CBA Championship!--"FINAL TWO!"

[BassinColorado]

The "Colorado Bass Anglers" Final Four are now down to Two!

Mother Nature, once again, helped out the "Underdogs" in the Semi-Final round of the "Colorado Bass Anglers" Championship! The field was all equal after the weather found it necessary to balance things out. Cold fronts have made the contestants go deep into their mental bag of tricks to try and pull off the chance to win it all!

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Bryan Leck vs. Larry Krueger turned out to be quite the battle after each caught a fish early in each of their first quarters. Knowing that Larry might have him by weight, because of a possible short fish, Bryan went with what he knows and put all of his eggs in one basket. If it worked, he would put major pressure on Larry.

It worked! Bryan jumped into the lead with a fish that bit right at the beginning of the the 3rd quarter! That was Bryan's second keeper fish and he was in the lead for now......"if" the first fish measured 15" as a keeper! The first fishes tail was torn up! It was going to be close!

Larry, knowing he needed to match Bryan by catching another fish, went back to what "he" knew to be working for him.

It worked for him also! Larry hooked a heavy fish on a deeper ledge and it felt like the one he needed!
Unfortunately for Larry, the fish came off before he could land it.

Bryan's first fish barely measures, ending Larry's super, great run for the cup! What an awesome showing!

Congrats to Bryan Leck! One of the final two!

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In the other boat, Sam Heckman vs. John Santos, a similar episode was taking place. Slammin' Sam was giving a lesson to "newcomer" John Santos on "Flippin' and Pitchin".

With exactly 4 minutes to go in the first quarter, Sam jerked a keeper into the boat. As if that wasn't enough, with 2 minutes left, Sam "Flipped" another, bigger fish into the boat.

The 2nd quarter was uneventful, although John fished hard, impressing everyone watching with his abilities to Flip and Pitch tough cover. He knew he needed fish and could feel the pressure mounting. "Flippin", like Sam was not his thing. He needed to change something, but what?

Sam thought, for the 3rd quarter, he would go back to where the action was, went back to where he had "Flipped" his two keeper fish, and would try to put the nail in the coffin.

John, figuring it was time to give Sam, the 2009 FLW/TBF Colorado National Contender, a lesson in jerkbaiting deep, decided he would fish what he was given and dragged his bait deep down the middle of the channel while Sam "Flipped" in front of him.

Suddenly, everyone on board was rocked by a hook-set from John! After a brief fight, John had a solid 3 plus lb. keeper in the boat!

Now, with one more full quarter to go and John in control of that quarter, the underdog could overtake Sam, the 2nd place seed and be in a place he never really thought he could. He could be part of the "Final Two!" Just one more good fish!

In the fourth quarter, John continued his lesson on jerkbaits.  With "exactly" 45 seconds left in their match, John yelled out, "I Got Him!", and hooked what could be the winning fish, next to a channel edge. John, knowing that this fish could be the one, played the fish carefully, while Sam held his breath, waiting to see what John had hooked. Then John flipped the fat bass into the boat!

Unfortunately for John, the fish ends up being a hair short and time had run out on him, leaving John to wonder, "What If?". Sam could breath again! What an exciting finish from a "Colorado Bass Angler" beginner!

Congrats to Sam Heckman! The other finalist in the final two!

A special thanks to Larry Krueger, John Santos, Greg Gizzi, Jared Nikirk, Adrian Yeo, and Jim McCormick for being good sports with this Championship format. No other format gets two great fishermen in the same boat at the same time. I think everyone learned something from each other! Thanks again!

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The Colorado Bass Anglers Final Two!

Bryan Leck (Leck Const.) vs. Sam Heckman(Building Mat. Sales)

The Finals will continue on April 19th.

Good Luck Gentlemen!

There can only be one winner!

There can only be one person that was the 1st to have the cup!

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