Article
Date: 03/19/2006
NO SURPRISE HERE: GREG HACKNEY REIGNS IN LONE STAR SHOOTOUT PRESENTED
BY TRITON BOATS
Quantum
Pro Staffers Sweep Top Three Spots
JASPER,
Texas — A temperature drop and increased cloud coverage helped
secure the top spot and $100,000 prize for Greg Hackney of Gonzales,
La., in the CITGO Bassmaster Elite Series’ “Lone Star
Shootout presented by Triton Boats” on Sunday.
Hackney,
who led on two of the previous three tournament days, brought in
20-8 on Day 4 for a total of 79-10. “I had the feeling today
was my day and I couldn’t do any wrong,” he said.
Fishing
fans can see exactly how the Elite pro captured the win when The
CITGO Bassmasters airs on Saturday, March 25 on ESPN2 at 10 a.m.
ET.
Hackney,
who finished in fourth place last week at the Elite Series season-opener
“Battle on the Border presented by Mercury Marine”,
said he caught his limit on a Strike King stickbait fishing in small
pockets in back of a major lake arm. He culled after catching five
fish 30 minutes into the tournament and stayed within a five-mile
stretch of water. Hackney said his location was so good, he never
sought out a 4-pound bass that eluded him twice earlier in the tournament.
“I
wasn’t worried about anyone else in this tournament because
it was mine to win,” said the second-ranked angler on the
Bassmaster Elite Series Power Index.
In
second place was Dean Rojas with 75-13 and in third was Kevin VanDam
with 68-1.
Rojas,
of Lake Havasu, Ariz., said he was pleased with his performance,
even though it was just short of clinching the win. “I didn’t
make any mistakes this week,” he said. “I did everything
right except catch more than Hackney.”
Third-place
VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., who was at risk of losing his title
of all-time BASS money winner to Denny Brauer, said several “bonehead”
decisions cost him the win, including one where he flipped into
his boat – and then lost – a five-pound bass. “This
kind of result makes me focus a lot more on what I need to do,”
he said.
Still,
VanDam maintains his lead on the Power Index, catching an average
of 42-8 per tournament. His all-time BASS money winner title also
is safe, with winnings totaling $1.96 million. Brauer, of Camdenton,
Mo., who finished 10th in this tournament, is close behind with
$1.93 million.
The
only rookie in the Elite 12, Bill Lowen of Ohio, ended in fourth
with 64-13, and Mark Tyler of Arizona capped the top five with 64-3.
Hackney’s
20-8 bag on Sunday secured him the BUSCH Heavyweight award, earning
him a $1,000 bonus. If it remains one of the 10 heaviest in Elite
Series season, he will qualify for the BUSCH Shootout later in the
year. Kelly Jordon, who had the Purolator Big Bass on Day 1, also
took the award on Day 4 with a 6-12 largemouth, the largest of the
tournament.
Having
visited Sam Rayburn more than 30 times, BASS is no stranger to the
quality fishery - and the Jasper community rallies each time the
organization is in town, according to Susan Stover, executive director
of the Jasper-Lake Sam Rayburn Area Chamber of Commerce. “This
is a fantastic opportunity for our community because this event
is so much more than a fishing tournament,” she said. “It
brings excitement and energy to the community and gives publicity
to us we could never afford to buy.”
Following
the conclusion of the Lone Star Shootout, Hackney is leading the
CITGO Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 600 points. The
Angler of the Year program awards $125,000 to the angler with the
most points at the end of the season. Lowen is leading the Toyota
Rookie of the Year race, which awards $25,000 to the highest-ranking
rookie in the Angler of the Year standings. Brooks Rogers of Texas
is on top of the Toyota Horizon Award, which gives $10,000 to the
angler with the greatest improvement from last year.
Anglers
have little downtime before the next Elite Series tournament, the
Santee Cooper Showdown presented by MotorGuide on March 30-April
2 in Manning S.C. Another angler will take the $100,000 top prize.
Click
here to download photos from Day 4 of the Lone Star Shootout presented
by Triton Boats. If you do not have a user name and password, click
here to apply.
Day
4 Purolator Big Bass Pro
Kelly
Jordon, 6-12, Mineola, Texas
Day
4 Busch Heavyweight
Greg
Hackney, 20-8, Gonzales, La.
Location
and Field
Lone Star Shootout Presented by Triton Boats – CITGO Bassmaster
Elite Series
Sam
Rayburn Reservoir
Jasper,
Texas
March
16-19
Field
106
pros, 106 co-anglers
Cut
to top 50 after Day 2
Cut
to top 12 pro anglers after Day 3
Launch
Umphrey
Family Pavilion
5438
RR 255 West
Lake
Sam Rayburn, Texas
6:15
a.m.
Weigh-in
Umphrey
Family Pavilion
5438
RR 255 West
Lake
Sam Rayburn, Texas
3 p.m.
Local
sponsors: Local sponsors include the Jasper-Lake Sam Rayburn Area
Chamber of Commerce.
CITGO
Bassmaster Elite Series sponsors: Sponsors of the CITGO Bassmaster
Elite Series include CITGO Petroleum Corp., Toyota, Busch Beer,
Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Lowrance Electronics,
MotorGuide, Advanced Auto Parts and Theraseed®.
BASS
is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than
20,000 events through the BASS Federation annually. Guided by its
mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for credibility,
professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it has for nearly
40 years.
BASS
stages bass fishing tournaments for every skill level and culminates
with the CITGO Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth programs,
aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia platforms,
BASS offers the industry's widest array of services and support
to its nearly 550,000 members. The organization is headquartered
in Celebration, Fla.
Inside
Bass, Courtesy BASS
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