news
New Orleans, LA, July 29, 1999 - Jack Wade, a 43-year-old striped bass guide from Knoxville, Tenn., staked early claim to the most important title in competitive fishing with a five-bass catch weighing 16 pounds, 13 ounces that gave him the first round lead Thursday in the prestigious 29th annual BASS Masters Classic.
Despite competing in his first pressure-packed Classic, Wade solved the watery mystery of the Louisiana Delta largemouth bass well enough to grab the top spot by just 3 ounces over Georgia^s Mickey Bruce. Davy Hite of South Carolina is a close third with 16 pounds, 9 ounces, followed by New Jersey^s Michael Iaconelli (15-1) and defending Classic champion Denny Brauer of Missouri (14-4).
"I had a real good day," Wade said. "I had my limit in the first hour and 20 minutes today, but I really had to work to catch the first one. I missed the first three fish that hit this morning.
"After I had my limit, I got out of that area and tried to fish smart, and went out practicing in other areas. And I caught my biggest fish in a different area. So I^m pretty excited about chances. I^m confident."
Wade admitted that he was fishing aquatic weed beds in a depth as slight as 6 inches in an area with moving water.
Bruce, a 48-year-old veteran pro competing in his 11th Classic, was uncharacteristically candid about his fishing strategy. He is sharing an area with Wade and scoring on a black-and-blue Stanley jig teamed with a Zoom Big Chunk trailer.
Hite, a 34-year-old former B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year, was enthusiastic about winning the championship that has eluded him five times. "I was the only boat in my area, so I^m glad about that," Hite said. "I love the situation I^m in because there^s such a variety of different cover in there, and I^m throwing a lot of different baits to catch fish."
The tournament, which offers a $100,000 top prize, concludes on Saturday. The daily weigh-ins are being held in the Louisiana Superdome.
PLACE NAME CITY STATE FISH/DEAD LBS-
OZ001 Jack L. Wade Knoxville TN 5/0 16-13
002 Mickey Bruce Buford GA 5/0 16-10
003 Davy Hite Prosperity SC 5/0 16-09
004 Michael Iaconelli Runnemede NJ 5/0 15-01
005 Denny Brauer Camdenton MO 5/0 14-04
006 Ron Shuffield Bismarck AR 5/0 14-00
07 Gary Klein Weatherford TX 5/0 12-09
008 Peter E. Thliveros Jacksonville FL 5/0 11-10
009 Ken Cook Meers OK 5/0 11-05
010 Tom Biffle Wagoner OK 5/0 11-02
011 Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo MI 5/0 11-00
012 Dustin Wilks Raleigh NC 4/0 10-08
012 Jay Yelas Tyler TX 5/0 10-08
014 Lendell Martin, Jr. Nacogdoches TX 5/0 10-07
015 John Sappington Wyandotte OK 5/0 10-02
016 Larry Nixon Bee Branch AR 5/1 10-00
017 Stacey D. King Reeds Spring MO 5/0 9-12
018 Robert Soley Helmetta NJ 5/0 9-11
018 Art Ferguson III Rochester MI 5/0 9-11
020 Pete Gluszek Pittsgrove NJ 5/0 9-11
Uploaded: 7/30/1999
Uploaded: 7/30/1999