Michigan hosts 40th state championship

A torrential downpour failed to dampen the Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation’s 40th anniversary celebration of its state championship this past summer at Lake Michigan.

ESCANABA, Mich. — A torrential downpour failed to dampen the Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation’s 40th anniversary celebration of its state championship this past summer at Lake Michigan.

Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation President Paul Sacks said he considered the championship the best event ever held by the Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation.

“We had a wonderful venue and the town really came through and provided us with extra funding, a real nice banquet location and great food,” he said, “so we were able to raise the level of the event almost to Bassmaster standards.”

Only the weather failed to cooperate during the tournament. “Our first day, we knew there was some chance of showers coming in but we sent them out,” Sacks said.  “Everything was beautiful in the morning but at around 11 o’clock the sky just tore loose.” Sacks noted the area got pounded with 6 inches of rain in 12 hours. The next day the weather turned nice but the 88 contestants turned in lower weights.

Jarrod Sherwood won the tournament with a two-day total of 10 fish weighing 36.95 pounds and qualified for the state team that will compete in the 2014 B.A.S.S. Nation Northern Divisional in August 2014.

Other top finishers who also made the state team were, in order of finish, Brandon Rose, Paul Gohlke, Shawn Green, Billy Pfeiffer, Victor Cole, Steve Ohst, Greg Glasser, Ed Schiller, Jesse Winner, Scott Tyrell, Bill Head and Dave Demott.

Sixth-place finisher Cole caught the tournament's biggest bass, a 5.99-pound smallmouth.

Sacks organized and managed the tournament, alongside Paul Wagner, Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation tournament director; Tom Boland, Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation vice president; and Cindy Boland.