by Jack Hodgson, jack@da4.com

During the night of Saturday, August 10, 2002 the "Bubba Bassin" Fishing Club held an overnight fishing tournament on Pawtuckaway Lake.

Fifty fishermen, in 30 boats, launched during the late afternoon. Most of those launched at the Fundy North boat launch, but to reduce parking congestion, a few launched at other ramps around the lake.

The goal of the tournament was to catch the five biggest bass of the night. Early speculation by the contestants, prior to the start of the tourney, was that the winning total weight would be just over 20 pounds. There are also prizes for the largest individual large-mouth and small-mouth bass caught. These big fish are affectionately known as "lunkers".

It costs $20 to register. The total registration pool is used for prizes. 50% going to first place, 30% to second, and %20 to third.

The first fishermen arrived before 4:30 for the 7:00 pm start. One was seen preparing for tourney by napping in his van. Others stood in small groups catching up on recent fishing experiences and occasionally passsing around snapshots of... their families??? nope... of the fish they've caught.

Almost every vehicle sported a sticker showing membership in B.A.S.S., the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society.

Tonight's competitors are a casual and friendly group. They were happy to talk to the non-fishermen who wandered by wondering what was happening. They explained the rules and the procedures.

Tournament rules reflect the concern its members have for the fish and the lake.

All live fish are released after weighing, and competitors are penalized for any fish that die. A 1/2 pound deduction is made for each dead fish, or "floaters" as they're called. Also any fish the appears to have been abused in the process of landing it will not be counted in the weigh-in. And no dead fish will be considered for the "lunker" prize. In this tournament, 97% of the fish caught were returned to the lake alive.

Club procedures require that fish be released into a deep channel away from shore to help them disperse back into the lake safely.

Finally, the club members are very aware, and pro-active, in preventing the spread of milfoil and other exotic weeds.

At 7:00 pm the fishermen head out to spend the night catching bass.

At 7:00 am the next morning the tournament fleet gathers at the weigh-in location. They're now moving a little bit slower after the long night, but the mood is that of contentment mixed with anticipation of the weigh-in. Each competitor carries a large water-tight tote bag that contains their catch and a supply of water.

While tournament director Rob Frye and his helpers inspect the fish and place them on an electronic scale, the fishermen chat about the night.

"How many did you get?"... "I saw you land a good one out by that island."... "Was that you napping around 2 am over in that cove?"

Many of these guys are friends and see each other regularly at tournaments and fishing holes around New England.

And they're not all guys. In this particular tournament one of the 50 competitors was a woman, Tad Nishimura of Exeter, NH. 10% of the Bubba Bassin Club's 130 members are women.

Tad used to fish as a team with her husband. But now she competes on her own. On this night she caught one of the potential lunkers.

After the weigh-in is complete, and the winners have been congratulated, the boats are gradually hauled-out of the lake. But many linger in the parking lot, drinking coffee (and other beverages) and swapping more fish stories.

The winners of the Aug 10 2002 tournament were: