Shane Williams gave bass on Lake Sam Rayburn a double whammy to win the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, operated by American Bass Anglers, Texas Southeast Division 10 tournament, held June 19, 2010, out of Umphrey Pavilion.
Under a blistering Texas summer sky, the 30-year-old angler from Frierson, La., landed five bass weighing 18.01 pounds, including the 7.30-pound division lunker. To win the Boater Division and $3,300, he used follow-up tactics on the 144,000-acre lake near Jasper. He caught about 10 keepers, but lost a couple good fish in thick cover.
"In this heat, I fished little cuts where the peppergrass was growing in about seven to eight feet of water," Williams said. "I was throwing a white Spro frog, but following up with a 3/4-ounce black and blue Tru Trac Lures Flash jig on a 7.6-foot extra heavy Kistler rod. When a fish blew up on the frog, I had to get that frog out of there fast and drop that jig right in the middle of where it blew up. If it was two feet to the right or left, the fish wouldn't hit the jig."
Tommy Loving, 36, of Cypress, Texas, actually caught enough bass to win the event. He landed five bass weighing 18.67 pounds with one 6.77-pound kicker, but a malfunctioning livewell caused him to lose four bass. With the two pounds of penalties, his official tally dropped to 16.77 pounds. Still, he collected $1,496.
"I didn't get to practice in this event so I just fished places where I caught bass before," Loving said. "I threw a Kicker Fish Xplodin Toad around shallow grass and pads. The conditions were perfect for throwing a frog -- light wind and high skies. When throwing a frog, there's always a potential for a really big bite. In a good area, I put down the Power Pole and worked over the area thoroughly."
In third for the 72 boaters, Bradley Stringer, 36, of Huntington, Texas, landed a five-bass bag for 16.42 pounds to pocket $991. Catching about 15 keepers, he fished shallow.
"I stayed in one area all day," Stringer said. "I fished vegetation in about three to five feet of water with a Stanley Ribbit Frog and a Spro Frog. The bream are still on the beds and the bass are up there looking at them."
Daryl Todd Littleton of Shreveport, La., placed fourth with a five-bass tournament limit weighing 16.31 pounds. He anchored it with a 4.65-pounder. Rounding out the top five boaters, Jason Robertson of Pineville, La., caught five bass for 16.23 pounds with one 6.63-pounder.
In the Co-Angler Division, Ronnie Gibson, 39, of Huntsville, Texas, landed three bass for 11.04 pounds to win $1,445. He fished grass growing in three to five feet of water with a Snag Proof frog.
"The hotter it got, the bigger the fish got," Gibson remarked. "I didn't catch a big fish until 11:30 a.m. We caught them until 1 p.m."
Chris Baggett of Dayton, Texas and Rocky Wostal of Humble, Texas, tied for second place with 11.21 pounds. Baggett caught three bass and Wostal caught two, but each suffered a half-pound penalty. However, Wostal took home bragging rights for landing the tournament lunker, an 8.33 pounder.
In fourth for the non-boaters, Steven Utz of San Antonio, Texas caught two bass for 9.83 pounds. Larry Beauboeuf of Natchitoches, La., placed fifth with a three-bass division limit weighing 9.30 pounds, but actually caught 9.80 pounds before the penalty.
About American Bass Anglers: The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series provides weekend anglers a professionally operated competitive tour with a path the world championship of bass fishing the Bassmaster Classic. American Bass Anglers commitment is to provide low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers and the American Fishing Tour, The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, The American 150 Series or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
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