Dan:
Any update from Osh Kosh you can provide?
Jack
I could if I wasn't so far behind... rats. They have a day 1 report on the TBF national site: http://www.bassfederation.com
I have a summary - Derek Cummings of Michigan is leading the entire field after two days with around 26 pounds. Jeff Kellogg of MI had a big sack today over 15 pounds and big bass for the day I believe. Lots of good catchs, but Michigan fell from 4th place on day 1 to 5th after today - a little more a struggle for them while many other teams got 'em good today after the wind finally backed off some.
Michigan is fishing with only 10 anglers after a number of late cancellations and other anglers not being able to go as alternates (I was the final alternate and I couldn't get this week off). That makes it more challenging for our anglers since there are a lot of bass being caught.
They had a good meeting tonight and think they can do better tomorrow with more water available now that the winds have gone down.
Just got a call from TBF of Michigan president Dennis Beltz from the TBF Northern Divisional Championship. WOW! Are these guys happy and excited. I had a feeling from last night that they were going to kick some booty today!
No. They didn't come back from 5th place to win. The local boys from Wisconsin had way too much of a lead for that much heroics, but they did pull back from 5th back in to 4th place ahead of those TBF buckeyes. Yeah Baby!! (Sorry - this is not meant to be disparaging to Ohio TBF members - the other thread down below in Free for all just got me going ;D).
Back to the tournament. Derek Cummings did not win the whole thing. Drats! Wisconsin has that crazy no cull rule and he threw back a keeper earlier in the day and then didn't get his 5th today after leading the tournament the first two days. This happened to two other TBF of MI members today besides!!! I recall our Green Bay divisional - same thing.
The good news is that more the Michigan anglers got limits or at least 4 keepers today. Derek is still the Michigan angler going to the first TBF National Championship next spring. Congratulations Derek!
Big bass for today was caught by Michigan state team member Eric Smith. Top limit of the event for today was caught by Michigan state team member Eric Bond - a GLBass.com member. Well known GLBass.com member cameraguy - Mark Gomez - had the 2nd biggest limit today.
The biggest limit of the whole tournament - over 15 pounds - was caught yesterday by Michigan state team member Jeff Kellogg. Jeff also had big bass yesterday.
As I reported before, first day big bass was a tie with Michigan state team member Jon Jezierski being one of the awarded anglers.
So Michigan swept the big bass awards for the event and had the biggest catch of the event, and almost took 1st place.
All pretty good for a first year with only 10 team members!!!! Way to go guys!! You could hear they were in a great mood having a great time. And that's what it's all about.
Congratulations to the 2006 TBF of Michigan state team members! We should have pictures and a more detailed report with all our facts checked on the www.michigantbf.com web site in a few days. I'll get ahold of Derek Cummings too to see how he feels about almost winning; the fateful decision oday; and what he thinks about his position now - he could be fishing for 1/2 A MILLION dollars next summer in the FLW Tour Championship.
Well - I figured trying to get the story out of someone in the evening at a loud banquet after a day of fishing would lead to a rewrite.
cameraguy was nice enough to send me some clarifications late last night from Oshkosh.
Clarification...Eric Bond had the biggest limit (13lbs 6 oz) for Michigan, not the whole field today. Same with me, I had the second biggest limit (12lbs 4 oz) for our team today.
Final Team standings
WI 271lbs. 7oz.
IL 224lbs 10oz.
IN 199lbs 13 oz.
MI 192lbs 15 oz
OH 182lbs
Derek Cummings (35lbs 2 oz) and Jon Jezierski (28lbs 7oz.) were the top two finishers for Michigan and BOTH qualified for the TBF National Championship.
Members of the Michigan team took Big Bass honors all three days. Jon Jezierski tied for big bass on day one. Jeff Kellogg day two. Eric Smith on day three.
I'm thinking hindsight being 20/20, at least 3 Michigan state team members wish they had not thrown back keepers early the 3rd day - they could have took 3rd!!! That's the challenge of that no cull rule.
Regardless, it sounds like they came together well in the end and did a great job of fishing new water with only 10 anglers.
It was great to hear the support from TBF and FLW Outdoors and the sponsors was great. I should have much more details later this week.
Here's a picture of the 2006 TBF of Michigan state team taken while they were in Oshkosh Wisconsin:
(http://www.michigantbf.com/images/mitbfstateteam06.jpg)
Left to right front row: Eric Bond, TBF of MI President Dennis Beltz; middle row: Mark Gomez (cameraguy), Derek Cummings, John Serniak (2006 state champion), Jeff Kellogg; back row: Jon Jezierski, Joshua Kolodzaike, Eric Smith, Brian Ball
Holy moley I am fat. No more eating for me.
Read more details on the results of the 2006 TBF Northern Divisional here firsthand from TBF of Michigan state team member cameraguy: http://www.greatlakesbass.com/forum/index.php?topic=1334.0
Additional news available at:
FLW Outdoors (http://tbf.flwoutdoors.com/tournamentTBF.cfm?&bTournamentSearch=1&cid=80&did=4) and TBF, Inc. (http://www.bassfederation.com/main.asp?page=246)