According to its Visitors Bureau, Wheeling, West Virginia, is a "sports town," with 24 miles of multi-use paved trails, a 10,000-square-foot skate park and 35 playgrounds and ball fields. Situated on the Ohio River with well-stocked lakes nearby, the Wheeling area also has fishing tournaments for bass enthusiasts. The West Virginia Bass Federation, formed in 1973 to promote the sport and industry of bass fishing, includes Wheeling on its Buddy Tournament Trail, holding five divisional tournaments each year and five championship rounds. The WVBF also holds a youth tournament, in which young anglers have seasoned bass buddies to teach them the sport of bass fishing.
Geography
The Ohio River forms the boundary between Ohio and West Virginia, with anglers in both states competing in bass tournaments for prizes as well as state, regional and national recognition. The West Virginia Bass Federation ran two divisions of the Buddy Trail in 2010 because of the large number of people wanting to fish it.
Official tournament fishing for bass takes place in lakes and rivers throughout West Virginia. The qualifying trials are usually done on lakes and the Ohio River, with Division Championships on the Kanawha River, the State Championship on the Monongahela River, and the Mid-Atlantic Championship on the Upper Chesapeake Bay.
Lake vs. River Bass Fishing
In order to do well in fishing tournaments for bass in the Wheeling area, practice fishing in surrounding lakes, as well as rivers. The main difference between lake and river fishing, of course, is the current, requiring good boating skills and cooperation, thus the reason West Virginia tournaments are based on the buddy system of bass fishing.
Wheeling anglers can practice at Schenk Lake in Oglebay Park, which is stocked with bass and other fish. From March to October, you can pay to practice from 8 a.m. to dark, catching largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass. Actual tournament fishing starts an hour earlier, at 7 a.m., so plan to also do some predawn practice rounds on the Ohio River. To compete, you and your buddy have to be in your boat and ready to go by 6:45 a.m. on a Saturday or Sunday, so get in good upper-body shape.
Bass Boat Requirements
Most bass boats come with an outboard motor for getting from place to place and a trolling motor for fishing. Boats used in fishing tournaments for bass in the Wheeling, West Virginia area must be at least 14 feet long with a motor of no more than 250 horsepower. Trolling motors and trolling-like activity are not permitted, although a small electric or gas motor may be used to position the boat during fishing. Stick steering is also prohibited during bass tournament fishing.
Boats used during West Virginia bass tournament fishing must be equipped with livewells for keeping fish alive until they can be weighed and released.
Tournament Guidelines
Fishing tournaments for bass in the Wheeling, West Virginia area require the same partners to fish together throughout the tournament year. All anglers must wear Coast Guard-approved life vests while en route to their fishing sites, removing them only once the boat's combustion engine has been shut off. All fishing is done from the boat, using only artificial lures. Only one casting rod may be used at a time. Each boat may possess a total of six smallmouth, largemouth or spotted bass at any time. Bass shorter than 12 inches will not be weighed.
Winners are determined by total weight of their catch, cumulative during the year. Penalties are imposed if fish are brought in dead or below the 12-inch minimum. All bass are expected to be released after the tournament.
Youth Tournaments
One of the stated aims of the West Virginia Bass Federation is to "get kids fishing." Toward this goal, once a year the federation sponsors a tournament in which there are three fishing buddies in the boat: two junior anglers/contestants who share control of the boat and one pro angler who does not compete in the tournament but assists the young anglers in learning sportsmanship and conservation, as well as fishing techniques.
Another WVBF goal is to help young anglers qualify for the National Guard Junior World Championships. In 2010, the winner of the 10- to 14-year-old anglers group in the Mid-Atlantic Division was Zach Whitten of Oceana, West Virginia.
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