ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, May 6, 1996 TAG: 9605060141
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
James Morgan won the smallmouth bass division of the Cave Spring Optimist Club fishing tournament Sunday on Smith Mountain Lake, then made a major investment in next year's contest.
He recycled the 5.32-pound fish that earned him $800, releasing it alive along the base of Smith Mountain.
``I'm going to take it back and put it on the same brush pile,'' said the angler from Simon, W.Va. ``It might not be there next year, then again, it might.''
This was the second victory in the tournament for Morgan, who entered the largest smallmouth in the 1983 event, a 4.39-pound catch.
Morgan hooked the 1996 winner just before dark Saturday while using one of a boatload of lizards he and two buddies brought from the hills of West Virginia.
``I know I had 360 of them,'' he said. ``I may have had more.''
Morgan caught several smallmouth in the 31/2- to 4-pound range, including one that was fourth before being bumped by a larger fish. A 4.32-pound bass, big enough to lead the contest Saturday, was disqualified because it didn't reach the weigh station alive.
When Morgan boated what would be the winning smallmouth, he told his buddies, ``Let's go. We've got the $800 fish.''
The ride up the lake was painful, as well as victorious.
``When I reached and got the fish by the lip, somehow the hook came out of its mouth and into my thumb,'' Morgan said.
At the weigh-in, Optimist Club officials gave him a pair of pliers to remove the hook.
Ronald Ball of Bee won the largemouth bass category with an 8.32-pounder caught near the dam on a live waterdog.
Robert Terry of Roanoke used a Thunderstick top-water lure to catch the winning walleye, a 6.66-pound fish.
Gary Hall of Rocky Mount tossed a white jig under a boat dock and hauled in the best crappie of the contest, a 2.12-pound catch.
Richard Carden of Radford said he was casting for bass and stripers when his Rebel lure was gobbled up by the tournament's best catfish, a 23.68-pounder.
The winners:
LARGEMOUTH: 1, Ronald Ball, Bee, 8.32 pounds; 2, Kevin Poff, Salem, 6.90; 3, Thomas Wooten, Huddleston, 6.65; 4, Keith Dooley, Roanoke, 6.30.
WALLEYE: 1, Robert Terry, Roanoke, 6.66; 2, Roger Bradley, Goodview, 6.36; 3, Corey Harrison, Glade Hill, 6.30; 4, Jon Quinlan, Vinton, 5.86.
CRAPPIE: 1, Gary Hall, Rocky Mount, 2.12; 2, Eddie Gray, Colfax, N.C. 2.06; 3, Herbert Bobbitt, Vinton, 2.06; 4, Rickey Barger, Vinton, 2.04
SMALLMOUTH: 1, James Morgan, Simon, W.Va., 5.32; 2, Kenneth Stewart, Matheny, W.Va., 4.40; 3, Richard Arthur, Redwood, 4.16; 4, James Bond, Pearisburg, 3.96.
CATFISH: 1, Richard Carden, Radford, 23.68; 2, Ricky Barker, Hardy, 19.96; 3, Roger Perdue, Union Hall, 17.64; 4, Donald Horne, Wirtz, 15.90.
MUSKIE: No entries.
LENGTH: Medium: 60 linesby CNB