Never Mind All the Company...That's Just How Labor Day Weekend Always Is

 

The crowds certainly didn't deter the 22 anglers in 13 boats who showed up for today's tournament at West Neck Marina. With only three more qualifying tournaments (including today's contest) left of this pandemic-abbreviated 2020 season, folks are serious about getting in their required six tournaments to be eligible for participation in our season-ending two-day Classic event scheduled for Oct. 10th and 11th.

Today's contestants brought a total of 45 bass to the scales, with a combined weight of 100.01 lbs. Those numbers translate into an average weight per fish of 2.22 lbs. and an average weight per boat of 11.11 lbs. for the nine boats that weighed limits.

Anglers standing in the winner's circle at day's end included the following:

1st Place, the team of (from left) Rob Peppers and Don Carter, with five fish weighing 15.21 lbs., and a 4.96-lb. big bass.

2nd Place, the team of (from left) Chris Fretard and Mike Miller, with five fish weighing 14.43 lbs., and a 6.09-lb. big bass, which earned them today's Big Fish honors.

3rd Place, Eddie Sapp, with five fish weighing 13.06 lbs., and a 4.68-lb. big bass.

4th Place, the team of (from left) Gabe Himmelwright and Fred Crawford, with five fish weighing 12.30 lbs., and a 5.29-lb. big bass.

Here is how the rest of the competitors finished:

     * The team of Gary Coderre and Dave Anderson, five fish weighing 11.75 lbs., and a 4.19-lb. big bass.

     * Mark Ingram, five fish weighing 9.14 lbs., and a 2.74-lb. big bass.

     * The team of Wayne Hayes and Craig Jones, five fish weighing 8.90 lbs., and a 2.54-lb. big bass.

     * Jim Wilder, five fish weighing 8.68 lbs., and a 2.41-lb. big bass.

     * The husband-wife team of Andy and Diana Morath, five fish weighing 6.54 lbs. (after 0.50 deduction for one dead fish), and a 1.86-lb. big bass.

The following did not weigh any fish:

     * The team of Steve Bailey and Dennis Dean.

     * The team of Dustin Alley and Joe Derezinski.

     * Jim Crist.

     * The team of Allen Napier and Chris Napier.

On another note, Mark Ingram qualified today for our October Classic. His addition brings the number of qualified contestants to 16.

Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to everyone who came out to participate this Labor Day weekend. For planning purposes, our next event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19th, from safe light (about 6:30 a.m.) to weigh-in at 2:30 p.m. There is only one more qualifier remaining after that tournament. Hope you can join us.

One More Cast

As tournament anglers started returning for weigh-in this afternoon, I overheard a conversation about one of the anglers forgetting to install his drain plug this morning before launching his nearly new Skeeter bass boat. The thing that piqued my attention was the fact the angler never even had to leave his driver's seat to remedy the situation.

Seems that Ranger, Skeeter and Vexus rigs come with the Bass Boat Solutions Flow-Rite Remote Drain Plug as standard equipment now. With the simple turn of a knob, this cable-operated system is controlled from the driver's console. That means no more crawling around on your hands and knees to install or remove the drain plug.

This new remote drain plug also features redesigned elements. The drain-plug housing now utilizes a mesh design that prevents any debris from causing problems, while glass-filled nylon makes the drain-plug-actuator tee handle super strong for trouble-free operation. The drain plug and housing also have been improved to provide smooth and watertight operation.

The Bass Boat Solutions Flow-Rite Remote Drain Plug is available in three cable lengths:
     * 6-foot - for splashwell-mounted control. Boat manufacturers have chosen this location as standard equipment.
     * 8-foot - for small to medium size boats for splashwell- or console-mounted control.
     * 10-foot - for medium to large size boats for console-mounted control.
Detailed installation instructions and mounting hardware included.

In the words of Bass Boat Solutions: "Making your day on the water...better."