Local favorite Quinn takes Bassmaster lead

2005 CITGO Bassmaster Pro Tour ― Cornelius, N.C.

CORNELIUS, N.C. ― Longtime Lake Norman guide Jason Quinn put his extensive local knowledge to good use in Friday's second round of the $618,000 CITGO Bassmaster Tour event, bringing a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 12 ounces to the scales and surging into the lead entering Saturday's semifinal round.

Quinn's two-day total of 28-15 puts him ahead of first-round leader Kotaro Kiriyama (27-12), Virginia's Randy Howell (26-12), Marty Stone of North Carolina (25-9) and Missouri's Rick Clunn (25).

The other pros who qualified for the semifinals were Ohio's Charley Hartley (24-14), California's Greg Gutierrez (24-11), Ish Monroe of California (23-7), Pennsylvania's Dave Wolak (23-5), Edwin Evers of Oklahoma (23-4), Florida's Preston Clark (23-0) and Greg Hackney of Louisiana (23).

Familiarity with Lake Norman had definite advantages for Quinn on a tough day 2. Quinn, 32, from nearby Lake Wylie, S.C., averages 60 to 70 days a year guiding customers on Lake Norman. On Friday, he needed that experience to overcome post-frontal conditions and a two-hour delay caused by mechanical problems.

"I had a good catch, but it wasn't a real good day," Quinn said. "I caught three fish this morning on one pattern, and then I was dead in the water for two hours ― two key hours. I went back to my pattern, but the fish had abandoned it by then.

"The sun had come out, so I had to go chase the fish. I caught them a different way and was able to finish out my limit."

Quinn has spent both tournament days targeting boat docks on shallow flats. His first day's success came on a small crankbait, but Friday's bright skies and low pressure forced him to switch to a jig.

"Lake Norman has really surprised me," Quinn said. "I thought there would be some 14-pound strings caught, but the 18 and 19 caught the first day blew my mind."

Kiryama's second day total catch was good enough to keep him in second place. Kiriyama, a Japanese pro living in Moody, Ala., struggled to catch 8-5 on Day Two, but managed to drop just one spot in the standings.

"It was much tougher today," he said. "I was glad to be able to catch what I did."

"The fishing got so tough I had to break out my Carolina rig," said Howell, who brought 10-8 to the scales. "I went to new water today, but fished the same kind of water, and I caught one on a jig."

Stone earned Friday's Busch Heavyweight award with the day's largest catch 16 pounds, 12 ounces that moved him into fourth place.

Howell remained in contention despite a tough day on Norman. "I've caught fish for the last five days five completely different ways," the two-time BASS winner said. "It's really been weird out there. You've got to go to the fish. I've just got one little area where I can catch some fish."

Wolak, the leader in the Toyota Rookie of the Year race, picked up the $1,000 Purolator Big Bass bonus for a five-pound, 12-ounce largemouth.

In the non-boater division, Kenny Beale of Virginia is the leader with a shared weight of 34-10, followed by North Carolina's Thomas Roach with 33-3.

Florida's Hinton Day took today's Purolator Big Bass prize on the non-boater side with a largemouth weighing 5-11. The lunker was worth $500.

The CITGO Bassmaster Tour event on Lake Norman will be telecast on The CITGO Bassmasters on Saturday, March 26 at 10:00 a.m. ET on ESPN2.

Sponsors of the CITGO Bassmaster Tour include CITGO Petroleum Corp., Toyota, Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Lowrance Electronics, MotorGuide, Bass Pro Shops and Cialis (tadalafil).

Local Sponsors include the Lake Norman Convention & Visitors Bureau.

BASS Communications -Mar. 18, 2005

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Posted by DODGE at March 18, 2005 04:14 PM in Tournament (BASS)