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Day 1 - 1st place - VA West anglers, Wayne and Brian Myers had five fish that weighed 15.46 lbs.
Photo by Fishers of Men |
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Day 1 - 2nd place - James Funk netted a limit weighing 14.62 lbs.
Photo by Fishers of Men |
(Oct. 16, 2009 - Smith Mountain Lake, VA)... The second event along the Fishers of Men National Tournament Trail’s "2009 Regional Championship Series" kicked off Oct. 15 with the pre-tournament, registration, meal, and meeting at Halesford Baptist Church, 2485 Lost Mountain Road, Wirtz, VA.
We want to thank our host for this championship event, Debra Wier, representing the Franklin County Virginia Visitors Bureau and Russell Johnson from the Franklin County Board of Supervisors. We also thank evangelist, Chris Wells, founder of Wellspoken Ministries and the BASS Elite 50 Chaplain, plus all of the special members at Halesford Baptist, who worked tirelessly throughout the day so we, nearly 400 people, could enjoy such a great meal and the hospitality that was shown through their dedicated servitude.
Safelight Friday morning, 162 teams were greeted with temperatures in the low forties, cloudy skies, and calm winds as they blasted off from the Smith Mountain State Park beach area in search of a winning combination that would allow anglers to succeed. With fish in seasonal transition, total fish weights were down. Four hundred and forty bass, weighing 784.52 lbs came across the scales today, which included thirty five-fish limits. Competitors were tight-lipped as to the strategies used in taking bass in this 20,600-acre, clear water bass fishery, with 500 miles of shoreline, and plenty of docks, points, river channel cuts, coves, deep water humps, two separate river systems, rip-rap, bridges, and some vegetation.
By the end of today’s tournament hours, VA West anglers, Wayne and Brian Myers took the lead as they hauled in five fish that weighed 15.46 lbs. Wayne and Brian’s largest fish weighed 5.28 lbs.
Finishing Day-1 in second place, James Funk netted a limit weighing 14.62 lbs. The VA E solo angler also earned the Day one, 1st Big Fish award, $486.00, for his 6.24 lbs bucket mouth.
Presently sitting in the third slot with a fine limit crossing the scales at 13.93 lbs is North Carolina East teammates, Eric Tilley and Don Porter.
Not only holding Day one’s forth place with 13.75 lbs, North Carolina East competitors, Tom Foster and David Gardner, also, won the Second Big Fish award, $324.00, for a 5.96 lbs brute.
Rounding out the top five on the first day of the FOM East Regional Championship Tournament are the North Carolina Central team of Tony Barham and Rick Ohlson. Tony and Rick’s four fish tipped the scales at 11.55 lbs, with one going 4.46 and another that looked like its twin.
Currently leading the Adult/Junior category, with 9.93 lbs, are North Carolina Central’s, Blake and Tyler Jackson. Kenneth and Deloris Shumate, North Carolina Piedmont, are in the top spot in the Male/Female category with five fish weighing 7.46 lbs.
In order to earn a slot in the field of anglers for this year’s East Regional, teams from Delaware, Mid-Atlantic area, New Jersey, North Appalachian, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia had to successfully fish their way into the top twenty of their respective divisions through five qualifying tournaments. Division Points Leaders, the top Male/Female and Adult/Junior teams, also, earn the opportunity to fish the East Regional Championship.
Reigning National Champs, all Division Points Champions, and annual post-season competition, through the regional championship events, will earn 154 teams the opportunity to fish in the April 10 ? 15, 2010, $60,000.00, Lake Guntersville AL, Fishers of Men National Championship. Once there, a full field will fish the first two days, then the top twenty percent will go on to compete on the third and final day, where the first place team will win a fully rigged 2010 Triton TR-20 with a Mercury 200hp motor, while everyone else will earn a check.
Total yearly payouts, in prizes and cash, during the post-season competition hover around $250,000.00 each year.
We want to thank our hosts, Debra Wier and Franklin County Tourism, the Franklin County Board of Supervisors, Halesford Baptist Church, and Westlake Waterfront Inn.
We also want to thank our national sponsors: Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Strike King Lure Company, Power Pole, Grace Full Gospel Church, Marshalls Marine, Markel Insurance, Kistler Custom Rods, Solar Bat, Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits, Keelshield, Berkley, Lowrance, Jacobs Glass, Spot Remover, Mizmo Bait Company, Stanley Jigs, Rejuvenade, Motorguide, Logan Fire Apparatus, Dual Pro Chargers, Keep Alive Oxygen Infusor, Spike-It Bait Company, Allstar Rods, Xtools, and Buckeye Lures,
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Day 1 - 3rd place - North Carolina East teammates, Eric Tilley and Don Porter.
Photo by Fishers of Men | | [Click to enlarge image]
Day 1 - 4th place - North Carolina East - Tom Foster and David Gardner.
Photo by Fishers of Men |
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