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2016 CROWNS NEW CHAMPS
FATHER/SON TEAM of KEITH and BLAIR WALBORN
Porter and Kirby OUSTED!!!
 
BASS BLAST 2016 AT NEWBORO LAKE, ONTARIO, CANADA
A big congratulations goes out to the team of Keith and Blair Walborn who locked up their first Bass Blast win with a two
day total of 16 lb. 6 oz. for the five fish. Their first day lunker weighing in at 5 lb. 4 oz. help seal the deal and lay
claims to the hallowed hunk of wood. The much loved team of Porter/Kirby pulled down second place honors with a weight of
13 lb. 8 oz. And in third place, the team of Markley/Bolton weighed in the heaviest 2 fish total on day two and ended up
jumping ahead of two teams with a nice total of 13 lb. 2 oz.
Finishing just out of the money was the team of Sweigard and Sweigard with a weight of 12 lb. 7 oz. Our fifth place finishers
were Butch Copeland and Doug Frazer with 11 lb. 10 oz. Coming in at 6th place was our own WWIN reporter Jim Umberger and
fish catcher Bob Powell with a double digit weight of 10 lb. 6 oz. Our lucky seventh place finishers were Gerry Charles and
“Mr. Sneaky”, Dean Shaner, with a weight of 9 lb. 9 oz. And last but not least, the team of Conn Cooper and Kevin
Copper successfully won the coveted “Hind Teat” Award as the last place team for 2016. This is an exceptional
accomplishment considering they finished in 2nd Place for 2015. We should also remember this is their second time with the
award, approaching three time last place winners of Shaner/Leader and Sweigard/Sweigard.
Our 5 day adventure was not without its excitement. Gerry Charles launched his boat on Friday but failed to perform that all-important
task of placing the “boat plug” in the bottom of the boat. Mr. Shaner had already driven away from the launch
so there was no way to put the boat back on the trailer to drain the water. With water gushing in his boat and with great
danger of losing life/limb or drowning, Mr. Charles did an admiral job of reaching all the way out of the boat to insert the
nasty plug in its rightful place. The bilge pump did the rest of the work.
Let us also not forget the brilliant feat of our Tournament Director, Dale “Swiggy” Sweigard, upon launching his
boat. With father Ken pulling away with the trailer, the young son reached down to start the outboard and “Oh My Goodness”
no key in the ignition. How is that possible? He says out load for all to hear, “I always tow my boat with the key
in the ignition and it has never blown out before”. When he trolled over to the dock and told us of his story, I asked
him where he keeps his spare key in the boat? His reply…wait for it…”I don’t have a spare key in
the boat or anywhere for that matter”. My comment, “you mean Robbins sold you an after-market Triton and didn’t
give you a spare key?” His reply…NOPE! After consulting the experts around the dock (including Dudley), the
recommendation/solution was to put the boat back on the trailer and haul it to the marina in Portland where the service tech
would make a new key. After searching the inside of his boat for the third and fourth time, he walked back up the hill to
give his dad, Ken, the sorry news. But as is always the case, he found the ignition key in his sleep machine bag. Go figure…I’m
sure most of us would look in that very place for our outboard ignition keys, correct? NOT!!! Well, except for Mr. Sneaky
Shaner”.
We must also send out our apologies to Jerry Leader, Mr. Dean Shaner’s previous co-angler. Mr. Shaner was caught and
has confessed to some very shaky shenanigans that were previously attributed to Mr. Leader. #1: putting a rubber snake in
Charles’ boat, No#2 throwing sunflower seeds all over the deck of Mr. Porter’s boat, #3 taking lures off the
rods of Mr. Porter and then using them himself on his own tackle. #4 hiding Swiggy’s boat key in his C-PAP machine
and almost giving him a heart attack. The word is out, Mr. Shaner is the sneaky bastard doing all those dastardly deeds and
not Mr. Leader. Sorry J.L.…
As of the end of the tournament on Wednesday, there were 14 notables on the score sheet with a total of 815 fish caught from
Friday through Wednesday. That’s a small increase (10) from the 805 caught in 2015 but a decrease in notables from
29 caught last year. If you will notice on the attached Fish Count sheets, we’re also down considerably from our 2013
numbers (1,298) and 2012 (1,283) counts at Bob’s Lake.
All-in-all another good week in Canada. Enjoy the rest of your summer and looking forward to seeing you all again at the
February meeting. There may be another vote afoot…stay tuned for the rumors.
| 2015 |
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2015 Bass Blast Yes, Porter and Kirby again!
The 10th Annual Bass Blast Classic was held on Newboro
Lake for the second year and proved to be another huge disappointment for seven of the eight teams competing. You guessed
it, the hated team of Steve Porter and Ken Kirby prevailed again, winning for the ninth time in ten years (we’re not
including the win in 2005 prior to the official trophy). There appeared to be little hope for the returning champions when
it was discovered one of the team members, Master Chief Kirby forgot to pack his team jersey for the event. To make matters
worse, they showed up in T-shirts of all things…what a slovenly sight and they didn’t even match.
 Tournament Director Dale Sweigard performed double
duty as emcee for the awards ceremony and did a more than adequate job substituting for our WWIN reporter Jim Umberger. Our
thoughts and prayers go out to Big Jim who is recuperating from a serious operation. But wait, word has it he is doing better
than expected and was seen fishing on the river one day this week with his neighbor and "tube" guru, Gerry Charles. I also
was told Jim’s river boat was doing worse than he was. Seems as though after their first drift down river (Gerry 3
fish and big Jim 0) the motor failed to go into gear and there they sat. A frantic and emergent call was made to the old salt
Donny Hale to arrange a tow and get them safely back to shore…Donny was on the spot…what a remarkable rescue.
The fish counts were a little less this year than last but the
notable counts skyrocketed. There were 29 fish weighing 3 pounds or greater compared to 15 last year. Of the 29 goliaths,
22 were largemouth and only 7 smallies. Also, the Walborns (Keith and Blair) accounted for 14 of the notables. They made
several trips through the lock to the Upper Rideau which aided greatly in padding their notable counts…way to go Keith.
Unfortunately they made one final trip through the lock on their last day which proved to be a little costly. I’m told
the younger Walborn failed to turn off the fish finder which presumably drained much of the battery. This oversite led to
an insufficient charge to get the "big" motor started for the return trip. The younger Walborn was tasked with utilizing
trolling motor power to get them back through the canal, through the lock (before quitting time) and back to the dock…whew,
what an ordeal. The boat is now safely sitting at Robbins Marine awaiting a thorough inspection.
Speaking of getting through the lock. Ken Sweigard (the father)
gave everyone a scare when several of our boats decided to lock through the day before the tournament to try the fishing on
the Rideau. The boats were nestled inside the lock as the flood gates were opened. As the water level began to rise, everyone
was to get a hand hold on the safety lines as the level rose. Dale Sweigard (the son) didn’t like the way his boat
was sitting so he gave a little shove to get a better position. In doing so, the father had to lunge for the safety strap
but alas, he missed it. The little big guy fell hard and was left half dangling over the side of the boat ready for a face
plant into the water (similar to what his son did last year on Honeoye Lake). Fortunately, Ken was able to struggle through
the ordeal presented by the younger son and was able to right himself with only minor injury (bruised ribs I’m told).
Afterward, everyone agreed it was a malicious attempt by the son to get even with dad for not sending him to veterinary or
law school like he did for the daughter (a very successful veterinarian in Dauphin County).
Even though Mr. Umberger was not present for the awards ceremony,
he did pass along a few written comments to the group which was read by the tournament director. His first and most foreboding
comment was regarding the Dean Shaner, Jerry Leader boat. He made a statement that he hoped the 2 year old Minn Kota trolling
motor would break again this year. Sure enough, the motor went down and it turned out to be the exact part that failed last
year. Dean’s negotiating skills with the Minn Kota parts department were not up to par as they are with the higher-ups
in the Pennsylvania State government. He eventually hung up on the rep after failing to get any useful compensation. Mr.
Umberger also stated the old Tracker boat Dean puts on the water each year be sold as scrap metal on the way home. I don’t
think Dean has the pull in the Shaner household to swing a new boat but he may end up with a new Motor Guide trolling motor
next year. We’ll wait and see…
There were a couple boat mishaps again this year, as always with
this group. The first one was fairly minor as Brad Bolton can attest. In an attempt to save time and fuel, Charlie Markley
has a tendency to take his boat through cuts between islands at top speed. Thus assuring himself of prime, unfished territory.
On one of these high speed trips he failed to see an invisible rock just before it slammed into the hull. Fortunately, neither
the boat, motor or Bradley were hurt in the exchange of paint.
Yours truly could not say the same. While in the process of sore-mouthing
as many fish as possible in Loon Lake prior to the tournament, I made two fatal errors. The first error contributed to the
second…while idling out of the channel from Loon Lake, Master Chief Kirby was put on the bow of the boat to look for
and warn the captain of any obstacles (tree stumps or rocks) in our path (mistake #1). He failed miserably and I lost two
of three blades on my propeller (mistake #2). We limped back to the launch, pulled the boat and replaced the prop with an
OBRP (onboard repair part) the captain always carries.
Our second incident of the week is almost impossible to believe
except for the fact it happened to Mr. Kirby. While running a nice steady 4800 rpm back to the dock from Clear Lake, MC Kirby
turns his head to secure a $4 fishing towel dangling from the rear seat. At that precise moment his prescription eye glasses
go flying off his face and into the water. He is still convinced that the titanium frames are "really, really" light and
should float. After several minutes of scanning the surface and tears in his eyes, I convince him to give up the search for
his $380 pair of glasses and head back.
Our last incident is a lesson for everyone who likes to turn their
ball caps backward (bill to the rear) when motoring at high speeds. The purpose of this maneuver is to minimize the wind
turbulence from lifting the hat off your head and into the water. Now here is the lesson. If you ever purchase one of those
long cloth flap thingies (like being on safari) that protect your ears and neck from the sun and fits securely around your
normal baseball cap, DON’T TURN THE HAT AROUND WHILE AT HIGH SPEED. THE LOSS OF VISION ON THE WATER IS QUITE EXTENSIVE,
TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.
Now to the important stuff…the team of Porter/Kirby weighed
in a respectful 14 lbs. 15 oz. for the win. Second place finishers in this year’s Bass Blast Classic was the team of
Kevin and Conn Cooper with a 5 fish limit of 12 lbs. 10 oz. Our third place finishers were none other than our tourney director
and father Dale and Ken Sweigard with a weight of 12 lb 8 oz. The remaining order of finish was as follows:
4th Place Butch Copeland and Doug Frazier 11 lb. 12 oz.
5th Place Keith and Blair Walborn 10 lb. 13 oz.
6th Place Gerald and Jace Charles 9 lb. 14 oz.
7th Place Charlie Markley and Brad Bolton 9 lb. 1 oz.
And for a record-tying third time, the team of Dean Shaner and
Jerry Leader are winners of the coveted "Hind-Teat" award with a losing weight of 8 lb. 10 oz. (Dale Sweigard is the
other 3-time winner)
Congrats to our sophomore team of Butch Copeland and Doug Frazer
who made a good showing in 4th place after finishing in 7th place last year in their first appearance on the tour.
Also, to those anglers who did not attend or were unable to attend
this year’s Classic, namely Jim Umberger, Dave Borrell, Bob Powell, Bob Hornyak, Sonny Miller and Bruce Middlekauff,
we would certainly like to have you back in the mix for 2016. Keep us posted…
Everyone should be prepared to attend our winter banquet this
year. Tournament Director Dale Sweigard will be disseminating information regarding possible changes to our tournament format.
We need everyone’s input to ensure we are making changes agreed to by the majority of anglers.
Have a great summer and see you in February…
Tight Lines,
Steve P.
Porter/Kirby Make it 8 Times in 2014
 
 BASS BLAST CLASSIC 2014
The 2014 edition of the Bass Blast Classic was certainly a test of patience and perseverance. The biggest shock
came in May when we were informed Nordlaw Lodge (aka Bob’s Lake) was closing its doors and we were left scrambling for
a new venue. Tournament Director Dale Sweigard made quick work of the situation and had us placed at Stirling Lodge on Newboro
Lake within a week. I think we were all pleasantly surprised at the comfortable accommodations, excellent cuisine and friendly
staff.
The fish counts for the week were decidedly less than previous years on Bob’s Lake but the anglers were able to bring
in a respectable number of "notable" bass (15). I’m confident next year’s classic will show an increase in numbers
as the anglers dismiss more and more unproductive water and tweak their presentations. There were plenty of pan fish nibbling
on our baits including sizeable crappie as well as the ever present northern pike creating even bigger headaches.
The following are a few "notable" happenings during the week. Sorry if I forgot any.
For some of our crew that didn’t leave home until Saturday morning, the Canadian Customs’ Officers were as
much a challenge as the lake itself…a roughly 1.5 hour delay getting into the promised land. For those of us who left
home earlier, we were able to breeze through with little or no fanfare.
The lake provided a few headaches of its own. The very first day Master Chief Kirby lost "TWO" high-end rod/reel combo’s
to a tsunami type boat wake. The experienced captain (who shall remain nameless) was able to avoid being swamped by the massive
wake but the mid-air boat flight and hard landing resulted in the rods flying effortlessly over the back of the transom never
to be seen again. Sorry Kirb : (
Captain Sweigard of the S.S. Triton Minnow, was seen looking over the bow of his boat at an unfamiliar brown patch of water
in the middle of one bay. Upon closer inspection, he came to a last second and brilliant conclusion the murky water was in
fact large boulders just under the surface…oops, too late to stop now. El Capitan and his first mate, Padre Ken, were
last seen rocking the fiberglass boat back and forth, back and forth, trying to dislodge the craft from the under cropping.
I understand the captain has been on the internet searching for a "cheap" fiberglass epoxy compound to smooth out the chunks
that are now missing from the keel. It is currently in dry-dock awaiting repairs…
The high-end boat owned by Captain Dean Shaner took a hit as well. As some of you know, Deaner took a hit a few years ago
on Bob’s Lake when his trolling motor bit the dust. Since money is no object when it comes to fishing or hunting, Capt.
Shaner purchased a very high end Minn Kota trolling motor to solve his problem forever, or so he thought. Well, you guessed
it, the new Minn Kota would only work at mach speed or not at all. Again, with the help of the internet, he was able to determine
the failed part and find a replacement in Kingston. Three hours later, the motor was fixed and they were back catching fish
that evening.
Our most travelled angler, Jace Charles, was given a big scare one afternoon. After consuming a large volume of liquid
refreshment, the urge for relief soon took hold. Upon standing on the bow of the boat in a secluded section of the lake,
Jace proceeded to drain the monster. While doing so, a particularly "large snorkeled monster" rose from the lake within a
few feet of the startled Jace. The scuba diver was curious as to why the water was becoming so murky. The answer was right
in front of him…
The Markley/Bolton boat was involved in an incident which could have led to strained relations between the US and Canada.
Apparently, Captain Markley was pulling a Top Gun maneuver when he buzzed by a boat dock doing almost 20 knots. The resulting
miniature boat wake infuriated the owner to the point in which he chased down the Markley boat in a large Four Winns cruiser.
The Canadian boater proceeded to "dress down" Capt Markley and Mr. Bolton for their excessive speed and close proximity to
his property (within 90’). Too bad Charlie couldn’t hear what the guy was saying but the F-you’s were flying
from both crafts. Fortunately, no arrests or deportations were made. Could’ve been a bad one…someone has to
verify the 90’ rule before next year so we don’t have another international confrontation.
Now the important stuff…the Newboro Lake 2014 Bass Blast Classic. For the eighth time in nine years, the team of
Steve Porter and Ken Kirby sealed the deal with a final weight of 15 lbs. 8 oz. It was a 3 lb. margin of victory over the
second place team of Charlie Markley and Brad Bolton (12 lb. 8 oz.). You’ve got to give the Markley/Bolton team a lot
of credit for pulling themselves out of the basement last year to almost winning it this year. It would have been an unheard
of Last-to-First finish. We have the reverse condition already covered…Dean Shaner and Jerry Leader went from First-to-Last
in lightning speed from 2011 to 2012.
The third place team of Walborn and Walborn made a comeback of sorts as well. The father and son team of Keith and Blair
finished next to last in 2013 and were able to rebound with a respectable "in the money" third place showing with 12 lb. 3
oz. I also wanted to thank Blair for taking over the statistical duties this year. He did a yeoman type job…however,
the tournament needed a master chief type effort. Needless to say, our WWIN reporter and Donald Trump impersonator, Jim
Umberger, gave the young Walborn the familiar statement "You’re Fired"…Anyone else want to volunteer for next
year’s stats duty?
The remaining order of finish was as follows:
4th Place Dale and Ken Sweigard 12 lb. 1 oz.
5th Place Dean Shaner/Jerry Leader 11 lb. 12 oz.
6th Place Gerry and Jace Charles 11 lb. 7 oz.
7th Place Butch Copeland/Doug Frazer 10 lb. 8 oz. (Rookies)
8th Place Jim Umberger/Bob Powell 9 lb. 10 oz.
9th Place Sonny Miller/Bruce Middlekauff 7 lb. 11.6 oz.
10th Place Kevin and Conn Cooper 7 lb. 11.5 oz.
Yep, no guessing about it. It’s right there in black and white. The father/son team of Kevin and Conn Cooper are
the proud owners of the "Sucking Hind Teet" award. It was a hard fought battle against Sonny and Bruce but the Coops’
won it by a tenth of an ounce. If the trend continues, they should be fighting for a top spot next year.
Congratulations to our rookie team of Butch Copeland and Doug Frazer. They made a respectable showing finishing in 7th
place ahead of two season veteran teams of Jim Umberger/Bob Powell and Sonny Miller/Bruce Middlekauff. However, they did
show up in a brand new Ranger boat and all the bells and whistles that went with it. We were expecting a little better showing…next
year will be the key.
Looks as though we’re going back to Stirling Lodge and Newboro Lake again next year. With the experience we’ve
garnered this past week, we should be able to increase our numbers and maybe even our weights. Have a safe summer and short
winter…
Respectfully,
Steve P.
  
BASS BLAST CLASSIC
2013
Three words best describe
this year’s edition of the Bass
Blast Classic: Hot and Humid. It
was one of the warmest weeks of the year
and may have contributed to the lower than expected tournament weights and
overall fish counts. At this writing, we brought in 1293 bass and only 7
notables. Last year’s counts were
similar at 1284 but we caught 14 notables, including Dave
Borrell’s 7 ½ lb.
whopper. The biggest surprise came in the form of the black crappie. Large schools
showed up unannounced in key
areas and were keeping anglers busy during the evening hours. Many a crappie
filets filled a few coolers
for the ride home.
As for the 2013 Classic
tournament, the results were very
close to last year with the luckiest anglers ever to have fished Bob’s Lake doing it
again.
Yep, the hated team of Steve Porter
and Ken Kirby lucked out and brought
home the trophy for the seventh time in eight attempts with a total weight of
12 lb. 10 oz. Another head-scratcher…how do they do it? I’ll divulge
a little secret…we haven’t the
foggiest idea.
Nailing down second place
for the second year in a row was
the father/son team of Gerry and Jace Charles.
Gerry hooked up with his son (a true ringer) and managed to put together
another solid stringer weighing in at 11 lb 4 oz. I can’t say enough about
how well Jace
performed during the tourney. With a
little help from dad they could’ve won it all.
Jace did land the biggest fish of the week (a 5 pounder) but
unfortunately it was after the tournament.
Finishing third was that pesky team of Jim Umberger and Bob Powell with
a weight of 10 lb. 5 oz. They rebounded well from their disappointing
next to last place finish in 2012. The
consensus among all other anglers is that Bob showed superhuman strength in
order to carry Ummie on his back and shoulders through the two-day event. Good
job Bob.
The fourth place finishers
of Sonny
Miller and Bruce Middlekauff
put together another strong effort. They
finished just out of the money but they always seem ready to take that last
step to winning the big one…maybe next year…if they can find their way back to
the lodge. The team of Dean Shaner
and Jerry
Leader must have found that finishing first in 2011 and last
in 2012 was not the ideal way to do things.
They made a much better showing in this year and finished a respectable
fifth place.
What can we say regarding
the “rookie” team of Dave Miller
and Kevin (Coop) Cooper other than “great job” for the first time
starters. It wasn’t their first time on
Bob’s Lake and that fact may have helped them
cement a solid sixth place finish. They
can take solace in the fact there are many other “maidens” in our field trying
to get that elusive first win.
Another father/son team
of Dale and Ken Sweigard made their
second appearance at the tournament.
Unfortunately, they fell way out of the money this year (7th
place) compared to last year’s 3rd place finish. I did hear Ken
contracted a serious disease on the way up to Bob’s Lake
and was hit again on the way home. Don’t
know if that was the reason for the poor showing but I did hear the doctor has
ordered complete bed rest for Ken until such time his wife Marie wants to go
back to Hollywood Casino. “That thar
disease will git him agin…”
The third father/son
team of Keith and Blair Walborn slid down the leader board this year
for no apparent reason other than they had the wrong avionics chip for their
sonar unit. In addition, son Blair’s
continual rambling about the ease of which they will win this year’s tournament
yet again bites them in the tooshie.
They were only 2 ounces shy of their weight from last year but fell
three spots to 8th place. If
they decide to come back again next year, maybe Blair will curtail the comments
during the year and make a serious run to the top…they can only drop one more
place in the standings to claim that coveted of all prizes…the “Sucking Hind
Tit” award.
Speaking of the “SHT”
award…Mr. Charlie
Markley and Mr. Brad Bolton
are the newly crowned owners of this prestigious award. Granted, their focus
was not entirely on
catching bass but drooling over the prospect of hauling in large crappies. I
believe they limited out after a couple of
outings and would much rather have meat in the cooler than a big old “hunk of
wood” with their names on it. Also, if
anyone is looking for a new scale that weighs both pounds and kilograms, Mr.
Markley relocated one to the bottom of Bob’s Lake.
I’m sure he’ll tell you exactly where he
threw it…
It was another great
week at Nordlaw Lodge (minus the heat)
and another super tournament put on by our director Dale “Swiggy” Sweigard and
hosted by our unflappable WWIN reporter Jim “Ummie” Umberger. I
hope everyone can make it back again next
year. I suspect there will be a new
champion in the offing but who will it be?
Surely Porter and Kirby can’t make it 8 out of 9…or can they?
Respectfully,
Steve P.
Porter/Kirby WIN AGAIN in 2012!
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| Coach's 7lb 8 oz |
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| The Gangs All Here |
BASS
BLAST CLASSIC 2012
The situation has returned to normal for the 2012
edition of the Bass Blast Classic on Bob’s Lake. The five-time Champions of the tournament
(Steve Porter and Ken Kirby) have added
win number six of seven tournaments to their accolades. Although the tournament
weights were down again for the second year in a row, the winning weight of 11 lbs. 2 oz. was good enough to hold off the
second place team of Gerry Charles and Dave Borrell
at 10 lbs. 11 oz. Had the tournament been held on Sunday and Monday instead of
Tuesday and Wednesday, team Charles/Borrell would have obliterated the field. During
their “practice” sessions, they proceeded to land four “notable” fish weighing ~ 17 lb 7 oz. But, alas, we all know what catching big fish during practice will get you: NOTHING…ZIP…ZILCH.
Another good story line is the team of Dale and
Ken Sweigard. Father Ken was able to pull his son out of the basement where he
has been wallowing for the past three years and made a respectable climb into third place with a weight of 9 lbs. 14 oz. The cost of that new (2008) “baby-wanna-be” Triton is starting to show
some payback dividends. And we all know Swiggy is a numbers man. I wonder if
Teena would agree if the investment was worth it? With the Sweigard’s moving
off the bottom, the “Sucking Hind Teet” award now belongs to last year’s first place team of Dean Shaner and Jerry Leader. You read it correctly. Last year’s winners went from
“First-to-Last” and did so in a heart beat. Hard to believe I know,
but their weight of 8 lb. 2 oz. was a full pound behind the seventh place finishers.
Mr. Leader’s continuing search for the phantom smallie might have been their downfall for this year. It also
goes to show that rubbing elbows with the Governor’s Chief of Staff and living in the most up-scale neighborhood in
Central PA (Pinehurst) can’t always buy you a top spot in the Bass Blast. It certainly helped them last year…but I digress.
The remaining order of finish was as follows:
4th Miller/Middlekauff 9 lb 13 oz
5th Walborn/Walborn 9 lb 6 oz
6th Markley/Bolton 9 lb 5 oz
7th Umberger/Powell 9 lb 2 oz
8th Shaner/Leader 8
lb 2 oz
What can I say about our fourth place team of
Sonny Miller and Bruce Middlekauff other
than neither can make a decision when it comes to keeping or throwing back fish. They
missed out on cashing in the money this year by one ounce because they kept an anemic fish on the first day. Based on their catch on day two, they could have easily weighed a heavier fish the next morning to get
them in the money. The same scenario played out last year only in reverse. They threw back a hefty fish on the first day that would have won the tournament and
couldn’t catch a fish to equal it on day two. These two anglers have more
major sanctioned tournament fishing experience (and earnings) than the rest of the Bass Blasters combined. I can only guess the 5 fish limit over two days requires a little too much strategy than they can get their
heads around.
The rookie team of Keith and Blair
Walborn made a respectable fifth place showing for their first time out.
Although, had you listened to son Blair for six months prior to the tournament, all other teams in the Bass Blast should
have remained in bed each morning because the Walborn’s were going to walk away with the trophy based on their fishing
knowledge, prowess and for just showing up. I can’t say captain Keith was
in agreement with his son’s assessment but they did give it a good shot. Now
armed with some experience of the lake, they could start a climb to the winner’s platform in the years to come.
Charlie Markley
and Brad Bolton were our 6th place finishers. The results could have been different had Brad landed that nice 3 lb 15 oz smallie on Wednesday morning
rather than Wednesday evening. But again, fish caught outside the tournament window doesn’t get you much in the way
of prize money. Both anglers did catch the most fish (244) even though Charlie
spent time catching robins in the trees and jumping out of the boat to check the water depth.
Of course Charlie blamed it on the trolling motor which attacked him for no apparent reason and pushed him over the
side. If this team ever has a mishap free tournament, they’ll be right
at the top.
This brings us to our 7th place finishers
of Jim Umberger and Bob Powell. This
team has finished in the money the last three years…a couple seconds and a third.
Even though they did not finish in last place this year, what could have possibly gone wrong? My guess is Bob didn’t get a lot of restful sleep since Mr. Charles talked him into bunking in the
Waldron House with no air conditioning and fighting off those pesky chipmunks. However,
I’ve also been told Mr. Umberger was a little under-the-weather and had a tough time making it up to his perch on the
back of the boat. Therefore, only one fishing line was in the water for most
of the tournament. I’m sure Jimbo will make a full recovery prior to next
year’s Bass Blast and he and Bob will be back in the money again.
It was a fairly uneventful trip this year with
only one major mechanical problem. It seems as though Mr. Charles spent hundreds
of dollars in preventative maintenance for his boat but still fell victim to a $10 faulty solenoid. Thank goodness the “fix-it” man (Ken Sweigard) was along.
His brilliant work saved Dave Borrell’s tender fingers from a major
blister had he been forced to pull that starter rope another turn. The old sparking
screw driver saved the day for Dave. He had only to worry about his heart stopping from the shock he received every time he
short-circuited the starter to get the boat running.
We enjoyed another successful Bass Blast this
year and am looking forward to seeing everyone again in 2013. Wishing all a safe
year and many “Tight Lines”…
_________________________________________________________
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Shaner/ Leader Shock Field with 2011 Bass Blast WIN!
No Friends needed to take home Trophy!!!
Porter/Kirby streak ended by the "QUIET ONES"
BASS BLAST CLASSIC 2011
The 2011 edition of the Bass Blast Classic is now history. It was an extremely memorable week for most of
the participants. The “Quiet” team of Shaner and Leader did the unthinkable and unseated the six-time defending
champs Ken Kirby and Steve Porter with a winning weight of 10 lb 9 oz.. Needless to say, everyone was pleased with the outcome
except for our newest team of Sonny Miller and Bruce Middlekauff. Their apparent blunder on the first day weigh-in most likely
cost them the championship. Upon mutual agreement (with Bruce having the deciding vote), they decided to throw back a two-plus
pound fish from the livewell and weigh in only two fish on day one. Two of the three fish they weighed in on the second day
were a pound and half each (the third fish was over 3 lb.). Ergo, had they weighed all three fish from day one, they would
have surpassed the 2 ounce deficit after the final weigh in and won the trophy by a wide margin. Their second place weight
was 10 lb. 7 oz.
The third place team of Jim Umberger and Bob Powell were a mere 5 ounces out of second place and 7 ounces out of first
at 10 lb. 2 oz. Had Mr. Umberger not blown out his water pump on the afternoon of the day one tournament things might have
been different. They were forced to fish close to the launch with their trolling motor and couldn’t return to their
Long Bay “honey hole” for another big kicker on day two. Luckily, the team of Porter/Kirby noticed their boat
was in distress from a considerable distance and swiftly moved to the rescue. Taking time out from their pre-second day tournament
scouting, Porter/Kirby “TOWED” the disabled Umberger boat back to their mooring from several miles down lake.
The remaining order of finish was as follows:
4th Porter/Kirby 9 lb 0 oz
5th Charles/Charles 8 lb 10 oz
6th Markley/Bolton 7 lb 15 oz
And yes, ladies and gentlemen, the team of Sweigard and Campbell finished 7th and last for the THIRD year in a row with
a meager weight of 6 lb 8 oz. A truly remarkable feat considering the Swig-meister invested $20K in a new fiberglass fishing
boat for this season. The cost-to-fish ratio ($20K ~ 104 oz.) comes out to somewhere in the neighborhood of $192.31 per ounce.
There is also talk of permanently renaming the last place finish award to the “Sweigard/Campbell Sucking-Hind-Tit”
award. The vote among the Bass Blasters was unanimously in favor of the name change. Mr. Sweigard did receive a few detractions
from his partner for the speed and configuration of his boat. Mr. Campbell was practically thrown out of the low-end Triton
from his middle seat position at one point but fortunately Tom was able to make a last second grasp of the rear pedestal and
hung for dear life until Swiggy came off plane at their next fishing hole. On other occasions Mr. Campbell could be mistaken
for a person of Asian descent given the fact the speed was so fast his eyelids were mere slits and his jowls and ears were
flapping like a dog with his head out the window of a speeding car. Mr. Sweigard was also capable of getting the boat up to
speed that would launch a set of throw cushions out of
the boat. Upon retrieval it was discovered that one of Tom’s expensive rods and reels was still tangled in the cushion
and luckily saved. As you all know, Swiggy is not that interested in expensive electronics that he doesn’t know how
to use anyway. So, to combat this, he hogged the front end of his boat with the trolling motor down up onto a rock shoal in
the middle of the lake. By moving his considerable weight to the back of the boat he was able to get free of the boulder.
Not considering what might have happened to his transducer, he proceeded to run the trolling motor at full throttle thus severing
the wire lead and sending the transducer to the bottom of the lake. A search of the area later in the day proved fruitless
in finding the expensive transducer.
Last but not least, the Swig-boat is not configured very well for the rear angler. There are no tie-down straps for rods
on the rear deck. Therefore Tom had to place his rods down in the boat and angle them up the side. However, when trying to
retrieve one of his rods from the back deck, the angle was such that when he grabbed it, it snapped in half. Needless to say,
Tom was not entirely happy with Swiggy’s high fashioned new fangled rig. He also suggests a second console be added
for the rider’s protection.
Mr. Markley, our only Coast Guard veteran, was up to his usual tricks. While trying to fish near a rock pile, he tied off
his boat to a marker buoy (using it in place of his anchor). After several minutes he finally realized they were no longer
fishing over the rock pile because the current had pulled the boat (with buoy attached) half way out into the lake. He retrieved
the buoy as if nothing had happened and returned later in the day to try and sneak it back in place at the appropriate sight.
He thinks he got it right… Mr. Markley also broke the tip off his favorite rod retrieving it from the rod locker. Mr.
Porter came to the rescue again with a replacement tip. Word to the wise: protective rod sleeves at Bass Pro Shops sell for
$4.99.
Charlie’s wife, Carla, was nice enough to lend her husband her new digital camera for capturing memorable photos
of the week. However, Charlie was unable to fulfill that wish. It seems he positioned the camera near the rear of his vehicle
and proceed to slam the rear hatch onto the camera thus smashing it to pieces…looks like a trip to the Best Buy store
for a replacement is in order.
This was not a good week for propellers or trolling motors. During a sudden and severe lightening and thunderstorm Sunday
evening, the Porter boat made a hasty retreat back to the lodge. Unfortunately, upon putting the boat up on plane, the propeller
caught a large rock about 2 feet under the surface and snapped an inch or more off two of the blades. Fortunately, a spare
was on board and repairs were made that evening at the launch. However, the lightening did create a power outage for the lodge
and everyone was forced to sleep without A/C or fans. Power was restored at 4:45 am the following morning. Temperatures for
the week were in the 90’s with extremely high humidity and water temperatures above 80 degrees, a possible reason for
the lowest fish count since 2006.
Besides Swiggy running his trolling motor up on a rock pile, Mr. Markley and Mr. Shaner also had troubles with their trolling
motors. Mr. Markley could be seen periodically smacking his motor to make it work. Both anglers tried to take their units
apart to troubleshoot the problems. Mr. Shaner was successful in finding a short in the wiring and making the fix. Mr. Markley
tried the same thing and lost several parts in the
lake even after Mr. Bolton cautioned him to lay down a towel to prevent anything from going overboard…the advice
went unheeded or maybe since we’re talking about Mr. Markley, the advice was “unheard”. More work is required
on the motor when he gets home.
The father/son boat of Gerald and Jace Charles were pretty much unharmed during the week. That is if you ignore the fact
Jace lost his dad’s weigh scale in the lake. That’s right, the fish ended up in the bottom of the boat but the
scale went flying. Fortunately, we now know the scale floats and could be retrieved. They dodged a bullet there and no further
incidents were reported.
We had a few boats leave a day early this year. I was told Mr. Charles was missing his wife Trudy very badly and had to
get on the road to see her. Of course he had to drag Jace with him even though he wanted to stay and fish. With Mr. Umberger’s
boat crippled, he decided to join his neighbor for the trip home because he missed Trudy as well and didn’t want his
partner (Bob Powell) to do any more work than he had to. The Shaner/Leader boat fished most of the day on Thursday and left
after dinner.
For the rest of us, the trip home was uneventful except for the fact Mr. Miller has the smallest bladder of any guy we
know and needs to stop and pee every fifty miles. We said good-bye to them after breakfast in Cicero…they were on their
own. I heard they made it back to Mechanicsburg by mid-night on Friday.
All-in-all it was truly a great four-five days at Bob’s Lake. I hope everyone is as anxious to return next year as
Kirb and I are. We still have room for another boat or two if anyone has a friend or relative that wants to join in the fun
and camaraderie.
Tight Lines,
Steve P.
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