Entry 214-3
James Niggemeyer – Strike King’s Rising Star
Part 3: What Happened on the First Tournament Day
Editor’s Note: The first part of August 2007, James Niggemeyer of Van, Texas, tied for the biggest bass caught in the Bassmasters Elite Series’ Capitol Clash tournament on the Potomac River at Washington D.C. Out of 107 of the best pros in the nation, Niggemeyer finished in 16th place, winning $10,000 and an additional $1,000 for catching the biggest bass. He was only 1-1/2-pounds and one bass away from making the 12th-place cut on the final day. During Niggemeyer’s rookie year on the Bassmasters Elite Series trail, he’s done extremely well. This week, he’ll tell us how he fished on the Potomac and what his life’s been like since making the move from amateur fisherman to full-time pro angler.
Question: What happened on the first day of the tournament?
Niggemeyer: I went to my primary area and was able to catch three, keeper-sized bass during 2 or 3 hours of fishing. The fishing was very slow, but picked up in the afternoon. I caught more bass later in the day and was able to cull two or three of the fish I’d already caught. The first tournament day was the best day for catching the highest number of bass during the tournament.
Question: What color baits were you using?
Niggemeyer: I used two main colors – a black-and-blue creature bait and a watermelon-colored creature bait.
Question: How big were the bass you were catching?
Niggemeyer: The fish measured about 12-inches long and weighed up to about 3-pounds each. I finished the day in 41st place with 11 pounds, 11 ounces of bass. The leader had 20 pounds.
Question: What were your thoughts at the end of the first day of the tournament?
Niggemeyer: I was pleased with my performance and the quality of my catch. I thought that if I could have a good day fishing on the second day, I could make the top-50 cut. I never thought I could win this tournament on the first day. My goal was to find bass and move up in the standings each day. I also wanted to make the first cut because you must make the first top-50 cut to make the top-12 cut and qualify to compete on the last day and possibly win the tournament. If I could better my weight of bass every day and possibly land a big fish, I’d still be in the hunt for the win.
Skeet Reese was in first place after the first day and was fishing a totally-different section of the river using a completely-different pattern. Skeet was casting a spinner bait and some type of soft-plastic lure, but I decided to stay with my game plan. I’ve learned that when you’re fishing on this level among so many other pros, you must stay with the pattern you believe in, because if you try to change what you’re doing to fish like someone else, you’ll get beaten.
