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CLARKSVILLE, Va. — Keeping his cool in hot conditions was the key for Virginia angler John Conway, who leads the first day of the Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Mid-Atlantic Divisional on Kerr Lake/Buggs Island Reservoir with a five-bass limit that weighed 11 pounds, 13 ounces.

“I used a mix of reaction baits and slower presentations today,” Conway said. “I started out with moving baits in the morning and then went to flipping in the afternoon. In this hot weather, they’d tuck up under the shade when the sun got up.”

With overcast skies greeting anglers at the morning takeoff, Conway said he threw a buzzbait during the early morning hours. He then transitioned to flipping jigs and big Texas rigged worms later in the day.

Deeper docks in 10 to 12 feet of water were his main flipping targets. No one spot produced particularly well, so Conway had to hit approximately 25 locations.

“It was just a whole lot of moving and a whole lot of casting,” he said.

Residing in Henrico, Va., Conway is a member of the Big M Bassmasters Club. He holds a 13-ounce lead over second-place competitor Michael Sentore, of Gloucester City, N.J., who caught four bass for 11 pounds.

Overall, the Day 1 weights were light. The average fish was a little more than 2 pounds. The Top 10 had 8 pounds or more, but the vast majority of competitors brought in 3 to 6 pounds for their total weight. Only eight anglers boasted limits.

Tomorrow’s forecast shows more sunny conditions for Day 2. Mike Bryant, president of the Virginia B.A.S.S. Nation, said he thought the weights were a little lower than anticipated. Many of his team members reported that the bass were noncommittal, and several anglers said they lost fish that hit hard but avoided solid hookups.

“This lake changes every day, so tomorrow we may see everybody bring in limits,” Bryant said.

Conway not only leads the overall tournament, he also is tops on the Virginia team, which is in second place behind leader Delaware. The Delaware B.A.S.S. Nation state team has one angler in the Top 10 and a 13-pound, 3-ounce lead for the state competition. Delaware has 74 pounds, 1 ounce, followed by Virginia, the host state, with 60-14, and New Jersey with 57-13.

If Conway maintains his lead for Virginia, he’ll be invited to the 2014 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, Nov. 6-8, on Louisiana’s Ouachita River. Other state leaders as of Day 1 are Jason Vaughn, Delaware; Joe Devoe, Maryland; Michael Sentore, New Jersey; Mike Moran, Pennsylvania; and Randy Huffman, West Virginia.

Ronald Littleton’s 5-pound, 1-ounce bass is currently in the lead for Carhartt Big Bass honors, a $500 prize awarded to the angler who catches the biggest bass of the tournament. The competitor who has the overall tournament lead Thursday will win the $250 Livingston Lures Leader award, which goes to the Day 2 leader.

Competition continues Thursday and Friday at 5:45 a.m. ET for the launch at Occoneechee State Park. The weigh-in will take place at the same location both days at 2 p.m. ET. Check for updates throughout the day on Bassmaster.com.

2014 B.A.S.S. Nation Title Sponsor: Old Milwaukee

2014 B.A.S.S. Nation Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha

2014 B.A.S.S. Nation Supporting Sponsors: Boat US, Booyah, Carhartt, Diet Mountain Dew, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Plano, Power-Pole, Rigid Industries, Shimano

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series presented by Allstate, B.A.S.S. Nation events, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by Diet Mountain Dew and GoPro.

2014 BASS Nation  MidAtlantic Divisional 6/25-6/27
Kerr Rervoir, Buggs Island  VA.
(ANGLER) Standings Day 1

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts

1.  John Conway            Henrico, VA (VA)        5  11-13  0
2.  Michael Sentore        Gloucester City, NJ (NJ 4  11-00  0
3.  Randy Huffman          Charleston, WV (WV)     4  10-12  0
4.  John Mcgraw            Bordertown, NJ (NJ)     5  10-09  0
5.  Mike Moran             Ruffsdale, PA (PA)      5  10-07  0
6.  Daniel Gray            Butler, PA (PA)         5  10-04  0
7.  James Dingess          Barboursville, WV (WV)  5  09-10  0
8.  Jason Vaughn           Bridgeville, DE (DE)    5  09-04  0
9.  Mark Mounts            Washington, PA (PA)     5  09-02  0
10. Joe Devoe              Aberdeen, MD (MD)       4  08-14  0
11. Ronald Littleton       Seaford, DE (DE)        3  08-07  0
12. Rodney Rice            Narrows, VA (VA)        4  07-14  0
13. Damien McMahon         Pilot, VA (VA)          5  07-13  0
14. Bobby Smith            Laurel, DE (DE)         4  07-13  0
15. Brian La Clair         Denton, MD (DE)         3  07-13  0
15. Tim Stump              Dover, DE (DE)          3  07-13  0
17. Cavin Young            Prince George, VA (VA)  3  07-10  0
18. Paul Gietka            Abingdon, MD (MD)       4  07-08  0
19. David Price            New Windsor, MD (MD)    4  07-07  0
20. Brian Trieschman       Ellicott City, MD (MD)  3  07-06  0
21. Mark Hogan             Milford, DE (DE)        4  07-05  0
22. Michael Burchett       Pulaski, VA (VA)        4  07-03  0
23. Greg Alexander         Hebron, MD (DE)         4  06-07  0
24. Shelton Walters        Felton, DE (DE)         4  06-04  0
25. Jerrod Lloyd           Millville, NJ (NJ)      3  05-15  0
26. Kenneth Hackworth      Charleston, WV (WV)     2  05-15  0
27. Robert Brennan         Forked River, NJ (NJ)   3  05-13  0
28. Bob Austin             Marydel, DE (DE)        3  05-12  0
28. Douglas Zittle         Thurmont, MD (MD)       3  05-12  0
30. Richard Lane           Pittsburgh, PA (PA)     2  05-12  0
31. Roger Castillo         Goode, VA (VA)          3  05-05  0
32. Andrew Sams            Easton, MD (MD)         3  04-13  0
33. Eddie McNeil           Poca, WV (WV)           3  04-09  0
34. James Goins            Baltimore, MD (MD)      3  04-07  0
35. Russell Awad           Brooklyn, NY (NJ)       2  04-05  0
35. Cliff Humpreys         Philadelphia, PA (NJ)   2  04-05  0
37. Eric Bennet            Forked River, NJ (NJ)   2  04-04  0
38. Tyler Trent            Nathalie, VA (VA)       2  04-02  0
39. Dion Bright            Fairmont, WV (WV)       2  03-15  0
40. William Goots          Reidsville, NC (VA)     1  03-15  0
41. Jim Fields             Camden, DE (DE)         2  03-11  0
41. Craig Townsend         Westampton, NJ (NJ)     2  03-11  0
43. Greg Hylton            Martinsville, VA (VA)   1  03-10  0
44. Matt Becker            Finleyville, PA (PA)    2  03-07  0
44. Keith Cowan            Mt Ephraim, NJ (NJ)     2  03-07  0
44. Jeff Hall              Butler, PA (PA)         2  03-07  0
47. Mark Westrick          Hastings, PA (PA)       1  03-04  0
48. Randy Baran            Old Bridge, NJ (NJ)     2  03-00  0
49. Ken Baumgardner        Monongahela, PA (PA)    2  02-15  0
50. Richard Martin Jr      Sparrows Point, MD (MD) 1  02-10  0
51. William Kennedy        Mineral Wells, WV (WV)  1  02-05  0
52. Mike Morris            Dover, DE (DE)          1  02-04  0
53. Bret Winegardner       Swanton, MD (MD)        1  02-03  0
54. Al Fiorille            Mt Airy, MD (MD)        1  01-12  0
55. Jerry Burkhart         Belpre, OH (WV)         1  01-11  0
56. Tommy Ford             Leslie, WV (WV)         1  01-10  0
56. Bart Keck              Finleyville, PA (PA)    1  01-10  0
58. William Hubbard        Ridgeway, VA (VA)       1  01-09  0
59. Todd Caddy             Carnegie, PA (PA)       1  01-08  0
59. Brian Keister          Atco, NJ (NJ)           1  01-08  0
61. Tony Keller            Charleston, WV (WV)     1  01-06  0
62. Don Denault Jr         Delmar, MD (DE)         1  01-04  0
63. Jon Blaine             Frederick, MD (MD)      0  00-00  0
63. Darren Brooks          Wenonah, NJ (NJ)        0  00-00  0
63. Ryan Buttermore        Leetsdale, PA (PA)      0  00-00  0
63. Joshua Cross           Elizabeth, WV (WV)      0  00-00  0
63. DE HS- McKee/ Draper   Milford, DE (DE)        0  00-00  0
63. VA HS- Strayer/ Graves Madison, VA (VA)        0  00-00  0
63. Corey Gue              Kenova, WV (WV)         0  00-00  0
63. Jeremy Mathias         Monrovia, MD (MD)       0  00-00  0
63. Jerry Meadows          Uniontown, PA (PA)      0  00-00  0
63. Dave Menard            Henrico, VA (VA)        0  00-00  0
63. PA HS-Gower/ Mertz     Lewisburg, PA (PA)      0  00-00  0
63. Christopher Napier     Virginia Beach, VA (VA) 0  00-00  0
63. WV HS-Goff/ Sigmon     Clendenin, WV (WV)      0  00-00  0
63. NJ HS-Curran/ Stevenson Westampton, NJ (NJ)     0  00-00  0
63. MD HS-Wannall/ Stewart La Plata, MD (MD)       0  00-00  0
63. Bradley West           Vincent, OH (WV)        0  00-00  0
———————————————————————–

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1       8        167       339-01
———————————-
8       167       339-01

TEAM STANDINGS Day 1
———————————-
State                Lbs-Oz
1 DELAWARE              74-01
2 VIRGINIA              60-14
3 NEW JERSEY            57-13
4 MARYLAND              52-12
5 PENNSYLVANIA          51-12
6 WEST VIRGINIA         41-13

INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 1
———————————————————————–

DELAWARE
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz 
1 Jason Vaughn         Bridgeville, DE             5   09-04  0
2 Ronald Littleton     Seaford, DE                 3   08-07  0
3 Bobby Smith          Laurel, DE                  4   07-13  0
4 Brian La Clair       Denton, MD                  3   07-13  0
4 Tim Stump            Dover, DE                   3   07-13  0
6 Mark Hogan           Milford, DE                 4   07-05  0
7 Greg Alexander       Hebron, MD                  4   06-07  0
8 Shelton Walters      Felton, DE                  4   06-04  0
9 Bob Austin           Marydel, DE                 3   05-12  0
10 Jim Fields           Camden, DE                  2   03-11  0
11 Mike Morris          Dover, DE                   1   02-04  0
12 Don Denault Jr       Delmar, MD                  1   01-04  0
13 DE HS- McKee/ Draper Milford, DE                 0   00-00  0

MARYLAND
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz
1 Joe Devoe            Aberdeen, MD                4   08-14  0
2 Paul Gietka          Abingdon, MD                4   07-08  0
3 David Price          New Windsor, MD             4   07-07  0
4 Brian Trieschman     Ellicott City, MD           3   07-06  0
5 Douglas Zittle       Thurmont, MD                3   05-12  0
6 Andrew Sams          Easton, MD                  3   04-13  0
7 James Goins          Baltimore, MD               3   04-07  0
8 Richard Martin Jr    Sparrows Point, MD          1   02-10  0
9 Bret Winegardner     Swanton, MD                 1   02-03  0
10 Al Fiorille          Mt Airy, MD                 1   01-12  0
11 Jon Blaine           Frederick, MD               0   00-00  0
11 Jeremy Mathias       Monrovia, MD                0   00-00  0
11 MD HS-Wannall/ Stewart La Plata, MD                0   00-00  0

NEW JERSEY
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz
1 Michael Sentore      Gloucester City, NJ         4   11-00  0
2 John Mcgraw          Bordertown, NJ              5   10-09  0
3 Jerrod Lloyd         Millville, NJ               3   05-15  0
4 Robert Brennan       Forked River, NJ            3   05-13  0
5 Russell Awad         Brooklyn, NY                2   04-05  0
5 Cliff Humpreys       Philadelphia, PA            2   04-05  0
7 Eric Bennet          Forked River, NJ            2   04-04  0
8 Craig Townsend       Westampton, NJ              2   03-11  0
9 Keith Cowan          Mt Ephraim, NJ              2   03-07  0
10 Randy Baran          Old Bridge, NJ              2   03-00  0
11 Brian Keister        Atco, NJ                    1   01-08  0
12 Darren Brooks        Wenonah, NJ                 0   00-00  0
12 NJ HS-Curran/ Stevenson Westampton, NJ              0   00-00  0

PENNSYLVANIA
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz
1 Mike Moran           Ruffsdale, PA               5   10-07  0
2 Daniel Gray          Butler, PA                  5   10-04  0
3 Mark Mounts          Washington, PA              5   09-02  0
4 Richard Lane         Pittsburgh, PA              2   05-12  0
5 Matt Becker          Finleyville, PA             2   03-07  0
5 Jeff Hall            Butler, PA                  2   03-07  0
7 Mark Westrick        Hastings, PA                1   03-04  0
8 Ken Baumgardner      Monongahela, PA             2   02-15  0
9 Bart Keck            Finleyville, PA             1   01-10  0
10 Todd Caddy           Carnegie, PA                1   01-08  0
11 Ryan Buttermore      Leetsdale, PA               0   00-00  0
11 Jerry Meadows        Uniontown, PA               0   00-00  0
11 PA HS-Gower/ Mertz   Lewisburg, PA               0   00-00  0

VIRGINIA
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz
1 John Conway          Henrico, VA                 5   11-13  0
2 Rodney Rice          Narrows, VA                 4   07-14  0
3 Damien McMahon       Pilot, VA                   5   07-13  0
4 Cavin Young          Prince George, VA           3   07-10  0
5 Michael Burchett     Pulaski, VA                 4   07-03  0
6 Roger Castillo       Goode, VA                   3   05-05  0
7 Tyler Trent          Nathalie, VA                2   04-02  0
8 William Goots        Reidsville, NC              1   03-15  0
9 Greg Hylton          Martinsville, VA            1   03-10  0
10 William Hubbard      Ridgeway, VA                1   01-09  0
11 VA HS- Strayer/ Graves Madison, VA                 0   00-00  0
11 Dave Menard          Henrico, VA                 0   00-00  0
11 Christopher Napier   Virginia Beach, VA          0   00-00  0

WEST VIRGINIA
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz 
1 Randy Huffman        Charleston, WV              4   10-12  0
2 James Dingess        Barboursville, WV           5   09-10  0
3 Kenneth Hackworth    Charleston, WV              2   05-15  0
4 Eddie McNeil         Poca, WV                    3   04-09  0
5 Dion Bright          Fairmont, WV                2   03-15  0
6 William Kennedy      Mineral Wells, WV           1   02-05  0
7 Jerry Burkhart       Belpre, OH                  1   01-11  0
8 Tommy Ford           Leslie, WV                  1   01-10  0
9 Tony Keller          Charleston, WV              1   01-06  0
10 Joshua Cross         Elizabeth, WV               0   00-00  0
10 Corey Gue            Kenova, WV                  0   00-00  0
10 WV HS-Goff/ Sigmon   Clendenin, WV               0   00-00  0
10 Bradley West         Vincent, OH                 0   00-00  0

Paris, TN –  This week marks the final stop for the FLW Tour regular season on Kentucky Lake. When the tournament commences on Thursday Andy Morgan and Cody Meyer will be separated by a mere 8 points.  Together they are 46 points ahead of the angler sitting in third. Barring a seemingly inconceivable collapse by both anglers in the final event, either Morgan or Meyer will be crowned FLW Angler of the Year and quite likely cap off the greatest statistical season in FLW history.

Reining FLW Angler of the Year, Andy Morgan, has been the model of consistency over his 19 year career highlighted by his current streak of seven straight seasons finishing within the top ten in AOY standings dating back to 2007. En route to his first title in 2013, Morgan placed 10^th or better in five of the six FLW Tour events outpacing his nearest competitor by nearly 50 points. This season, however, heading into the final event this week at Kentucky Lake, a far different scenario has unfolded. Despite a nearly identical ledger of quality finishes, Morgan finds himself with company atop the leaderboard and is faced with the very real possibility he may amass the highest points total in FLW history only to be eclipsed by Cody Meyer, who currently sits in 2^nd with a mere 8 points to overcome.

In only his fifth season on the FLW Tour, Cody Meyer has already established himself among the most consistent players in the game accomplishing three consecutive years within the top 15 of the points standings. To date, his best overall season came in 2012 where he finished 5^th overall. Although a tough task lay ahead, there may be no angler better suited to take it on. Earlier this season Meyer set the FLW record for consecutive limits weighed in competition at 50; a streak that spanned over 3 years of competition.

When asked about what it takes to win the Angler of the Year, it’s no surprise what Meyer pinpointed as the key, opining, “Winning the Angler of the Year is all about consistency, it’s what makes Andy so great. I have worked hard at being consistent and I think it’s starting to pay off. ”

While consistency is certainly of value in the year end points race, with only a single tournament remaining it begs the question, does Meyer alter his strategy in hopes of making up the eight points? When asked if he’d considered such a thing, Meyer replied. “I won’t change how I have been fishing, but I know it’s going to take an incredible tournament to beat Andy by eight or nine spots.” Despite his realistic viewpoint, Meyer is still confident in his ability, stating, “Beating Andy by even one spot is tough. It’s a big challenge, but I like challenges.”

Although it wasn’t until 2011 that FLW began awarding a cash prize for the Angler of the Year, the title has always held an unparalleled prestige especially among the anglers themselves. It not only recognizes a tremendous season-long accomplishment, it also positions the angler among the greats of the sport, an achievement that is for lack of a better word: priceless. When asked what the title would mean to either angler their responses were indicative of the type of competitors they are.

Meyer explains, “I am trying not to think about the A.O.Y. title, but if I should win it, it would be huge for me. To come out here and compete with these guys has always been an honor and to win an award, amongst this level of competition from over 150 phenomenal anglers, well, that would be unreal. Honestly, I’m not too sure what I would do should I win, but I’ll figure that out if or when it happens.”

Morgan, known for his gunslinger style, appropriately said, “I just go fishing and bring my best five bass to the scales.  I’ve never set out to do anything other than catch the biggest five fish I can each day. It’s worked out for me over the years, and I think I’ll do the same thing this week. Will it be enough to win the A.O.Y., you never know, but I hope so.”

After taking a moment to reflect on the possibility of hoisting the trophy for the second consecutive year, Morgan deflected the attention back to the quality of his competition saying, “It’d be nice to win a second angler of the year title, but Cody is going to make it a challenge. I’m certain of it. He might be in his fifth year, but he fishes like a veteran. With his talent, he’s going to be a regular contender for the Angler of the Year title for many years to come.”

At the conclusion of the Kentucky Lake event it is highly likely that whichever angler prevails, he would also break the FLW record for total points in a season. To break the record, currently held by Kevin VanDam in 2001 (1105 points), Morgan would only need to finish in the top 40 in this event. Morgan has finished in the top 40 in eleven of twelve events over the past two seasons.  For Meyer to break the record, he would first need to finish at least eight places ahead of Morgan and also finish in 32nd or above overall.  Meyer has finished in 32nd or above in nine of his last eleven FLW Tour events.

Andy Morgan is sponsored by Livingston Lures, Bullet Boats, Evinrude, Typhoon Optics, New Breed Archery, Zoom Baits, Sheffield Financial, and War Eagle baits.

Cody Meyer is sponsored by Repel, Shimano, Jackall, Typhoon Optics, Evinrude, Ranger Boats, Hi’s Tackle Box, Top This, and Power-Pole.