09/13/2002 - Peoria, IL. .... Going where other competitors wouldn't dare venture to in conventional bass boats made a winner of Waynetown, Ind., angler Shad Schenck today at the CITGO Bass Federation Northern Divisional presented by Busch Beer on the Illinois River. Schenck relied each day on a jet-propelled aluminum bass boat to reach an ultra-shallow area in the back of an oxbow lake above Havana, Ill. "I found the area a couple of weeks ago while practicing but I couldn't figure out how to get there," admitted Schenck, who had a three-day catch of 14 bass totaling 21 pounds, 2 ounces. "It took me three days to figure out how to get in there along with a lot of work and effort from a lot of people." When he got his fiberglass boat stuck in that area during pre-fishing, Schenck had to recruit local residents to help him get out of the mud. He also found a local angler who helped him find a way to reach the backwaters. "I didn't know what was going to happen in the tournament, the water level could have changed but I ran that smaller boat and took the risk and it paid off,' said Schenck, who has honed his skills fishing Federation tournaments on the Ohio River. After running through fog and locking through to reach his spot this morning, Schenck discovered the river had dropped. The Cherry Capital Bassmasters Club member still managed to slip into his prime area to catch four keepers, including the big bass of the day (3-09). After catching that fish, he decided to leave so he would have plenty of time in case he encountered any problems getting out. "We got out but I don't know how because there wasn't any water where we were going through; it was just mud," he said.. Each day Schenck keyed on rocks and wood near eddies where he caught his fish 1 to 2 feet deep. His primary lures were a brown Bomber Fat A crankbait and a Texas-rigged smoke-and-red flake tube bait (1/4-ounce Lake Fork Trophy Bait & Tackle MegaWeight and Gamakatsu 3/0 or 4/0 hooks). As the tournament champion, Schenck qualifies for the 2003 CITGO Bass Federation Championship presented by Busch Beer. Eight other anglers advanced to next spring's Federation Championship by catching the most weight for their teams. Other team leaders qualifying for the Championship include Tony DeFilippo from Michigan; Karl Guegold, Ohio; John Teachout, South Dakota;.Robert Thompson, Illinois; Robert Hennen, Minnesota; Randy Waite, Wisconsin; Martin Lamberti, Iowa; and Robert Peters, Ontario. Forty-six state winners will compete in the championship with qualifiers from Canada, Italy, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Japan. The top finishers from each division (Northern, Southern, Central, Eastern and Western) advance to the 2003 CITGO BASSMASTERS Classic presented by Busch Beer. Indiana won the state bragging rights by catching a collective weight of 84-0. Michigan took second in the team competition with 47-08 , while.Ohio finished third with 46-13, followed.by South Dakota in fourth with 42-05 and host team Illinois in fifth with 38-0. Despite having every team member competing in their first divisional, the inexperienced Indiana anglers showed their composure by fishing slow and working together. "It was a team effort and that is what it's supposed to be," said Doug Bradley, Indiana Federation vice president. "This team probably has been one of the closest teams I've ever been involved with. Guys were handing teammates baits from day one, sharing spots and talking about what they wanted to do." Low water on the Illinois River and the usually tough conditions caused by early autumn made it difficult for even the most experienced anglers in this event. Twenty-three of the 108 contestants blanked all three days and only seven limits were weighed in during the entire tournament. Weigh-ins were held at East Peoria Marina in East Peoria, Ill. By sanctioning over 20,000 tournaments worldwide through its Federation network of bass clubs, Bass is the world's largest fishing organization. The CITGO BASSMASTER Tournament Trail is the oldest and most prestigious pro bass fishing tournament circuit. It continues to set the standard for credibility, professionalism, and sportsmanship after more than three decades. Sponsor information Sponsors of the CITGO Bass Federation Northern Divisional tournament are: CITGO Petroleum Corporation, Busch Beer, Chevrolet, Armstrong Industrial Hand Tools, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Eagle Claw, Bass Platinum Visa/First USA Bank, Flowmaster, Kumho Tires, Long John Silver's, Lowrance, Mercury Marine, MotorGuide/Quantum, Skeeter, Triton and Yamaha.