JASPER, Ala. — The team portion of B.A.S.S. Nation events sometimes gets overlooked, with attention often focused on the individual winner, his big check and shiny trophy.
Finishing atop the team standings is all about bragging rights, however, and that’ll be the case again Thursday afternoon when the top squad in the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Southeast Regional at Smith Lake is determined.
Ten states sent teams of 20 anglers each to the derby here in northwest Alabama and one of them will return home with a $6,250 cash prize in tow. It’s part of a total cash purse of $43,000 going to the top competitors here this week.
West Virginia led on Day 1 with a total of 68 bass that weighed 145 pounds, 10 ounces. Kentucky is in second place with 70 bass for 138-14 and host Alabama is third with 63 bass for 133-4.
Those teams have an edge heading into the final day of team scoring, but no squad should count itself out. And, of course, the states currently atop the leaderboard shouldn’t let up.
The team from Arizona was relentless in its pursuit of a team title In February during the Western Regional held on their own Lake Havasu. The Arizonans held a slim 1-pound, 1-ounce lead over Utah on opening day, but hammered down on Day 2 and won the team title by nearly 47 pounds.
The West Virginia team hopes to get similar output, and all-important pounds, from each of its 20 competing anglers here at Smith Lake in the Southeast Regional.
Bradley West leads West Virginia with a limit of five bass weighing 13-13, which was good enough for fourth place overall in the boater division on Day 1. Six other West Virginia boaters caught double-digit limits on Wednesday, including Lyle Atkins (11-8), Samuel Nowalk (10-15), Randy Huffman (10-13), Bert Collins (10-9), and Will Dieffenbauch and Barry Stover (both with 10-7).
Four West Virginia non-boaters had limits of three bass, as well, including J.J. Dickens, who’s in third place in his division with 8-6. Will Martin, Justin Talkington and Dion Bright had full bags on Day 1, too.
Kentucky was sparked by Craig Lonkard’s 13-14 limit, which put him in third place among boaters. Twelve others from the Bluegrass Team caught limits on Wednesday (seven boaters and five non-boaters), proving they have what it takes to win on Smith Lake.
Mark McCaig led Alabama on Day 1 with a 12-1 limit, tying him for 10th place in the boater field. Ten other Alabamans had limits, five from each division.
Farther down the team standings are, fourth, North Carolina, 130-7; fifth, South Carolina, 129-2; sixth, Virginia, 126-15; seventh, Georgia, 122-1; eighth, Mississippi, 120-15; ninth, Tennessee, 117-9; and 10th, Florida, 105-10.
The second-place squad will collect $3,750 cash and the third-place team will win $2,500.
Team awards will be determined immediately following the Day 2 weigh-in of the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Southeastern Regional. Catch the weigh-in live on Bassmaster.com beginning at 2 p.m. CT.
The Chamber of Commerce of Walker County is hosting the event.
