The National Boat Mart – TVA Bass Series held it’s 9th and final qualifying event of 2004 on Lake Shafer. The conditions were ideal with air temperatures in the mid-80’s, some light clouds and variable winds.
The story line for 2004 has been centered around two anglers Marty Yoder and Don Deerwester. Each angler has now tied Marty Yoders old record of 3 wins in one season. Will the 2004 TVA Bass championship be the tiebreaker since it’s the “official” final event of 2004? Or will someone spoil the tiebreaker for the both of them.
Marty Yoder of Brook, Indiana fished for both smallmouth and largemouths to win his third event of the 2004 season. Yoder reported catching his winning bag by primarily fishing tubes on the main lake, river, and Big Monon tributary for his success. Yoders multi-specie five bass limit pushed the scales to the 11.53 pound mark giving him the victory spoils and another dance in the winners circle. Yoder added to his winning weight when he landed the tournament’s Big Bass that weighed in at 3.28 pounds. Yoder is sponsored by Double Zero Custom Baits and ISG (Innovative Sport Group).
Holding down a solid second place finish was “The Dominator from Demotte”, Demotte, Indiana’s Don Deerwester. Deerwester came to the scales with a mixed specie limit of bass weighing in at 8.84 pounds.
“I used topwater baits to catch the majority of my fish. I then used a crankbait to round out my limit. I targeted fish relating to deeper water. Overall, I just tried some new areas trying to get ready for the championship” said Deerwester at weigh in. Deerwester is sponsored by: All-Walls, Big Bag Bait Co., Crown Industrial Supply, J V Custom Baits, and Merrillville Awning Co.
In third was Frank Brown of Kokomo, Indiana. Brown had a nice limit of bass weighing in at 8.76 pounds. Brown caught his fish off both the main lake and backwater areas.
In fourth was Burnettsville, Indiana’s Jerry Drazer. Drazer weighed in a limit of bass that tipped the scales to an even 7.50 pounds. Drazer reported catching the majority of his fish off the main lake on the inside of boat lifts on tubes with Kick-N-Bass Crawfish applied to them. Drazer is sponsored by: Hendrickson Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep, Interstate Batteries, Kick-N-Bass Attractants, and Super Wash Car Washes.
In fifth was Logansport, Indiana’s John Sabatini. Sabatini came in with four bass that weighed 6.40 pounds. Sabatini is sponsored by: National Boat Mart, Okuma, Skeeter, and Yamaha.
This was the final qualifying event for 2004. The next event is the National Boat Mart-TVA Bass Championship on September 11-12, 2004. Anglers must have accumulated 350 points and fished four qualifying events to earn a berth. (Note in 2005, the series will be going back to the 350 points and 5 events system)
The TVA Bass Series is sponsored by: National Boat Mart, FishingWorld.com, Bass Maxx Charging Systems, Hendrickson Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep, Wrede & Son’s Excavating, Best Western Brandywine Inn & Suites, Land-O-Champs Trophy, and Lafayette Glass Company Lafayette, Indiana. Yoders Stitching Line Flora, Indiana. Wild Bills Outpost Flora, Indiana. Stephans IGA Food Store, Flora, Indiana. Five Orr’s Sport Fishing Charters East Chicago, Indiana. And Twin Lakes Fish & Game Monticello, Indiana.By: TVA Staff
