INAUGURAL TOURNAMENT WON BY KING

Stacey King wins first-ever Champions Challenge, leads wire to wire

by Jim Van Hook

(Hot Springs, Arkansas, May 26) Professional bass fisherman Stacey King, of Reeds Spring, Missouri, led the first-ever Champions Challenge from start to finish to claim the $30,000 First Place prize. King won the inaugural tournament, presented by the Professional Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, with a final day total weight of five bass for 11.26 lbs. King lead each of the first two days fishing on Lake Ouachita, while the final round was held on Lake Hamilton, a lake that he had never been on. On Day 1, King led the field by putting together a bag of fish weighing 19.16 lbs., anchored by a 8.44 lb. beauty, big bass of the tournament. On Day 2, King upped his total with another 13.4 lbs. and remained atop the leader board. King caught his fish the first two days using a Stanley jig that he designed (Stacey's Choice), with a Zoom Critter Craw trailer. He fished the rig in grass that was located in 16 - 18 feet of water.

On Day 3, the Top 10 pros moved to Lake Hamilton, and King had never fished the lake. He did know that the lake contained a large number of docks, and that was where he would spend his time. He started out with top water lures, catching a number of fish before the sun started hitting the water. Then he gave the docks his attention, again using a Stanley jig to catch better quality fish. His winning 3rd day total weighed 11.26 lbs. That was good enough to give the 9-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier a victory worth $30,000. King's sponsors include Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Marine, Flowmaster, Storm Lures, Stanley Jigs, Solar Bat, Trojan Batteries, Chevrolet, Gamakatsu Hooks, and the Inhibitor.

The inaugural Champions Challenge Tournament was conducted by the Professional Bass Fishing Hall of Fame. The organization was started 2 years ago and the Arkansas State Legislature recently voted to give them $300,00.00 in seed money to get the ball rolling. Plans call for groundbreaking within 2 years for their facility to be built near Lake Catherine. The facility will include an Enshrinement Hall, Aquarium, Demonstration Pond, Children's Fishing Pond, Educational Library, Theater, Exhibit Galleries, Food Service, Gift Shop, and Handicap Accessible Fishing Pier. Estimated cost of the facility is $24 million dollars. President Bill Fletcher can be contacted at 1-888-690-BASS for further information re: the Pro Bass Fishing Hall of Fame. Initial inductees into the Hall were: Homer Circle; Rick Clunn; Bill Dance; Roland Martin; Bobby Murray; Larry Nixon; Ray Scott; and Forrest L. Wood.

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