Florida’s Raymond Trudeau proved to be one of the wolves Alabama’s George Crain fretted about this morning when the leader said he felt like a pack of wolves was closing in on him. Trudeau nipped Crain to win the Cabela’s B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Southern Divisional at Lake Okeechobee by only 6 ounces. Trudeau’s 21-pound, 10-ounce limit today overtook Crain’s lead.
“I was struggling in practice,” said Trudeau. “The water was real dirty where I wanted to fish, and I kept forcing it and checking on it, but all I could catch was an occasional 3-pound fish. My team helped me out the first day by putting me on flipping fish, which I really needed to have, and I stuck with it.”
The second day the wind let up, and Trudeau knew then he could go topwater fishing. “I knew the water was going to clear up so I went up to a few spots. Today there was a guide on one of them, and the other area was blown out because of the south wind. So I concentrated on one area.”
“My nerves were shot this morning. I missed a huge fish early and then kept pulling my bait away from fish, and it just really messed me up. My partner (Sidney Weaver of South Carolina) kept telling me to calm down and relax. By 11 o’clock, I finally started getting my nerves going a little better and managed to get one more good fish and then lost another big one.”
The largest fish he caught weighed 8-9 and was the big bass of the day. The 47-year-old prototype developer for Tupperware caught his larger topwater fish on a firetiger Zara Spook and Lucky Craft Splash Tail in a shad pattern. His other keepers fell for a 1/4-ounce Gambler Ninja spinnerbait with a watermelon skirt.
By winning the divisional and finishing as the top angler on his state team, Trudeau also qualified for the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Championship (FNC) to be held on Wheeler Lake in Alabama, Oct. 25-27. Other state winners qualifying for the FNC are Jeremy Pridgen of Georgia; Tim Hennemann, Kentucky; Brent Boyette, North Carolina; Edward Cox, South Carolina; Mark Pierce, Tennessee; and Crain, who led the first two days. Georgia won the team championship with 502 pounds, 8 ounces, while Florida finished second with 496-14. The divisional was hosted by Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina and Resort.
Junior Bassmasters Results – Cabela’s B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Southern Divisional on Lake Okeechobee
Willem Lubbinge of South Africa caught a five-fish limit weighing 19-pounds, 4 ounces (the biggest limit he has ever caught) to win the 15- to 18-year-olds age group of the Junior Bassmasters competition in the Cabela’s B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Southern Divisional on Lake Okeechobee. Florida youngster Luke Farmer won the 11-14 age group by catching four keepers weighing 12 pounds, 6 ounces. The young anglers both qualified for berths in the Junior Bassmasters World Championship (JWC) to be held in conjunction with the Federation Nation Championship in Alabama in October.
| 2012 Cabela’s B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Title Sponsor: | Cabela’s |
| 2012 Cabela’s B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Official Sponsors: | Toyota, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Mercury, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha |
| 2012 Cabela’s B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Supporting Sponsor: | BOOYAH, Humminbird, Lowrance, Minn Kota, Owner, Simms |
| 2012 Cabela’s B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Clothing Partner: | Simms |
About B.A.S.S.
For more than 40 years, B.A.S.S. has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and an expansive tournament structure while connecting directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.
The Bassmaster brand and its multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications – Bassmaster Magazine and B.A.S.S. Times – comprehensive Bassmaster website, and ESPN2 and Outdoor Channel television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, Cabela’s B.A.S.S. Federation Nation events and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.
B.A.S.S. offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members and remains focused on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala.By: B.A.S.S. News
