Louisiana pro angler, Judy Wong is now the 2008 Women’s Bassmaster Tour - presented by Academy Sports & Outdoors 2008 world champion. The majority of her catch came from the Oconee Nuclear Station hot water discharge on Lake Keowee, SC. Wong fished there all three days for a total winning weight of 26-10 – beating her nearest competitor, Pam Martin Wells by a mere 6 ounces.

Wong said she chose the hot water outlet due to the cold weather this time of year. “Like everyone, I hoped to get my limit early each day then try to find a kicker largemouth bass” she said” but that never happened.

Despite bringing a five fish limit to the scales weighing 7-9 for a total weight of 26-4, defending 2007 champion, Pam Martin Wells, of Bainbridge, GA finished second – by a mere 6 ounces. Martin-Wells needed sun to catch the larger fish. “It didn’t come out soon enough,” she said.

“I predicted a 40 pound weight to win this event,” said Wong, “so it surprised me when it only took 26 (pounds.)

Wong’s winning lures included a Gary Yamamoto Senko in watermelon red or silver metal-flake rigged wacky style, a spinner bait, Fluke, and her largest fish on a Senko rigged on a ¾-ounce football jig. “I used lures I felt these fish would hit,” she said. “I think the reason I was able to catch the fish was bait choice. There were other anglers fishing near me who left without catching anything, she noticed.

First place prize in the Women’s Bassmaster Tour paid Wong a fully rigged Triton boat and $10,000 in cash, for a total prize package of $60,000. ‘The title means more than the winnings,” admitted Wong. “We women are passionate about this sport and give it our all at every event, so winning this championship means a lot to us when we do win” she said.

Friday’s leader and 2006 Toyota Angler of the Year, Dianna Clark of Bumpus Mills, TN failed to adjust quickly enough to changing weather conditions that went from cold, rain and wind to a sunny bluebird day. She finished in 3^rd with 23-15

Karol Whitehurst of Winnsboro, Texas became the co-angler champion with a three-day total of 15-8. She won a fully rigged Triton and cash for a total prize value of $34,500.

Sponsors for the Women’s Bassmaster Tour include Academy Sports & Outdoors, Toyota Tundra, Advance Auto Parts, Lowrance, Mercury, Skeeter, Yamaha, OPTIMA Batteries, Triton Boats, Legend Boats and Mustang Survival.

2008 2007 Womens Bassmaster Tour Championship BO 02/21-02/23 Lake Keowee, Seneca S.C.

(BOATER) Standings Day 3

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Judy Wong Many, La. 15 26-10 0 $60,000.00

Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 7-08 Day 3: 5 6-05

2. Pam Martin-Wells Bainbridge, Ga. 15 26-04 0 $37,000.00

Day 1: 5 7-01 Day 2: 5 11-10 Day 3: 5 7-09

3. Dianna Clark Bumpus Mills, Tenn. 12 23-15 0 $5,000.00

Day 1: 5 9-08 Day 2: 5 11-06 Day 3: 2 3-01

4. Audrey McQueen Eagar, Ariz. 11 21-00 0 $5,000.00

Day 1: 4 7-04 Day 2: 5 10-10 Day 3: 2 3-02

5. Tammy Richardson Glenwood, Ark. 11 20-09 0 $5,000.00

Day 1: 5 9-06 Day 2: 5 9-10 Day 3: 1 1-09

6. Lucy Mize Ben Lomond, Ark. 10 19-07 0 $5,000.00

Day 1: 3 4-14 Day 2: 5 9-08 Day 3: 2 5-01

7. Cindy Hill Smyrna, Tenn. 9 17-07 0 $5,000.00

Day 1: 2 5-02 Day 2: 5 9-08 Day 3: 2 2-13

8. Juanita Robinson Highlands, Texas 10 16-00 0 $5,000.00

Day 1: 2 4-05 Day 2: 3 3-02 Day 3: 5 8-09

9. Marcia Rubin Chagrin Falls, Ohio 9 12-06 0 $2,500.00

Day 1: 3 4-00 Day 2: 5 7-06 Day 3: 1 1-00

10. Secret York Benton, Ky. 3 9-00 0 $2,500.00

Day 1: 1 5-08 Day 2: 0 0-00 Day 3: 2 3-08

11. Penny Berryman Hot Springs, Ark. 4 8-10 0 $2,500.00

Day 1: 1 4-08 Day 2: 1 1-15 Day 3: 2 2-03

12. Sheri Glasgow Muskogee, Okla. 5 7-13 0 $2,500.00

Day 1: 2 3-15 Day 2: 1 2-02 Day 3: 2 1-12

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Totals

Day #Limits #Fish Weight

1 4 38 78-04

2 8 45 84-05

3 3 31 46-08

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15 114 209-01

2008 2007 Womens Bassmaster Tour Championship NB 02/21-02/23 Lake Keowee, Seneca S.C.

(NON-BOATER) Standings Day 3

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Karol Whitehurst Winnsboro, Texas 10 15-08 0 $34,500.00

Day 1: 3 5-00 Day 2: 5 7-11 Day 3: 2 2-13

2. Barbara Gaskins Suffolk, Va. 7 11-08 0 $27,500.00

Day 1: 5 9-13 Day 2: 1 0-14 Day 3: 1 0-13

3. Kim Stapp Ringgold, Ga. 7 11-02 0 $2,500.00

Day 1: 1 2-04 Day 2: 3 4-08 Day 3: 3 4-06

4. Laura Elkins Amarillo, Texas 7 10-07 0 $2,500.00

Day 1: 2 4-02 Day 2: 5 6-05 Day 3: 0 0-00

5. Dianne Kegley Norphlet, Ark. 6 7-11 0 $2,500.00

Day 1: 4 4-13 Day 2: 1 1-00 Day 3: 1 1-14

6. Kala Wright Spiro, Okla. 6 7-06 0 $2,500.00

Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 4 5-10 Day 3: 2 1-12

7. Cheryl Buelow Pollock, La. 4 6-10 0 $2,500.00

Day 1: 2 3-05 Day 2: 1 1-10 Day 3: 1 1-11

8. Bonnie Ward Snohomish, Wash. 4 6-06 0 $2,500.00

Day 1: 2 2-05 Day 2: 0 0-00 Day 3: 2 4-01

9. Debbie Pegoli Loveland, Ohio 3 4-15 0 $1,250.00

Day 1: 1 1-11 Day 2: 1 1-08 Day 3: 1 1-12

10. Colleen McKay Worcester, Mass. 3 3-11 0 $1,250.00

Day 1: 1 1-04 Day 2: 1 1-04 Day 3: 1 1-03

11. Jan Hudson Harrison, Ark. 2 3-04 0 $1,250.00

Day 1: 1 1-14 Day 2: 0 0-00 Day 3: 1 1-06

12. Angie Everitt Livingston, Texas 1 1-09 0 $1,250.00

Day 1: 1 1-09 Day 2: 0 0-00 Day 3: 0 0-00

———————————————————————–

———————————————————————–

Totals

Day #Limits #Fish Weight

1 1 23 38-00

2 1 22 30-06

3 1 15 21-11

———————————-

3 60 90-01

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Despite blustery winter weather provided by a cold front today, twelve pros and twelve co-anglers hit South Carolina’s Lake Keowee on a mission: To become the 2007 WBT women’s world champion. With a high of 45, blustery winds out of the ENE at 10-15 and a 50% chance of rain, they fished one cast after another looking for a five fish limit.

Judy Wong of Many, LA leads the event on this first competition day with 12 pounds, 13 ounces – all spotted bass. While there is a small population of large mouth, common tournament theory is to catch a fast, easy limit of the spotted bass first, then change to big bass lures and try for an elusive largemouth to upgrade their catch. This is exactly what Wong did – using a variety of lures and culling three times during the day.

A mere three pounds behind Wong, is Mustang Gear pro Dianna Clark from Bumpus Mills, TN with 9 pounds 8 ounces. Clark caught all spotted bass during an early day bite – but her final fish was caught just five minutes before having to come to weigh in.
The 12 pros are competing for a total purse of $220,000 – with a $50,OOO Triton /Mercury package and $10,000 cash. The top co-angler wins a $25,000 Triton / Mercury boat package with cash bonus.

Greenwood, AR pro Tammy Richardson is in third, with 9-06, saying she didn’t have the bites today that she had in practice. In fourth place is Audrey McQueen of Eagar, Colo.who explained that all her fish came on an early morning bite.

Defending WBT champion,. Pam Martin-Wells of Bainbridge, GA holds fifth place with 7-1.Martin-Wells, the women’s all time leading money winner, says the fish just weren’t biting like they had been during practice. However, she intends to stick with her game plan saying “it’s too later to change now.”

Ironically, Muskogee, OK’s Sheri Glasgow - current Angler of the Year,(aka the most consistent angler of all) is in last place today. for 12th Glasgow explains her misfortune was due to Murphy’s Law. Two bass got off, one broke the line and Glasgow broke a rod.

Barbara Gaskins of Suffolk, Va., leads the co-anglers after Day 1 with a five-fish limit weighing 9-13. Karol Whitehurst of Winnsboro, Texas, is second with 5-0 and Dianne Kegley of Norphlet, Ark., is third with 4-13.

Friday, Day Two of competition promises to deliver even colder, wetter weather than today.

Sponsors for the Women’s Bassmaster Tour include Academy Sports & Outdoors, Toyota Tundra, Advance Auto Parts, Lowrance, Mercury, Skeeter, Yamaha, OPTIMA Batteries, Triton Boats, Legend Boats and Mustang Survival.

Visit the WBT web page for all the standings.

Like thoroughbreds racehorses restrained by a starting gate, contenders in the 2007 Women’s Bassmaster Tour (WBT) Championship energized a room full of outdoor writers Thursday night at the “Meet the Media” reception hosted by Academy Sports and Outdoors. Top press and media names rotated around the room with television cameras, tape records and note pads interviewing anxious anglers.

Mustang pro, Pam Martin Wells of Georgia, who qualified in 2nd place, ‘said she’s confident that she has done everything she could possibly do to prepare for this Super Bowl of bass fishing. “It’s just wait and see, now. I have my game plan, I’m prepared, and I know what I will be doing. All I can do now is wait until take off then make adjustments depending on wind, weather, etc.”

Martin-Wells is presently considered the leading all-time money winner in women’s pro fishing for her impressive achievements and wins on prior women’s tours Bass’n Gal and Women’s Bass Fishing Associations. She defended her reputation by not only winning the first ever WBT “preview event” but grabbed the gold by winning the first ever Championship, also. The 2008 WBT Angler of the Year earns a berth in the Bassmaster Classic.

Weather promises to be a huge factor with Day 1’s high temperature forecasted to be a frigid high of 45 degrees, winds ENE at 10-15 and a fifty per-cent chance of rain. Cold, windy weather typically slows the bite.

“I’m ready,” said “Diana Clark,” another top Mustang contender who qualified in 8th place for this year’s 2007 championship (held in 2008.) “I’ve done everything I know to do,” said Clark. Asked about the weather factor, she said. “I have a good game plan but when the weather gets bad, being able to adjust is key to winning.”

Both Martin-Wells and Clark shared almost identical, which were actually shared by all contenders the night before competition begins.

The WBT championship kicks off with 7:00 AM daily launches at South Cove State Park, Seneca, SC. Day one weigh-in begins at 2:15 at South Cove State Park Thursday with Friday and Saturday weigh-ins being held on the Bassmaster Classic stage at the BI-LO Center in Greenville.

WBT Pros and their co-anglers will be vying for a total tournament purse of $220,000 with the winner taking home a $50,000Triton / Mercury boat. The 2008 WBT kicks off at Lake Lewisville, TX with competition dates of April 10-12. Click here to get more information on the Bassmaster Classic, WBT and / or joining BASS.

Visit us for daily postings right here on the Mustang Survival Blog provided by women’s pro angler, Kathy Magers of TX – our roving reporter at the Bassmaster classic and Women’s World Championship.