CBA Semi Finals Complete! AOY Championship Looms!

[BassinColorado]

The CBA semi-final round of Sam Heckman and Jared Nikirk has completed! The 2010 AOY will be determined within days!

Who will be in the final match?......Let's have a look!

Jared and Sam started their semi-final round well into the day, attempting to give the waters a chance to warm up slightly. Although the day was an excellent one, the waters weren't very responsive to the warm sun and stayed in the low to mid 40's all day. Both very experienced competitors expected to make something happen, even though the water temps weren't up to par.

Jared lost the opening coin toss and was forced to take the 1st and 3rd quarters. He took the reigns and went after what he knows best, tossing a Senko along the bluffs and deeper areas. Sam, fishing like he would prefer not too, got lucky and watched Jared work hard for an uneventful 1st quarter. Sam returned the favor to Jared by having the same kind of luck throughout the 2nd quarter.

Then things started to heat up! At the beginning of the 3rd quarter, Jared stuck a good fish. At first appearance, it appeared that it might go the required 15", but maybe not. Jared chose to keep the fish and make the decision to weigh the fish, or not, just before the final weigh-in.

The rest of the 3rd quarter, and the 4th quarter, were fishless for both of them, although Jared had missed more than a couple of good bites that could have closed the deal. The semi-final was over and it was time for the weigh-in!

The fish that Jared had, didn't quite make the 15" limit and ended being a "short" fish. By rule, once the tournament time has completed, the contestant must make the decision to keep any fish they have in the live-well or not. The referee is not allowed to make any decision along with the competitor. It is the competitors decision, whether or not to keep the fish for weigh-in, to make at that time. Should the competitor decide to weigh a fish, and the referee determines that fish to be "short" at that time, a penalty will incur. Jared decided the fish was too close and he would not take a chance and he tossed the fish back into the lake to grow bigger!

The semi-final round would continue into a 30 minute each "fish-off!"
In the "fish-off", any fish caught is considered in the total weight for the competitors.

Sam took his turn, and then Jared, with the same end results as the first 4 quarters. Nothin' caught! Both contenders new that their misfortune would take the semi-final round into the unfortunate arena of the dreaded "coin toss" where anything could happen!

End result...............Bryan Leck vs. Sam Heckman in a "classic" rematch of last years Championship for the CBA AOY trophy and prizes! Bryan Leck assures that "he will not stumble and open the backdoor this time" and that Sam will have to "bring it" this year if he wants to keep the traveling trophy and the title!

2010 "Angler of the Year" will be announced at the next regular CBA club meeting! Good Luck, gentlemen!

For more information on becoming part of the Colorado Bass Anglers-"Colorado's finest co-ed bass fishing club" and your chance to capture the AOY title for "Best in Southern Colorado," email us at