Wong Wins WBFA Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Dardanelle
APRIL 30, 2004 -- Judy Wong of Sugarland, Texas won the Women's Bass fishing Association's "Beauty & the Bass" tournament on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR Friday. For topping the field with her winning weight of 26.09 pounds, Wong received a certificate for a fully rigged Triton Bass Boat and Mercury engine worth $25,000.
It was an emotional win for the touring lady pro. Through tears, she reminded the crowd that "Only in America do women have the freedom to fish for a living." Wong accompanied the Yamamoto national pro staff (of which she is a member) on a trip to Germany last fall to thank American troops returning from Iraq for protecting our freedom. Wong is a skilled angler with many titles - the most impressive being back-to-back classic world championship titles in 2001 and 2002.
Wong fished shallow grass near deep water with a 5 inch Yamamoto green pumpkin / purple and green flecked Senko. She fished it very slowly with a method called "dead sticking" where the lure is left motionless. She caught her largest bass - a 5.95 pound beauty on a 4" green pumpkin Yamamoto tube.
A mere 18/100ths of a pound behind Wong, finishing second in the pro division was Sheri Glasgow of Muskogee, OK with 25.91 pounds. Glasgow alternated fishing a spinnerbait, Texas-rigged tube baits and a jig both days to catch her bass. Tammie Muse of North Little Rock, AR finished in third with a 23.26 pounds of fish, which included big bass of the tournament, a 6.35-pound trophy.
On the Amateur side, everyone knew that it was Secret York of Benton, KY who was high scoring non-boater with 1 3.46 pounds of bass. Using a week's vacation to fish the tournament, Secret said she was very relaxed in her lure presentations. She fished small white buzzbaits in matted grass that was in one foot or less of water on day one and spinnerbaits and soft plastics on day two. Lesa Brown of Harrison, AR finished second with 7.80 pounds and Brenda Bowen of Garfield, AR was third with 7.1 pounds.
Pro Top Ten: 1 JUDY WONG, SUGARLAND TX 26.09 2 SHERI GLASGOW, MUSKOGEE OK 25.91 3 TAMMIE MUSE, N. LITTLE ROCK AR 23.26 4 SHERRIE BRUBAKER, WARNER OK 22.98 5 DIANNA ROGERS, BUMPUS MILLS TN 19.68 6 LINDA SANDS, CULLMAN AL 17.8 7 TAMMY RICHARDSON, AMITY AR 17.74 8 PAM MARTIN WELLS, BAINBRIDGE GA 16.97 9 EMILY SHAFFER, MOUNT JULIET TN 16.39 10 CINDY HILL, SMYRNA TN 16.35 Amateur Top Ten: 1 SECRET YORK, BENTON TX 13.46 2 LESA BROWN, HARRISON AR 7.8 3 BRENDA BOWEN, GARFIELD AR 7.1 4 CAROLYN POOLE, DEFUNIAK SPRINGS FL 6.59 5 ELIZABETH LEE, CONWAY AR 6.57 6 TRACY DOTY, CORINTH TX 6.35 7 DEANIE TATE, ARKADELPHIA AR 5.85 8 LISA CRAIG, CHANDLER TX 4.79 9 VANESSA GRAY, WALNUT RIDGE AR 4.65 10 RUTHIE BURKETT, PARIS AR 4.53
WBFA proudly announced the addition of two new circuit sponsors: FisherGirl, Inc. (a Canadian based company specializing in women and children's fishing related clothing and equipment) and Alex Langer's Flying Lure. FisherGirl, Inc. founder Terri MacKinnon and two company executives made the trip from Toronto, Canada to witness a WBFA national tour event. Flying Lure and FisherGirl, Inc. join existing sponsors: Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Gary Yamamoto Bait Company, Stay-N charge, DEKA Marine Batteries, Minn Kota Trolling Motors and Eidolon Bait Company.
WBFA is the only national tour that offers professional and amateur women alike, a venue to bass fish competitively among their peers. The circuit's Affiliated Club Program is a network of local and regional women's bass clubs competing on a local basis, with the exception of the annual championship tournament. This year's ACC Championship will be held on Kentucky-Barkley Lakes in June. The national tour's next scheduled Pro-Am event, event is on Lake Neely-Henry in Gadsden and is a double qualifier - as the final qualifier of 2004 and first event of 2005. The event will take place May31-June 4.
