Local Bassmaster
Mon-Valley's Baumgardner Goes National

Monongahela's Ken Baumgardner was the lone entry from Pennsylvania in the 2009 Bassmaster Classic on the Red River out of Shreveport-Bossier City, LA, this past February.

The 49-year old Baumgardner, who has been bass fishing competitively for 23 years, qualified for the Bassmaster Classic by finishing fourth in a field of the country's top 55 fishers in last November's B.A.S.S. Federation Nation National Championship at Milford Lakes in Junction City, Kan. The local angler was the champion of the Mid-Atlantic Region, which consists of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Connecticut and Virginia.

Baumgardner, who got off to a good start in the tournament with a first-day haul of 6 pounds, 10 ounces, was waving a Terrible Towel as he stepped onto the Bassmaster Classic stage. His attempt to become the first Pennsylvanian to win the Classic fell short, however, as he finished 49th, taking home $10,000 in winnings. After his first day, Baumgartner was only a few spots out of 25th place - the cut-off to qualify got the tournament's final two days of competition. His second day was a tough one, bringing in two fish totaling 3 pounds, 1 ounce.

Californian Skeet Reese won the Classic with 54 pounds, 13 ounces of fish. That edged our New Jersey angler and former Classic winner Mike Iaconelli by 13 ounces.