ARKANSAS SPORTSMAN

Browning back in familiar water

Thanks to Stephen Browning of Hot Springs, Arkansas will continue its record streak of having an angler in the Bassmaster Classic.

Since the Classic began in 1971, Arkansas is the only state to have a representative in every event. Browning was the only Arkansan to fish in the 2012 Classic on the Red River at Shreveport, and he put Arkansas on the Classic roll again Saturday by winning the Bassmaster Central Open on - again - the Red River at Shreveport. Browning qualified for his ninth Classic by catching a total weight of 40.10 pounds over three days to win $7,979 and a $40,000 Triton/Mercury boat and motor rig.

As is his custom, Browning rallied from a deep hole to win the tournament in its waning minutes. He started the final round in 12th place but caught five bass weighing 16 pounds, 10 ounces to outpace Wesley Strader, who finished with 38.12 pounds. With mere minutes to fish, Browning had only one fish in his live well. He caught a 5-pounder, then caught fire to finish his limit. He did the same thing Saturday to make the cut and on the first day to keep himself in contention to make the cut.

“I had some very late-in the-day catches every day that really played a significant role in making it to the next level,” said Browning, who will fish the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament on West Point Lake at LaGrange, Ga., today through Sunday.

He added that a waning moon contributed to his late day success.

“I always feel like in a full-moon situation you get a good early morning bite and a good midday bite,” Browning said. “We were on the tail end of the full moon, and that indicates a midday bite. I struggled throughout the day, but I had confidence in the right area to catch some fish.”

Browning caught his best fish with a shad-colored square-bill crank bait. The sizes were 2 1/2 inches and 3 1/2 inches.

“That was the key for me,” Browning said. “That’s a standard Arkansas River bait. Growing up in Pine Bluff and fishing the lower Arkansas River, I am familiar with that kind of water, and that’s how I attack the Red River every year, too.”

Compared to standard spoonbill crank baits, a square-bill displaces more water and moves more erratically, Browning said.

“With that big bill, you’re able to crash it into stumps and lay downs,” Browning said. “That’s the kind of cover I keyed on, big stumps on the edge of a flat and leaning logs on the edge of a flat that extended into deep water.”

Browning said qualifying for the Classic so early in the year eased a lot of pressure because he’s already achieved his primary goal. He can relax, even if it means losing a day of practice at West Point. He did just that when he attended the Bass Nation Arkansas State High School Championships on Sunday at Lake Dardanelle, where his son Beau Browning finished seventh.

Jonny Schultz of Maumelle won the 15- to 18-year old division, and Chase Myers of Cabot won the 11- to 14-year old division. They qualified for the Bass Nation Central Division Regional Tournament, which will be held June 5-7 on Sam Rayburn Reservoir near Lufkin, Texas. There, they will fish against seven other regional youth qualifiers from other states. The winners in their respective age divisions will earn a berth in the BASS Nation National Championships on Oct. 24-26 at Lake Dardanelle.

At the regional, the youth anglers will be part of a 12-angler team from Arkansas, so they can also contribute to Arkansas winning the entire Central Division Championship. During the high school championship, the competitors were not allowed to get any help from adults, and the adult marshall who accompanied them was not allowed to offer any input. They had to figure it out on their own, which made it a true test of individual fishing skill.

This has been an effective conduit for youth anglers to enter the pro ranks. Brandon Palaniuk of Rathbun, Idaho, who won the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament at Bull Shoals Lake in 2012 and who finished in the top 10 at the Bassmaster Classic in Tulsa, followed this path.

Schultz has been prominent in the Arkansas youth fishing scene for years. This is his last year in the junior program, but he has been working toward a pro career at least since I met him at the 2007 Bassmaster Classic in Birmingham.

Sports, Pages 20 on 05/02/2013

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