Angler of the Year (AOY) titles are up for grabs in both divisions of the Lady Bass Anglers Association (LBAA) as the LBAA hits its final regular season tour stop this week at Old Hickory in Tennessee.
The “Super Seven” leading the way in the pro division are: 1) Kim Bain-Moore 880 points, 2) Pam Martin-Wells 870, 3) Pam Ridgle 820, 4) Emily Shaffer 790, 5) Lynda Gessner 772, 6) Jenny Nevans 718, and 7) Debbie Kemp 717 points.
“I wish I wasn’t leading, leading brings with it lots of pressure,” stated Pelham, Alabama’s Bain-Moore. “With this tournament to go, the first goal for all of us girls is still to make it to the championship.”
“I’m going to go for it though…I do not want to lay awake at night wondering,” Bain-Moore concluded.
Bainbridge, Georgia resident Pam Martin-Wells lies in second a mere 10 points behind the front runner and feels her winning the AOY race is possible … if … everything falls into place, the fish co-operate, her competitors falter, and … if … she makes no mistakes.
“There are too many variables that I cannot control such as what the competitors catch or don’t catch, the water and weather conditions, and what the fish do,” Martin-Wells stated. “I can only worry about me and try to control my situation and make as few mistakes and make good decisions on the water. I think it would be neat to win AOY in the LBAA.”
Murchison, Texas resident Pam Ridgle sits third in the LBAA AOY race and leads the 2011 LBAA Rookie of the Year standings. “Well it looks like if I just show up I will wrap up Rookie of the Year. The only way I could be beat if I did not catch a fish and the rookie behind me got first,” Ridgle stated.
Ridgle went on to say, “Making up lost ground (in the AOY race) may be a little tougher. But I always go in thinking I can win first, and if I do, depending on how the two ahead of me do could put me in that AOY.”
Sitting in fourth is local pro Emily Shaffer. Shaffer a Mt. Juliet resident said, “I’m happy to be in the running for Angler-of-the-Year. I’m blessed to be able to make fishing my career and working behind the scenes gives me a feeling I’m giving back. Seeing the younger generation come on board and fish with us is awesome.”
The co-angler division’s “Super Seven” leading the pack are: 1) Kim Giddens 865 points, 2) Diana Uebelhack 830, 3) Vicki Henderson 794, 4) Bonnie Ward 777, 5) Martha Goodfellow 754, 6) Diane Smith 751, and 7) Donna Newberry 750 points.
On the co-angler side third place, Vicki Henderson of Ashdown, Arkansas says her 2011 year with the LBAA has been a bittersweet one. “More than a few “shoulda, coulda, woulda’s” have gone through my mind. That is true for everyone, though, so I am trying not to let that cloud my focus. There is probably more stress on 1st & 2nd place than on me.”
Henderson went on to say, “I’ll have to take care of my business & do really well. That is basically, what I focus on for each tournament. Catch as big a limit as possible & see what happens.”
“Unfortunately, that alone will not be enough to overtake anyone. It is attainable, but crazy things will have to happen. You’ll definitely need an umbrella if I do, `cause pigs will be flying,” Henderson stated with a laugh.
Tournament dates and times for this week’s 2011 LBAA Old Hickory events are as follows. The ProAm Tournament will be Thursday, August 24 and Friday, the 25th. Anglers in the pro division may bring five legal bass and the co-anglers three legal fish to the scales per day during this tournament. Entrants into the Old Hickory ProAm event must be LBAA members.
On Saturday, August 26th, the LBAA will host the 2011 LBAA Old Hickory Homesafe Charity Tournament. The proceeds from this charity team tournament will go towards helping Homesafe assist more women and children who find themselves in difficult situations. Entry fee is $100 per team and the tournament will pay out a guaranteed $1,000 first place cash prize. There will be an additional $200 cash prize going to the highest finishing team with a female team member and an additional $200 cash prize that will to the highest finishing team with a child age 12 or under as a team member. At the conclusion of Saturday’s weigh-in, there will also be a raffle of items donated by national and local organizations. The proceeds of this raffle will add more support to the Homesafe organization. Visit them on the World Wide Web at http://homesafetn.org/services/sumner-county
All competition days, both ProAm and charity tournaments, will launch at “safe light” and weigh-in at 2:00 p.m. All launches and weigh-ins will take place at Flipper’s (Bull Creek Ramp). Flipper’s Bait and Tackle is located at 200 Odoms Bend Road, Gallatin, TN. 37066. Phone 1-615-452-7719.
The Sumner County Convention and Visitors Bureau is the host organization for the 2011 LBAA tour stop at Old Hickory Lake. Call the Sumner County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1- 888-301-7866 or 1-615-230-8474, or visit them on the World Wide Web at http://sumnercvb.com/
Host lodging for the 2011 LBAA Old Hickory Tournament is the Relax Inn, which is located at 179 West Main Street in Hendersonville, Tennessee 37075. Phone 1-615-822-4240.
Sponsors of the 2011 Lady Bass Anglers Association Tour are: Wilkins Brothers Outdoors, Pro Tournament Scales, Todali Tackle, Dawn Outdoors, Red Dirt Bait Company, FINS Superlines, Rayjus Outdoors, Reactions Innovations, Kick `n Bass, Castaway Graphite Rods, Vickie’s Threadworks, Necessity Jigs, West Kentucky LED, SureLife, Arkansas Tournament Fishing (ATF), Fleck’s Hand Poured Baits, Ray Barga and Associates Inc., Nite Owl Productions, and River Runner Baits.
Also sponsoring the LBAA Old Hickory event is Santone Lures, North Texas Marine, Buffalo P’s BBQ, and Flipper’s Bait and Tackle.
The LBAA 2011 Contingency Programs are Phoenix First Flight, Skeeter Real Money, the Legend Advantage Program, BassCat Quest, and Triton Gold.
For more information on the LBAA contact co-founder Cheryl Bowden @ 1-214-738-7518, co-founder Secret York @ 1-270-748-9041, or media specialist Larry Morris @ 1-540-239-7902. The LBAA has a presence on the World Wide Web, on Facebook, and at http://www.ladybassanglers.com/
