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TEAM TOURNAMENT
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| Date: | | May 11, 2013 |
| Region: | | 2013 North Region |
| Tournament: | | Lake Tawakoni |
| Tournament Trail: | | 2013 Bass Champs Tournament Trail |
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| Father and Son hit it big on Tawakoni at Bass Champs |
| By: Patty Lenderman |
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111% - That’s the kind of payback enjoyed by Bass Champs anglers! Lake Tawakoni was the host lake for the North Region on May 11, where over $46,000 was doled out in cash and prizes. A father and son team took on this highly competitive group to come out on top winning over $16,000 in cash and prizes.
It was extremely windy on Tawakoni for nearly 300 anglers launching 150 boats on this lake. Every angler had the coveted $15,000 guaranteed 1st place check in their line of site as they started their day on the lake. All it would take was three fish – but catching the right three was the big trick.
Participants have the option of pre-registering for tournaments, knocking out that step on tournament morning or they can opt to register the morning of. Carl and Jason Todd opted for the latter, and it was just the beginning of a crazy day for them.
“We got together that morning, and when we went to unhook the batteries from the charger, we found that one of them didn’t charge.” They knew they were going to need that battery with the high winds they would be battling against. They decided to head to their shop where they had a quick charge system for their battery. Their early morning start was now delayed, but “we stayed calm, didn’t get excited. We made it to Holiday Marina to get signed up for the tournament at 5:40am. The line was really long.” They finally launched their boat at 6:25am, and arrived at their first spot at 6:50. Carl laughed, “We normally fish out of Jason’s 22 ft boat, but on this windy day we fished out of my 18 footer.” Starting out with buzz baits along shallow shorelines, on their tenth cast they christened their livewell with a five pounder. “By 9:50, we had three fish in the boat. We decided to move to another spot, and caught three more, culling two of our original limit.” Continuing on to other areas, they entered a small cove. “This cove was only big enough for two boats, and another contender was coming in at the same time. We asked him which side he wanted, and he picked the left side so we fished the right side.” Once each of them had finished their sides, they switched. Now using Texas rigged brush hogs, Jason made a cast to the shoreline. “That’s when he got the bite in about a foot of water. It was not a bedding fish, and the water dropped to 5’ deep close by.” As soon as he set the hook, the bass jerked him back and bowed him up - he knew it was a big one. Then she jumped, and it was confirmed. “Dad – get the net! It’s a big one!” Carl laughed again. “He told me ‘she’s 10 pounds! Don’t you miss, don’t knock it off with the net – she’s BIG!’ Then it got really crazy because when I tried to get the net there were several rods on top of it and it was all tangled up.” Carl got the net free and successfully landed the fish. “We made our last cull with this fish, and it really helped. We threw back a two pounder for this one.” Bringing their limit to the scales, their big one was not quite 10 pounds. It locked in at 7.14 lbs and held up for Big Bass of the tournament! Adding in their other two, their total was 14.70 lbs, winning the tournament by a mere two ounces. Bass Champs presented them with the guaranteed $15,000 check for 1st place, and another $1,000 for Big Bass. Bass Champs sponsors kicked in even more. They won two more Revo Reels, the Costa Del Mar bonus and the SureLife Bonus as well. “Jason called his wife to tell her all about it, and she was at a friends birthday party. She congratulated him, then asked ‘what does it pay?’ He told her, $15,000. Then he had to spell it out because she just didn’t believe what she was hearing. 1-5-0-0-0 dollars!!!!! WHAT??? No S#%^#???” Carl has been fishing Bass Champs off and on, for four or five years. This season he and his son decided to fish it together. “There is nothing better than winning one of these with your son. We would both like to thank our wives Tanya and Amanda for their encouragement!”
2nd place and $5,000 was won by Gerald Barbour and Matt Hitt with 14.50 lbs, followed by 3rd place winners Doug Whitley and Bryan Harrison with 12.47 for a $3,000 check.
Keith Ivy Jr and Arthur Tucker kept raking it in for their 4th place $2,000 finish. First, being the highest qualified team in a Skeeter boat they doubled their winnings to $4,000. Then, because Keith also purchased a qualified Dodge Ram truck, they won that bonus giving him free entries into any Bass Champs tournaments for the next 12 months – adding more than $7,500 more value to their winnings. They wrapped up their day with another $500 from FNS Cash Card.
They weren’t the only ones that were awarded by Bass Champs sponsors. Fun N Sun added $500 to the winnings for Johnny Matthews and Jeff Arnold who finished in 12th place with 10.45 lbs.
Twenty one teams shared in the cash and prizes. The last $600 check was earned by Dustin Reneau and Jared Taylor who had 9.99 lbs.
Ok – there are only FIVE CHANCES left this year! Bass Champs has already paid out MILLIONS of dollars this season, and they’re not done yet.
Remaining 2013 events:
May 28 – (Central) Travis
June 1 – (South) Falcon
June 14 – (East) Sam Rayburn
June 22 – (North) Ray Roberts
June 29 – (Central) Belton
Bass Champs will be hosting the 20th Annual Skeeter Owner’s Tournament on Lake Fork June 8-9. There will be $250,000 up for grabs in this commemorative event, including an all new Skeeter FX20 with a Yamaha SHO250 for the biggest fish caught over the slot, and a Skeeter ZX200 powered by Yamaha will be awarded to the angler catching the biggest fish under the slot! With family activities, several divisions to compete in, more prizes being given away, all hosted by the renowned Fish Fishburn – it is a tournament you don’t want to miss!
Also make plans to participate in the 8th Annual Berkley Big Bass tournament on Lake Fork October 19-20. Ten places will be paid each hour, plus exact weight bonuses! Two Skeeter boats will be won, each powered by Yamaha, to the biggest fish over and the biggest fish under the slot.
So many opportunities to win! For information on any Bass Champs tournament, click to www.BassChamps.com or call 817-439-3274
The North Region is now over the halfway mark in its five season events. The points accumulated at each tournament continue to calculate top teams in the Anglers of the Year race. At this juncture, two teams are tied in lead position. With two tournaments in this region left to go, the top five teams are:
515 pts Donald Prince & Donny Prince
515 pts Even O’Brien & James Henderson
502 pts Stan Lawing & JD Laughery
501 pts Terry Johnson & Bill Gammons
497 pts Kevin Dritschler & Tim Brockway
There are only FIVE tournaments left in the 2013 Bass Champs season.
May 18 – (Central) Travis
June 1 – (South) Falcon
June 14 – (East) Sam Rayburn
June 22 – (North) Ray Roberts
June 29 – (Central) Belton
Bass Champs will be hosting the 20th Annual Skeeter Owner’s Tournament on Lake Fork June 8-9. There will be $250,000 up for grabs in this commemorative event, including an all new Skeeter FX20 with a Yamaha SHO250 for the biggest fish caught over the slot, and a Skeeter ZX200 powered by Yamaha will be awarded to the angler catching the biggest fish under the slot! With family activities, several divisions to compete in, more prizes being given away, all hosted by the renowned Fish Fishburn – it is a tournament you don’t want to miss!
Also make plans to participate in the 8th Annual Berkley Big Bass tournament on Lake Fork October 19-20. Ten places will be paid each hour, plus exact weight bonuses! Two Skeeter boats will be won, each powered by Yamaha, to the biggest fish over and the biggest fish under the slot.
So many opportunities to win! For information on any Bass Champs tournament, click to www.BassChamps.com or call 817-439-3274
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