
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, April 28, 1995                   TAG: 9504280066
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: SOUTH HILL                                LENGTH: Medium

RIVALS WILL HAVE TO REEL IN BRAUER

Denny Brauer of Camdenton, Mo., had the top weigh-in total Thursday after the first day of the $200,000 BASSMASTER Virginia Eastern Invitational at Kerr Lake.

And Lynchburg's David Dudley might have the highest hopes after catching a limit of five bass that weighed 12 pounds, 15 ounces, good enough for 19th place among 297 fishermen.

Dudley, 19, leads the Eastern Invitational in the points standings after three events, and a good finish at Kerr will make him the youngest angler to qualify for a berth in the prestigious BASS Masters Classic.

The tournament continues today and ends Sunday.

Brauer, a former BASS Angler of the Year, had a limit of five fish weighing 17 pounds, 5 ounces. His two largest fish weighed 5 pounds, 6 ounces and 5 pounds, 3 ounces.

The clear, low water conditions at Kerr have made fishing tough for several anglers, but 47 caught limits. The pool usually rests at 300 feet, but the level is down to 297.

``I've shied away from real clean water,'' Brauer said. ``But I can't find any real dirty water. I'm around a lot of fish. It just seems like the ones you see you can't catch - they just frustrate you.''

Walt Reynolds of Clewiston, Fla., is second with 16 pounds, 13 ounces, including the tournament's biggest bass, which weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces.

Woo Daves of Spring Grove, regarded as Virginia's top bass fisherman, is 96th with three fish weighing 6 pounds, 8 ounces. His son, Chris, is 26th after catching an 11-pound, 15-ounce limit.

James Henderson of Evington is 65th, with 8 pounds, 7 ounces; and Mike Hawks of Galax is 101st, with 6 pounds, 3 ounces. Danny Garrett of Hardy is in 145th place, with one fish weighing 4 pounds, 2 ounces.

James Dudley, David's father, is 199th, with 2 pounds, 7 ounces. James Dudley finished runner-up the previous weekend in the East Region of the Wrangler/B.A.S.S. National Championship. He missed qualifying for the Classic by one place.

Bill Watson of Christiansburg and Mike Hundley of Catawba did not weigh in a fish.

by CNB