Cummings comes on strong

Michigan angler takes TBF Northern Divisional lead from roommate

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – It’s a Michigan tournament on Michigan waters, and true to form, the Michigan team dominated as competition continued at The Bass Federation Northern Divisional event on Lake St. Clair. Taking the top spot from his teammate Mark Modrak is day-two leader Derek Cummings of Mason, Mich., with a two-day haul of 44 pounds, 1 ounce.

That catch put Cummings on top by just shy of 5 pounds over Modrak on both the overall weight list as well as the Michigan state-team standings list. The 12-man Michigan team has caught 308 pounds, 6 ounces of bass over two days, putting them solidly in first place in the competition among the states.

That position is crucial, as cash awards at TBF divisionals are given to the state teams based on their team members’ total catch. And while the overall winner of the Northern Divisional will receive a $500 Wal-Mart gift card as the Castrol Maximum Performer, what really counts is to finish first or second on a state team.

Six states – Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota – each sent 12 competitors to this week’s Northern Divisional, and the No. 1 angler from each state team will advance to the 2009 TBF National Championship as a boater. Each state’s runner-up will advance as a co-angler.

Following Michigan in the race among the states is Indiana with 251 pounds, 3 ounces of bass caught over two days.

Cummings hopes for one-two punch

Though it was Modrak’s name atop the leaderboard yesterday, today it was his roommate Cummings’ time to shine, and he did it with a day-two limit of bass weighing 23 pounds, 11 ounces. While several leaders yesterday reported heading to Lake Erie to catch their bass, Cummings had a slightly different approach.

“I fished a spot in front of the river mouth to catch fish migrating from the lake into the river,” he said. “I pulled off my spot at 10:30 a.m. today after catching a good limit, and tomorrow I am going to stay there and beat them up.”

Cummings said his plan today was the same as yesterday – drop-shotting a Berkley Gulp and Poor Boy gobies. Whether or not that will continue to be as effective with the rain that is expected to fall on competitors tomorrow remains to be seen.

But as for he and Modrak, the two can probably be expected to put their heads together tonight with a Michigan state victory – and a championship berth for each – in their line of sight.

“We are really good friends, and we are actually rooming together at this tournament,” he said. “We would like to be able to get first and second for the Michigan team so that we could go to the TBF National Championship together as boater and non-boater.”

Perkins overcomes adversity to score gargantuan Minnesota lead

In third overall is yesterday’s Minnesota leader Bob Perkins, who held on to his state lead with another limit weighing 17 pounds, 10 ounces that brought his two-day total to 38 pounds, 15 ounces. That gives Perkins an unbelievable 19-pound, 14-ounce lead on the Minnesota team.

“We basically tried fishing shallow water to start off the day, and that wasn’t working, so we slipped out into deeper water using faster-moving baits, (mostly) crankbaits,” he said.

What Perkins didn’t know is that a slow shallow bite would ultimately be the least of his worries.

“My boat broke down at noon, so we just kept on fishing, and I ended up catching my largest fish of the day, a 5-pounder, while stranded on the lake,” he said. “I am glad it worked out. We were able to get back in on time, and we never gave up.”

Following Perkins on the overall leaderboard is Indiana leader Todd Kuhn of Angola, Ind. Kuhn’s day-two five-bass limit tipped the scales at 18 pounds, 2 ounces to bring his two-day total to 37 pounds, 13 ounces, enough for a slim 7-ounce lead on the Indiana squad.

Melsop takes big lead in Ohio

Holding a 9-pound, 15-ounce advantage on the Ohio team is Jeff Melsop of East Liberty, Ohio, with a two-day catch of 36 pounds, 1 ounce. He caught 19-6 yesterday and followed that up today with another limit weighing 16-11 to land in sixth on the overall list.

“The boater I was with today was fishing the same type of pattern as my boater yesterday, and near the same location,” Melsop said. “I have been lucky to have two excellent, excellent boaters to help me out.”

Melsop was primarily targeting fish moving up the river.

“I fished the tops of weed beds with a medium-diving crankbait,” he said. “I was looking for a reaction bite by jerking it through the grass. This was a great way to catch fish moving up the river.”

Best of the rest

In seventh overall is Wisconsin team leader Nicholas Smyers of Franksville, Wis., with a two-day catch of 34 pounds, 3 ounces. Scott McIntyre of Decatur, Ill., leads the Illinois contingent with 29 pounds, 11 ounces. That catch gives him a 10-pound, 7-ounce lead in Illinois.

TBF Northern Divisional competition concludes tomorrow with a 2:30 p.m. weigh-in and check and trophy presentation at the Selfridge DNR Ramp (Clinton River Access). Fishing fans can see the action get started with a 6 a.m. takeoff, also at the Selfridge ramp.