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| FishTails |
LUCK AND FATE PAY OFF FOR MCGEE IN CENTRAL QUALIFIER
[October 15, 2002] - BY CHRIS LAWRENCE
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| 2002 WVBF Central Qualifier Champion BOB MCGEE of WOLFE CREEK ANGLERS
Proudly displays the 1st place plaque. |
Most anglers will admit that luck plays a pivotal role in any bass tournament. Admittedly skill is necessary to
remain consistent from tournament to tournament, but there are many areas out of the control of anglers and often
fate plays the determining factor. That's what happened for Bob McGee of Fairmont in the West Virginia Bass Federation's
Central Qualifier.
"We've won tournaments up there before, but I didn't have a chance to get up there and practice so I basically
went fishing."
McGee refers to "we" as he and partner Bob Flint. The two have teamed on several tournament trails in
West Virginia in recent years including the Buddy Trail. That experience paid off during the Central Qualifier.
"I had several places up river from the ramp that had been good to us during other tournaments." Said
McGee. "I just went to those and started working them. I'd catch one here and one there just bouncing around
from spot to spot."
McGee, a member of Wolf Creek Bassmasters, finally found a stretch of bank that produced for him with three keepers
in about a 100-yard stretch on day one.
"It's basically a rock bank along the channel with about 15-feet of water." said McGee. "We cranked
it and tubed it until I caught those three."
Those coupled with two from earlier in the day gave him a limit and the first day lead only ounces ahead of eventual
second place finisher Lyle Atkins. McGee says the second day is where fate played its card in his favor.
"The guy in second (Atkins) drew my partner (Flint) for the second day." Said McGee. "I knew that
guy was on fish because of his bag on Saturday, but Bob's a good fisherman and I knew if they were fishing the
same place Bob would probably catch half of them. I knew he'd be competing with Bob for any fish he was on."
Atkins, a Nitro resident and member of Kanawha River Bassmasters, definitely had fish located and had the pattern
pegged.
"I was at the head of a point on an island above Ravenswood." Said Atkins. "They were schooling
and following shad back and forth between two locations. They moved back and forth between this low spot in the
creek and the point to feed, the trip would take about an hour and a half to two hours and you could catch them
when they came up."
The pattern produced a limit the first day, but Atkins learned by the tournament's second day, his non-boating
partner wasn't his only competition.
"The first day I caught fish on every kind of bait. They were hitting about anything when they came up to
feed." Laughed Atkins. "The Second day there were a lot of boats in there and a lot of pressure so I
dropped down to a four-inch worm to catch them. Word of mouth gets out pretty quick in the qualifier."
Atkins managed to work his pattern well, but could catch only three keepers on Sunday--falling just short of the
top spot. Atkins finished the two day affair with 9lbs-13oz. The total was three ounces shy of McGee's ten-pounds
even.
While Atkins and McGee headed north of the ramp to hunt mostly smallmouth, third place finisher Bob Burgess of
Charleston headed south. Burgess admits he had some pre-tournament help that was critical in enabling him to bring
8lbs-7oz. to the scales.
"Well me and Russ (Smarr) prefished up there a good bit and located some fish, but that cold front pushed
in Friday night and really hurt the pattern we was on." Lamented Burgess. "I don't know if we were on
the fish to win, but I thought these four banks I had picked out would produce some fish."
Burgess worked the banks with a Cath 'Em Lures spinnerbait which produced every fish for him during the weekend.
"A buddy of mine, Danny Brown from Ohio, pre-fished it with me too." Said Burgess. "He fishes this
river a lot and put me onto that spinnerbait pattern. A big thanks to him cause it wasn't what I had figured on
doing."
Burgess took advantage of the well-known grass beds in Ravenswood.
"They weren't in the big patches of grass. Instead, you'd look for some small patches that might have some
pea gravel around and that seemed to be the better place to find them. The other key was my pattern was a late
bite. I didn't catch a fish either day until after 12:30."
Eric Stewart of Mid-State Bassmasters notched fourth place with 7lbs-14oz. Rounding out the top five was David
Tyler from Foul Weather Bassmasters with 7lbs. Lunker honors went to Dave Palmer from Backlash Basskasters for
a 4lb-3oz largemouth caught on Saturday. McGee's Wolf Creek Anglers took the club championship with a total weight
of 23lbs-11oz.
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