The first event of the 2005 season in National Boat Mart-TVA Tournament Series was held on Lake Shafer. The annual Lake Shafer OPEN started with the anglers registering while a strong Canadian front was pushing through the area with sheets of rain, 25 mph winds from the North West, and an air temperature that dropped nearly 17 degrees from registration to take-off at safelight. The conditions would improve gradually as the day wore on with decreasing wind speeds, and bluebird skies by weigh-in.
With the scoreboard wiped clean from 2004, many anglers were optimistic about the weigh-in. For many of the 2004 Championship contenders who fished the final round of the 2004 NBM-TVA Bass Championship a couple weeks earlier on the same body of water optimism was met with a hint of skepticism. However, come weigh-in time the field found that Lake Shafer had returned to herself for the most part with 85% of the field of Anglers and Co-Anglers weighing in.
Burnettville, Indiana’s Jerry Drazer came to the scales with a five bass limit weighing in at 10.83 pounds to nail down first place and take a trip to the winners circle for the victory spoils. The three-time NBM-TVA Angler of the Year and 2004 NBM-TVA Bass Championship runner-up also picked up the Big Bass Award for the event by anchoring his winning creel with a largemouth that weighed in at 3.35 pounds to anchor his winning string.
“I knew I had a respectable limit, but I really didn’t get too excited until I saw the weight light up on the scales. I knew it was going to be another nail biter, and to win in this series against this type of competition you’d better bring your ‘A Game’, because all the anglers are tough, and someone’s going to be on fish strong, you can count on it. To come out of here today with a big win in one of the opens really feels good” said Drazer with a smile. I fished both the main lake and backwater areas flipping a jig-n-frog and a custom crankbait for the most part. I applied Kick-N-Bass Crawfish scent to the jig, and Kick-N-Bass Anise Shad scent to the crankbait” explained Drazer. Drazer also praised the staying power of his Interstate Marine Batteries in the strong winds.
Another key to success today had to be stopping by the local Super Wash Car Wash after the 2004 championship. It’s so strong that it washed the hard luck finishes off my boat from 2004 and started me clean for 2005″ said Drazer laughing and plugging his sponsor at the same time. Drazer is sponsored by: Interstate Batteries, Hendrickson Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep, Kick-N-Bass Attractants, Super Wash Car Washes, and FishingWorld.com.
In second place was Monticello, Indiana’s Wade Cohagan with a five bass limit tipping the scales to the 10.28 pound mark. Cohagan fished backwater and main lake areas with worms and crankbaits to nail down a solid finish. Cohagan is sponsored by: JV Custom Baits and Team Custom Rods. In third was Monon, Indiana’s Jeff Vandergraff with four bass weighing in at 10.10 pounds. Vandergraff fished the main lake and backwater areas for his strong finish. Vandergraff is sponsored by: JV Custom Baits, Team Custom Rods, Embroidery Design, and M-B Marine Service.
In fourth was Logansport, Indiana’s Rob Pilkinton. Pilkinton came to the weigh-in stand with a five bass limit out of the Big Monon tributary weighing in at 9.62 pounds. Pilkinton is sponsored by Computer’s Plus. Holding down fifth to round out the Top-5 was Brook, Indiana’s Marty Yoder. Yoder had another respectable five bass limit off the main lake that weighed in at 9.45 pounds. Yoder is sponsored by: Double Zero Custom Baits and ISG (Innovative Sport Group).
The next NBM-TVA Tournament Series event will be the Lake Freeman OPEN held on Saturday October 16th 2004 out of Dodge Camp. Then the following weekend will be the TVA Team Challenge sponsored by Lafayette Glass Company on Lake Freeman, and it will also be held out of Dodge Camp. Then the series will go into “Winter Break”, until April.
The NBM-TVA Bass Series is proudly sponsored by: National Boat Mart, FishingWorld.com, Bass Maxx Charging Systems, Hendrickson Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep, Wrede & Son’s Excavating, Wild Bill’s Outpost, Stephan’s IGA, Land-O-Champs Trophy, Lafayette Glass Company and Twin Lakes Fish & Game Monticello, Indiana.By: TVA Staff
