With post “Ivan” conditions providing near “purrrr-fect” fishing weather the big bass bite was definitely on for the Lake Fork McBass anglers as they managed to catch, weigh, and record nineteen “over-slot” bass from this amazing fishery with the Top-5 bass leader board marks of 10.87, 10.67, 10.17, 10.09, and 10.07 lb bass……Incredible!!
With $325,000 “GUARANTEED” to be awarded in cash & awards for this event roughly 3,800 anglers from 32 states and two countries arrived to fish this 20th Year Celebration of the Lake Fork Big Bass Splash. All three days would allow these anglers to weigh-in for the top-10 hourly cash prizes of $1,200 at the top-end all the way down to $200 for the bottom-line, for a total of $158,400 paid out for all three days. The Mcbass anglers would also try to nab an exact weight bass each day of 2.5 lbs that would land them a $12,500 Triton 163/Mercury bass rig. The largest bass weighed-in from this event that would hold up as the biggest “overall” bass of the tournament will net the angler a $60,000 Hummer H2.
Day-1- McCap; Despite threatening skies from “Ivan-II” 10 bass were weighed-in over the 24″ slot-limit, which set the stage for breaking the record of 12 “over-slot” bass weighed-in at a Lake Fork Big Bass Splash event last year. 1st Mcleader-(10.87)- Don Latham of Mansfield LA, “mums” the word on the hows, where’s and what’s until Sunday”. 2nd McLeader-(10.09)- Daniel Gentry of Princeton TX, was dragging a 22′ main-lake point when a 10.09 lb bass hit his Carolina rigged root beer Berkley Power worm. 3rd McLeader-(10.07)- Kevin Maxwell of Marshall TX, was working a Texas rigged camo brush-hog along a 17′ Burch Creek timber-line when his big bass hit at 6:10am. Day-1 Exact Weight (2.5-lbs)- Leslie Singleton of Duncanville TX, winning a Triton/Mercury bass-rig valued at $12,500.
Day-2- Post Ivan weather conditions provided excellent fishing conditions for the McBass anglers as they managed to catch, weigh, and record nine more Lunkers OVER the 24 inch slot. But the real money makers were the UNDER 16 inch slot bass that were racking up the bulk of the $158,400 being paid out to the top 10 hourly bass weighed-in.
1st Day-2-McBass-(10.67)- Butch Webb of Forney TX, was fishing a TX rigged 6″ black/blue Toledo worm along the sloping ledges of a Sun Eagle Bay grass-point when his big bass hit on a 9:30 am big bite.
2nd Day-2-McBass-(10.17)- Tommy Smith of Texarkana was cranking the Running Creek area with a shad colored Storm bait when his big bass hit on a12:15pm big bite while “ticking” timber in 27′ of water. (NOTE; Tommy weighed his bass in during the T-Shirt bonus hour, but alas & doggone-it, he didn’t have the T-Shirt and LOST the $1,000 McBonus.
3rd Day-2-McBass-(9.67)- Jerry Sanders of Burleson TX, was fishing a creek behind the Public Hump area with a lime green Pop-R when his big bass hit while working a “bank-shallow” moss-patch at 7:50 am.
4th Day-2-McBass-(9.61)- Kevin Gray was draggin’ & tickin’ a watermelon/red-core Culprit worm through some 12′ timber near Val’s Landing when his big bass hit on a 9am big bite.
5th Day-2-McBass-(8.85)- Howard Skinner of Eldorado ARK, was working a TX rigged blue-fleck Berkley Power worm along a 10′ timber ridge near the east side of the 515 bridge when his big bass hit on a 12:10 pm big bite.
Day-2-Exact Weight (2.50) bass- was caught by Rick “Depth-Finder” Glenn of Wichita KS, while working a TX rigged Zoom 5″ finesse worm up in Burch Creek. Then, right after he caught and landed the fish at 8:50 am, Glenn’s boat hit a stump where he was “catapulted” out into the lake. “We had to run him to the motel room to change clothes after we “rescued” him, chuckled fishing buds, brother Gene, and Stan Edmunds, then he weighed the bass to claim the 2.5 exact-weight $12,500 Triton/Mercury bass-rig. Rick weighed his bass on a Berkley digital scale that registered it at 2.5 lbs.
Overall McLeader-(10.87)- Don Latham of Mansfield, LA.
All Mcbass were recovered and live released via Sealy Outdoors and Lake Fork Association Live release krewes. Day-1 tally-471 bass weighing 928 lbs-Day-2 Tally-399 bass 766 lbs.
Bass Boat Raffle Fundraiser-Lake Fork Land’s End VFD -1996 Ranger/Mercury- For Fire Fighting Equipment funds- (903)- 383-7496.
Bass Boat Raffle Fundraiser- Lake Sam Rayburn Pavilion Assn: 2004 Triton/Mercury- for the Lake Sam Rayburn Pavilion construction funds- (409)-382-5478.
For more information on the Sealy Outdoors Inc; freshwater and saltwater tournament events contact Sealy Outdoors at (1-888)-698-2591.
2004 Sealy Outdoors Big Bass Splash Sponsors; Triton- Mercury- Shimano- Academy- Ron Carter Chevrolet- Cowboy Harley- Vexilar Electronics- Texas Fish & Game magazine- Cherokee RV- Gulp- Trilene- MinnKota- Louisiana Sportsman- Polar Eyes- Rejuvenade- Weaver Brothers- Port-A-Cool- Wave Worms- Dawson Marine- Lowrance- Reeves taxidermy- Berkley- Costa Del Mar- AND the Lake Fork McBass Anglers-
This Ed Snyder/Outdoors Tournament Report sponsored by , The Stump Restaurant & Club, Bass Buster Inn, Rayburn Country Resort, Party Perfect, Hollis Tire, and The Lake Sam Rayburn Pavilion Association.By: Ed Snyder / Ed Snyder Outdoors
