This awesome story about our good friend Darla Bardelli ran on The Fishing Wire today and we wanted to share it with you. I have known Darla personally for a while now and her courage and determination to beat cancer is an inspiration to all of us.

Still In It To Win It…our pal and professional angler Darla Bardelli continues her recuperative efforts following radical mastectomies and aggressive cancer treatments. We all know Darla’s no quitter, but she’s lost neither her sense of humor or drive to succeed. When the 2008 Women’s Bassmaster Tour kicks off this Thursday, April 10 at Texas’ Lake Lewisville, Darla will be fishing!

She’s sporting a “new doo”- as in the minimalist look – but she says she’s not going to miss the opportunity to win the chance to fish in the 2009 Bassmaster Classic (the 2008 Women’s Champ gets an automatic entry into the Classic).

Darla’s coming off six months of chemotherapy, during which time she wore her tournament fishing shirt and carried what she calls her “Cancer Monkey) for each treatment. It helped raise her spirits, and reminded her of the ultimate goal – to be “In it to WIN it!”

Darla’s definitely making the Classic a goal. Six weeks after a double radical mastectomy, she’s borrowing a boat from Phoenix to fish Lewisville. She still faces hormone and chemotherapies, physical therapy and reconstruction. In July and August during the off-schedule of the WBT, Darla will undergo seven weeks of radiation treatments. But she’s gotten her doctors on her team to help her fish her dream…a shot at the 2009 Bassmaster Classic.

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

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Totals

Day #Limits #Fish Weight

1 1 23 38-00

2 1 22 30-06

3 1 15 21-11

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3 60 90-01

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