(Editors: If you have any SPECIFIC PHOTO NEEDS, please contact Jon Storm at jon(=no spam=)@bassfan.com.

More information on this inaugural "unification" tournament is available at http://www.bassfan/topgun.com . Media information, including releases, logos and angler photos, are available at: http://www.bassfan.com/topgun/media_center.asp .)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13, 2005

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

Chapman Takes Over Lead
But Eight Anglers Could Win
- Tight Finish At Cabela's Top Gun Championship -

FT. WORTH, Texas -- After the second of three days of competition, Kansas' Brent Chapman, the 9th-ranked pro bass angler in the world, leads the Cabela's Top Gun Championship being held here on Eagle Mountain Lake. But his lead is extremely slim. Chapman has 23.87 pounds, but Dean Rojas is about a fin's worth of weight behind with 23.74 pounds.

And by no means is it a two-man tournament. Any one of the top eight anglers can still win. Japan's Toshinari Namiki led yesterday and had just two fish today, but one was a 5.42-pounder. That was good enough to win the $1,500 Tru-Tungsten big bass award for the second day in a row, and it also helped him stay in contention. He is in 3rd place with 21.98 pounds.

Fifty-five-year-old George Cochran, who earned $500,000 this year for winning the FLW Tour Forrest L. Wood Championship and then finished 4th at the recent Bassmaster Classic, is 4th with 21.68 pounds. And Edwin Evers is in 5th with 20.32 pounds.

The other anglers who could pull out a win tomorrow are Alabama's Matt Herren (6th), Missouri's Brian Snowden (7th) and 2004 Bassmaster Classic winner Takahiro Omori (8th).

"It's awesome," Chapman said about leading going into the final day. "That means everybody behind you has to catch a fish tomorrow." Asked whether he feels any pressure, he said: "I'm going to go fishing tomorrow and worry about the fish, not about the fishermen."

Rojas said, "I've been in this position quite often the last few years, and I love it -- being right there in position to win. I'm fishing well, I've been getting a lot of bites every day and they're good ones. I look forward to tomorrow."

Namiki feels "very relaxed" being in 3rd even though he only caught two fish today. "I still have a chance to win because I have (the day's) big fish, and nobody knows how many big fish we can have. If I could have two fish like (today's 5-pounder), I might win with only two fish."

Cochran likewise likes his chances. "I'm only 2 pounds out of the lead, and it's very possible to catch 15 to 18 pounds here. And the way I'm fishing, I have a possibility of catching a big string."

Evers feels "really good" about being in 5th, 3 1/2 pounds out of the lead. "Being in contention to win going into the last day is all anyone ever asks for," he said. "I'm just one 4-pound bite away from winning this thing. I just need to catch five fish. This is an endurance race. You have to catch five every day to have an opportunity to win."

Because of the innovative weigh-in, tomorrow the anglers will not know their weights until the weigh-in show at the Cabela's in Ft. Worth (12901 Cabela Drive,
Ft. Worth, TX 76177, 817-337-2400). The final-day Cabela's weigh-in show begins at 5:30 p.m. CST tomorrow, Sunday, Aug. 14. But fishing fans should allow more time for autographs, and for shopping the boat and tackle show, and the massive Cabela's store.

This is a winner-take-all event. The anglers all get a $4,000 appearance fee, but only the winner -- who only has to beat 23 fishermen to win (one angler was disqualified for a rules violation before the tournament began) -- will get the $100,000 cash 1st-place prize.

About the event:
The Cabela's Top Gun Championship takes the 25 top-ranked professional bass fishermen 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, which rankings anglers who fish either or both of the pro fishing tours: the Bassmaster Tour and the FLW Tour.

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, Sept. 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 is on BassFan.com.

Day 2 Standings

(Place, Angler, Hometown, Tour(s) Fished, Day 1 Weight, Day 2 Weight, Total Weight)

1. Brent Chapman -- Shawnee, KS -- BASS/FLW -- 5, 11.62 -- 5, 12.25 -- 9, 23.87

2. Dean Rojas -- Grand Saline, TX -- BASS/FLW -- 5, 11.79 -- 5, 11.95 -- 10, 23.74

3. Toshinari Namiki -- Hachioji City, Japan -- FLW -- 5, 14.42 -- 2, 7.56 -- 7, 21.98

4. George Cochran -- Hot Springs, AR -- BASS/FLW -- 5, 10.47 -- 5, 11.21 -- 10, 21.68

5. Edwin Evers -- Mannsville, OK -- BASS -- 4, 9.42 -- 5, 10.90 -- 9, 20.32

6. Matthew Herren -- Clay, AL -- FLW -- 5, 8.93 -- 5, 10.08 -- 10, 19.01

7. Brian Snowden -- Reeds Springs, MO -- BASS -- 5, 8.99 -- 5, 9.23 -- 10, 18.22

8. Takahiro Omori -- Emory, TX -- BASS/FLW -- 5, 12.06 -- 3, 4.49 -- 8, 16.55

9. Terry Scroggins -- Palatka, FL -- BASS -- 3, 5.39 -- 5, 10.10 -- 8, 15.49

10. Skeet Reese -- Auburn, CA -- BASS -- 4, 6.09 -- 5, 8.54 -- 9, 14.63

11. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA -- BASS/FLW -- 5, 13.89 -- 0, 0.00 -- 5, 13.89

12. Ron Shuffield -- Bismarck, AR -- BASS -- 5, 9.35 -- 1, 3.21 -- 6, 12.56

13. Dave Lefebre -- Union City, PA -- FLW -- 5, 8.74 -- 2, 3.46 -- 7, 12.20

14. Kevin Wirth -- Crestwood, KY -- BASS -- 4, 6.20 -- 3, 5.81 -- 7, 12.01

15. Mark Tucker -- Kirkwood, MO -- BASS -- 3, 5.85 -- 3, 5.24 -- 6, 11.09

16. Michael Iaconelli -- Voorhees, NJ -- BASS/FLW -- 5, 9.62 -- 1, 1.38 -- 6, 11.00

17. Anthony Gagliardi -- Prosperity, SC -- FLW -- 5, 9.21 -- 1, 1.68 -- 6, 10.89

18. Marty Stone -- Linden, NC -- BASS -- 0, 0.00 -- 5, 10.93 -- 5, 10.43

19. Gerald Swindle -- Hayden, AL -- BASS -- 3, 5.39 -- 2, 5.03 -- 5, 10.42

20. David Walker -- Sevierville, TN -- BASS/FLW -- 4, 7.64 -- 2, 2.63 -- 6, 10.27

21. Scott Rook -- Little Rock, AR -- BASS -- 2, 4.13 -- 3, 4.79 -- 5, 8.92

22. Tim Horton -- Muscle Shoals, AL -- BASS -- 2, 4.82 -- 2, 2.94 -- 4, 7.76

23. Jeff Kriet -- Ardmore, OK -- BASS -- 1, 2.64 -- 2, 3.39 -- 3, 6.03

24. Scott Suggs -- Alexander, AR -- BASS/FLW -- 0, 0.00 -- 1, 2.67 -- 1, 2.67

Tru-Tungsten Big Bass Award
> Day 2: Toshinari Namiki -- Hachioji City, Japan -- 5.42 -- $1,500
> Day 1: Toshinari Namiki -- Hachioji City, Japan -- 5.52 -- $1,500

/00