LBAA Invades Arkansas’ Lake Dardanelle a Second Time
OutdoorHub 05.09.12
The Lady Bass Anglers Association (LBAA) is set to return to Arkansas’s Lake Dardanelle for a second time on May 17 and 18. Lake Dardanelle was the site of the LBAA’s first “official” tournament back in September 16-18, 2010.
Texan’s Debbie Kemp and Jan Bruner claimed victories in the LBAA Kick-off Tournament back in 2010. Kemp won by the slimmest of margins as her 11.5 pounds was a mere 0.42 ounces more than second place veteran Emily Shaffer who brought 11.08 to the scales on the pro side. Bruner a veteran co-angler caught 6.47 pounds of bass — just enough to edge out second place Kim Giddens who had 5.42 pounds.
With the ladies return to Dardanelle being a late spring event there could be both post-spawn patterns and pre-summer patterns that could come into play in helping to decide the Dardanelle Dash for the Cash next week.
Since this the second event on the 2012 LBAA schedule, a win or a good finish at Dardanelle would give an angler the “Big Mo” — momentum that could catapult them into a successful home stretch run in the second half of the LBAA’s 2012 schedule.
Lake Dardanelle, which is located just outside of Russellville, Arkansas, stretches over 50 miles and is a part of the Arkansas River Navigation System. Dardanelle has over 34,000 acres of water and 315 acres of shoreline for LBAA anglers to navigate, fish, and attempt to get a tournament-winning pattern on.
The LBAA works with some of the finest city/county/visitor’s center/chamber of commerce organizations on their tour dates. The LBAA now moves from the folks at the City of Garland (Texas) Convention and Visitors Bureau whose hospitality was indeed “bigger than the heart of Texas” to the folks at the Russellville Tourism and Visitor’s Center who will go “Hog Wild” opening their arms and city to the LBAA, its anglers, and staff.
The Russellville Tourism and Visitors Center is hosting the LBAA’s upcoming tour appearance. They are located at 708 West Main Street Russellville, AR 72801. Their phone number is 1-479-967-1762 and they have a presence on the World Wide Web at http://discoverrussellville.org/
Lake Dardanelle is off limits through May 11 with official practice starting May 12 and ending at Noon on May 16.
The Lake Dardanelle ProAm is a two-day event running from “safe light” until 3 p.m. CDT on Thursday and Friday May 17 and 18. Pro anglers may bring in a five legal bass limit and co-anglers a three legal bass limit to the scales each day.
Launches and weigh-ins will take place at the Lake Dardanelle State Park Visitors Center at 100 State Park Road in Russellville, AR. The Lake Dardanelle State Park Visitors Center’s phone number is 1-479-967-5516, and they are on the World Wide Web at http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/
The LBAA usually has a charity tournament on the Saturday after the LBAA Pro/Am but at Lake Dardanelle, there was a scheduling conflict, so there will be no LBAA charity event on Saturday. However, the LBAA will still be supporting the Main Street Mission with a raffle of items donated by local and national sponsors that will occur at the conclusion of Friday’s weigh-in.
The Main Street Mission’s mission and purpose is to demonstrate Christian love to those in need as they provide meals, food boxes and other necessities to help meet their physical needs while also striving to address their spiritual needs. The Main Street Mission is located at 1110 East 2nd Street Russellville, AR 72801. Phone 1-479-968-8303. World Wide Web http://mainstreetmission.org/v2/
Lodging headquarters for the LBAA Lake Dardanelle event is the Best Western Inn 2326 N. Arkansas Avenue Russellville, AR 72802. Phone 1-479-967-1000. World Wide Web at http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/US/AR/Russellville-hotels/BEST-WESTERN-Inn/Hotel-Overview.do?propertyCode=04077
