Syracuse.com - Bassmaster tournament begins on Oneida Lake under sunny skies and with little wind (see video and photo slideshow)

HuntingNY-News · August 23, 2012

A total of 97 of the nation's top bass fishing pros are competing for the $100,000 first prize in the four-day tournament. Watch video

The Bassmaster Ramada Championship fishing tournament kicked off this morning on Oneida Lake under sunny skies and practically no wind.

A total of 97 of the best anglers in the nation launched their boats at 7 a.m. at Oneida Shores Park in Brewerton. They are competing for the top prize of $100,000 in this four-day competition.

After the launch, I got out on the water in a media boat driven by Dallas Barton, of Elbridge, along with Steven Cannerelli, one of our staff photographers.

We started off getting close to watch Brent Chapman, of Lake Quivara, Kansas, who currently leads the pack for the Bassmaster Angler of the Year award. Chapman had a cameraman in his boat and pulled in two nice, keeper smallmouth bass while we were near him. He also switched rods and lures more than a half dozen times.

We dropped in next to observe Edwin Evers, of Mannsville, Okla. Evers landed two, 20-inch plus pickerel and quickly released them.

Next, we watched Aaron Martens, of Leeds, Ala. who was decked out in a floppy hat, long-sleeved shirt, pants and thin gloves -- apparently to keep the sun off him. He didn't catch any while we were watching.

Finally, we stopped in on Terry Butcher, of Talala, Okla, who after numerous casts, spotted a rise and used his electric motor to get close to it. He was rewarded with a keeper smallmouth bass that he landed on a top-water lure.

The weigh-ins for the anglers today and Friday are scheduled for 4 p.m. at Oneida Shores. The weigh-ins for Saturday and Sunday will be at the New York State Fairgrounds.

This is the last of an eight-tournament Elite Series schedule that has taken these fishermen across the country this year.

The competition is a catch-and-release format. Anglers can keep up to five fish each day to be weighed. Four ounces will be deducted from an angler's total weight for each dead fish turned in.

The fish will be released back into Oneida Lake after being weighed each day.

&raquo: Previous bassmaster tournament coverage.

For more on this, see Friday's edition of The Post-Standard.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog