What a perfect Spring day on Sam Rayburn for the fourth Spring Series tournament at Bass N Bucks. Two hundred eight teams barraged Sam Rayburn in search of the biggest and the best bass, and well over half the field found their limits. Trey Morgan and Jeff Holder pulled it off, winning 1st place overall with 21.99 lbs and Big Bass honors with their 8.79 lb kicker. There were a lot of ties in this event, exemplifying the tight race these anglers compete in.
Trey Morgan and Jeff Holder are a consistently strong team, and for this event their consistency took them all the way to the top. “We fished the 147 bridge, flipping the bushes with green pumpkin and black neon tubes and craws in 4′-6′. We had our first limit in the boat by 9 am, and it weighed about 17 lbs. Jeff caught the big bass at 8:30 on a craw worm. We caught fish all day, about 20 total and out of them 19 were keepers. The best bite was between 9-12:00, and we culled almost all of our first limit”-Trey Morgan. They won $10,000 for their sack, and an additional $1,000 from Kicker Fish Bait Co. for Big Bass. They would like to thank Ranger, Yamaha, Castaway and Suffix Fishing Line.
In 2nd place with 20.38 lbs was the team of Mark and Paul Porter. These brothers Carolina rigged watermelon seed baby brush hogs all day, with the exception of one on a chartreuse tandem gold/silver willow blade spinnerbait. “We went to our go to’ spot” stated Mark. “This is our first year fishing Bass N Bucks, and we’re having a ball. We’ve improved at each tournament, and now we’ve won 2nd place!” They fished secondary points in 6-8′ outside the brush. “There was a little hydrilla there, we could feel it every now and then on the end of our line. Mark caught our kicker (8.05 lbs) at 9:00. We only had about 18 pounds in the boat at 10:00, but we were able to cull to 20. We had a great day!”
Randy Turner and Jerry McMullen took 3rd place just 2/100 of an ounce behind 2nd place with 20.36 lbs. They too flipped the bushes with 10″ Texas rigged watermelon red worms. Staying outside the bushes in 5-6′, they were struggling to put their limit together. At noon they only had three keepers in the boat. Changing spots, from 12-2:00 the bite got better for them and they finished up their limit and then culled their whole sack. “If we had another hour, we could have won but we just ran out of time. We were in the first flight and we had to pack it in and get back.”
Top teams
| 1st | 21.99 lbs | $10,000 | Trey Morgan & Jeff Holder |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | 20.38 lbs | $ 4,000 | Paul Porter & Mark Porter |
| 3rd | 20.36 lbs | $ 3,000 | Randy Turner & Jerry McMullen (+ $1,000 Champion Bonus) |
| 4th | 19.91 lbs | $ 2,800 | Martin Elshout & Mark Price |
| 5th | 19.79 lbs | $ 1,500 | Steve Dillard & Eddie Reel |
| ….and last | in the money… | ||
| 35th | 15.43 lbs | $ 400 | Ryan Ganey & Joe Coatney |
| Big Bass | 8.79 lbs | $1,000 | Trey Morgan & Jeff Holder (Kicker Fish Bait Co.) |
Total fish weighed: 769
Total tournament weight: 205.70
Avg weight per fish: 2.68 lbs
“This year is really great” stated David Concienne, tournament director. “We have such a range of teams, from the weekend warrior to world class pro’s and everyone in between. We’ve got about 20 new teams at this event, and we’re just happy to keep doin’ what we’re doin’ and watch each one get better and better.”
The Angler of the Year race is tight. Coming into this event, the top 5 teams were:
| Points | Team |
|---|---|
| 780.58 | Harley Wilson & Mike Atchley |
| 769.66 | Mark Price & Martin Elshout |
| 744.68 | Greg Christian & Bill Wilcox |
| 735.72 | Mike Cortelloni & Stephen Johnston |
| 725.09 | Jerrel Pringle & Jeff Wooldridge |
There’s a lot going on at Bass N Bucks this year. One more tournament will wrap up the 1st series on May 15th, Toledo Bend at Cypress Bend. Every team who registered for every event in the 1st series qualifies for the Championship that will pay out over $150,000 in cash and prizes, including a Toyota Tundra pick up from Southeast Texas Toyota, AND three fully rigged Champion Boats.
Don’t worry – it’s not over yet! The 2nd series starts June 18th on Sam Rayburn. The top 20 by points can qualify for the Championship with this series of 3 events. It gets even better. The top three couples (man & woman team) will also qualify. There are so many ways to win at Bass N Bucks, just sign up, join the fun and start winning!
For more information, please call 409-727-8941, visit Bass N Bucks website or email to [email protected].
Official 2005 Bass N Bucks sponsors include: Champion Boats, Mercury Motors, Southeast Texas Toyota Dealers, Lowrance, Minnkota, Shimano, Wulf Outdoor Sports, Kicker Fish Bait Company, Rat-L-Trap, Snag Proof, Xtools, Dual Pro Charger, Power Tech Propellers and Stanley Baits
Other sponsors include: Fishingworld.com, Super 8 Motel, ProRule, McFerrin Insurance, BassMedics Rejuvenade, The Stump Restaurant, Ann’s Tackle Shop, Need More Tackle, Rayburn Tackle, Piney Point Plaza, Holiday Inn Express and Toledo Town & Tackle.
For complete tournament standings click here for .pdf fileBy: Patty Lenderman / Lakecaster
