ESPN

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The 52 contenders for the $200,000 top prize in the 32nd annual CITGO BASSMASTERS Classic got their first look in almost a month at Lay Lake's bass-laden waters Tuesday as they guided a group of celebrities during a fun big-bass mini-tournament to benefit charity.

Included among the celebrities were former American League batting champion Wade Boggs, former Auburn University football coach Pat Dye, Toronto Raptors center Eric Montross, National Hockey League star Pat Verbeek, actor Real Andrews of General Hospital, Ed Clark of Atlanta Motor Speedway, and ESPN college football broadcasters Lee Corso and Ron Franklin.

The contest was won by Richard Barker of ProBass Networks, who caught a 3-pound, 15-ounce largemouth bass while fishing with South Carolina pro Carl Maxfield.

But there was plenty of good-natured kidding among the celebrities who came up short of winning.

"I was a team player today," said Boggs, who fished with Kansas pro Brent Chapman. "I let some big fish go today. I had a big fish that was 4 or 5 pounds hit my spinnerbait three times, but I left him for Brent to catch on Saturday."

When his 2-pound, 9-ounce spotted bass proved to be 4 ounces heavier than Corso's catch, Franklin said "Oh, thank goodness. If I had lost to Corso, I couldn't have gone back to Bristol (Conn., home of ESPN)."

Corso fished with reigning B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year Davy Hite. "I had to prove to Corso that this isn't all luck," Hite said. "So I went to a spot and told him to cast to this certain spot, and he caught a 2-pound, 5-ounce bass. He either thinks I'm the luckiest man on earth or I know something about what I'm doing."

In addition to guiding their celebrity partners, the pros enjoyed their first opportunity to check out Lay Lake since the 12,000-acre reservoir went off-limits about a month ago. Most agreed that the fishing is likely to be considerably more difficult during the three competition days (Thursday through Saturday) than it had been a month earlier.

"The conditions have changed since we were here for pre-fishing," Texan Todd Faircloth said. "We had a lot of rain back then and the water temperature is a lot hotter. The fishing has gotten tougher."

The Classic is much more than just the crowning event of the CITGO BASSMASTER Tournament Trail. Classic Week is the annual celebration of the sport of bass fishing that attracts B.A.S.S. members and other fishing fans from across the country, who come to meet their fishing heroes, attend the weigh-ins and participate in youth and other fan-friendly events.

The launch venue for the event will be Paradise Point Marina. The exciting CITGO BASSMASTERS Classic weigh-in show will take place in the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center. With the exception of the launch site, all of the venues for the event are located in close proximity.

ESPN and ESPN2 will offer same-day coverage of the Classic during the last three days of its Bass Week programs, which will air from 5-6 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2 July 22-24, 4-6 p.m. on ESPN2 July 25 and 26, and 7-11:30 a.m. on ESPN2 and 7-8 p.m. on ESPN July 27.

Additional information

By sanctioning over 20,000 tournaments worldwide through its B.A.S.S. Federation, B.A.S.S. is the world's largest fishing organization. The CITGO BASSMASTER Tournament Trail is the oldest and most prestigious pro bass fishing tournament circuit. It continues to set the standard for credibility, professionalism, and sportsmanship after more than three decades. B.A.S.S. is a wholly owned subsidiary of ESPN.

Sponsor information

Sponsors of the 2002 CITGO BASSMASTERS Classic include: CITGO Petroleum Corporation, Chevrolet Trucks, Mercury Marine, Yamaha Outboards, Triton Boats, Skeeter Boats, Lowrance Electronics, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, Kumho Tires, Long John Silver's, MotorGuide Trolling Motors, Bass Pro Shops, Armstrong Industrial Hand Tools, and B.A.S.S. Platinum Visa/First USA. Associate Sponsors include Bass Cat Boats and G3 Boats.

The 2002 CITGO BASSMASTERS Classic will be presented locally by the State of Alabama, City of Birmingham, Jefferson County and Shelby County.

For more information contact: the CITGO BASSMASTERS Classic Media Center at (205) 458-8339.

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