Lucy Mize and her co-angler, Sharon Lawson from Red Bank, idle through the inspection line before taking off toward their first fishing spot of the day on Lake Hamilton.
photo by BASS
Chattanooga's Susan Dameron and Red Bank's Sharon Lawson are stuck in the middle after Day One of the Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship Arkansas’ Lake Hamilton. Dameron is in 10th place with 2 fish (1-15) and Lawson is 11th with 2 fish (1-11) in the co-angler division.
Only 20 co-anglers and 20 pro's are fishing the year-end championship event that concludes Saturday.
On the professional side, the lady anglers are vying for a place in the famous Bassmaster Classic, the first time a woman angler will have competed in the prestigious event.
Kim Bain, 28, from Alabaster, Ala. is not leading the tournament on Lake Hamilton, but she is leading in the Angler of the Year (AOY) points race for that Bassmaster spot. Thursday she boated a limit weighing 5 pounds, 2 ounces which put her in seventh place at the tournament but helped her maintain the lead in the Toyota Tundra Women’s AOY standings -- at least through Day One.
If Bain holds on to the AOY lead, she will become the first female angler to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic in its 39-year history and will also receive a fully-rigged Toyota Tundra.
Bain entered the Championship 14 points ahead of Cindy Hill of Smyrna, Tenn., in the standings and 35 points ahead of Juanita Robinson of Highlands, Texas.
“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous,” said Bain, who moved from Australia to the U.S. nine years ago to pursue a career in bass fishing. “Clearly, I have a lot riding on this but I’m just trying to take it one day at a time.”
Robinson continued her challenge Thursday of Bain's AOY lead, finishing third with 6-6. Hill barely missed boating a 4-pounder and is in 16th place with 2-4. While Robinson gains on Bain, she will need Bain to falter or will have to win the Championship event herself to have a chance at the AOY. The points race will be settled Saturday at the culmination of the Championship.
While Bain, Hill and Robinson battle for the coveted Classic berth, Debra Petrowski, with 7-12, put herself in good position Thursday to take the top Championship prize of a fully-rigged boat package valued at $55,000 in addition to $5,000. Trailing Petrowski in second was Lisa Sternard of Clarksville, Tenn., with 6-12.
Leading in the co-anger division is Debbie Pegoli of Loveland, Ohio, who weighed in two fish for an overall weight of 4 pounds, 8 ounces. Trailing Pegoli in second was Debra Cook of Gardendale, Ala., with three fish weighing 3 pounds, 10 ounces, and in third, Linda Walker of Beebe, Ark., with 3 pounds, 8 ounces. Co-anglers are competing for a $37,500 Skeeter-Yamaha rig and $3,250.
2008 Women's Bassmaster Tour Championship 10/23-10/25
Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs AR.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Debra Petrowski Arlington, TX 5 07-12 300
Day 1: 5 07-12
2. Lisa Sternard Clarksville, TN 5 06-12 295
Day 1: 5 06-12
3. Juanita Robinson Highlands, TX 5 06-06 290
Day 1: 5 06-06
4. Jan Heavener Sherwood, AR 5 05-15 285
Day 1: 5 05-15
5. Angie Douthit Clewiston, FL 5 05-09 280
Day 1: 5 05-09
6. Helen Gordon Flower Mound, TX 5 05-05 276
Day 1: 5 05-05
7. Kim Bain Alabaster, AL 5 05-02 272
Day 1: 5 05-02
8. Mary DiVincenti Clinton, LA 5 05-00 268
Day 1: 5 05-00
9. Pam Martin-Wells Bainbridge, GA 5 04-15 262
Day 1: 5 04-15
9. Dianna Clark Bumpus Mills, TN 4 04-15 262
Day 1: 4 04-15
11. Laura Gober Pendergrass, GA 5 04-05 257
Day 1: 5 04-05
12. Bonnie Johnson Weatherford, TX 3 04-00 254
Day 1: 3 04-00
13. Kat Ealey Moody, AL 4 03-15 251
Day 1: 4 03-15
14. Lucy Mize Ben Lomond, AR 2 03-01 248
Day 1: 2 03-01
15. Patti Campbell Waxahachie, TX 2 02-08 245
Day 1: 2 02-08
16. Cindy Hill Smyrna, TN 2 02-04 243
Day 1: 2 02-04
17. Tammy Richardson Amity, AR 2 02-00 241
Day 1: 2 02-00
18. Sheri Glasgow Muskogee, OK 2 01-13 239
Day 1: 2 01-13
19. Audrey McQueen Eagar, AZ 2 01-10 237
Day 1: 2 01-10
20. Kathi Hurst Ripley, MS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
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Big Bass
Day
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 10 73 83-03
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10 73 83-03
2008 Women's Bassmaster Tour Championship 10/23-10/25
Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs AR.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Debbie Pegoli Loveland, OH 2 04-08 300
Day 1: 2 04-08
2. Debra Cook Gardendale, AL 3 03-10 295
Day 1: 3 03-10
3. Linda Walker Beebe, AR 3 03-08 290
Day 1: 3 03-08
4. Monica Altman Angier, NC 4 03-06 285
Day 1: 4 03-06
5. Gail Wood Russellville, AR 3 02-14 280
Day 1: 3 02-14
6. Barbara Gaskins Suffolk, VA 3 02-13 276
Day 1: 3 02-13
7. Kim McGuffey Weatherford, TX 3 02-11 272
Day 1: 3 02-11
8. Denese Freeman Lawton, OK 2 02-08 268
Day 1: 2 02-08
9. Lesli Lively Palestine, TX 2 02-04 264
Day 1: 2 02-04
10. Susan Dameron Chattanooga, TN 2 01-15 260
Day 1: 2 01-15
11. Sharon Lawson Red Bank, TN 2 01-11 257
Day 1: 2 01-11
12. Patti James Dayton, TX 2 01-09 254
Day 1: 2 01-09
13. Cheryl Buelow Pollock, LA 1 01-06 251
Day 1: 1 01-06
14. Lesley Childers Anderson, SC 1 01-01 248
Day 1: 1 01-01
15. Bonnie Ward Snohomish, WA 1 01-00 244
Day 1: 1 01-00
15. Stacy Zhelesnik Hoboken, NJ 1 01-00 244
Day 1: 1 01-00
17. Bertha Cavakis Amity, AR 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
17. Kim Petrowski Arlington, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
17. Elizabeth Sanders Brandon, MS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
17. Diane Smith Fayetteville, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
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Big Bass
Day
1 Cheryl Buelow Pollock, LA 01-06 $0.00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 0 35 37-12
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0 35 37-12