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One bay bass challenger left
By Ed Zieralski, SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
March 14, 2003
It has come down to one angler in the Phil Gallo $250 Bay Bass Challenge.
Way Chen, fishing Wednesday with fellow Challenge competitor Tommy Gomes, became the fourth to fall short of catching 50 bass in San Diego Bay in four hours.
But Chen, who works at Fisherman's Landing Tackle Shop, came close, catching and releasing 44 bass in four hours. He beat fellow challenger Ed Howerton's 35-bass total but fell short of making Gallo go to his wallet.
Next up is attorney Bill Hokstad, the last challenger with a chance to pocket Gallo's money. He's fishing with Gallo today. If Hokstad fails, Gallo plans to fish next week with guide Bill Schaefer, who has volunteered to donate Gallo's $250 to charity if he catches 50 bass in four hours.
Gallo started the Challenge by questioning some of the fish counts turned in over the years by bay fishing guides and a boat rental operation in San Diego Bay.
Gallo put out the challenge through the Union-Tribune, but none of the guides in question called in time to make the original field of five anglers and one alternate.
Howerton was the favorite to win the money, but like Chen, fell short. Rob Phillips, a painting contractor and the baseball coach at Grossmont High School, caught and released 26 spotted bay bass (and two bonefish that didn't count toward the mark).
Tommy Gomes, crew chief on the sport boat Holiday at Point Loma Sportfishing, had a tough day Sunday and finished with 13 bass (and one short barracuda that didn't count), low total so far among the challengers.
"Tommy started out with two fish right in a row, but for the rest of the afternoon, everything seemed to have lockjaw," Gallo said.
Gomes used a variety of plastics, and Gallo said Gomes must have made up to 1,000 casts.
"Toward the end of the day, his hand and arm were cramping from so much casting," Gallo said. "He did everything humanly possible to catch fish, but in the end, if the fish don't cooperate, you just can't catch them. For the amount of work and effort he put in, Tommy really got shortchanged."
But Gomes, showing the highest form of sportsmanship, allowed Way Chen to fish from his boat Wednesday after Chen's boating options fell through.
"We ought to have a good sportsmanship award, and the only candidate is Tommy Gomes," Gallo said. "After being low man on the totem pole after Sunday, the fact that he played skipper and provided a boat for Way goes considerably beyond the call of duty."
Today's trip with Hokstad marks the third outing with challengers this week for Gallo, and he goes into it knowing he came close to losing his cash to Chen, a talented young angler.
"Way Chen is an absolutely superb finesse fisherman," Gallo said. "All in all, it was a very impressive performance."
Gallo said Chen's only mistake may have been that he started at noon instead of 1 p.m. Chen started slowly by catching 10 bass in an hour and a half. But he closed strongly by catching 34 over the next 21/2 hours.
By Ed Zieralski, SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
March 14, 2003
It has come down to one angler in the Phil Gallo $250 Bay Bass Challenge.
Way Chen, fishing Wednesday with fellow Challenge competitor Tommy Gomes, became the fourth to fall short of catching 50 bass in San Diego Bay in four hours.
But Chen, who works at Fisherman's Landing Tackle Shop, came close, catching and releasing 44 bass in four hours. He beat fellow challenger Ed Howerton's 35-bass total but fell short of making Gallo go to his wallet.
Next up is attorney Bill Hokstad, the last challenger with a chance to pocket Gallo's money. He's fishing with Gallo today. If Hokstad fails, Gallo plans to fish next week with guide Bill Schaefer, who has volunteered to donate Gallo's $250 to charity if he catches 50 bass in four hours.
Gallo started the Challenge by questioning some of the fish counts turned in over the years by bay fishing guides and a boat rental operation in San Diego Bay.
Gallo put out the challenge through the Union-Tribune, but none of the guides in question called in time to make the original field of five anglers and one alternate.
Howerton was the favorite to win the money, but like Chen, fell short. Rob Phillips, a painting contractor and the baseball coach at Grossmont High School, caught and released 26 spotted bay bass (and two bonefish that didn't count toward the mark).
Tommy Gomes, crew chief on the sport boat Holiday at Point Loma Sportfishing, had a tough day Sunday and finished with 13 bass (and one short barracuda that didn't count), low total so far among the challengers.
"Tommy started out with two fish right in a row, but for the rest of the afternoon, everything seemed to have lockjaw," Gallo said.
Gomes used a variety of plastics, and Gallo said Gomes must have made up to 1,000 casts.
"Toward the end of the day, his hand and arm were cramping from so much casting," Gallo said. "He did everything humanly possible to catch fish, but in the end, if the fish don't cooperate, you just can't catch them. For the amount of work and effort he put in, Tommy really got shortchanged."
But Gomes, showing the highest form of sportsmanship, allowed Way Chen to fish from his boat Wednesday after Chen's boating options fell through.
"We ought to have a good sportsmanship award, and the only candidate is Tommy Gomes," Gallo said. "After being low man on the totem pole after Sunday, the fact that he played skipper and provided a boat for Way goes considerably beyond the call of duty."
Today's trip with Hokstad marks the third outing with challengers this week for Gallo, and he goes into it knowing he came close to losing his cash to Chen, a talented young angler.
"Way Chen is an absolutely superb finesse fisherman," Gallo said. "All in all, it was a very impressive performance."
Gallo said Chen's only mistake may have been that he started at noon instead of 1 p.m. Chen started slowly by catching 10 bass in an hour and a half. But he closed strongly by catching 34 over the next 21/2 hours.
