Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 3, 1991 TAG: 9103050478
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The growing purses of regional tournaments at lakes like Smith Mountain, Kerr and Gaston and on rivers like the James and Potomac give fishermen an opportunity to compete in lucrative contests, yet stick close enough to home to enjoy families and pursue careers. Elder, who owns an optical business in Lynchburg, likes that.
"The way I look at it, I can stay at home and just fish weekend tournaments and do as well as a lot of the pros who spend their whole life on the road. You don't have to go state to state looking for a big tournament. It will come to you, right here."
Coming to Elder and other regional fishermen this season are the richest purses ever:
The Smith Mountain Mega Bucks Tournament, April 20, offers the winning two-person team the choice of $12,000 in cash or two Japanese pickup trucks.
The Tarheel Super Big Bucks Team Tournament, May 11 on Kerr Lake, is worth $20,000 to the winning pair. Four other Tarheel Big Bucks Tournaments on Kerr have $10,000 first prizes.
The Pro-Am Teams Super Greenbacks Tournaments will pay the winners of contests on Kerr Lake and the James and Potomac rivers $10,000 if there is a full field of entries.
The Smith Mountain Bassmasters has a $4,000 first prize for its new Spring Open Mega-Partners Bass Tournament at Smith Mountain April 13 and 14.
On some weekends, there can appear to be more bass tournaments than bass. Elder, who won close to $25,000 last year, said a prudent competitor learns to pick and choose from as many as three or four events that are running simultaneously.
"I go by two things, the distance to travel and the amount I can win," he said. All the better if there are back-to-back tournaments on the same lake, one Saturday and another Sunday. The one becomes a practice session for the other, he said.
Elder enjoyed his most successful season ever last year:
First place, Bassing America, March 11, Kerr Lake.
Fourth, Smith Mountain Ruritan Club tournament, March 17.
Second, Tarheel Teams Tournament, March 24, Kerr.
Fourth, Bassing America, April 1, Gaston.
Fifth, Roanoke Valley Bassmasters, April 7, Smith Mountain.
First, American Bass Association, April 8, Smith Mountain.
Tenth, Red Man qualifier, April 29, Gaston.
First, Tarheel Teams Super Bass, May 12, Kerr.
Fourth, Wrangler/B.A.S.S. National Championship, June 30, Smith Mountain Lake.
First, Tarheel Championship, Nov. 4, Gaston.
Many of the wins were team affairs with partner Harry Hughes. Under the growing teams format, a dependable partner plays a key role, Elder said. He must be willing to take the stern seat without grumbling and be capable of catching fish that have seen the bow man's lure seconds before.
Launching lures in the wake of a competitor like Elder can seem like fishing behind a vacuum cleaner, but Hughes copes with that by casting to spots Elder misses, often with a different kind of lure. He also is watching for bass that may have been aroused by Elder's lure but failed to strike it.
"We really work at it," said Elder. "You can't be lazy and win tournaments. You have to try to concentrate on what those fish might be doing and concentrate on what you are doing to try to catch them."
If that sounds like hard work, it is. For many anglers, bass have become synonymous with tournaments. Pleasure fishing is left to stripers, which are bigger, and panfish, which are easier to catch. Bass are for competition. You fish for them during tournaments or when practicing for tournaments. You do something easier for fun.
There are non-tournament fishermen who will argue that this is putting the wrong slant on fishing, a sport they believe is meant to be contemplative rather than competitive.
But tournaments continue to grow in number and scope.
New this year is the $12,000 Mega Bucks tournament sponsored at Smith Mountain next month by Lynchburg automobile dealer Howard Sodikoff, who has staged lesser tournaments on the lake since 1987.
"I wanted to do something that was different from anything that has been on the lake," he said. "So I dreamed it up and drew it up and presented it to the club and they like the idea."
The club is the Lucky 13 Bassmasters, one of the sponsors along with Sodikoff's Oak Ridge Toyota and Blue Ridge Mitsubishi.
About 60 two-man teams have turned in their $300 entry fee, said Sodikoff. Entries are limited to 100, and Sodikoff said he is certain he'll pick up the additional 40 boats.
"I expect to be turning people away."
Among the first to sign up were Frank Custer of Martinsville and Ricky Hartis of Fieldale, a pair that can give other competitors the feeling they are fishing for second place. In previous Sodikoff events, the two have won a total of three pickup trucks.
Also new this season is the two-day Spring Open Mega-Partners Bass Tournament, with first-day competition that will eliminate the field down to a ten-team fish-off on the second day. The ten teams will cast to a golf-like ten-hole course around the Foxsport XIV Marina, said Barry McGregor of Blue Ridge. After each team fishes a hole for 45 minutes, it moves to the next.
Expect fierce competition any time you arrive at a regional bass tournament, said Elder.
"Any given tournament, if you have 100 boats in it, you will have 15 boats with guys who are subject to win."
\ Tournament Trail\ TARHEEL TEAM TOURNAMENTS: Virginia Division, Gaston Lake, March, 10; Kerr Lake, April 13; Kerr, May 4; Chickhominy-James River, Aug. 18; Gaston, Sept. 29, $5,000 first place, $150 per team entry fee. Big Bucks Bass Tournaments, $10,000 first place, $225 entry fee, Kerr, April 27, June 1, Sept. 7, Nov. 16. Super Big Bucks, $20,000 first place, $500 entry fee, Kerr, May 11, entry forms and additional information Tarheel Teams Tournaments, 2002 Knightdale Drive, Wilson, N.C. 27893; 919-243-2290.
\ BASSING AMERICA: Mid-Atlantic teams tournaments, Kerr, March 16; Gaston, April 20; Kerr, June 15; Potomac River, July 13. Mid-Atlantic championship, Aug. 24-25, James River. Entry fee, $100 per team. Grand national one-day draw tournaments, Kerr, March 17; Gaston, April 21; Potomac, May 5; Kerr, June 16; Potomac, July 14; James, July 27-28; Chickahominy River, Aug. 10-11., $50 entry fee, more information, Bassing America Corp., P.O. Box 796908, Dallas, Texas 75379, 214-380-2656.
\ SPRING PARTNERS' BASS TOURNAMENT: Smith Mountain Lake, March 16, sponsored by Smith Mountain Ruritan Club, $2,000 first place, lunker prize, $60 entry fee, $5 additional for lunker pot, details and entry forms fro Bob Carter, 703-297-7144.
\ AMERICAN BASS ASSOCIATION OF VIRGINIA: Kerr, March 17; Gaston, April 28; Chickahominy River, June 9, $75 entry fee, ABA membership required, $1,500 first place. ABA open tournament, Kerr, June 30, $100 entry fee, $2,500 first place. First tournament of 92 season, Nov. 10, Kerr Lake, Occoneechee. Contact is Al Milton, Roanoke, 563-1422.
\ PRO-AM TEAMS: Potomac, March 23; Kerr, April 21; Gaston, May 18; Chickahominy-James, June 15; Chickhominy-James, Aug. 3; Potomac, Sept. 8, $75 entry fee. Greenback Tournaments, Kerr, April 13; Chickahomimy-James, July 13; Potomac, Sept. 28, $150 entry fee. Total purse, $225,000. More information from Pro-Am Teams, 11647, Jefferson Davis Highway, Chester, 23831, 804-796-4992.
\ ROANOKE VALLEY BASSMASTERS SPRING TOURNAMENT: March 30, Smith Mountain Lake, sponsored by Roanoke Valley Bassmasters, $100 per team entry fee, 90 percent payback, information from Mark Ireson, 890-4739 or Dennis Hill, 890-3286.
\ RED MAN: Piedmont Division, March 24, Gaston; April 14, Kerr; May 5, Gaston; June 2, Kerr; Sept. 15 Chickahominy; Oct. 20, Kerr, $75 entry fee, chance to advance regional and national tournaments, more information from Operation Bass, Route 2, Box 74B, Gilbertsville, Ky. 42044; 502-362-4880.
\ SMITH MOUNTAIN BASSMASTERS 1991 SPRING OPEN MEGA-PARTNERS BASS TOURNAMENT: Smith Mountain Lake, April 12-13, $4,000 first place, $100 per team entry, more information from Barry Shelor, 703-977-0228.
\ COUNTRY BOY BASSMASTERS SPRING CLASSIC: Philpott Lake, April 13, American Cancer Society benefit, $1,500 first place, 70 per team entry fee, $5 additional lunker pot, information from J.C. Compton, 703-650-3598, or Wayne Hall, 703-629-5776.
\ WRANGLER/B.A.S.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: Smith Mountain Lake, April 18-20, weigh in at Roanoke Civic Center, open to 42 qualifers.
\ SMITH MOUNTAIN MEGA BUCKS TOURNAMENT: April 20, $12,000 or two 1991 pickup trucks fist place prize, $300 team entry fee, sponsored by Lucky 13 Bassmasters, Oak Ridge Toyota and Blue Ridge Mitsubishi, more information from 804-528-3202.
\ OPTIMIST CLUB CAVE SPRINGS TOURNAMENT: Smith Mountain Lake, May 3-5, $15 entry fee, includes prizes for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, muskie, walleye and catfish, information from Optimist Club of Cave Springs, P.O. Box 1276, Salem 24153.
\ ROANOKE MOOSE LODGE 284 ROD & GUN CLUB: James River, May 11, Gene's Bait and Tackle, Buchanan, $30 entry fee, contact Roger Foutz, 387-2264.
\ OUTLAW BASSMASTERS TEAM OUTLAW OPEN YOUTH TOURNAMENT: June 1, Smith Mountain Lake State Park, for ages 3 to 15, registration 6:30 to 8 a.m., entry fee is five cans of food for local organization, contact Doug Mitchell, 890-3560 or Gene Maxey, 380-2500.
\ BAY ROC FISHING TEAM BASS PARTNERS TOURNAMENT: Smith Mountain Lake, June 8, $50 per team entry fee, more information from Bay Roc Marina and Yacht Club, 890-2194.
\ OAK RIDGE TOYOTA-BLUE RIDGE MITSUBISHI: Smith Mountain Lake, Sept. 21, first prize new truck, more information from 804-528-3202.
\ SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA BOAT DEALERS ASSOCIATION INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT: Oct. 26, Smith Mountain Lake, $25 per contestant fee, more information from Bay Roc Marina and Yacht Club, 890-2194.
by CNB