The UBA Berkley Big Bass event gave the Average Joe bass club member a shot at a number of checks without competing against the “Big Boys”. This Berkley Big Bass team event was geared toward the entry level, club fishermen looking for a big pay day. All of the anglers went home with a stuffed Berkley product bag, food from Johnsonville, a Heartland Trails magazine subscription for one year and a The Bass Pros Season One DVD. In addition, numerous Berkley product draw prizes were given away, Bass Pro Shops gift cards for Nitro Boat demo riders and even a surprise MotorGuide trolling motor valued at $750 was pulled from the hat.

At the end of Day 1, Bass Fishing Hall of Fame inductee and 1974 Federation National Champion, legendary Charlie Campbell spoke to the anglers. Charlie spun a few fishing tails and even told how his wife Wanda recently landed a giant 10 pound Truman Lake lunker. To crown off the event, 17 Big Bass checks were issued and a fully rigged $20,000 Nitro Z-6 boat with a Mercury 115 motor was given to one lucky team. Not a bad haul for a reasonable $150 entry fee!

All of this would not have been possible without the strong support of Berkley, Nitro Boats, Mercury Marine, Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, Grand River Resort, Long Shoal Marina, MotorGuide and Johnsonville.

1st Big Bass, 5.45 lbs
Jerry Lamtz & Gerry Boehm
Jerry Lamtz and Gerry Boehm ended Day 1 without much success. In fact, they didn’t even cross the stage with a marginal bass to press down the Heartland scales. A change of plans overnight resulted in a fateful bite of 5.45 lbs during the 1st time period which was just enough to take the Big Bass honors of the event. The team landed their fish on a Berkley green pumpkin power tube pitched into a laydown on 17 lb Trilene XT line. The fish was holding on a point near the dam and they took home $1200, a Berkley tackle pack plus an invite to the Heartland Team Series Championship this fall.

2nd Big Bass, 5.42 lbs
Cort Heimsoth and Dan Miller
Cort Heimsoth and Dan Miller took the early lead in the event during the 1st time period of Day 1 with a 5.42 lb lunker. She held up during Day 1 but the team was edged out into 2nd Place overall. In addition to an invite to the 2008 Heartland Team Series Championship, they pocketed $700. The bass inhaled a 10” Red Shad Power Worm from 2 feet of water next to a bush on a main lake point.

3rd Big Bass, 5.29 lbs
Roy Pine and Russell Benjamin
Coming in with the 3rd Big Bass of the event was Roy Pine and Russell Benjamin. They weighed a 5.29 lb largemouth during the 2nd time period of Day 2 from the Little Pomme arm. The heavy bass hit a 10” green pumpkin Power Worm on an 11 foot deep ledge and was worth $430.

Making a dream reality, tournament director Mike Eutsler drew out the team of Michael Fusaro and Andrew Austin as the winners of the $20,000 Nitro Z-6 powered by a Mercury outboard. They were excited beyond description and although they had a tough tournament with very little going their way on the water, the weekend ended in fine shape for these determined fishermen.

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