It seems as though every time Bret Winegardner’s wife Heather gives birth to a newborn child, Bret celebrates by winning a major tournament on Deep Creek lake a few days later.

You may recall that back on June 18, 1999, in the MBF Deep Creek Trail Tournament, Winegardner loaded the boat with an eleven pound bag of bass just a few days after his first daughter, Morgan Lee opened her eyes into this world.

Then on September 18, 2002, his second daughter, Mckenzie Nicole was born and a few days later, Bret robs the cradle again with a two day total of 10 bass weighing 24 pounds and 6 ounces to win the 2002 Western Regional State Qualifier on Deep Creek Lake.

Wingardners penchant for baby’s and bass have us all thinking that fertility leads to fortune.

Armed with a Bigmouth 3/4 ounce white spinner bait with a small number three gold blade and a perch colored Pop X, "Daddy Winegardner" slow-rolled and top-watered his way to the winners circle.

Known for his expertise in skipping soft plastics under docks, Winegardner soon realized this pattern wouldn’t produce the fish he needed to win the event. "The docks had been getting a lot of pressure all week during practice and the fish got skittish," he said. "I knew the best route was to develop a deep water pattern that other fishermen had abandoned."

Both mornings, Bret would run to a small point near Holy Cross that had always produced some decent smallmouths in the fall. Fishing the Pop X over 15 feet of water each morning produced two smallies in the first 30 minutes respectively. And when this window of opportunity closed, Winegardner brought out the heavy spinnerbait.

Winegardner, a part-time guide for Ken Penrod’s Life Outdoors Unlimited, targeted deeper grass lines adjacent to the docks that had given up fish for him all summer while guiding clients on the lake.

Wadding his way through a prolific population of chain pickerel, Bret managed a respectable limit of largemouths the first day and a miraculous limit the second weighing almost 16 pounds, including both four and a five pound largemouths.

Joseph Bell from Boonesboro Bassmasters turned in a second place finish that included the big fish of the tournament that weighed six pounds, two ounces. Bell’s two day total of nine fish weighed twenty pounds, nine ounces.

Rounding up third place was Bruce Shives with two five bass limits weighing eighteen pounds, six ounces

The Western Region wishes to thank Western Regional Director Earl Jenkins Jr., his work crew and the support of the Garrett Bassers who manned a concession stand and returned fish to the lake.