Our featured Angler for April is Dave Menard

On the map, the Mobile Delta, site of this month's B.A.S.S. Federation National Championship, "looks like the Chickahominy River on the left, the James River on the right, with the Dismal Swamp in between." So says Virginia qualifier David Menard, who notes that there are probably "500 or so guts and ditches that don't even show up on the map." He readily admits that when it comes to the Delta, which confounded the B.A.S.S. Top 150 pros earlier this season, he knows "not a thing." Nevertheless, the 47-year-old transfer driver from Richmond isn't intimidated. He has refused friends' offers to borrow their GPS units, instead choosing to pin his practice efforts on his own ability to break down the water, combined with liberal use of orange survey tape for navigational certainty.

Breaking down barriers is nothing new to Menard. When the Massachusetts native moved to Virginia in 1979, he had no experience with bass fishing, let alone tournament fishing. For no particular reason, when the BASS Masters Classic first came to Richmond in 1988, he decided to attend, and he was intrigued. Later that year, a random encounter with a member of Region 3's Richmond Bassmasters fueled his interest more, and he began fishing club and federation events.

In 1990, Menard worked the third James River Classic as a driver, telling the pros he chauffeured to and from the coliseum that one day he would be in their seat. Now he is only one step away.

Menard qualified for the Virginia state team through the 2000 Six Man Chapter Team tournament. Although he fished near Clarksville during practice, during the tournament he turned to the lower end of the lake, positioning the boat in five to six foot depths and throwing a Carolina rig into water as shallow as eight inches. The key, he said, was using a half-ounce weight. When he tried a heavier weight, the bite shut off.

Qualifying as a non-boating member of the state team, Menard again put the Carolina rig to good use at the Eastern Divisional last September on the Potomac River, a body of water on which he's had previous success. The official practice period was marred by "unbelievable winds," which caused serious damage to some competitors' boats. Menard launched in protected Mattawoman Creek on each practice day, searched for something subtle, and is convinced that he found a previously unknown area where the fish would come up "to grab sun and warm up."

On the first tournament day, he took his partner to his spot. His partner, however, refused to spend the requisite time there and, although they returned later in the day, only Menard was able to catch a limit that day. Menard's second and third-day partners allowed him to spend adequate time Carolina rigging his area, and as a result the two competitors, Michael Wolfenden from Rhode Island and Bill Lentine of Massachusetts, will join him this month in Alabama. They may be using the plastic bait that Menard says allows him to make a unique presentation, but he won't identify the lure.

Menard credits his wife Kathy, and soon-to-be 15 year old daughter Dana, for allowing him to pursue his passion of tournament fishing. Additionally, he says much of his fishing success is a result of the manner in which the Richmond Bassmasters conduct their draw. They draw individually for each tournament, and no tow anglers may be paired twice in the same season. As a result, all fishermen are exposed to a variety of techniques and angling styles.

He encourages fellow state federation members, notably some who have spent a lot more time than Menard trying to advance to the Classic, to "keep on trying, because when you get there it's worth every minute." For now, he's "taking it one tournament at a time, trying to outfish 12 experienced competitors" and catch a ride into the Superdome, chauffeured by a Federation member with dreams like those Menard had 11 years ago.