Japanese Pros pair up with top American Anglers at Lake Mead in Hi-Stakes
Competition
Far East Partners With U.S. West in First-ever
International Bass-fishing Tournament
LAS VEGAS, Nev. --- Baseball isn't the only U.S. originated sport that's
popular in Japan. Professional bass-fishing in the Orient has taken off
big
time.
East will partner with West as the Japan Bass (JB) Pro
Association brings
61 of its best anglers from Japan and Korea who have qualified for the JB
World Pro Series U.S. Lake Mead Bass Challenge tour stop, near Las Vegas,
June 14 - 16. The inaugural event, organized by Mercury Marine
Japan,
includes one practice day and two-days (Thurs. & Fri.) of competition for an
over $186,000 purse.
They will be paired with 61 American pros from the popular U.S. W.O.N. Bass
series to compete in what is believed to be the first-ever international
fishing tournament of its kind.
"To my knowledge it's the first time there's ever been this level and
quality
of international competition held in the U.S.," said JB's American
tournament
director Mike Kennedy. "We've routinely had about 20 Japanese pros entered
every year for the U.S. Open and most have always had a good showing."
For this event the foreign contingent consists of three Korean anglers along
with 57 top Japanese pros including Japanese American Gary Yamamoto. Other
top Japanese that are coming are Toshiro Ono, Morizo Shimizu, Hirohazu
Kawabe, Kenzo Tokunaga, Teiji Hamada and Mitsuhiro Handa.
Top American anglers include past U.S. Open winners John Murray, Phoenix;
Greg Hines, Tempe; Mike Folkestad, Yorba Linda, Calif.; Pat Donoho, Las
Vegas; and Byron Velvick, Boulder City, Nev; along with past
anglers-of-the-year Aaron Martens, Castaic, Calif., and Mike Reynolds,
Modesto, Calif. and seven-time WON event winner Gary Dobyns, Yuba City,
Calif.
The field also includes four women professional anglers, two Japanese, in
Sono Ishi and Reiko Kawase and two Americans in Tammy Morrow, Placenda,
Calif. and Carol Martens, Castaic, Calif.
The event will be covered heavily by the international press and taped for
television playback in Japan and Korea.
"They have become some very avid and knowledgeable fishermen," noted
Kennedy.
"They also do a tremendous job of promoting the appeal of the sport
to the
point there are over 300 boats entered in many Japanese tournaments."
Kennedy said that fishing in Japan is done on much smaller
lakes. "Lake
Mead will probably look vast to many of the competitors."
Celebrity status is
also found in the Japanese fishing ranks much
like that to American sports stars. Kennedy said following the tournament
the Mercury OptiMax outboard powered Rangers and ProCraft boats used by the
Japanese pros in the event will be exported to Japan to be promoted and sold
in the Orient.
"There will be instant buyers of these boats," said Kennedy.
"Many anglers
emulate the pro fishermen in Japan and want to buy the boats and motors used
by them."
The tournament will be a shared weight format. In the pairings the American
pros and their Japanese or Korean counterparts will be working together as a
team for the day. "It's to the advantage of both to catch a limit of
weight
fish for their boat and not compete against each other," said Kennedy.
Camaraderie is one of the reasons for the pairings giving the 122 anglers the
opportunity to work as a team.
Kennedy said that in the past at the Opens, the fishermen have improved their
techniques and skills watching each other. "For example, the 'drop shot'
technique began in Japan and is now a technique widely used among many of the
pros here in the U.S. In turn the Japanese have taken back different ways
to
use a jig or a crank-bait."
New pairings will be made for the second and final day of competition and
winners will be determined by total weight at the end of two days of fishing.
The $186,400 purse will be split 50/50 between the American and Japanese
competitors. First prize will be $20,000 each. The purse will pay down to
31st place plus $1,500 for "big bass" winners each day.