FORT WORTH, Texas – When Dianna Clark starting fishing four years ago, she told her husband all she wanted was win just one tournament. Now, she’s going to have to set a new goal.
Clark, of Bumpus Mills, Tenn., took the second stop of the Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats on Saturday with a three-day weight of 30 pounds, 2 ounces. She bested Sheri Glasgow of Muskogee, Okla., who had 27-13 and came in second place in the women’s opener in April.
“I worked them hard,” said Clark, 41, who practiced from “daylight to dark” for two weeks to prepare for the tournament. Clark said she continued using a Thundershad crankbait as well as a Gene Larew finesse jig and craw throughout the tournament to catch a slow bite, but what especially helped her Saturday were employees of a local boat dealership who kept passing by and aerating and circulating the water. The employees – who were testing ski boats – would pass by and each time, Clark got a bite. She fished no more than 350 yards from launch site, she said.
With the win, Clark received a Triton boat and Mercury outboard package worth $50,000.
While Clark had never known what it felt like to win a tournament, runner-up Glasgow said she’s very familiar with second place. The 39-year-old placed second at the women’s event in Alabama and said she also has come in second place several times in previous women’s tourneys. “I can definitely relate to Aaron Martens,” said Glasgow, referring to the CITGO Bassmaster Elite Series angler’s three second-place finishes in the last four CITGO Bassmaster Classics. “But consistency is what’s important to me and I want to go to the championship.”
The top 12 anglers of the women’s tour will advance to the 2007 Women’s Bassmaster Tour championship, which will coincide with the Bassmaster Classic. Also, the woman leading the Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year standings will take home a 2007 Toyota Tundra. Currently, Clark is leading with 526 points.
Along with the top six anglers, the top six co-anglers weighed in at Will Rogers Coliseum on Saturday, site of the Bassmaster Memorial. Debbie Pegoli of Loveland, Ohio, who led on Day 2, closed strongly and took the win with a total weight of 12-10. Pegoli, who has fished in Ohio BASS Federation Nation tournaments with her husband Ron, called the tour her “dream” and will compete at the remaining three women’s events.
The Women’s Bassmaster Tour will next visit Lake Norman in North Carolina on July 27-29 in conjunction with the Bassmaster American the second Bassmaster Major, on Lake Wylie.
Sponsors of the Women’s Bassmaster Tour include Mercury Marine, Triton Boats, Lowrance Electronics, MotorGuide, Advance Auto Parts and Plano.
Local sponsors for the event are the City of Lewisville, Lewisville Area Chamber of Commerce, Sneaky Pete’s Restaurant and Banquet Facility and the Baymont Inn and Suites.
Women’s Bassmaster Tour
Lewisville Lake
Lewisville, Texas
May 18-20, 2006
Field
Cut to 6 after Day 2
Launch
6 a.m.
Sneaky Pete’s Restaurant and Banquet Facility
#2 Eagle Point Marina
Lewisville, Texas 75075
Weigh-in
Day 3
2:30 p.m.
Will Rogers Coliseum
3401 West Lancaster
Fort Worth, Texas 76107
3:30 p.m. CT
BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation annually. Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it has for nearly 40 years.
BASS stages bass fishing tournaments for every skill level and culminates with the CITGO Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth programs, aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia platforms, BASS offers the industry’s widest array of services and support to its nearly 550,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.
For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit www.bassmaster.com.
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