Weekend Warrior Championship
Weekend Warrior Championship
Indiana's Moser Edges Shafer, Wins By 9 Ounces
Saturday, April 05, 2008
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Photo: BassFan
Brad Moser's amped – this is by far the biggest win of his life, he said.
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Indiana anglers can't afford to lose fish. The lakes there are so pressured that just a single dumped fish typically means a loss. Which is what makes Brad Mosier's day 2 that much more special.
The competitor from New Albany, Ind. began the final day of the BassFan Army Weekend Warrior Championship in 1st place. But a tough morning on Lake Pickwick in Florence, Ala. saw him dump several crucial fish.
Normally, that would have affected him, he said. But this time, he put it all behind him, decided to switch areas, and put together a flurry in which he tanked a solid limit, then culled several times.
And he needed almost every ounce. He came to the scales today with 16-08, which brought his 2-day, 10-fish total to 35-11. That was just enough to fend off Toby Shafer of Sullivan, Ill. by a thin 9 ounces.
Moser then held the WWC cup aloft, received his $25,000 check, and laid claim to the title of best amateur bass angler in North America.
Shafer began the day in 2nd and 3 ounces in back of Moser. His 16-02 limit just wasn't enough.
Jeff Welker, who made the trip from Waynesburg, Ohio, stunned the field with a 19-pound limit today, which rocketed him up from 21st to finish 3rd.
Alabama's Jamie Horton weighed 12-05, which was 6 pounds less than what he boxed yesterday, and he fell a spot to finish 4th with 30-08.
And finishing 5th was Texan David Gillham, who improved by 7 spots today after his strong 15-13 limit.
Conditions changed considerably today. A week of clouds and warm temperatures ended last night with a strong front and heavy rains. That dropped the air temperature by 10 to 15 degrees, and surface temperatures by a few degrees. The creeks also blew clay out into the most pockets.
But Moser's cypress pattern held up both days, despite the challenging conditions. He worked it with precision, and walked away the winner.
Moser Stoked
Before today, Moser's biggest triumph had been a win last year in a Hoosier Open. And he and partner Kelly Hook were the 2008 Hoosier Open Team of the Year.
But Moser said this title, by far, was the biggest of his career.
"It feels darn good," he said. "I'm extremely excited. This is a big tournament to win.
"There was a point today where I thought I had a chance to lose it. I had hardly any weight at noon. But then I went back to the area where I started (the day) and caught a 5 and a 4, and I figured that put me right back in the ballgame. Then I culled out three almost immediately – in a real short period of time."
He noted that the Pickwick fish were bunched up. That's what led to the flurry. "Sometimes you can go several hours without them biting, then whack them.
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Photo: BassFan
Toby Shaffer was haunted by a lost fish this morning and settled for 2nd.
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"This is an incredible tournament, and a super-fine organization," he added. "All you have to do is sign up on the Internet and you can get invited to come down and win $800 or $25,000. It's great."
He weighed all largemouths, and targeted spawning fish on cypress trees with a jig. He did use a spinnerbait for smaller fish, but all of his quality came on the jig. The full details of his winning pattern, plus pattern information for the other top finishers, will be posted soon.
2nd: Shaffer 'Rat-Ls' Home Happy
When he woke up today, Shaffer was 3 ounces off the lead and in prime contention.
When he strolled to the scales this afternoon, he was confident his bag (16-02) would keep him there. It did, but he wound up 9 ounces short and settled for 2nd with 35-02.
"I was hoping to win it," he said. "I knew I had a good shot at it. I lost one around 10 a.m. and I had a feeling it would haunt me and it did."
The Sullivan, Ill. resident broke out the new sexy shad Rat-L-Trap and figures he boated 15 keepers while working the warm-water areas around the Colbert Fossil Plant just west of Sheffield.
"I was on the mouth of a hot-water ditch," he said. "I didn't move at all. I know that area real well."
He had his limit by 9 a.m. and will now turn his attention toward the Illini Team Trail because he wants another shot at the WWC title.
"This is a great event," he said. "I hope I can qualify and get back again."
3rd: Big Bag Buoys Welker
After weighing just 3 fish Friday, Welker roared back on day 2 with a massive 19-0 sack that included a 5-13 smallie. He jumped from 21st to a 3rd-place finish.
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Photo: BassFan
Jeff Welker recovered from a light bag on day 1 to nail 19-00 and rise to 3rd.
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A swimbait in current was the order of the day for the Waynesburg, Ohio resident, who nailed his big fish by the canal lock.
"I lost three 4- to 5-pounders," he said. "Without a net, it's tough. I probably could've boated some of them."
He found the clearer weather affected where his fish were staged and that helped him catch two limits.
"After the front came through, they moved up higher and were more active," he said.
He enjoyed his stay in Florence and is anxious to qualify for next year's WWC.
"This was really nice," he said. "I enjoyed it. Once people find out about it, it's going to be big. I don't think people don’t know the circuits that are eligible to qualify."
4th: Horton's Big Ones Vacated
As noted, Horton's 12-05 dropped him a spot to finish 4th.
"I didn't choke – I just didn't get any bites," he said. "But I feel pretty good about (my finish). If I give 100% effort in practice and the tournament, that's what I kind of base it on. That's how I like to fish, and I just came up two bites short."
He's not really too sure what changed today. The water got a little muddier, which he said can sometimes help. Instead, he thinks he stuck with the area too long. He was fishing spawners in the same area since early this week in practice, and he suspects that the females finally left.
"I'm disappointed in some of the decisions I made," he added. "But all in all I did what I could do. It's a great fishery. I love it down here, and I'd love to see the WWC back here again. And I appreciate BassFan and all the sponsors of BassFan for all they've done. Without them, we wouldn't be able to do this."
5th: Gillham Happy
For Gillham, Pickwick offered him an opportunity to fish his strength, which is spawning fish. He broke three off on the hookset today, but right after the third one, he smacked a 5 3/4-pounder.
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Photo: BassFan
Jamie Horton said he gave 100%, so he's fine with where he finished.
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"I looked for some water I was comfortable with," he said. "I figured I needed one more good bite today, and I think I was on the right fish. I just couldn't get another one. I had all my fish by probably 11:00.
"I'm happy with the way I fished – coming to a new lake sight-unseen and catching a couple of good fish. I'm pleased with it."
6th: Consistency Paid Off For Jones
Paul Jones shook his head when he talked about the one that got away today.
"I lost a 4-pounder that would have helped me," the Jeffersonville, Ind. native said after he finished with 29-14. "It wasn't too bad. I needed better bites yesterday. I just couldn't get rid of my small one today."
Still, his 14-10 day-2 sack jumped him from 9th to 6th and gave the Hoosier Open trail two finishers in the Top 6.
He worked mostly with spinnerbaits and had moderate success with jigs. He caught 12 keepers.
"You had to throw it in there to get a bite," he added. "It seems they're wanting to spawn. You'd throw it and drag it across and they'd swat at it as came by."
7th: Jacques A Good One Short
Alabaman Tommy Jacques worked all day to cull out a small one, but couldn't. He began the day in 10th, weighed 15-01, and finished 7th.
"I had a good day," he said. "I knew I had a decent sack, and I was trying to put one more nice one in there, but I never could hook up with it. I brought in five though."
He spent the tournament flipping a Picasso Salt tube with a 1/4-ounce Tru-Tungsten Worm weight and Tru-Tungsten Smart Peg.
About his WWC experience, he said: "It's a great event – one of the best events I've ever attended. They really took care of the anglers, and did a great job on everything. And the food wasn't bad either. It was the best box lunch I've ever had."
9th: 7-Pounder Anchors Pietrzak's Bag
Doug Pietrzak figured a victory was out of reach today so he went big-fish hunting, and he certainly found one.
Working the mouth of Second Creek on Lake Wilson, he was throwing a shaggy jig with a woody rattle when he latched onto a 7-pounder that proved to be the kicker in his 14-11 bag on day 2.
"The water was dirty and he was on shore in less than a foot of water," he said. "I didn't even see him, it was so dirty."
He left Florence believing he left some big fish in the water.
"It would have been nice to do better yesterday," he said. "It's a nice trip and it's a nice tournament to have. I had a fabulous time."
10th: Combs Lost Good Ones
A 10-04 bag knocked Nebraska's Jeff Combs back six spots to finish 10th.
"I had a little bad luck," he said. "I had three better fish than what I weighed come off. There was no recuperating after that. It was just one of those days.
"It was a little cool in the morning and the water temperature where I was fishing dropped to about 57 degrees this morning," he added. "They just weren't taking it very well. They were real finicky with the bite. You'd have them hooked for a minute, then they'd pull off. You only get one chance at the nice ones."
Still, he said he had a good time and was impressed by the number of fish in Pickwick. "It's very entertaining. The lakes in the Midwest get so much pressure, it's nice to come to a place where they're a little more vulnerable. It's fun."
11th: Mason Brings The Hammer
Things could've gone better for Richard Mason. They could've gone worse, too.
At the end of the day, he had a second straight limit that weighed 11-00 and gave him an 11th-place finish.
"Fifteen would've been better," said the Athens, Ala. native who totaled 26-10. "I fished my practice spots and didn't find anything. Then I went back to my Friday positions and lost the first fish I hooked trying to land it.
"After that I just hammered away and I finally started catching them. I only had 4 until about 1:30. Then I ran up the river to a pocket I knew about and that's where I caught my biggest one."
He started the day in 7th and blasted off feeling he had a shot at the victory.
"I did," he said. "I knew it'd be an uphill battle and the guys who were ahead of me are excellent fishermen. And they had a good lead on me.
"I've enjoyed this more than any tournament I've fished," he added. "The way Al Smith treated us all. They really took care of us. One of those box lunches could have lasted me 2 days."
12th: Hooker Fine With Finish
Louisiana's Matt Hooker qualified through the Association of Louisiana Bass Clubs. He started the day in 12th, caught 14-02, and finished 12th.
About his finish, he said: "I feel real good about it, honestly. I came over here without any knowledge of the lake. I didn't have any help and just went out there and found stuff and did okay. So I feel good about it.
"I caught big ones in practice – I just never caught a big one in the tournament," he added. "I felt that was the edge that I didn't get. But it was real fun."
He noted he caught at least a dozen keepers every day around cypress trees, and will return home still never having caught a smallmouth.
29th: Clear's the Way for Quinn
Brainerd, Minn. resident Steve Quinn got stuck in the mud for a bit today but still managed a limit that put him in 25th with 19-05.
"I fished some areas that had better fish yesterday," he said. "I fished in mud for 90 minutes and lost my confidence but I knew I could catch them in clear pockets. I used a drop shot in clear cuts and caught some. I was a bit tentative but tried it for the heck of it. It was an easy day to fish today."
One thing he noted about the event was the affable and helpful nature of the competitors.
"The event was really great," he said. "It was put together and planned well. The whole atmosphere of it was cool, from everybody being so friendly to the fisherman having a good time together."
Notable
> Clay Dyer served as official emcee today.
> Kris Colley changed lakes today and it resulted in another limit that allowed him to finish 20th with 21-00. "My tournament was good," he said. "I just couldn't find the quality fish. I worked Pickwick on Friday and spent today on Wilson. I didn't want to waste time in the locks Friday."
> Jim Smith came a long way (Brainerd, Minn.) but he headed home a happy man despite a 28th-place showing. His 11-14 day-2 bag was the 11th-best of the day. "This was my first time being down here," he said. "Back home right now, there's 30 inches of ice on the lakes so any time we can go bass fishing, it's a plus."
> Kerry Kruep's never been so excited to show off a fish that weighed 1-15. He was all smiles today because that fish won him a $1,000 shopping spree out of the Pure Fishing catalog after winning an hourly weigh-in contest that required the lure, line, rod and reel to be Pure Fishing products.
> After weighing a 10-08 limit on Friday, Greenwood, S.C. resident Bino Patterson managed just two fish today and finished 39th. Still, he enjoyed himself. "The tourney was great," he said. "I wish we could have been in it the first year."
Day 2 (Final) Standings
1. Brad Moser -- New Albany, IN -- Hoosier Opens -- 5, 19-03 -- 5, 16-08 -- 10, 35--11
2. Toby Shafer -- Sullivan, IL -- Illini TT -- 5, 19-00 -- 5, 16-02 -- 10, 35--02
3. Jeff Welker -- Waynesburg, OH -- ONOBA -- 3, 11--09 -- 5, 19-00 -- 8, 30--09
4. Jamie Horton -- Centerville, Al -- TBF -- 5, 18-03 -- 5, 12--05 -- 10, 30--08
5. David Gillham -- Glen Heath, TX -- Media Bass -- 5, 14-02 -- 5, 15--13 -- 10, 29--15
6. Paul Jones -- Jeffersonville, IN -- Hoosier Opens -- 5, 15-04 -- 5, 14--10 -- 10, 29--14
7. Tommy Jacques -- Wetumpka, AL -- BassMaxx -- 5, 14-07 -- 5, 15--01 -- 10, 29--08
8. Norbert Jaromin -- Eaton, IN -- TBF -- 5, 13-15 -- 5, 13--09 -- 10, 27--09
9. Doug Pietrzak -- St. Cloud, MN -- BB Bonanza -- 5, 11--08 -- 5, 14--11 -- 10, 27--03
10. Jeff Combs -- Friend, NE -- Heartland Elite -- 5, 16-12 -- 5, 10--04 -- 10, 27--00
11. Richard Mason -- Athens, AL -- Southern AC -- 5, 15-10 -- 5, 11--00 -- 10, 26--10
12. Chris Rutland -- Wetumpka, AL -- TBF -- 5, 16-11 -- 5, 9--14 -- 10, 26--09
12. Matt Hooker -- Boyce, LA -- ALBC -- 5, 14-02 -- 5, 12--07 -- 10, 26--09
14. Greg Cooper -- Monroe City, MO -- TBF -- 5, 14-04 -- 5, 9--09 -- 10, 23--13
15. Danny Walden -- Columbus, MS -- TT Of Miss. -- 5, 16-00 -- 5, 7--05 -- 10, 23--05
16. Ken Romain -- Northport, AL -- TT Of Miss. -- 5, 15-07 -- 5, 7--07 -- 10, 22--14
17. Jerome Hubbard -- Albany, GA -- SABBA -- 5, 11--11 -- 5, 10--15 -- 10, 22--10
18. Lee Pitts -- Gaylesville, AL -- BassMaxx -- 5, 12--04 -- 5, 10--00 -- 10, 22--04
19. Rick LaPoint -- Springfield, MO -- Defending Champ -- 5, 11--09 -- 2, 9--06 -- 7, 21--05
20. Chris Colley -- Ashville, AL -- Airport Marine -- 5, 11--01 -- 5, 9--15 -- 10, 21--00
21. Terry Billions -- Rogersville, AL -- Southern AC -- 5, 10--05 -- 5, 10--09 -- 10, 20--14
21. Jim Stevens -- Springfield, IL -- Illini TT -- 5, 11--11 -- 5, 9--03 -- 10, 20--14
23. Bob Bruick -- Fort Wayne, IN -- TBF -- 5, 9--08 -- 5, 10--12 -- 10, 20--04
24. Jason McCollum -- Northport, AL -- TT Of Miss. -- 5, 5--14 -- 5, 14--05 -- 10, 20--03
25. Roger Moore -- Jacksonville, AL -- SABBA -- 5, 13-06 -- 5, 6--11 -- 10, 20--01
26. Jason Reagan -- Brandon, MS -- TT Of Miss. -- 5, 10--04 -- 5, 9--11 -- 10, 19--15
26. Nick Gross -- Watkins, MN -- BB Bonanza -- 5, 8--07 -- 5, 11--08 -- 10, 19--15
28. Jim Smith -- Brainerd, MN -- Excel Bass -- 5, 7--13 -- 5, 11--14 -- 10, 19--11
29. Steve Quinn -- Brainerd, MN -- Wildcard -- 5, 11--02 -- 5, 8--03 -- 10, 19--05
30. Lee Bridwell -- Johnson City, TN -- SABBA -- 5, 8--09 -- 5, 10--09 -- 10, 19--02
31. Dale Fess -- Greenville, IN -- Hoosier Opens -- 4, 6--12 -- 5, 11--02 -- 9, 17--14
32. Farrell Hutchinson -- Hutchinson, KS -- TBF -- 5, 9--01 -- 3, 8--06 -- 8, 17--07
33. David Moss -- Medina, OH -- ONOBA -- 5, 13-03 -- 3, 3--07 -- 8, 16--10
34. Denny Sutek -- North Canton, OH -- ONOBA -- 3, 9--07 -- 5, 7--01 -- 8, 16--08
35. Darold Gleason -- Leesville, LA -- ALBC -- 5, 8--14 -- 4, 6--11 -- 9, 15--09
36. Wes Meadows -- Cairo, GA -- BassMaxx -- 5, 9--09 -- 3, 5--06 -- 8, 14--15
37. Kip Ashmore -- Evans, GA -- Southern AC -- 4, 5--15 -- 5, 8--06 -- 9, 14--05
38. Greg Norfleet -- Trinity, NC -- SABBA -- 5, 13-10 -- DNW -- 5, 13--10
39. Bino Patterson -- Greenwood, S.C. -- SABBA -- 5, 7--12 -- 2, 2--12 -- 7, 10--09
40. Kelly Hook -- New Albany, IN -- Hoosier Opens -- 5, 10--01 -- DNW -- 5, 10--01
41. Eddie Wolfe -- Forsyth, MO -- TBF -- 5, 10--00 -- DNW -- 5, 10--00
42. Winston Jackson -- Athens, AL -- Southern AC -- 5, 9--12 -- DNW -- 5, 9--12
43. J.D. Ward -- Anniston, AL -- SABBA -- 5, 9--09 -- DNW -- 5, 9--09
44. Kerry Kruep -- Paola, KS -- Wildcard -- 0, 0--00 -- 5, 9--05 -- 5, 9--05
45. Craig Johnson -- Martinez, GA -- Southern AC -- 0, 0--00 -- 5, 8--13 -- 5, 8--13
46. Tommy Brooks -- Florien, LA -- ALBC -- 5, 7--11 -- DNW -- 5, 7--11
47. Curtis Reeves -- Riverdale, GA -- SABBA -- 5, 7--07 -- DNW -- 5, 7--07
48. Dan Bojo -- Northport, AL -- SABBA -- 5, 6--07 -- DNW -- 5, 6--07
49. John Goul -- Philadelphia, MS -- TT Of Miss. -- 3, 3--00 -- DNW -- 3, 3--00
50. John Barrett -- North Augusta, SC -- Southern AC -- 1, 0--15 -- 1, 1--14 -- 2, 2--13
51. Bill Harvey -- Grovetown, GA -- Southern AC -- 2, 2--07 -- DNW -- 2, 2--07
52. Sterling Jones -- Philadelphia, MS -- TT Of Miss. -- 2, 2--05 -- 0, 0--00 -- 2, 2--05
53. Ronald Herbert -- South Paris, ME -- TBF -- 0, 0--00 -- DNW -- 0, 0--00
53. Chuck Swann -- Hanceville, AL -- TT Of Miss. -- 0, 0--00 -- DNW -- 0, 0--00
53. Jerry McCafferty -- Muscle Shoals, AL -- Southern AC -- 0, 0--00 -- DNW -- 0, 0--00