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TO THE TEXAS OUTDOOR ZONE RADIO SHOW
Country
Line Magazine/Texas Outdoor Zone Fishing Team
with
Don Gordon
Skeeter Bass Champs' last event of the 2007 season
was held June 9 on Lake Choke Canyon in Three Rivers, Texas. A saying
from my childhood—save the best for last—came to mind while
pre-fishing this tournament.
Brandon Day and Aurbrey Balfor might have felt a little discouraged
when they drew a take-off number of 186, but that didn't last long.
When they arrived at their starting water they were surprised that it
was unoccupied. They immediately went to work throwing Texas rigged
ten-inch power worms into trees flooded in fifteen feet of water. The
fish were scattered so it took the team all day to catch a limit. Brandon
and Aurbrey lost one big fish, but held the lead with a total weight
of 35.70lbs.
Second place went to Jody Jackson and Loy White with a weight of 31.20lbs.
I met Jody on Thursday before the tournament and gave him an assortment
of Grand Bass Rattlesnakes to use on Saturday. Jody and Loy caught all
of their fish on Texas rigged Rattlesnakes. They positioned their boat
in fifteen feet of water and threw to isolated bushes in twelve to fourteen
feet of water. Jody said, "This is the second time we've used these
baits—they're just incredible!"
Rich Shock and Jared Poole broke the record for Skeeter Bass Champs
"Big Bass" by landing a 13.02lbs hog. Rick caught the fish
in thirty-five feet of water fishing a "drop-off" using a
three-quarter ounce jig. He said that the fish gave him about "three
heart attacks—the two times she jumped and then when she was netted."
1st Brandon Day/Aurbrey Balfor 35.70lbs $20,000.00
(Skeeter Bonus) $5000.00 (Please Release Me Bonus) $200.00
2nd Jody Jackson/Loy White 31.20lbs $3000.00
3rd Eugene Rewell/Donald Crisp 27.22lbs $2000.00
4th Ryan Erskine/Glen Erskine 25.32lbs $1200.00
5th Gregg Perkins/Ted Sprencel 23.30lbs $1100.00
6th Dale Read/Chris Mattice 23.08lbs $1050.00
Twenty-three places were paid. A $1000.00 Big Bass bonus went to Rick
Shock and Jarad Poole. Skeeter Bass Champs 2007 Anglers of the Year,
Charles Gerhart and David Shuster, won free entries for the 2008 tournament
season.
Upcoming events: Skeeter Bass Champs Championship October 27-28, Lake
Sam Rayburn
Combining Central and South Regions
1st Place $30,000.00
Dodge Mega Bass
July 29, Lake Sam Rayburn
Hourly Big Bass Tournament
First place every hour: A Dodge pick up truck!
For more info call: 817-439-3274 or www.basschamps.com
Last month, when I mentioned the extreme weather of the 2007 season
I spoke of the cold and the wind, but the one element left out arrived…rain!
The final event of the Fishers of Men tournament trail had to be relocated
due to flooding Lake Belton. The new lake chosen was Lake Buchanan.
It had recently filled, and the floodgates were running on Friday, the
practice day before the tournament. The rapidly falling water turned
the fish off, and all of the fishermen I spoke to were struggling for
a bite. Accordingly, the results are not as large as they could have
been, but all in all good work on a hard day.
1st M. Van Broklin/R. Grounds 13.79lbs
2nd D. Read/P. Carmen 11.48lbs
3rd L. Wenmohs/M. Clark 10.04lbs
4th T. Sink/D. Bailey 8.45lbs
5th P. Smith/G. Smith 7.18lbs
6th R. Jacoby/K. Howell 7.10lbs
Anglers of the Year 2007
1st D. Read/P. Carmen
2nd L. Wenmohs/M. Clark
3rd M. Van Broklin/R. Grounds
4th P. Smith/G Smith
5th R. Crabb/M. Garret
6th E. Olson/T. Turner
7th R. Jacoby/K. Howell
8th D. Gordon/J. Patureau
9th J. Meredith/J. Meredith
10th B. Burns/J. Roberts
Fishers of Men Regional Tournament
October 26 & 27 Atchafalaya Basin
Morgan City, Louisiana
I would like to dedicate this page to my dad who always had time to
take me fishing. Henry Churchill Gordon 1915-2007
- Thanks Dad.
