"CBA AOY Championship Finale" What the Heck?

[BassinColorado]

After a couple of cold fronts blessed us with so much moisture in our region, the melt off has been a major player in the water temperatures and the fish activity. Fishing has been very tough throughout March, unlike the success stories about big fish, and numbers of them, we all had last year at this same time.

This year, it is very different, although fish are catchable! One would expect a couple of the best to figure it out and catch "a bass" no matter what the weather and the water situation!

The Championship Final Two kicked off with last years AOY, Sam Heckman, winning the coin toss and choosing the 2nd and 4th quarters. Bryan Leck   , not too happy about the calm conditions, made the decision to fish the way he planned, wind or not. Little did Bryan know that the Walleye nets were getting placed out early today because of expected winds later. All of the points he was planning on fishing, were surrounded by netting! Sam's strategy of throwing Bryan off his game plan was working better than he ever imagined, with a little help from the DOW!  

Bryan did his thing without a single bite. Now it was time for Sam to take control! Sam started fishing some of the same water that Bryan had been fishing. Seeing fish chasing his baits in these areas, earlier in the month, had given him a different perspective on how he should be fishing. He chose to abandon his own instincts and try to fish similar to Bryan's technique. A dangerous move, putting Bryan in a great position. Although Bryan got a bite, he didn't mange to hook the fish. Sam ended up fishing "exactly" like Bryan and ended up without a fish during his period also!

To make a long story short, and I do mean a "long" story, neither contestant could muster a fish until exactly 20 seconds were left in the match. In his last few seconds, Sam, as he did in last years competition, sticks a good fish and fights it very carefully. Bryan's heart "has just left the building!" It turns out to be a 4 lb Walleye and Bryan begins to breathe again! Match over! We're going to Overtime!  

In the overtime, any bass caught is weighed and counts in the competitors creel. Each contestant receives 30 minutes to get what they can in the boat. If no one catches a fish in their set of 30 minutes, we go into a second overtime, etc, etc.

Well, after "5" overtime sets, we have had another "first" when it comes to the experimental tournament bracket format, that the CBA has been trying out, to decide the "Angler of the Year." In its second year of existence, the "Top 8" championship ran into a major head scratcher!

"What is the tournament director to do if the final two in the championship, a couple of Colorado's strongest bass fisherperson's, do not catch a single bass (of any size), in two different attempts at it, on two different days, with 5 overtime matches, spanning about 12-13 hours?" Who would have guessed that would even happen?!

Based on the fact that fish "were being caught at Pueblo Reservoir by others not in the Championship," on those same days, and our AOY Championship is set up to decide (1) winner at the end of the regular season, having a dual winner will not be an option. This dilemma gives the championship an opportunity to add another twist to the AOY award! The winner will either be decided at another time, or the CBA may not have an AOY for the 2010 season! In the later case, the monies and the prizes will be able to be moved forward, increasing the prize package for the AOY the following year! If you want the prizes, you have to catch fish when it counts!

Either ending chosen for the 2009 year, will be displayed on the side-plate on the traveling trophy. The names of the (2) members that could not eliminate each other would be engraved for all to see for the next 20 years on the Ferguson traveling trophy!   Kind of a neat ending and story, actually!

CBA members can now focus on becoming this years AOY and how they may be able to get "themselves" into position to take home the top prize......a prise that may be more than anyone expected!  

[BryanL519]

Sorry I could not live up to the expectations for angler of the year, but as far as the game goes its a little different when you have to decide what your doing before it even starts and have a teeny little tackle box.  This format makes it even harder if you ask me - Sammy my hats off to you Brother, great job.

[BassinColorado]

There are no "expectations" when there are time limits and limited choices of baits to use. It is very taxing when fish do not cooperate and make a guy dig so deep inside that they are mentally worn out by the end of the competition.

Strategies may change in future championships! I have a feeling when things get tough again, we may see more spoons hitting the bottom of the lake looking for that one bass that will put the other guy away!