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WOO DAVES MAKES CLASSIC BREAKTHROUGH
Virginia Pro Scores Narrow Victory in Chicago Classic
CHICAGO, July 22 - On a breezy day in the Windy City, Virginia pro Woo
Daves erased a series of painful BASS Masters Classic memories by winning
his 15th Classic try Saturday by the narrow margin of 1 pound, 2 ounces.
Daves, who has finished second and third by agonizing margins of 6 and 13
ounces in past Classics on his home waters, protected his second-round lead
with a final-round catch of four bass weighing 6 1/2 pounds. His three-day
total of 27 pounds, 13 ounces earned Daves the $100,000 top prize and the
most important title in competitive fishing.
California's Mark Rizk, fishing his second Classic, rode Saturday's largest
five-bass limit (10-1) to second place with 26-11. Shaw Grigsby of Florida
finished third with 24-7, followed by four-time Classic winner Rick Clunn
of Missouri and Japan's Kotaro Kiriyama (both with 23-14).
But the day belonged to Daves, a 25-year veteran of the B.A.S.S. wars and
two-time national champion.
"Winning the Classic is the dream of every bass fisherman in the
word," he
said. "And my dream came true today.
"It means a lot more to me because I'm no spring chicken. I'm 54 years old.
My mother keeps asking me if I was ever going to win the Classic before she
died. And she's 81. I told her she might have to live to 95 before I won
it."
Daves was the only Classic angler to target smallmouth bass exclusively. He
used a Zoom tubejig (tied to 6-pound test line) to mine an abandoned
seawall located about 300 yards out into Lake Michigan in the shadow of the
world-famous Sears Tower. He battled 3- and 4-foot waves for all three days
to fashion his winning pattern.
Rizk, 37, "stumbled" onto a school of feeding largemouths in the
second
round, catching six keeper bass in consecutive casts. He returned to the
same area in Lake Calumet on Saturday, where the action was considerably
slower. His success came on Magic and Assault hand-poured finesse worms
tied to a drop-shot rig.
"I'm really satisfied with my finish," Rizk said. "I'm not much a
finesse
fisherman, but I made the necessary adjustments to catch fish in this
tournament."
The 44-year-old Grigsby struggled to catch four bass totaling 7-6 to drop
from second to third Saturday. His success came on both largemouth and
smallmouth bass in wind-swept Lake Michigan and some protected harbors,
where he used a Luck 'E' Strike G4 tubejig.
Defending Classic champion Davy Hite shook off two fishless days to catch
the largest bass of the tournament Saturday (4 pounds, 3 ounces), and win
the $1000 Pennzoil big-bass award.
The 32-year-old BASSMASTER Tournament Trail is the oldest and most
prestigious bass fishing tournament circuit in the country. It has set the
standard for credibility, professionalism and sportsmanship for more than
three decades.
Sponsors of the 30th BASS Masters Classic: Ranger Boats, RangerTrail
Trailers, Mercury Outboards, Chevrolet Trucks, ACDelco Voyager Batteries,
Worldwaters.com, Humminbird/Zercom electronics, Pennzoil Marine, Flowmaster
Exhaust Systems, First USA Visa Card, MotorGuide Trolling Motors, Gore-Tex
Outerwear, GMAC Insurance, State of Illinois, City of Chicago, and the Bass
Anglers Sportsman Society.
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