2002 Bassmaster Junior Nationals

Phillips Landing, weigh-in site of the 2002 Bassmaster Junior National Championship, located at the Maryland/Delaware border on the Nanticoke River. The tournament promised to an exciting, fun filled occasion for the entire family. Activities began for a few youths on Monday for those who chose to make the journey early to pre-fish. As you know, the Nanticoke River is affected by the tides and tidal waters are something we Ohioans are not used to, therefore pre-fishing was a definite benefit to our young anglers. Thanks to our boat captains from Ohio, Bob Cummins, John Fabian, David Shaver, Ron Levy, Rob Thivener and Herb Bouyack, all of our youth were able to get valuable time on the water. Practice days were sunny and hot. With the tide fluctuating, the fishing was tough but the kids stuck it out all week with a fish here and there. No particular patterns held true day after day. The only bait we had in our boat, which Herb and Rob considered a “go to “ bait was the Senko made by Yamamoto Baits. It seemed to catch the bulk of our fish. The kids that caught fish on the practice days were reportedly using everything from jigs to spinnerbaits, mostly on lay downs in the backs of the creeks.

     Friday’s activities began with check-in from 2-5 p.m., followed by a pizza party at 6 p.m., sponsored by one of our state sponsors, Jamie Jacobus with Castmasters, on behalf of the kids. We thank you Jamie. We really enjoyed it. To go with the pizza party, Castmasters conducted a game, a flipping game involving bagging fish, then culling to get the biggest stringers possible inside two minutes, with the prize being a rod and reel combo. There was a tie between a Delaware youth and our Ohio Junior Pro Team member, John Fabian Jr. During the pizza party, they had a flip-off between the two youths, with John Fabian Jr. being the victor. Congratulations John for a job well done. It goes to show that practice makes perfect. Following the pizza party, Delaware Federation President, Jim Fields and Delaware Federation Youth Director, Ralph Newbury conducted a brief pre-tournament meeting to go over the rules for the tournament. They also introduced our special guests, B.A.S.S. Federation Director, Al Smith, B.A.S.S. Pro, Mike Wurm and Ray and Ronnie Kerschal. With the meeting adjourned, the youth and parents were off to the motels, to try to get what rest they could for the next day’s activities. Morning couldn’t come soon enough for some. Even those who had been there before had butterflies. Check-in began for boaters at 6 a.m., while the young anglers had to be at Phillips Landing by 6:30 a.m. Thanks to the cooperation of all involved, the boats were launched and loaded on time, while the parents eagerly anticipated a safe, yet fish catching return. With the tournament hours from 7 a.m.- 3 p.m., pacing and nail biting ensued on the bank.

With 13 states and Canada participating, this event is a big contrast to the 2 states we started with, Ohio and Maryland. It is truly a testimonial to the hard work of the presidents and youth directors in conjunction with B.A.S.S. to make this organization grow. We already know of other states that have a youth program and want to be involved, therefore next year, we will have a 3 invitational format. One in New York, one in Minnesota and one in Virginia. There will also be a  National Tournament in Missouri. The 3 invitationals are spread out to reach more states, giving more youth an opportunity to compete in this event. As the tournament drew to a close, Jim Fields, Delaware Federation President introduced our master of ceremonies, Mike Wurm, 5 time Bassmasters Classic qualifier. Mike tried to pry information out of these young anglers. Some were tight lipped while others gave the “pros pointers” to catching fish. The anglers were catching the majority of their fish on buzzbaits, Senkos and Bitsy Bug jigs. As the weigh-in came to an end, we can proudly say, all of our Ohio contestants caught fish, thus contributing to a solid finish. But how solid? Only time would tell, as the results wouldn’t be given until the banquet that evening. Over 400 people packed the fire hall for the grand finale. The capacity crowd, consisting of Federation Presidents, youth directors, family members, friends and boat captains watched as the countdown began.

     Congratulations to our Ohio Junior Pro Team for besting Vermont by .02 lbs. to claim fifth place. High fives to our Junior State Team, John Fabian Jr., Kenny Pheils, Josh Becker, C.J. Shaver, Doug Maple and Danny Hoag. Great job fellas.  Thanks to everyone who made the trip to support our youth. A special thanks to the Ohio B.A.S.S. Chapter Federation and photographers Dennis Becker and Deborah Maple.

     We encourage the youth of the state to reach out to qualify for the state championship in 2003. You too, could be part of the Junior Pro Team for the following year. You can ask any one of our team members about the Nationals. They will tell you it is an experience you will never forget. If you would like to become a senior advisor or would like more information on Junior Chapters, please contact Rob Thivener or Herb Bouyack.

Ohio Bass Federation Youth Directors, Rob Thivener and Herb Bouyack