Petrowski Leads WBT Championship on Lake Hamilton

With a Bassmaster Classic qualifying spot in the balance, Kim Bain brushed off her nerves Thursday and did at the Women's Bassmaster Tour Championship presented by Academy Sports & Outdoors what she had done throughout the regular season. The 28-year-old from Alabaster, Ala., boated a limit weighing 5 pounds, 2 ounces, on Arkansas' Lake Hamilton, which put her in seventh place at the tournament and helped her maintain the lead in the Toyota Tundra Women's Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year standings -- at least through Day One.
   If Bain holds on to the AOY lead, she will become the first female angler to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic in its 39-year history and will also receive a fully-rigged Toyota Tundra. Bain entered the Championship 14 points ahead of Cindy Hill of Smyrna, Tenn., in the standings and 35 points ahead of Juanita Robinson of Highlands, Texas.
   "I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous," said Bain, who moved from Australia to the U.S. nine years ago to pursue a career in bass fishing. "Clearly, I have a lot riding on this but I'm just trying to take it one day at a time."
   Robinson continued her challenge Thursday of Bain's AOY lead, finishing third with 6-6. Hill barely missed boating a 4-pounder and is in 16th place with 2-4. While Robinson gains on Bain, she will need Bain to falter or will have to win the Championship event herself to have a chance at the AOY. The points race will be settled Saturday at the culmination of the Championship.
   While Bain, Hill and Robinson battle for the coveted Classic berth, Debra Petrowski, with 7-12, put herself in good position Thursday to take the top Championship prize of a fully-rigged boat package valued at $55,000 in addition to $5,000. Trailing Petrowski in second was Lisa Sternard of Clarksville, Tenn., with 6-12.
   Petrowski, of Arlington, Texas, persevered through a slow day on Hamilton by concentrating on areas where shallow water transitioned to deep dropoffs. She didn't want to give up details on her pattern but said she was being aggressive and caught fish throughout the day, though the morning was slower.
   She attributed much of her success to a scouting trip to Hamilton in July. During that trip. when the water was significantly lower, she was better able to see the lake. The July visit to the lake was Petrowski's first.
   "I'm concentrating on a specific, certain thing and I think it has really paid off," she said. "This is a huge deal to be in the lead at the Championship."
   The Texan qualified for the Championship on the strength of three top-20 finishes in four regular-season events. She was 15th in the Toyota Tundra Women's Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year standings heading into the Championship. Based on their regular-season AOY rankings, only the top 20 anglers qualified for the Championship.
   As she has all season, Petrowski was joined in the field by her daughter, Kim, who qualified for the co-angler field. Kim struggled Thursday, failing to boat a keeper.
   Leading in the co-anger division was Debbie Pegoli of Loveland, Ohio, who weighed in two fish for an overall weight of 4 pounds, 8 ounces.
   Trailing Pegoli in second was Debra Cook of Gardendale, Ala., with three fish weighing 3 pounds, 10 ounces, and in third, Linda Walker of Beebe, Ark., with 3 pounds, 8 ounces. Co-anglers are competing for a $37,500 Skeeter-Yamaha rig and $3,250.
   Sponsors of the Women's Bassmaster Tour include Academy Sports & Outdoors, Toyota Tundra, Advance Auto Parts, Lowrance, Mercury, Skeeter, Yamaha, OPTIMA Batteries, Triton Boats, Legend Boats, MoGills and Mustang.

2008 Women's Bassmaster Tour Championship 10/23-10/25
Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs AR.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1
  Angler                  Hometown             No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$
1.  Debra Petrowski        Arlington, TX           5  07-12  300
  Day 1: 5  07-12  
2.  Lisa Sternard         Clarksville, TN          5 06-12  295
  Day 1: 5  06-12  
3.  Juanita Robinson       Highlands, TX           5  06-06  290
  Day 1: 5  06-06  
4.  Jan Heavener          Sherwood, AR            5  05-15  285
  Day 1: 5  05-15  
5.  Angie Douthit         Clewiston, FL           5  05-09  280
  Day 1: 5  05-09  
6.  Helen Gordon          Flower Mound, TX        5  05-05  276
  Day 1: 5  05-05  
7.  Kim Bain              Alabaster, AL           5  05-02  272
  Day 1: 5  05-02  
8.  Mary DiVincenti        Clinton, LA             5  05-00  268
  Day 1: 5  05-00  
9.  Pam Martin-Wells       Bainbridge, GA          5  04-15  262
  Day 1: 5  04-15  
9.  Dianna Clark          Bumpus Mills, TN        4  04-15  262
  Day 1: 4  04-15  
11. Laura Gober           Pendergrass, GA          5 04-05  257
  Day 1: 5  04-05  
12. Bonnie Johnson        Weatherford, TX          3 04-00  254
  Day 1: 3  04-00  
13. Kat Ealey             Moody, AL               4  03-15  251
  Day 1: 4  03-15  
14. Lucy Mize             Ben Lomond, AR          2  03-01  248
  Day 1: 2  03-01  
15. Patti Campbell        Waxahachie, TX          2  02-08  245
  Day 1: 2  02-08  
16. Cindy Hill            Smyrna, TN              2  02-04  243
  Day 1: 2  02-04  
17. Tammy Richardson       Amity, AR               2  02-00  241
  Day 1: 2  02-00  
18. Sheri Glasgow         Muskogee, OK            2  01-13  239
  Day 1: 2  01-13  
19. Audrey McQueen         Eagar, AZ               2  01-10  237
  Day 1: 2  01-10  
20. Kathi Hurst           Ripley, MS              0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0  00-00  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Big Bass
Day
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day  #Limits    #Fish     Weight
 1       10       73        83-03
----------------------------------
         10       73        83-03
2008 Women's Bassmaster Tour Championship 10/23-10/25
Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs AR.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 1
  Angler                  Hometown             No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$
1.  Debbie Pegoli         Loveland, OH            2  04-08  300
  Day 1: 2  04-08  
2.  Debra Cook            Gardendale, AL          3  03-10  295
  Day 1: 3  03-10  
3.  Linda Walker          Beebe, AR               3  03-08  290
  Day 1: 3  03-08  
4.  Monica Altman         Angier, NC              4  03-06  285
  Day 1: 4  03-06  
5.  Gail Wood             Russellville, AR        3  02-14  280
  Day 1: 3  02-14  
6.  Barbara Gaskins        Suffolk, VA             3  02-13  276
  Day 1: 3  02-13  
7.  Kim McGuffey          Weatherford, TX          3 02-11  272
  Day 1: 3  02-11  
8.  Denese Freeman         Lawton, OK              2  02-08  268
  Day 1: 2  02-08  
9.  Lesli Lively          Palestine, TX           2  02-04  264
  Day 1: 2  02-04  
10. Susan Dameron         Chattanooga, TN          2 01-15  260
  Day 1: 2  01-15  
11. Sharon Lawson          Red Bank, TN            2  01-11  257
  Day 1: 2  01-11  
12. Patti James           Dayton, TX              2  01-09  254
  Day 1: 2  01-09  
13. Cheryl Buelow         Pollock, LA             1  01-06  251
  Day 1: 1  01-06  
14. Lesley Childers        Anderson, SC            1  01-01  248
  Day 1: 1  01-01  
15. Bonnie Ward           Snohomish, WA           1  01-00  244
  Day 1: 1  01-00  
15. Stacy Zhelesnik        Hoboken, NJ             1  01-00  244
  Day 1: 1  01-00  
17. Bertha Cavakis         Amity, AR               0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0  00-00  
17. Kim Petrowski         Arlington, TX           0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0  00-00  
17. Elizabeth Sanders      Brandon, MS             0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0  00-00  
17. Diane Smith           Fayetteville, GA        0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0  00-00  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Big Bass
Day
 1   Cheryl Buelow           Pollock, LA        01-06         $0.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day  #Limits    #Fish     Weight
 1        0       35        37-12
----------------------------------
          0       35        37-12

View The Bass Fishing News Archive

View all sponsors

Discuss it in our fishing forums
Fishing

Send it to a fishing buddy

Become a Better Angler!
Fishing

Get our newsletter
Fishing

Fishing Astro Tables
Fishing

Bass Fishing Videos
Fishing

Advertise here
Fishing

We're on Facebook!