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Michigan’s Nate Wellman Takes Chesapeake Bay Bassmaster Northern Open; Said and Adams Take Two Classic Spots

Michigan - -(FishNLand.com)- In an already outstanding tournament, Nate Wellman of Newaygo, Mich., put an exclamation mark on one of the most impressive performances of the 2010 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Opens season by landing a 22-15 limit on Saturday, the heaviest tally of the event.

Wellman was clearly dominant as the next closest competitor, Kyle Walling of Fisherville, Ky., finished in second by more than 15 pounds. Wellman had most of his limit by 9:00 this morning and spent the rest of the day helping his co-angler catch fish. For his win, Wellman takes home $27,000.

“I knew that if I could catch 10 pounds I’d be doing pretty well, and if I caught 12 pounds I’d have it sealed,” he said. “But today (Saturday) was just unbelievable. My goal going into this season was to make the Elite Series, and I have that wrapped up.”

Wellman, who finished third and locked up an Elite Series berth, stuck to his deeper water bite Saturday and with the tide being extra-low, it was better than any of the previous days.

“I knew that if I was going to win this thing, it would be from that one spot,” Wellman said referring to a sunken log surrounded by chunky gravel and rocks. “The tide was so low today that it sucked all the fish from the surrounding flats into it and I hammered them.”

His go-to bait was a Texas-rigged Zoom Baby Brush Hog in black and blue, but he also lobbed a Zoom Trick Worm in bama bug to upgrade his catch. The key for him was to work the baits extremely slowly, sometimes moving it only three or four inches at a time.

“The bites were really subtle and they almost felt like bluegill tapping it,” said Wellman. “Sometimes I had to let them take it and eat it for 10 seconds before I’d hammer them.”

Walling made a hard charge – ultimately not enough – to the top on Day 3, toting 15-3 to the scales for a total of 37-14. In third was Elite Series pro Pat Golden of High Point, N.C., with a three-day total of 34-12. In fourth was Darin Doll of York, Pa., with 34-4 and in fifth was Donald Haskins of Rosedale, Md., with 32-12.

On the co-angler side, Moo Bae of West Friendship, Md., will add another boat to his garage. For his win, he will take home a Triton 18XS with a 150-horsepower Mercury outboard. Bae won the 2009 Bassmaster Northern Open on Chesapeake Bay and took home a boat for that win as well.

“I just wanted a chance to be competitive here, and to win a second time is great, I’m speechless,” Bae said as he was awarded his trophy.

Bae, who had a three-day total of 17-8, relied on a 4-inch Roboworm on a drop shot rig that he tossed adjacent to grassbeds along the shore. Behind Bae was Mike McDonald of Randleman, N.C., who managed to retain the second place position despite not catching any fish today. His total was 15-12. In third was Jess Salmon of Milford, N.J., with 15-5.

In the race for Bassmaster Classic berths, Ryan Said of Michigan took the Bassmaster Northern Open points championship and was awarded his first Classic berth. Additionally, Tracy Adams of Wilkesboro, N.C., finished second and took a Classic berth. The first seven competitors in the points standings earned Elite Series berths. The full standings can be found below.

Other Opens Classic competitors and Elite Series potentials will be named after the final stops of the Central and Southern divisions, both of which wrap up in October.

Daily results and photo galleries are available at Bassmaster.com. Full standings can be found on Bassmaster.com.

The event host is the Cecil County Office of Economic Development & Tourism, http://www.ccgov.org/tourism.

• Bassmaster Open Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
• Bassmaster Open Official Sponsors: Toyota Trucks, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Skeeter Boats and Yamaha
• Bassmaster Supporting Sponsors: Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats and Triton Boats

About BASS
For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and its expansive tournament structure while championing efforts to connect directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.

The Bassmaster brand and its considerable multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer; comprehensive Web properties in Bassmaster.com, BASSInsider.com and ESPN3.com, and ESPN2 television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.

BASS oversees the prestigious Bassmaster Tournament Trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, BASS Federation Nation and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.

BASS offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

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Women’s Bassmaster Tour Winner Takes Her ‘Victory Laps’ at Talladega

Taladega, AL -(FishNLand.com)- Women’s Bassmaster Tour angler Janet Parker of Little Elm, Texas, lapped the entire Academy Sports + Outdoors Women’s Bassmaster Tour field April 25 in Louisiana on the Ouachita River when she took her first BASS win by a margin of more than 8 pounds.

A scheduled appearance the next day in Alabama gave her the opportunity to do two more laps — victory laps, if you will — on the track at Talladega Superspeedway.

Parker led the parade lap at the April 26 Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. It was the third year in a row she led the race parade in her Aaron’s Dream Machine bass rig on behalf of her major sponsor, Atlanta, Ga.-based Aaron’s.

She also was at Talladega to accept a commendation given to her and Aaron’s by the U.S. Army Freedom Team Salute. The award was presented to Parker on the Talladega driver introduction stage.

The U.S. Army Freedom Team Salute is a program of the Secretary of the Army and Chief of Staff of the Army. Founded in 2005, it recognizes “special supporters” of soldiers and the Army’s mission.

“We’ve raised in excess of $90,000 so far for the Armed Forces Foundation through auctions of a donated boat rig and sponsors’ products. All my sponsors have really stepped up,” Parker said. Aaron’s has donated thousands more to military and veteran groups over the years, she added.

She started her charity efforts soon after making an appearance to talk about fishing at an Air Force base and decided she wanted to do more.

“Although I can’t begin to comprehend the sacrifices the military and their families make for our country, I want them to know that it is appreciated,” she said.

About that second “victory lap” at Talladega: Parker was a passenger in a pace car.

“I wasn’t expecting to do that,” she said. “The G force at 150 mph is incredible. It was scary and very exciting at the same time. The adrenaline going through me was about the same as when I caught my largest bass of 12 pounds, 5 ounces.”

That bass, for the record, was not at a WBT event, but in Mexico at Lake El Salto last December.

About BASS

For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. With its considerable multimedia platforms and expansive tournament trail, BASS is guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer and comprehensive Web properties in ESPN360.com, ESPN’s broadband sports network, Bassmaster.com, BASSInsider.com and ESPNOutdoors.com, the organization is committed to delivering content true to the lifestyle. Additionally, television programming on ESPN2 continues to provide relevant content – from tips and techniques to in-depth tournament coverage – to passionate audiences.

The organization oversees the prestigious Bassmaster tournament trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, Academy Sports + Outdoors Women’s Bassmaster Tour and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic. Through its grassroots network, the BASS Federation Nation, BASS annually sanctions more than 20,000 events.

BASS also offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

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Cabela’s Continues Sponsorship of Bassmaster CastingKids Program

Celebration, FL. -(FishNLand.com)- BASS announced Tuesday that Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter® of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, renewed its sponsorship of the successful Bassmaster CastingKids program, which was developed in 1991 to introduce children to the sport of bass fishing.

Cabela’s, a supporting sponsor of CastingKids since 2006, will provide branded casting targets for all CastingKids events. Additionally, Cabela’s gift cards will be given to the 12 finalists who qualify for the 2009 Bassmaster CastingKids National Championship, set for Oct. 31 in Tavares, Fla.

CastingKids competitions are held in two age divisions, 7-10 and 11-14, and youth advance to the National Championship through tournaments on the local, state and divisional level.

In 2008, the CastingKids program was integrated into the BASS Federation Nation Championship presented by Skeeter Boats and Yamaha Outboards to give youth an entry point into competition. The BASS Federation Nation is the grassroots organization that provides support for BASS’ youth initiatives.

“Fostering a love of fishing and the outdoors among America’s youth is something we take seriously here at Cabela’s,” said Tom Rosdail, vice president of marketing for Cabela’s. “We’re proud to sponsor the Bassmaster CastingKids program and help jumpstart the next generation of anglers.”

The sponsorship agreement will provide the Sidney, Neb.,-based company a presence across BASS’ multimedia assets, including Bassmaster.com and BASS Times.

“Cabela’s shares BASS’ vision in growing the sport by helping our youth develop skills through introductory programs like CastingKids,” said Tom Ricks, vice president and general manager, ESPN Outdoors and BASS.

BASS has provided programs through the BASS Federation Nation for children to learn about conservation, natural resources, fishing and competition through CastingKids and the Junior Bassmaster Program. Catering to the more mature youth segment, 11-14 and 15-18, the Junior Bassmaster Program was founded in 1983.

For more information on Cabela’s visit www.cabelas.com.

Bassmaster CastingKids Official Sponsors: Toyota Trucks, Berkley, BOOYAH Baits, Mercury, OPTIMA Batteries, Skeeter Boats and Yamaha Outboards.

Bassmaster CastingKids Supporting Sponsors: Triton Boats, Cabela’s, Zebco and Stanley Jigs.

For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit Bassmaster.com. Visit ESPNOutdoorsMedia.com for ESPN Outdoors’ latest releases, schedules and photos.

About Cabela’s, Inc.: Cabela’s Incorporated, headquartered in Sidney, Nebraska, is a leading specialty retailer, and the world’s largest direct marketer, of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor merchandise. Since the Company’s founding in 1961, Cabela’s® has grown to become one of the most well-known outdoor recreation brands in the world, and has long been recognized as the World’s Foremost Outfitter®. Through Cabela’s growing number of retail stores and its well-established direct business, it offers a wide and distinctive selection of high-quality outdoor products at competitive prices while providing superior customer service. Cabela’s also issues the Cabela’s CLUB® Visa credit card, which serves as its primary customer loyalty rewards program. Cabela’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “CAB”.

About BASS: For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. With its considerable multi-media platforms and expansive tournament trail, BASS is guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer and comprehensive Web properties in ESPN360.com, ESPN’s sports broadband network, Bassmaster.com, BASSInsider.com and ESPNOutdoors.com, the organization is committed to delivering content true to the lifestyle. Additionally, television programming on ESPN2 continues to provide relevant content – from tips and techniques to in-depth tournament coverage – to passionate audiences.

The organization oversees the prestigious Bassmaster tournament trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, Women’s Bassmaster Tour and the Bassmaster Classic, the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing. Through its grassroots network, the BASS Federation Nation, BASS sanctions more than 20,000 events annually.

BASS also offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

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