Area tandem wins Bassmaster junior title
A couple of central Ohio anglers made a splash during the Bassmaster Junior Championship last week.
Mike Abbott of Plain City and Braden Mcnamara of Delaware, members of the Hartley’s Hawgs club, teamed to win the national title with a two-day combined catch of 10 bass weighing 20 pounds, 3 ounces.
“Having a trophy that says ‘National Champion’ is incredible,” Abbott said.
Hartley’s Hawgs is named after Charlie Hartley, a Grove City resident who emerged from the Walnut Springs Middle School youth fishing program to become a longtime B.A.S.S. pro with a Bassmaster Classic appearance and more than $500,000 in career earnings. The Hawgs are an offshoot of the Walnut Springs club.
Abbott and Mcnamara claimed the title on 1,000 Acre Recreational Lake in western Tennessee by besting 61 teams that finished first or second in qualifying tournaments in 32 states and Canada.
After the first day, the Hawgs tandem was in second place with a five-fish limit that scaled 11 pounds, more than 3 pounds behind the leaders. As the leaders foundered on Day Two, Abbott and Mcnamara totaled five fish weighing 9 pounds, 3 ounces to claim the title by 9 ounces.
Abbott had qualified for two previous national junior championships and Mcnamara one, but they hadn’t fished as a team before this year. They finished second in the Ohio B.A.S.S. Nation State Championship to earn the Tennessee berth.
“This is our last year to be able to fish juniors,” Mcnamara said. “We just wanted to end on a bang.”
Youngsters seldom win titles without adult help, and the boys had plenty of help on their journey. Brian Mcnamara, Braden’s father, served as boat captain.
Both 14 and about to enter their freshman years of high school, Abbott (Jonathan Alder) and Mcnamara (Delaware) will move into another age group next year and presumably encounter tougher competition. Still, a national title and $2,000 in college scholarship money will stick no matter what comes next.
Deer lotteries
Deer hunters seeking prime opportunities might take a chance from among several lottery drawings in the coming weeks.
• Some 15 permits for hunters and a partner at the Transportation Research Center near East Liberty, about 40 miles northwest of Columbus, will be available Wednesday at the West Mansfield Conservation Club, 700 S. Main St., West Mansfield 43358. Registration begins at 5 p.m. and the drawing at 6.
Hunting dates will be scheduled for Saturdays and Sundays Sept. 28 through Dec. 1. A mandatory orientation for drawing winners is scheduled for Sept. 12. For details, phone the Ohio Division of Wildlife customer service line at 800-945-3543 or email wildinfo@dnr.state. oh.us.
• Archery, gun and muzzleloader opportunities will be up for grabs at Lake Katharine State Nature Preserve in Jackson County. Drawings will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the preserve office, 1703 Katharine Road, Jackson. For details, phone Josh Deemer at (740) 285-5971 or email joshwa.deemer@dnr. state.oh.us.
• Archery and gun opportunities will be at stake at Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve in Hocking County. The drawings are scheduled for Aug. 24, 10 a.m., at the preserve office, 7211 Bremen Road, Logan. For details, phone Levi Miller at (740) 380-8918 or email levi.miller@dnr.state. oh.us.
Tickets to enter the drawings at the nature preserves cost $5. Drawings also are scheduled at Davey Woods in Champaign County, Gallagher Fen in Clark County, Goll Woods in Fulton County and Lawrence Woods in Hardin County. For details, visit wildohio.gov.
outdoors@dispatch.com