THE HYDRILLA GNATS TAKE SECOND AT BASS CLUB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIER
By: Mike Prindle

With a second place finish at the Bass Club World Championship qualifying event held on Lake Russell December 15th and 16th, Team Captain Chris Neely and his band of misfit Hydrilla Gnats are proving to be a force to reckon with.

“The BASS Club World Championships are the kind of event that the Hydrilla Gnats were made for,” said Chris. “We were founded on teamwork and fellowship.”

Joining Chris Neely are the 2007 Angler of the Year Andy Koundourakis, the 2006 Angler of the Year Mike Prindle, the 2006 Classic Champion and 2007 Angler of the Year runner-up Paul Tyre, Hydrilla Gnats member Sean Neel, and Hydrilla Gnats member Mike Sloan.

The team employed several techniques to catch their fish during the event at Lake Russell. The most productive was a Carolina Rig fished slowly along main lake rock points in 10 to 25 feet of water.

The Carolina Rig was made up of a ½ oz or ¾ oz tungsten weight and a 16 to 24 inch leader. It was rigged with a Bitter’s Salty Sling on a 4/0 Owner, or Gamakatsu offset shank hook.

The Carolina Rig accounted for more than 50 percent of the fish weighed in by Hydrilla Gnats team during the two-day event.

With their finish at the Lake Russell Event, the Hydrilla Gnats and five other Georgia teams qualified for the Bass Club World Championship Regional Event to be held on Alabama’s fabled Lake Guntersville in May 2008.

Supporting the Hydrilla Gnats on their road to the BASS Club World National Championship are Wingate’s Lunker Lodge and Action Marine and Powersports of Bainbridge.

To learn more about the BASS Club World Championships, or the Hydrilla Gnats Bass Club and its sponsors log on to www.hydrillagnats.com.

The Swarm