For the Lady Bass Anglers Association (LBAA) in their inaugural year it has been a year of many firsts – their first full tournament season, their first regular season tournament winner(s), their first repeat winners, their first pro and co Angler of the Year winners, and the upcoming – first ever — LBAA Lady Bass Classic. It is on the horizon at Kentucky’s vast expanse of water known as Kentucky Lake. The Lady Bass Classic will be October 6-7-8.
Bainbridge, Georgia’s Pam Martin-Wells has an opportunity to make history on Kentucky Lake at the LBAA Lady Bass Classic. Martin-Wells has a chance to win the LBAA’s Triple Crown in their inaugural year of operation.
To win the LBAA Triple Crown an angler would have to win one, or more, regular season tournaments, win Angler of the Year (AOY), and be victorious in the first ever Lady Bass Classic. Martin-Wells won the last two tournaments on Guntersville and Old Hickory Lakes, and in her tournament victory on Old Hickory, she claimed a come from behind win in the pro division AOY race.
“Along with the AOY title, it would be a great accomplishment to be the “first” LBAA classic winner. That would be another one of those titles that whoever wins will be the only one forever, and no matter how many other classic winners throughout the year, that person will always be the first winner,” Martin-Wells stated. “Since I have won a regular season event, and the LBAA Angler of the Year, to also win the classic in the same year, it would be the triple crown – and that one title I have not won. I have won other tournaments, other AOY’s and other Classics, but not all in one year.”
“Having won the last two might give me a little edge as far as confidence, but on the other hand, it could also make the other competitors more determined to win,” Martin-Wells went on to say. “All I can do is prepare to the best of my abilities, and give a 110% to my efforts! I can ONLY control my efforts and not my competitors, and ultimately I am competing against the fish, so that is what I have to concentrate on — what it will take to figure out and catch them.”
“To win this tournament, an angler will have to perform at their peak and not have the luxury to make any mistakes. You have to have confidence in your abilities and have enough fish to be consistent for three days,” Martin-Wells concluded.
The LBAA’s Co-angler of the Year Kim Giddens also has a chance at the LBAA’s Triple Crown this year.
“I was fortunate enough to win the co-angler’s division at Lake Hartwell in May,” Giddens, a resident of Alpine, Alabama stated, “but I never dreamed that I would end up the point’s winner at the end of the season. To win the classic at Kentucky Lake and become the first Triple Crown winner in the co-angler division would be icing on the cake. I think a win on Kentucky Lake is going to be tough because I will be competing against the top co-anglers in the U.S.,” Giddens went on to say. “I believe the key to winning is by consistently having a good limit each day, and hopefully having a kicker or two.”
The 2011 LBAA Lady Bass Classic will have 42 total competitors, 21 one that will compete in the pro division and 21 that will compete in the co-angler division. The competitors earned a berth in the 2011 LBAA Lady Bass Classic by their finishes earned in the four 2011 regular season tournaments. Each regular season finish had an accompanying number of points that anglers accumulated as the year progressed.
Official practice days for the 2011 LBAA Lady Bass Classic will be October 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 with anglers being off the water by 3 p.m. on the fifth.
Competition days for the 2011 LBAA Lady Bass Classic are October 6, 7, and 8. Launch will be at local safe light each morning and competition concludes each day at 3 p.m. All launches and afternoon check-ins will be held at Moors Resort and Marina 570 Moors Road in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Upon check-in, all anglers will then trailer to the weigh-in, which will be held at the Fisherman’s Headquarters, located at 2754 US Highway 641 Benton, KY 42025 (270) 527-5938.
Host lodging and tournament headquarters for the LBAA Lady Bass Classic is Moors Resort and Marina 570 Moors Road Gilbertsville, Kentucky 42044. 1-270-362-8361 or 1-800-626-5472.
Sponsors of the 2011 Lady Bass Anglers Association Tour are: Wilkins Brothers Outdoors, Pro Tournament Scales, Jennifer Sexton/Ameriprises Financial Consulting Services, Reaction Innovations, Todali Tackle, Dawn Outdoors, Red Dirt Bait Company, FINS Superlines, Backwater Custom Baits, Rayjus Outdoors, Reactions Innovations, Kick `n Bass, Castaway Graphite Rods, Vickie’s Threadworks, Necessity Jigs, West Kentucky LED, SureLife, Arkansas Tournament Fishing (ATF), Fleck’s Hand Poured Baits, Ray Barga and Associates Inc., Nite Owl Productions, and River Runner Baits.
Also sponsoring the LBAA Lady Bass Classic is Santone Lures, Bass Kandi, The Sportsmen’s Edge, Moors Resort & Marina, Fish Guardian, Fisherman’s Headquarters, and Kentucky Lake/Marshall County Tourism (www.kentuckylake.org).
The LBAA 2011 Contingency Programs are Phoenix First Flight, Skeeter Real Money, the Legend Advantage Program, BassCat Quest, and Triton Gold.By: Larry Morris
