This years State Championship Team, the Platte Valley Bassmasters, were lead to a second consecutive win on Grand Lake by the over all runner-up Dan Bowlin. The team of Dan Bowlin, Doug Pinkley, Randy Cloeter, Dave Fuhr, Mike Cosentino, Tim Drumheller, Wendell Newcomb, and Larry Cloeter lead day one by 8.42 pounds with a total of 51.32 pounds. That lead was cut to 5.46 pounds on day two, with their total at 85.32 where the tournament was cut short. Day 3 was canceled due to small craft warnings and wind gusts over 40 mph.

Dan would have like to seen day three. In second place through out the tournament and with the leaders flopping back and forth, he cut day two short. With a limit early and one more day to go he turned the boat over to his non-boater hoping to save for the final day. Behind by only 2.02 pounds his big fish of the tournament had broken him off that morning, which would have culled a small keeper. Adding insult to injury, the 5 pounder made one last jump to try and throw the bait making sure we got a good look. The fish he needed for a win were in the area.

Dan’s limit both days came from the Goat Island area. Starting out the tournament with water as much as seven foot high and falling, only in the 50’s, muddy, and bright skies after a cold front the warming air temperatures were the only blessing. They raised water temps to the low 60’s by late each afternoon and seemed to hold fish in still flooded cover where ever Dan could get close enough to the bank.  Trying to position for the spawn, fish were spread out from secondary points to backs of the pockets. A new Hummingbird Side Finder on his Triton TR 20 with 225 Evinrude helped locate his prime area. Sharing information, he as well as team mates, worked points with a red crawdad Wiggle Wart to start. Flipping a watermelon/red Senko, texas rigged with a 3/8 oz weight to get through the flooded brush took the bulk of his catch, as he moved form the point toward the back. A Mann’s Classic spinnerbait fished over and through flooded laydowns in the backs took his kicker fish each day. That design seems to come through heavy cover almost as well a jig. 

With Platte Valley Bassmaster’s first place finish in the Federation Nation State tournament this year Dan and Doug Pinkley advance to the B.A.S.S. Central Divisional against KA, MO, OK, AR, MS, LA, and TX next year. As the 2007 State Champion Dan will also fish that tournament, hosted by Nebraska this year, 6/25/26/27/08 on the Missouri River. Leading your state’s team at that level advances you to the divisional team and Nationals where the prize is a trip to The Bassmaster Classic.