Truman
Reservoir, Missouri
This years State
Champion, Dan Bowlin of Clarkson
Nebraska, led the Platte Valley
Bassmasters to the team’s 3rd place
finish at this year’s Nebraska
B.A.S.S. Federation State
Tournament. F.U.N. Bass of Omaha
edged Platte Valley out of 2nd
place by less than a third of a pound,
while the Lincoln Bass Club topped the
list with a total three day weight of
207.85 pounds.
Each club consisted
of eight members who were allowed a five
fish limit per day. The Lincoln Bass Club
had a 26 pound per man average for the
tournament. In a field of 170 entrants
from 25 Nebraska clubs, Dan Bowlin won
the event with a three day total of 45.22
pounds. Adding to the Platte
Valley’s 3rd place finish was Dave
Fuhr of Leigh in 21st, Tim Drumleller of
Leigh in 27th, Wendell Newcomb of Norfolk
in 34th, Doug Pinkley of Leigh in 58th,
with Robert Dieter, Randy Cloeter, and
Larry Cloeter, all of Norfolk, rounding
out the team.
Dan’s pattern
revolved around a two mile stretch about
15 miles up the Osage River, a short run
with his 20’ Triton TR20PD, equipped
with Lowrance electronics, and powered by
a 225hp Evinrude FICHT engine. With the
full moon and 60+ degree water temps, his
fish were shallow and by the second day
of the tournament, many were showing
signs of the spawn. Due to recent rains
and high muddy water, beds were
impossible to see but had to be
responsible for some catches.
His pattern broke
down into three parts along the cleanest
stretches of likely spawning gravel. He
made short pitches to every foot of bank
with a black and chartreuse Yamamoto
Senko rigged Texas style with a 1/16 oz.
bullet weight on a 6’6” Quantum
Energy rod, Pro Qualifier reel, and 14
pound Excel line from Bass Pro Shops.
Where high water
had piled debris into the bank, he
switched to a junebug colored
NetBait’s McDaddy, pegged with a 3/8
oz. weight on a 7’ Quantum rod with
20 pound Excel line, and picked fish out
of the logjams.
In the dingy water,
dark colors seemed to win out. He
fashioned his own ½ ounce tandem spinner
bait with a black & blue skirt, #6
gold Indiana blade, and #3 nickel blades,
on 17 pound Excel line with a 6’
Quantum rod.
He picked apart the
areas of flooded grass and scattered
lay-downs between the stretches of open
spawning gravel and logjams. His 17.6
pound, 13.8 pound, and 13.82 pound five
fish limits came each day from a
combination of the three patterns and
picking apart every bit of shoreline in
the cove where his fish were located.
(Story copied and
edited from the July 2007 edition of the
Nebraska Bass Angler)
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