Bass Tournament News

B.A.S.S. News

SANDUSKY, Ohio — Weights soared on Day Two of the second 2011 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open as the winds calmed down and gave anglers access to more of Lake Erie. On Day One, there were six anglers who cracked the 20-pound mark, with Nate Wellman’s 22-4 topping the list. Today, 15 anglers crossed that mark, with John Devries tallying an astounding 26-7 worth of smallmouth. However, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Nate Wellman managed to retain his lead with a catch of 23-3, giving him a two-day total of 45-7.

“I pulled up to where I left ’em biting yesterday afternoon, and it was awesome. In my first three casts, I caught two fish, and I was throwing 3-pounders back before I had a limit,” he said. “I ended up leaving there with four fish. But, they were even more loaded up on my third spot. Between the two of us (Wellman and his co-angler), we probably caught 70 bass there.”

Wellman lost several key fish that he estimates would’ve given him another 2 pounds or so. He also says that the spot is replenishing every day. Going into the event, Wellman had 12 areas he planned to fish, but he’s only hit five of them so far.

“I’m pretty optimistic going into tomorrow,” he said. “My goal here is to make it to the Classic since I had an OK year in the Elites and didn’t qualify through that route. I don’t care about the points, I just want the Classic. And I want that big trophy. I want to have twins!”

This trophy would be the “twin” for the hardware he took home last year when he won a Northern Open on the Chesapeake in Maryland.

John Devries of Fishers, Ind., made a hard charge today, sacking up the heaviest bag of the tournament thus far, a 26-7 stringer that gives him a 42-12 total. He only caught 16-5 on Day One, but credits his net man (his co-angler who netted his fish) today for part of his turnaround.

“I found these fish five days ago, but I couldn’t get to them yesterday so I had to make a long run and scrape up what I had,” he said. “But, I knew the wind was going to be right for getting there today. I went and had a limit before I got to my spot, but thank the Lord they were there.”

Devries was snapping a tube (hopping it off the bottom) when his biggest fish hit, but he caught the rest on a drop shot rig. Though he’s in second, Devries is nervous about Day Three: He’s used up all of his fish. He was saving the spot he hit today for the final day.

“I had two spots where I planned on catching 20 pounds, then I figured I’d blow it open on Saturday with that spot,” he said. “I think I’ll be lucky if I catch 16 pounds tomorrow.”

His bag was anchored by a 6-0 brute.

In third place is Chris Malone of Ironton, Ohio, who retained his third-place position with a Day Two catch of 20-7, which gives him a two-day total of 41-7. In fourth place is Jared Rhode of Port Clinton, Ohio, with a total of 39-4, and in fifth place is Elite Series pro Derek Remitz of Grant, Ala., with 39-3.

The winner of the pro division will earn a spot in the 2012 Bassmaster Classic, provided he fishes the entire three-tournament circuit.

Co-anglers are vying for a fully rigged Triton bass boat with a Mercury outboard, and leading the way is Mike Chunko of Alliance, Ohio.

Chunko is averaging 4.7 pounds per bass, which makes his six-fish, two-day total 27-14 thanks to a Day Two catch of 13-3. Behind him is Day One leader Jonathan Shoemaker of Elyria, Ohio, with 26-9; in third place is Pete Manns of Seville, Ohio, with 26-0; in fourth is Chris Van Vliet of Cleveland, Canada, with 25-10; and in fifth place is Ryan Smith of Galloway, N.J., with 25-4.

Hosted by the City of Sandusky, Ohio, the Northern Open anglers will launch Saturday at 6:30 a.m. ET from Battery Park Marina, 701 E. Water St., Sandusky, OH 48870. The final weigh-in will be at 3:30 p.m. ET at the Bass Pro Shops in Rossford, Ohio, located at 10000 Bass Pro Blvd. All events are free and open to the public.

Complete day two standings are available on the GreatLakesBass.com B.A.S.S. Forum.

For more information about the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens, visit www.bassmaster.com/open.

2011 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Mercury, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha

2011 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Supporting Sponsors: Humminbird, Luck “E” Strike, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats

About B.A.S.S.
For more than 40 years, B.A.S.S. has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and an expansive tournament structure while connecting directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.

The Bassmaster brand and its multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications — Bassmaster Magazine and B.A.S.S. Times — comprehensive website Bassmaster.com, ESPN2 and Outdoor Channel television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, B.A.S.S. Federation Nation events presented by Yamaha and Skeeter Boats and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.

B.A.S.S. offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members and remains focused on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.