New York B.A.S.S. Nation member George Yund faced a dilemma Friday after weighing in his fish during the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open at the James River.
The 43-year-old fireman for the City of Albany found out he took the lead in the pro division with 30 pounds and had to notify the fire department that he would have to miss work on Saturday.
“I am supposed to be at work at 8 o’clock in the morning, and I have to figure out how to take off,” said Yund. He later disclosed that the department gave him the extra day off, but it was “going to cost” him later.
Playing the tide was the key to Yund catching a 20-pound limit after weighing in a 10-pound bag the first day.
“I made a wrong turn (in the morning) and fished half the day without the right tide in front of me, but I got down to what I had to do and had the tide working for me for at least half the day,” he said.
The Glenmont, N.Y., angler understands how to work the tide because he lives near the Hudson River and also fishes the Connecticut River.
“This is my first time here, and I basically practiced for two days,” he said. “I just looked for hard structure like rock and wood, which I am used to doing on the Hudson.”
Yund made a milk run and found bass on spots where he failed to catch them in practice. “I just kind of looked at the spots and said I was going to fish there because it’s similar to what I do back home,” he said.
Tied for second with 29 pounds each are Lynchburg, Va., pro David Dudley and Cody Pike of Powhatan, Va. Dudley believes timing the tide right helped him catch his fish. Making the long run to the Chickahominy River, Dudley caught his limit early and then culled several times throughout the day to get to 14-14.
“My pattern is whatever comes in front of me,” he said. “If I see a dock, I am throwing at a dock. If I see lily pads, I am throwing at lily pads. I am not doing anything special.”
Pike caught a limit early but ran into motor problems around 11 o’clock. “So I kind of limped my way back (to the takeoff site),” he said. Stopping on a place he had never fished before, Pike caught about a 5-pounder that kicked his limit up to 14-8.
Rounding out the Top 5 in the pro division are Charlie Hartley of Grove City, Ohio, in fourth place with 28-2 and Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, in fifth with 27-9.
Taking the lead in the co-angler division with 18-3 was Francis Martin, a 58-year-old general contractor from North Chesterfield, Va. His familiarity with the river has helped vault him into the lead. “I fish here almost every weekend,” he said.
Hosting this event is Richmond Region Tourism. Saturday’s final launch will be held at the Osborne Boat Landing, 9530 Osborne Turnpike in Henrico at 6:30 a.m. ET. The final-day weigh-in will move to the Bass Pro Shops at 11550 Lakeridge Parkway in Ashland and will begin at 3:30 p.m.
Only the Top 12 remaining anglers in each division will compete.
2016 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2016 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2016 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Premier Sponsors: Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha, Berkley, GoPro, Huk
2016 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: Lowrance, Power-Pole, Rapala, Shell Rotella, Shimano, A.R.E. Truck Caps, Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Livingston Lures
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines, Bassmaster website, television show (The Bassmasters), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, B.A.S.S. Nation, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
By: Helen White, Bassmaster
