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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2005

For more information, contact:
> Scot Laney, BassFan COO, (503) 502-5331, slaney@bassfan.com

Japan's Namiki Leads Day 1 Of
Cabela's Top Gun Championship
- No. 1-Ranked Hackney In 2nd -

FT. WORTH, Texas -- Japan's Toshinari Namiki leads day 1 of the Cabela's Top Gun Championship on Eagle Mountain Lake here in Ft. Worth. His five-fish limit weighed 14.42 pounds, but he doesn't have a solid lead. Greg Hackney, No. 1 in the world, is only half a pound behind in 2nd place with a 13.89 limit.

Takahiro Omori is in 3rd with a limit weighing 12.06, Dean Rojas is in 4th with an 11.79 limit and Kansas' Brent Chapman is in 5th with an 11.62 limit.

The inaugural Cabela's Top Gun Championship takes the Top 25 bass anglers in the world and puts them on the same body of water. The anglers are the best in the world according to the State Farm World Rankings, which ranks anglers who fish either or both of the pro fishing tours: the Bassmaster Tour and the FLW Tour.

Dawn was cloudy today on Eagle Mountain Lake, and much of the exclusive 24-man field (one angler was disqualified before the event began) found the early bite tough. That might be because most of them are fishing docks, and cloudy weather usually causes the bass to disperse and get tougher to target.

Even though Namiki leads, he doesn't have a lot of confidence. "I hit many (areas of) water today, but couldn't catch fish in concentrated spots. It was one here, one there, all day. I have to do some learning tomorrow."

Hackney had the second-heaviest limit of the day and caught 15 keepers, but called his day "so-so. I caught a bunch of fish, but I never had a big (fish) opportunity. I was real confident I might catch about a 6-pounder." Big fish aside, he thinks being consistent will win the tournament.

Omori only caught five keepers today, and said he expects the fishing to get tougher tomorrow. But that's not because of weekend pleasure boat traffic. "Everybody's fishing the same stuff, so it'll probably get tougher every day. So I'm real happy with what I have today."

Rojas is virtually mum, and that means he's on fish. "Basically what worked today was what I had going in practice," he said. "It's going like clockwork right now."

Chapman had a better day than he thought. "I thought it would be a little tougher. I think the wind and clouds made it better. But even if it gets sunny and hot with no wind, I think the fish will still bite pretty good." He's concentrating on a big-fish bite.

With the quality of fish in the lake, literally no one is out of the running yet, since all anglers fish all 3 days. As Gerald Swindle said, "I still think this tournament can be won in one day. This lake has that potential, if you can just get it figured out that one day."

About the event:
The Cabela's Top Gun Championship takes the 25 top-ranked bass anglers in the world, regardless of which tour or tours they fish, and puts them on the same body of water. The anglers are the best in the world according to the State Farm World Rankings, the only statistical rankings of professional bass fishermen.

The event is title-sponsored by outdoor outfitter Cabela's (www.cabelas.com), and is presented by Skeeter Boats (www.skeeterboats.com), the Outdoor Life Network (www.olntv.com) and BassFan (www.bassfan.com). Supporting sponsors include State Farm Insurance (www.statefarm.com), Mann's HardNose Baits (www.mannsbait.com), Bagley Bait Co. (www.bagleybait.com), Lowrance Electronics (www.lowrance.com), Oakley sunglasses (www.oakley.com) and Tru-Tungsten (www.tru-tungsten.com).

Television coverage:
The Cabela's Top Gun Championship telecast will air Saturday, Step. 24 at 10:00 a.m. EST on the Outdoor Life Network. Additional coverage of the event will appear on FOX Sports and OLN (Americana Outdoors and Fishing and Hunting Texas). Full 24/7 coverage will also be on BassFan.com.

Day 1 Standings

1. Toshinari Namiki -- Hachioji City, Japan -- 5, 14.42

2. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA -- 5, 13.89

3. Takahiro Omori -- Emory, TX -- 5, 12.06

4. Dean Rojas -- Grand Saline, TX -- 5, 11.79

5. Brent Chapman -- Shawnee, KS -- 5, 11.62

6. George Cochran -- Hot Springs, AR -- 5, 10.47

7. Michael Iaconelli -- Voorhees, NJ -- 5, 9.62

8. Edwin Evers -- Mannsville, OK -- 4, 9.42

9. Ron Shuffield -- Bismarck, AR -- 5, 9.35

10. Anthony Gagliardi -- Prosperity, SC -- 5, 9.21

11. Brian Snowden -- Reeds Springs, MO -- 5, 8.99

12. Matthew Herren -- Clay, AL -- 5, 8.93

13. Dave Lefebre -- Union City, PA -- 5, 8.74

14. David Walker -- Sevierville, TN -- 4, 7.64

15. Kevin Wirth -- Crestwood, KY -- 4, 6.20

16. Skeet Reese -- Auburn, CA -- 4, 6.09

17. Mark Tucker -- Kirkwood, MO -- 3, 5.85

18. Gerald Swindle -- Hayden, AL -- 3, 5.39

19. Terry Scroggins -- Palatka, FL -- 3, 5.39

20. Tim Horton -- Muscle Shoals, AL -- 2, 4.82

21. Scott Rook -- Little Rock, AR -- 2, 4.13

22. Jeff Kriet -- Ardmore, OK -- 1, 2.64

23. Scott Suggs -- Alexander, AR -- 0, 0.00

24. Marty Stone -- Linden, NC -- 0, 0.00

Tru-Tungsten Big Bass Award

> Day 1: Toshinari Namiki -- Hachioji City, Japan -- 5.52 -- $1,500

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