Fishing Tourney Casts Off

7 teams compete for 3 days on Mon

Morgantown Dominion Post
23 September 2009
By Joel Dandy

The West Virginia Bass Federation fishing team left Lake Erie in 2008 with more hardware than it arrived with.

"It was great last year," Robby Fleshman said of the trophy haul. "It was a good deal since it wasn't our home waters."

This year, the team will be trying to defend its division title against six other teams at the Bass Federation Mid-Atlantic Divisional Championship Series, in Morgantown.

The tournament starts today and runs through Friday. Boats launch from Fort Martin boat ramp at 7 a.m. and anglers fish until their daily weigh-in dead-line of 3 p.m., at Hazel Ruby McQuain Park.

Anglers bring their best five fish of the day that must be at least 12 inches long and one of three types of black bass: small-mouth, largemouth or spotter. The state with the highest cumulative weight over the three-day tournament wins.

Seven teams with 12 members each are competing for a chance to win a share of the $20,000 prize. West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., are represented.

"These states have fished for more than a year to have their top 12 anglers qualify for this event," said Robert Cartlidge, president of The Bass Federation's national chapter.

John Burdette, president of the state federation chapter, said more than 800 registered federation members from West Virginia competed for the team's 12 available spots.

"They don't fish for a living, so it's tough and it's been a long year of qualifying," he said. Burdette explained that each year a different state hosts the event. "Every seven years, your state gets a chance to host the event and this year it's our turn" he said.

Fleshman, from Charleston, is the only returning member from the 2008 championship team. He's fished the Mon River before but said the transition from summer into fall is "a tough time of year."

"Right now, they're kind of scattered and it's hard to find the big ones," Fleshman said. "You might find [the fish] forming schools but it's tough."

Cartlidge said this tourney is important because it leads into national competition. Anglers are competing for individual spots in the Bass Federation national tourney and a chance to win $250,000 next April, in Knoxville, Ky.

"The top two anglers from each state team will be awarded this honor," he said. "This is an important time and a critical step for the individual angler, who has a lot at stake."

Team and individual winners will be announced Friday, during a trophy ceremony.