Kansas well represented in Central Pro-Am 2005

Over a dozen Kansas Anglers caught fish in the first tournament of the 2005 Central Pro-Am tournament season held at Grand Lake last November. Ten of those anglers were fishing the pro side. Four others fished the amateur division.

Don Dreiling of Garden City won big bass honors with a 6.09 pound fish. He placed seventh overall and slightly over a tenth of a pound behind sixth place Tadjen Peterson of Olathe.

Kansas pros had more trouble catching fish in the second CPA tournament of the season held at Table Rock. The highest placing professional division angler was Mike Neal of Dexter with 12.69 pounds.

The Kansas success came from the amateur side when Chad Grissom of Rose Hill placed second with 13.10 pounds, less than one pound out of first place. Bill Amis of Shawnee ended the tournament in fifth.

The season started last November with the Fall Pro-Am Spectacular, presented by Davis-Barr Chevrolet-Pontiac November 6-7, 2004 at Grand Lake.

The host site for the event was Martin Landing. Grand has been the site of the Fall Pro Am several times in the past, and full fields have been the norm.

The next tour stop was on the clear waters of Table Rock Lake Dec. 4-5. This fishery has an abundant smallmouth population that really peaks in December; past December events on Table Rock have produced several fish in the six pound class. Largemouth and Kentucky bass also bite well during the late Fall season, and limits will be taken on Jigs, Spinnerbaits, spoons, grubs and crankbaits.

The first event this season will be at Beaver Lake on Mar. 5-6. This clear water impoundment on the White River Chain has been improving steadily over the past several years, and has become a favorite stop of Central Pro-Am Anglers.

Stickbaits, spinnerbaits, grubs and jigs will prevail, as anglers make the decision whether to challenge the crystal clear waters of the dam area, or head to the off colored water in the White River to catch their creels. Either way, three species of fish can be weighed in at Beaver, and the angler fortunate to find the 3 pound average fish should be in a position to make a run at the title.

April 2-3, 2005 will find anglers searching for pre-spawn bass along the rocky shores of the Lake of the Ozarks. This mid-Missouri fishery will yield plenty of 20 pound stringers in the Spring, and anglers will find a variety of patterns will work, depending on weather patterns and water temperature. For many years this event has drawn full fields, and 2005 should be no exception.

At the conclusion of the spawn, many anglers historically have spent their idle days topwater fishing Bull Shoals Reservoir in NW Arkansas for the excellent largemouth bass population that congregate on the timbered bluff ends, and long main lake points.

CPAA anglers will have that opportunity as well this year, as the annual Bull Shoals event is scheduled for April 30-May 1, 2005. Some bass will still be on the beds, giving lots of anglers the opportunity to bring a limit to the scales. And, with the close proximity of the Ranger Boats Headquarters, contestants may choose to add a day to their trip for a tour of the most progressive bass boat building company in the nation. Ranger's claim to three consecutive J.D. Power and Associates awards for customer satisfaction are a testimony to their reputation for quality.

June finds CPAA anglers traveling to Central Arkansas' Lake Dardanelle. One of many pools on the Arkansas River, Dardanelle's fame as a fishery is well known. Anglers can choose to fish grass beds, humps or wing dams, as well as some of the most picturesque rivers you'll ever see.

This unique fishery gave up the second largest two day limit in the history of CPAA, when Brian Snowden brought ten bass to the scales that weighed just under 50 pounds a few years back. And, the state of the art weigh in facility, furnished by Arkansas Fish and Game, ensures that this fishery will be alive and well in the years to come. June 4-5, 2005 are the scheduled tournament dates in Russelville.

July 9-10 will be the final qualifying event for Central Pro Am's 2005 Ranger-Mercury Pro-Am Bass Fishing Championship. The final stop will find anglers back where the 2005 season began, on Grand Lake in Grove OK.

This event will be a double show points event, awarding those anglers who fish consistently with an additional 25 show points for this event. Summer time bassing on Grand is always hot, with stringers being weighed in on spinnerbaits, topwaters, jigs, Carolina rigs, crankbaits and tube baits. Hosted by Martin Landing, Grand has been and will continue to be a favorite among CPAA anglers.

The season will culminate with the top pros and amateurs qualifying for the 2005 Ranger-Mercury Pro-Am Bass fishing Championship, scheduled for the first weekend in October, at a lake to be announced. This free, no entry fee event typically pays out over $175,000 to the field, and has grown into one of the most prestigious championships to qualify for in the nation.

Specialty events for 2005 include the second annual Missouri Partners Fish In, which is a special sponsor exemption tournament to qualify for the prestigious no entry fee Country Mart Children's Charity Classic. The fish in is scheduled for August 27 and will have a limited field size consisting of non-winners of previous CPAA events only. This unique format will allow five sponsor exemptions into the 2005 charity classic, in addition to the payback.

Sept. 16-18 will be the dates for the 2005 Country Mart Children's Charity Classic to be held once again on Table Rock Lake. This no entry fee event features past winners of CPAA Events, along with sponsor exempt anglers chosen by Country Mart and Missouri Partners, competing for over $50,000 in prize money.

To kick off the 2006 season, the Fall Pro Am Spectacular will be held Nov. 5-6 at a lake to be announced in the spring of 2005. Over $650,000 will be paid out at the 2005 CPAA events, and entry fees will remain unchanged from the 2004 season at $300 for pros, and $150 for amateurs.

Return to Current Issue

Website

Shopping Cart

Copyright 1999-2005 by The Kansas Angler - PO Box 357 - Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845 - Phone 620-273-8100
Questions or problems with this website should be directed to webmaster.