"Nebraska anglers make repeat win of Missouri River bass tourney"

Jeff Combs, left, and partner Travis Combs weighed in 14.46 pounds of bass to win the 8th Annual FishAmerica Foundation Missouri River Bass Open last Sunday. Fifty-eight two-person teams from 7 states competed.

It's billed as the toughest bass fishing water in the world and that just might be true.

But that doesn't stop over 50 boats a year participating in the FishAmerica Foundation Missouri River Bass Open. (In 2004) 116 anglers paired up to compete in the Eighth Annual event on water which stretches from the Morman Bridge near Omaha to the Gavins Point Dam at Yankton.

It's a grueling stretch of channelized river, backwater, stabilized river and wild river and well as a tail race. Anglers fish quiet water, inlets, rock riprap, wing dikes, timber piles, sand bars, eddies and any other place then think might harbor a bass. And when it is done, some anglers always bring in fish. Sometimes in impressive size and numbers.

This year the winning team weighed in a tournament limit of 7 fish which totaled 14.46 pounds. Jeff and Travis Combs of Friend, Neb., captured the $5,000 first place prize and added another $500 for the biggest smallmouth at 3.76 pounds and $200 for the second biggest largemouth of 1.68 pounds.

In all, the 58 teams representing seven states weighed 146 fish for a combined total weight of 208 pounds. All of the fish were released back into the river after the weigh-in. A testament to the difficulty of this fishery was the fact that 21 teams did not weigh in a legal fish. Eight teams weighed in the limit of seven fish.

Most of the teams reported tough pre-tournament fishing at the steak fry/rules meeting the night before at the Hamilton Inn. A cooler than normal summer may have contributed to that but on tournament day, many of the teams found the right combination to bring in catches that rivaled former years.

Second place, and $2,004, went to Bob Mings of Onawa, Iowa, and Tim Seitzinger of Yankton, S.D., with seven fish weighing 11.96 pounds. Third place and $1,000 went to G.W. Ekroth of Dallas, S.D., and Chad Ekroth of Yankton S.D. with seven fish weighing 10.88 pounds.

The biggest largemouth weighed 1.92 and was caught by the team of Bob Slama and Jason Pechous, both of Rapid City, S.D.

Biggest fish at the noon weigh-in was a 3.38 pound smallie caught by Chuck and Tom Telle of Hillsboro, Mo. The Women's Division Large Smallmouth prize went to Ashley Swelgert of Rapid City, S.D.

Over 200 people gathered to watch the 2:30 p.m. weigh-in just west of the municipal boat ramp. Anglers brought their catches, carefully kept alive in live wells while in the boat and special tanks of treated water at the weigh-in, to the stage where the official weights were registered.

Master of ceremonies was local outdoor journalist Rick Dicus of Fox 44 radio.

The Missouri River Bass Open traces its roots back eight years. It was the brainchild of several local bass anglers who felt the bass fishing potential of the river was overlooked.

Turns out, they were right. The river, while challenging, has produced good tournament catches ever year.

Local sponsors have also thrown their support behind the event from the first.

"Many of our sponsors are local businessmen who have been with us from the start," said Phil Claeys, tournament director and the moving force behind the annual event. "Twenty-five of the 62 local sponsors we have have been with us for all eight years.

"We have national sponsors as well, but our local base has been very loyal and enthusiastic.

"We also sponsor the youth tournament each spring," he said. "This year we had 285 kids at Bacon Creek Park for our "Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs" day. They each get a rod and reel, tee shirt and cap and a lunch as well as an opportunity to fish under the direction of a small army of volunteers, including members of the River City Anglers Club who also help out on tournament day.

FishAmerica Foundation, a nonprofit conservation organization focused on a healthy and productive fresh and saltwater environment, signed on as a sponsor six years ago.

"They have endorsed our efforts with the Youth Derby by inviting us to use their name in conjunction with our project," Claeys said. "This is the first time in their 24 year-existence that they have allowed the use of their name on a youth derby or a tournament."

With this tournament only recently completed, Phil is thinking ahead to next year.

"I'd like to see if we could pay down to 10 places next year," he said. "And, I'd like to go back to that early weigh-in at 9, 10 and 11 a.m. I want to do everything I can to help those who may only catch one fish. Maybe we'll have a $100 prize for the smallest legal limit of fish (fish must measure 12 inches in length to qualify for weigh-in). I'd like to get a few more paying categories in to spread the winnings around more."