I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I?
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost, 1920
The 2010 C.A.S.T. Classic had some of our couples taking very well beaten paths.The majority of which seemed to run through “lily pads” and “shallow grass”!
However, Doug & Bettie Taylor “took the one less traveled by” and came away with the 2010 C.A.S.T. Classic Championship!!!Doug & Bettie fished the Ark-Tex Region in 2010 enjoying a close to the vest kind of year; flying under everyone’s radar so to speak.Their best finish of the year came in the Ark-Tex’s final tournament on Cypress Springs in sixth.
Sam Rayburn‘s Harvey & Mud Creeks had numerous boats in and around the lily pads, stumps, and shallow grass; all throwing frogs, swim jigs, and flukes.Basically pounding the obvious bass hide outs, while the Taylors went unnoticed, as everyone else buzzed past them.
Doug & Bettie even managed to slip under the “Calcutta” radar on Friday night; going for just $60.00 in the annual team auction. Russell & Allyson Glenewinkel were the proud owners of the Taylor’s now valuable card; $4373.00 worth!!
Using their own skills and tactics Doug & Bettie fished Harvey & Mud Creeks using more conventional bass rigs; carolina-rigged baby brush hogs, Texas-rig blue fleck worms, and a couple jigs.Fishing on the “perimeter” of the creeks while targeting submerged grass edges, our stealthy couple’s day culminated in seven keeper bass, culled to a hefty sack weighing 17.95 lbs! A respectable total enabling them to take the day one lead in the event. Bettie, who fishes Carolina & Texas-rigs regularly, opted to give a jig some exercise, managing to land her “first” jig fish ever, an excellent contribution to their heavy bag!Everyone remembers their first “jig” fish!
Sunday would bring some doubt and trepidation to the Taylor’s tournament weekend!First fish of the morning on Sunday, Doug’s jig broke off leaving nothing but a huge swirl in the water!It was a solid keeper and as it turns out, would have been, the fish that should have filled out their limit. Bringing in only four fish on the final day weighing 14.19 lbs. Doug & Bettie had to sweat the outcome. With the likes of Landan & Becky Ware weighing in 19.83 lbs, Joe & Susie Moss with 18.44 lbs, Gary Martin & Melinda Mullins, 18.06 lbs, and David & Tammy Waller with 17.30 lbs.; Doug & Bettie did not know the 2010 C.A.S.T. Classic was their championship alone until the second place couple, Rod & Rosanne Simpson’s names were called ahead of their own!!
Bettie told Doug when that first fish disappeared Sunday morning, “we need to pray for a little help.” Their prayers were answered with a $9373.00 championship victory. The entire C.A.S.T. family wishes Doug & Bettie Taylor, CONGRATULATIONS. They did it by “taking the road less traveled by” “and that has made all the difference”!!!
by John & Grace Watts
C.A.S.T.By: John and Grace Watts,
