bradley </div> <bR> <div> <B>August Bass Times: </B>"WBT pro steps up at Seminole", Pam-Martin Wells </div> <bR> <div> <B>August Bass Times: </B>"The Mixed Bag", Penny Berryman</div> <bR> <div> <B>August Bass Times:</B> "Morale Booster", Janet Parker</div> <bR> <div> <B>Skeeter Owners Tournament: </B>Debra Hengst </div> <bR> <div> <B>Mustang Survival Ad:</B> Jo Nell Whitsitine and Sammie Jo Denyes</div> <bR> <div> <B>BassFan.com: </B>Lake Norman winner Lisa Stenard</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I>#####</I></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="seeing_double"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Seeing Double</B></div> <bR> <div> Fans of the Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats event on Lake Norman near Charlotte, N.C., recently may have believed they were seeing double. That’s because twin sisters Teri Neal and Keri Schieber of Cumming, Ga., were part of the field. The 52-year-olds are identical twins, have the same hair cut and color and dressed in the same tournament jerseys during competition, where Neal was an angler and Schieber was a co-angler. “We get that a lot,” said Neal.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="41646d90.jpg" border=0 width="326" height="217" ALT="Keri Schieber and Teri Neal " ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Keri Schieber and Teri Neal  </B></div> <div> <I>BASS/ESPN Photo</I></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.fishing-twins.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.fishing-twins.com/"><B>Click here to visit their website</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>Seeing Double TWICE!!</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="4183ce30.jpg" border=0 width="316" height="227" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>From Secret York....</B>"<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >The other girls are 16 year old twins of Beverly Dickson. I just thought it was so kool to see twins from completely different nationalities brought together by none other than Mr. BASS himself. Let me tell you when I took this photo he was having him some fun." </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>####</B></div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="canadian_terri_mackinnon"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Canadian, Terri MacKinnon Literally"Jumps for Joy"</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="41a2ac90.jpg" border=0 width="298" height="201" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Terri is the first Canadian woman to take a home check from a WBT Tournament...it happened at the Lake Norman WBT.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>#####</B></div> <div>  <A NAME="lake_dardanelle_to_host_4th_women_s"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><B>LAKE DARDANELLE TO HOST 4TH WOMEN’S BASSMASTER EVENT OF THE SEASON </B></div> <bR> <div> CELEBRATION, Fla. — Penny Berryman has both good and bad news for her fellow competitors in the upcoming Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats event, Aug. 24-26, on Lake Dardanelle in Arkansas.</div> <bR> <div> The good news? Berryman expects the fishing to be surprisingly good, despite the summertime conditions. And the bad? As perhaps the most experienced angler in the field, Berryman is returning to her former home lake where she is considered a favorite to win.</div> <bR> <div> That’s the setting for the fourth tournament of the WBT season, which will be held in conjunction with the Bassmaster Legends, the final Bassmaster Major of 2006, on the Arkansas River in Little Rock. </div> <bR> <div> With just one WBT event remaining, the Lake Dardanelle contest promises to be a critical tournament. It will bring the Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year picture into sharper focus and further solidify the qualifying standings for the first WBT Championship, set for February in Alabama.</div> <bR> <div> “I love that lake, but it can be quite fickle,” said Berryman, a highly decorated pro who moved from the banks of the lake to Hot Springs, Ark., three years ago. “It is an amazing place to fish. </div> <bR> <div> “It could take some really big weights to win it, even in August. Nobody truly expects huge weights because it is hot, still and calm. But you never know with this lake. It’s capable of it. That’s what keeps it pretty exciting.”</div> <bR> <div> Located in northwestern Arkansas, Lake Dardanelle is on the northern boundary of the Ouachita Mountains and sprawls through five counties: Yell, Pope, Johnson, Logan and Franklin. It is in the shadow of both the Ozark and Ouachita national forests and is 34,000 acres and 2 miles across at its widest point. </div> <bR> <div> Berryman, who said she hasn’t fished Lake Dardanelle “seriously” in years, plans to approach this tournament with a clear mind and not think about the places she used to catch bass.</div> <bR> <div> “One thing is, I’ll sure know how to run it,” she said. “But I’m going to look at it like it’s a new lake. I imagine brushpiles will be a big factor in August. Obviously, an early morning topwater bite like a buzzbait or a Torpedo should work there. It should be a river-oriented tournament versus a creek tournament, but a lot depends on the weather and the cloud cover.”</div> <bR> <div> Berryman predicts that the winner will have at least 30 pounds over the three days.</div> <bR> <div> On the first two days of the tournament, daily weigh-ins will begin at 2 p.m. ET at Lake Dardanelle State Park, 100 State Park Drive, in Russellville. On Saturday, the top six WBT pros will transport their catches to the Statehouse Convention Center, Markham and Main, #1 Statehouse Plaza, in Little Rock to weigh-in with the Bassmaster Legends tournament at 3:30 p.m. The WBT winner takes home a fully rigged Triton boat with a Mercury Marine outboard, valued at $50,000</div> <bR> <div> Entering this tournament, Oklahoma’s Sheri Glasgow leads the Toyota Angler of the Year race with 875 points, followed by Tammy Richardson of Arkansas (843) and Georgia’s Pam Martin-Wells (808). A pair of Tennessee pros, Lisa Sternard and Dianna Clark, is fourth and fifth, respectively. The Toyota WBT Angler of the Year will reward the top female angler with a 2007 Toyota Tundra Double Cab Pickup Truck.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>####</B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="lucy_mize_to_fish_citgo_bassmaster_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>LUCY MIZE TO FISH CITGO BASSMASTER </B></div> <div> <B>NORTHERN TOUR ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN </B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="41b75940.jpg" border=0 width="117" height="148" ALT="Lucy Mize" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Lucy Mize will be the only female competitor in the Citgo Bassmaster Northern Tour, Aug. 17-19, on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, N.Y.</div> <bR> <div> Mize, well known on the Woman's Bassmaster Tour, finished in 38th place with 28.8# in the July Fort Madison, Iowa, Citgo Northern Tour stop on the Mississippi River.</div> <bR> <div> Lake Champlain is a great fishery that begins on the Canadian border near Quebec and stretches 110 miles south to the Ticonderoga area. In the process, it splits New York and Vermont by 12 miles at its widest point, covers more than 300,000 surface acres and has a maximum depth of about 400 feet. Its 585 miles </div> <div> of picturesque shoreline is still largely undisturbed by developers.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>####</B></div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="lisa_sternard_hangs_on_for_the_win"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>LISA STERNARD HANGS ON FOR THE WIN</B></div> <div> <B>Lake Norman Challenges Field in Third Women’s Bassmaster Tour Event</B></div> <bR> <div> CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Lake Norman’s bass seemed so lock-jawed Saturday that Lisa Sternard of Clarksville, Tenn., was genuinely surprised when she realized her Day 3 bag of fish weighed enough to win in the third event of the Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats.<B><IMG SRC="457d6a20.jpg" border=0 width="214" height="162" ALT="Lisa Stenard" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div>  </div> <div> Sternard, the Day 2 leader, brought four bass to the scales weighing 4 pounds, 11 ounces, for a three-day total of 21-7.</div> <div> “I didn’t think I had it,” she said of her first BASS win. “My fish shut down, and I didn’t get the quality bite today.”</div> <bR> <div> Her three-day total easily beat Patti Campbell of Waxahachie, Texas, who weighed in 18-14. Sternard’s strong finishes on the first two days carried her through to the win and the first-place prize of a Triton boat with Mercury outboard valued at $50,000.</div> <bR> <div> An occupational therapist, Sternard, 45, said she fished a Carolina rig, working a green-pumpkin Zoom Finesse Worm on 17-pound-test Berkley Vanish leader in 10 to 50 feet of water.</div> <bR> <div> Saturday she hit northern Lake Norman and the Marshall Steam Plant hot hole, a water-discharge spot that attracted many bass — and many women in the field of 94 pro anglers and their co-anglers all week.</div> <bR> <div> Campbell slid into second with 18-14, including the day’s big bass of 3-13, which earned her a $1,000 bonus. She was just 7 ounces ahead of third-place finisher Tammie Muse of North Little Rock, Ark., who finished with 18-7.</div> <bR> <div> Fourth was Women’s Bassmaster Tour points leader Sheri Glasgow of Muskogee, Okla., with 17-9. Fifth was South African Christie Thomas with 15-2, </div> <div> and sixth was Day 1 leader Tammy Richardson of Amity, Ark.</div> <bR> <div> The recent winner of the Best Angler ESPY, Richardson echoed other contenders’ opinions of the competition’s intensity and the reluctance of Lake Norman’s bass to bite. “As the week went on, it got slower and tougher,” she said. </div> <bR> <div> This event’s results shook up the Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year points standings, moving Sternard from seventh to fourth place. Glasgow held on to the lead, and Richardson kept her second-place spot.</div> <bR> <div> Points count toward qualifying for the inaugural Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship, Feb. 22-25, 2007, on Lake Mitchell in Alabama. Only the top </div> <div> 12 pros and 12 co-anglers in the points standings are invited to compete.</div> <bR> <div> Also at stake is the first Toyota Angler of the Year title. At the end of the season, the points leader is awarded the title and a 2007 Toyota Tundra.</div> <bR> <div> On the co-angler side, Monica Altman of Angier, N.C., took home the first-place prize of a Triton boat and Mercury package valued at $24,000, plus</div> <div>  $1,000 cash.</div> <bR> <div> Altman pulled off a wire-to-wire win, adding just 14 ounces Saturday for a three-day total of 15 pounds, 3 ounces. </div> <bR> <div> Second was Susan Bowes of Batavia, N.Y., with 13-2, including the co-angler big bass of 3 pounds for a $500 bonus. Third was Linda Berry of Madison, N.C., with 8-4; fourth was Ronda Kirby of Indianapolis, Ind., with 7-5; fifth was Denese Freeman of Lawton, Okla., with 6-11; and sixth was Cheryl Bowden of Plano, Texas, with 5-7.</div> <bR> <div> The 12 WBT finalists weighed in at Cricket Arena before an audience of fishing fans who also turned out to see the third-day weigh-in of the Bassmaster American presented by Advance Auto Parts. After the American wraps up Sunday, ESPN2 will provide same-day coverage at 7 p.m. ET.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>####</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>2007 WBT Schedule</B></div> <div> 7/24/06 Don Rucks, Vice President and General Manager of BASS, said that the 2007 WBT schedule is still in discussion. It is anticipated that the announcement regarding the 2007 season will be made in about 30 days. He stated the possibity that four of the events will be held in conjunction with the men's tournaments and a stand-alone event for the 5th tournament is under consideration.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>####</B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="tennessean_shoots_into_women_s_tour_lead"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>TENNESSEAN SHOOTS INTO WOMEN’S TOUR LEAD</B></div> <div> <B>Lisa Sternard and Other Women’s Tour Finalists Will Share the Spotlight Saturday with Bassmaster American Anglers</B></div> <bR> <div> HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Lisa Sternard of Clarksville, Tenn., zoomed from ninth to first place on Friday to lead the field of six pros and six co-anglers who made the cut in the Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats event on Lake Norman.</div> <bR> <div> Sternard, 45, brought in a limit of five bass to take the pro-division lead with a two-day total of 16 pounds, 12 ounces. She’s leading Tammie Muse of North Little Rock, Ark., by less than a pound. </div> <bR> <div> “Lake Norman’s been challenging,” said Sternard, adding that she worked a Carolina rig almost exclusively both days. “To catch fish here, your presentation has to be very precise.”</div> <bR> <div> An occupational therapist when she’s not fishing competitively, Sternard said she owed her second-day weight of 10 pounds, 1 ounce, to the co-angler </div> <div> she was randomly paired with, Ronda Kirby of Indianapolis, Ind., who taught Sternard about fizzing. Kirby showed her how to release the pressure from</div> <div>  the swim bladder of bass caught deep so the fish remain alive in a boat’s livewell.</div> <bR> <div> The Day 2 leader will have to fish hard Saturday to keep Muse at bay. Just 13 ounces behind Sternard, Muse, 46, climbed one spot to second place </div> <div> Friday with a two-day weight of 15-15. She brought in three largemouth bass, all caught on one of the 1/4-ounce buzzbaits she makes herself.</div> <bR> <div> A win or strong finish on Lake Norman could push either woman to the top of the WBT points standings. Sternard’s currently in seventh, and Muse is in 15th place. </div> <div> Points count toward qualifying for the inaugural Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship, Feb. 22-25, 2007, on Lake Mitchell in Alabama. Only the top 12 pros and 12 co-anglers in the points standings are invited to compete.</div> <bR> <div> Also at stake is the first Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year title. At the end of the season, the points leader is awarded the title and a 2007 Toyota Tundra.</div> <div> Finishing Friday in third was Patti Campbell of Waxahachie, Texas. With a two-day total of 13-7, Campbell moved up from fifth place. Capturing fourth place was Christie Thomas of Limpopo, South Africa, with 13-4. Fifth was Sheri Glasgow of Muskogee, Okla., with 12-12, who leads the points race. </div> <bR> <div> Rounding out the top six was Day 1 leader and Best Angler ESPY recipient Tammy Richardson of Amity, Ark., who had a two-day total of 11-10. </div> <div> Just two weeks ago, Richardson received the ESPY for her outstanding angling achievements, including winning the inaugural women’s event in April </div> <div> and holding second place in the points race. “I’m going to my room tonight to study my notes and put together a winning game plan,” said a determined Richardson when she learned she made the cut.</div> <bR> <div> After the 12 anglers fish Lake Norman on Saturday, they will trailer to Cricket Arena in Charlotte for a 3:15 p.m. ET weigh-in. The women will take the </div> <div> stage before an audience of fishing fans who also will see the Day 3 weigh-in of the Bassmaster American presented by Advance Auto Parts. After the American wraps up Sunday, ESPN2 will provide same-day coverage at 7 p.m. ET.</div> <bR> <div> Sternard said she is nervous about Saturday’s weigh-in, “but this is an awesome opportunity for all of us fishing the WBT.” </div> <bR> <div> The pro winner earns a Triton boat rig with Mercury outboard valued at $50,000. The event pays a total of about $85,000 to the top 25 finishers in the pro division. </div> <bR> <div> On the co-angler side, six women are pumped to fish Saturday and enjoy bringing their catches to the scales in Cricket Arena. First-day leader Monica Altman of Angier, N.C., hung on to the top spot with a two-day total of 14-5. In second was Linda Berry of Madison, N.C., with 7-4; third was Denese Freeman of Lawton, Okla., with 6-11; and fourth was Susan Bowes of Batavia, N.Y., with 6-3. Tied for fifth with two-day totals of 5-7 were Kirby and Cheryl Bowden of Plano, Texas.</div> <div> The six co-anglers are competing for a first-place prize of a Triton boat with Mercury outboard valued at $24,000, plus $1,000 cash.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>####</B></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="934" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 1155 ><NOBR><div>  <A NAME="huntersville_n_c____if_you_just_won_an"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — If you just won an ESPY, do you relax and rest on your laurels?</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Tammy Richardson </B></div> <div> <B>Leading Day One at Lake Norman WBT</B></div> <div> <I><IMG SRC="41f96b10.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="177" ALT="Tammy Richardson" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <div> Not if you’re Tammy Richardson of Amity, Ark., winner of the 2006 Best Angler ESPY award. Just </div> <div> two weeks after she beat  three other BASS anglers and went to Hollywood to bring home the</div> <div>  prestigious award, Richardson took the Day 1 lead Thursday in the Mercury Marine Women’s</div> <div> Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats event on Lake Norman.</div> <bR> <div> “Winning the ESPY just made me determined to fish harder,” said Richardson, 34. “I want to show</div> <div>  that the ESPY wasn’t a fluke, that I can really fish.”</div> <bR> <div> The five fish weighing 9 pounds she brought to the scales gave her just a 10-ounce lead over</div> <div>  second-place holder Michelle Armstrong of Denver, N.C., who weighed in four fish for 8-6. </div> <bR> <div> Richardson, who made history when she won the inaugural women’s event in April on Neely Henry Lake in Alabama and is</div> <div>  in second place in the Toyota Angler of the Year race, said she tried everything to get her fish.</div> <bR> <div> “Today I did what I call ‘trash fishing’ — throwing shallow, deep, shallow, deep,” she said. “I had 10 to 15 holes and didn’t </div> <div> spend much time at any one of them. When I had gone through them all, I circled back to try again. It was just hard to get</div> <div> a pattern.”</div> <bR> <div> Lake Norman’s bass showed a streak of stubbornness to the entire field of 94 pros and their amateur partners fishing the</div> <div>  third event of five on the  2006 WBT circuit. Just a handful of anglers brought five-fish limits to the scales. A regular on Lake</div> <div>  Norman and local favorite to win, Armstrong called the lake “very fickle.”</div> <div> <I><IMG SRC="421a5a10.jpg" border=0 width="165" height="161" ALT="Michelle Armstrong" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <div> “I fished not so much a pattern as I did known spots,” said Armstrong, who added that she often</div> <div>  fished competitively with her husband, Troy, as a partner, “but when WBT was created, I decided</div> <div>  to go out on my own.”</div> <bR> <div> Third place was a tie at 8-5, just 1 ounce behind Armstrong. Sharing it were Christie Thomas </div> <div> of Reform, Ala. (formerly of South Africa), and Tammie Muse of North Little Rock, Ark. With</div> <div>  7-14, Patti Campbell of Waxahachie, Texas, scored  fifth place.</div> <bR> <div> WBT contenders are fishing for points as well as pounds. Points count toward qualifying for the</div> <div>  inaugural Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship, Feb. 22-25, 2007, on Lake Mitchell in </div> <div> Alabama. Only the top 12 pros and 12 co-anglers</div> <bR> <div> The pros also are amassing points with an eye on becoming the first Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year.</div> <div>  The points leader at the end of the season gets the title and a 2007 Toyota Tundra.</div> <bR> <div> The Lake Norman WBT winner earns a Triton boat rig with Mercury outboard valued at $50,000. The event pays a total of </div> <div> about $85,000 to the top 25 finishers in the pro division. </div> <bR> <div> On the co-angler side, Monica Altman of Angier, N.C., pulled into the lead with a catch of 5 pounds, 10 ounces. Trailing </div> <div> Altman were Cheryl Bowden of Plano, Texas, with 5-7; Heather Sullivan of Sitka, Alaska, with 5 pounds; Sharon Withers </div> <div> of Many, La., with 4-12; and Gerry Threadgill of Onalaska, Texas, with 4-3. </div> <bR> <div> The first-place, co-angler prize is a Triton/Mercury package valued at $24,000 and $1,000 cash. </div> <bR> <div> Pros and co-anglers will hit Lake Norman on Friday at 6 a.m. to determine which six pros and six co-anglers make the cut </div> <div> for Saturday’s finale. Friday’s weigh-in is scheduled to begin at 2:15 p.m. ET at Blythe Landing on Lake Norman in Huntersville.</div> <bR> <div> After fishing Lake Norman on Saturday, the anglers will trailer to nearby Charlotte for a 3:15 p.m. weigh-in at the Cricket</div> <div> Arena, also site of the Bassmaster American presented by Advance Auto Parts weigh-in. The American is part of the CITGO </div> <div> Bassmaster Elite Series season and features same-day television coverage on ESPN2 on Sunday, July 30 at 7 p.m. </div> <bR> <div> <I>      <IMG SRC="4257ab50.jpg" border=0 width="122" height="181" ALT="Jen Carroll" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <IMG SRC="427d5990.jpg" border=0 width="213" height="153" ALT="Katrina De Haven" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  <IMG SRC="42984b30.jpg" border=0 width="132" height="179" ALT="Diana Rogers" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <div> <I>BASS/ESPN Photos</I></div> <bR> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>####</B></div> <div>  <A NAME="expected_thunderstorms_to_shake_up"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><B>EXPECTED THUNDERSTORMS TO SHAKE-UP FISHING ON LAKE NORMAN</B></div> <div> Women’s Bassmaster Tour Anglers Expected Deep-Water Fishing; Are Changing Plans </div> <bR> <div> What’s at stake: $85,340 in cash and merchandise to the top 30 pros and valuable points towards qualifying for the Women’s Bassmaster Tour championship and winning the Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year title. The top 30 co-anglers compete for $43,440 in cash and merchandise.</div> <bR> <div> The Pros Said It</div> <div> “I think the clouds and a front that recently came through hurt the bite a little bit. I’m finding my best bites in the sun. I am traveling all over the lake </div> <div> looking for spots and staying away from several that I know have fish – I am hoping those will stay.” - Robinette Fox, 30, Hot Springs, Ark., who tied for 31st on Lewisville Lake in Texas in the last WBT event</div> <bR> <div> “I do a lot of homework before I get to an area – map studies, aerial photographs – and I expected to be fishing deep drop offs, points and humps here,</div> <div>  but it’s just not happening. I’ve made some adjustments and am now fishing a substantial shallow pattern.” – Pam Martin-Wells, 43, Bainbridge, Ga.,  third in the Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year standings</div> <bR> <div> “There’s a lot of water here and a lot to learn. I like the way shoals are marked. A GPS is like a piece of gold on this lake. As for the fish, I am finding  them in the main lake on points and near structure.” – Cheryl Lalumandier, 55, Harvester, Mo., 47th in the Angler of the Year standings</div> <bR> <div> “There’s a lot of places I would fish if water was at full pool. (Water is 3 feet low.) We also had a hot week last week and it seems to have scattered the fish. I am fishing for largemouth and they are spread out across the lake. It’s a little bit of a mixed pattern out there.” – Kellie Skelton, 39, Aztec, New Mexico, 43rd in the Angler of the Year standings. </div> <bR> <div> The Strategy</div> <div> Fox: She is focused on deeper, rocky areas of the lake and is slow fishing with worms. But Fox said she also is working crankbaits in shallower water</div> <bR> <div>  and is forming a dock pattern. </div> <bR> <div> Martin Wells: Though a typical summer pattern would have her fishing deep, the lack of fish has Martin Wells relying on her strong suit and fishing </div> <div> shallow. She couldn’t explain why she thinks the fish aren’t in her original target – 20 to 40 feet deep – but she won’t waste any competition time trying</div> <div>  to figure it out. </div> <bR> <div> Lalumandier: While Lalumandier also expected to fish deep, she’s found success in shallow-water patterns using flukes, lizards and crankbaits. </div> <div> She said Tru-Tungsten weights - matched to the color of her bait – have also helped her. </div> <bR> <div> Skelton: She is changing her depth depending on the lures she’s using, though she would not share exactly what’s in her tackle box. Skelton did say</div> <bR> <div>  she loves to fish in the rain, which clouds the water. The forecast calls for scattered showers each day and she hopes to take advantage of what Mother Nature will bring. </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>####</B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="women_s_bassmaster_tour_moves_to"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR MOVES TO CHARLOTTE</B></div> <div> Lake Norman Will Host Third Event; Plenty at Stake for Pros, Co-Anglers</div> <bR> <div> CELEBRATION, Fla. — The Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats moves to Charlotte and Lake Norman, July 27-29, for its third tournament of 2006, which will be held in conjunction with the Bassmaster American presented by Advance Auto Parts on nearby Lake Wylie. </div> <bR> <div> It promises to be a pivotal tournament. With three events remaining in the season, the Lake Norman event likely will shape the Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year standings and further clarify the qualifier’s list for the first WBT Championship, Feb. 22-25 on Lake Mitchell in Alabama.</div> <bR> <div> Qualifying for the championship is the high-water mark for the nation’s top female pros. With the WBT, the women anglers now enjoy a big-league tournament venue backed by the most respected tournament organization in the country as well as its major media partner.</div> <bR> <div> Lake Norman, an impoundment of the Catawba River, is the largest man-made body of freshwater in North Carolina, with 520 miles of shoreline. Norman has been transformed in recent years with the introduction of blueback herring as a food source for resident bass and the spread of spotted bass to go with the native largemouth.</div> <bR> <div> “The ladies are going to really catch them,” predicts Jason Quinn, a CITGO Bassmaster Elite Series angler who has guided on Lake Norman for years. “I feel like they’re going to have a really good tournament.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>####</B></div> <div> <B>TAMMY RICHARDSON WINS ‘BEST ANGLER’ ESPY</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Tammy and Aimee at the ESPYS</B></div> <div>  (Aimee is the neice of WBT angler Beverly Dixson)</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="919" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 299 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="42b2b050.jpg" border=0 width="299" height="261" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Limo at the red carpet</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="265"><div> <B><IMG SRC="42d04150.jpg" border=0 width="260" height="277" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Red Carpet</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="326"><div> <B><IMG SRC="42f3ced0.jpg" border=0 width="316" height="237" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The girls with Matthew!</B></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>####</B></div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="women_s_bassmaster_tour_moves_to"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><B>WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR MOVES TO CHARLOTTE</B></div> <div> Lake Norman Will Host Third Event; Plenty at Stake for Pros, Co-Anglers</div> <bR> <div> CELEBRATION, Fla. — The Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats moves to Charlotte and Lake Norman, July 27-29, for its third tournament of 2006, which will be held in conjunction with the Bassmaster American presented by Advance Auto Parts on nearby Lake Wylie. </div> <bR> <div> It promises to be a pivotal tournament. With three events remaining in the season, the Lake Norman event likely will shape the Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year standings and further clarify the qualifier’s list for the first WBT Championship, Feb. 22-25 on Lake Mitchell in Alabama.</div> <bR> <div> Qualifying for the championship is the high-water mark for the nation’s top female pros. With the WBT, the women anglers now enjoy a big-league tournament venue backed by the most respected tournament organization in the country as well as its major media partner.</div> <bR> <div> Lake Norman, an impoundment of the Catawba River, is the largest man-made body of freshwater in North Carolina, with 520 miles of shoreline. Norman has been transformed in recent years with the introduction of blueback herring as a food source for resident bass and the spread of spotted bass to go with the native largemouth.</div> <bR> <div> “The ladies are going to really catch them,” predicts Jason Quinn, a CITGO Bassmaster Elite Series angler who has guided on Lake Norman for years. “I feel like they’re going to have a really good tournament. </div> <bR> <div> “The fish in Norman have bit extremely well this year. Those spotted bass have really turned on. They can fish the boat docks and really catch them this time of the year.”</div> <bR> <div> Michelle Armstrong would beg to differ with that prediction.</div> <bR> <div> A WBT competitor from Denver, N.C., she has struggled to locate legal-size bass on her home waters in recent days. And Armstrong also has heard similar stories from her friends and neighbors.</div> <bR> <div> “It’s going to be tough,” she said. “The hot weather has the fish going deep, and I haven’t heard of anybody catching a sizeable limit, either. Everything has been real small.”</div> <bR> <div> Armstrong reports that Norman’s numerous docks have not been productive. That could be a result of the water level at about 3 feet below normal summer pool.</div> <bR> <div> “I look for the fish to be caught on soft plastics, especially Carolina rigs around deep, rocky points,” Armstrong explained. “We’re going to be catching a combination of largemouth and spotted bass out there.”</div> <bR> <div> On the first two days of the tournament, daily weigh-ins will begin at 2:15 p.m. ET at Blythe Landing, 15901 NC Highway 73 in Huntersville. On Saturday, the top six WBT pros will transport their catches to Cricket Arena, 2700 E. Independence Blvd. in Charlotte to weigh-in with the Bassmaster American at 3:15 p.m., which is taking place on Lake Wylie. The WBT winner takes home a fully rigged Triton boat with a Mercury Marine outboard, valued at $50,000</div> <bR> <div> Entering this tournament, Oklahoma’s Sheri Glasgow leads the Toyota Angler of the Year race with 590 points, followed by Best Angler ESPY winner Tammy Richardson of Arkansas (562) and Georgia’s Pam Martin-Wells (548). A pair of Tennessee pros, Dianna Clark and Cindy Hill, is fourth and fifth, respectively.</div> <bR> <div> The Toyota WBT Angler of the Year will reward the top female angler with a 2007 Toyota Tundra Double Cab Pickup Truck.</div> <bR> <div> Local sponsors include the Lake Norman Convention and Visitors Bureau. </div> <bR> <div> Sponsors of the Women’s Bassmaster Tour include Mercury Marine, Triton Boats, Lowrance Electronics, MotorGuide, Advance Auto Parts and Plano.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>####</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="695" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 323 ><NOBR><div>  <A NAME="wbt_angler_jo_dee_bucki"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>WBT Angler Jo Dee Bucki</B></FONT></div> <div> Featured in Birmingham Magazine's "2006 Hot List"</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="330" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 239 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="4317fa20.png" border=0 width="127" height="162" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">    <IMG SRC="433b7e90.png" border=0 width="183" height="233" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="43458d00.jpg" border=0 width="344" height="208" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="348" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 85 WIDTH="342"><div> <B>Team Fisher Girl, Jo Dee Bucki</B></div> <div> First annual "Girls Only Fishing Day" at Camp Smile A Mile. A camp for kids who have had or who have cancer. We dug up our own night crawlers and helped the girls put them on the hook. </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>####</B></div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="tammy_richardson_wins__best_angler__espy"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>TAMMY RICHARDSON WINS ‘BEST ANGLER’ ESPY</B></FONT></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="4354efd0.png" border=0 width="334" height="253" ALT="Tammy Richardson2006 ESPY Winner" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> Arkansas Angler Experiencing Banner Year; ESPN to Televise The 2006 ESPYS from Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre Sunday, July 16, 2006 at 9 p.m. ET</div> <bR> <bR> <div> CELEBRATION, Fla. - Tammy Richardson, winner of the season-opening Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats event, brought home another coveted title on Wednesday night - the ESPY for Best Angler. </div> <bR> <div> Richardson was at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre for The 2006 ESPYS Co-presented by GMC and Under Armour. This is the first time an ESPY has been awarded in the Best Angler category, formerly Best Outdoors. The 14th annual industry-wide sports celebration hosted by Lance Armstrong will be televised on ESPN Sunday, July 16 at 9 p.m. ET. </div> <bR> <div> ESPY winners were determined by fans voting online for the third-straight year and a record 12.1 million votes  were tabulated. The last active BASS angler to win the award was Elite angler Kevin VanDam of Michigan in 2002.                                                      <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#888888" FACE="Arial" ><I>ESPN Photo</I></FONT></div> <bR> <div> It was just last year that Richardson and her husband Bobby saw their house burn to the ground due to an electrical problem. However, 2006 has been a comeback year for R