21st Annual Sam Rayburn McDonalds $560,000 Big Bass Splash,- Umphrey Family Pavilion, Lake Sam Rayburn, TX.The winds blew, the temperatures dropped, and the outlook at the McSplash looked bleak and iffy for the bass anglers, that is until 11 year old Brandon Adams felt a strong tug on his line. Brandon set the hook and his dad lipped a bass that could possibly clinch his sons 6:50am catch as setting a new record for the 21 year old Big Bass Splash circuit.
Day-1-ReCap; Day-1; It all came together this morning at 6:01am after KICKS 105.7 fm Radio made the long awaited broadcast of “Anglers, Start Your Casting! You could call this “HAWG-DAY” as Jerry Propst of Jasper TX, brought in a 10.53 lb lunker that nudged the early morning effort by Hal Hawthorne’s 10.34 lb McLunker to a 2nd place possibility. All three exact weight Triton bass-boats were recorded and awarded. Anglers were greeted with warm, but threatening weather as a late season cold front is predicted for second day competition.
Day-2; The predicted late season cold front had ARRIVED with gusting north winds and much cooler temperatures for 2nd day McBasser’s. But the leader-board shuffled the standings to include an 11 year old angler that could possibly set a new record for the McBass circuit as being the youngest angler “EVER” to win a Big Bass Splash event.
Top-5-McLeaders;
1-(11.57)- It was “WOW-TIME” during the 7am to 8am hour when 11 year old, Brandon Adams, of Florence TX, struggled up to the weigh-in stage with his early morning catch. “Eleven Pounds -point- five seven ounces, announced the weigh-master as the crowd began screaming and applauding the grinning youngster. Brandon was fishing with his dad who ran their Viper/Johnson bass-rig to Farmers flats. Brandon was working an Allstar rod and Abu-Garcia reel spooled with 17 lb test Berkley. “I was dragging a 10” black and blue Berkley Power worm when a sudden strong tug caused me to set the hook. “My dad immediately dropped what he was doing when he saw how big the bass was when it jumped, Brandon informed, further informing that his dad quickly spread-eagled along the gunnel saying “PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, DON’T GET OFF!!! As soon as I was able to reel the bass in close enough to the boat, Brandon stated, dad immediately reached out and put a “DEATH GRIP” on the bass and hauled it into the boat. After the exciting weigh-in, Bob Sealy managed to intimidate Brandon just a “wee-bit” on stage telling him that if his bass held out as the largest of this tournament that Brandon would become the youngest angler EVER to win a Big Bass Splash even! ..TIC…TIC…TIC!!
2-(10.53)- Jerry Propst of Jasper TX, managed to catch an 10.53 lb McLunker after running his Stratos/Evinrude bass-rig to Farmers grass to fish a TX rigged watermelon Mizmo lizard. Jerry was working his Allstar rod and Abu-Garcia reel when the big bass hit on a 1:45pm big bite. Jerry’s first day catch held over for day-2 overall in 2nd place overall position.
3-(10.34)-A BassCat/Mercury bass-rig took Dibol TX, angler, Hal Hawthorne to San Augustine flats where he worked his Titan rod and Shimano reel spooled with 17 lb test Bass-on line. “I had picked a four leaf clover from my yard and put it in my wallet before coming out to fish, stated Hal, and was really glad that I did! MR Hawthorne’s 7:15am first day catch held for 3rd place overall position after 2nd day competition.
4-(9.27)-A Triton/Mercury took Josh Ware, of New Caney TX, to Green Creek cypress trees to fish a Falcon rod and Shimano reel spooled with 15 lb test Berkley big game mono. Josh was working a Carolina-rigged lizard over a 7′ cypress point when the big fish hit on a 9:05am big bite. Josh’s first day bass held tight for 4th place overall position after day 2 competition.
5-(9.12)-A Zoom centipede rigged Carolina style and worked along a Buck Bay ditch-flat put Michael Cooley’s into the 5th place Overall slot after he fishing from his Cajun /Johnson bass-rig with a Shimano rod and reel spooled with 15 lb test Trilene. Michael’s day-1 catch caught on a 2:35 pm big bite landed his catch in the 5th place position after day-2 competition..
Day-1-Exact weight bass;
(3.0)-Randall Flukinger/LaPorte, TX-
(4.0)-Randy Runnels/Nacogdoches, TX-
(5.0)-Joe Smith-Woodville, TX-
Day-2-Exact weight bass-
(3.0)-Ben Avant from Downsville LA, ran his Ranger/Mercury bass-rig to Tiger Creek to work a BassPro rod and reel spooled with 20 lb test camo line. “It was well worth the wet ride, Ben informed after making his run to weigh his bass. He caught his $16,760 bass on a 7am bite while fishing a Carolina rigged 14” blue/chartreuse homemade worm along an 8′ grass edge, weighed it on a Rappala scale at 2.15 lbs and came in to claim his $16,650 Triton bass boat prize.
(4.0)-Dwayne Rawlinson of Nacogdoches TX, took his Aluma Craft/Evinrude up-lake to fish a shallow mossy area in Whippoorwill cove of the Harvey Creek area. A watermelon-seed Zoom lizard was his bait when the bass hit at 7:45am. “I was using a Wal-Mart Spin-cast combo, Dwayne stated after telling of weighing his fish on a Berkley scale where it digitized 3.8 lbs before bringing it in to claim his $16,750 Triton bass boat.
(5.0)-(UNCLAIMED)- The Triton Bas boat becomes a draw boat for final day activities.
Day-1-T-Shirt Bonus-(7.34)-Larry Richards/Hamshire,TX-$1,000
Day-2-T-Shirt Bonus-(8.68)-Douglas Knight-Fred, TX-
Day-2-Top Little Anglers;
Bass-Alan Medley-(4.60)
Catfish-Chelsea Fry-(1.33)
Perch-Matt Birdwell-(0.31)
Crappie-Tyler Gracedel-(0.33)
All bass were recovered and live released by the Sealy Outdoors fish recovery team-
Day-1- tally- 323 bass weighing 1,552 lbs-
Day-2- tally-244 bass weighing 1,122 lbs-
The $560,000 being offered in cash & prizes is expected to draw record numbers of anglers, as well as spectators to the three day long “Block Party” being held at The Umphrey Family Pavilion. Live entertainment will be provided all three days of the tournament along with. food, fun, refreshments, and plenty of family style excitement for those who arrive to watch the Big Bass Splash weigh-ins that start at 7am daily. Open and “FREE” to the public, daily concerts will begin after the weigh-in lines close at 3pm each day where “Louisiana Express” led off Friday with Tracy Lawrence headlining Saturday, and Zona Jones entertaining the crowd on Sunday. Several National professional fishing celebrities will also be on hand to mingle with the crowds each day of the tournament.
The 2005 Big Bass Splash is paying out 12 big bass places per hour for a total of 288 checks being paid for $154,800 in hourly wins. The first “exact weight” bass of 3.0-lbs, 4.0-lbs, and 5.0-lbs weighed-in each day of this event will award their anglers a Triton-TR1753/Mercury bass boat. Big Bass anglers will also be eligible for a final day elimination draw of a Triton-TR1753/Mercury bass boat.
But the top five biggest bass weighed-in during this three day long Big Bass Splash event will receive “OVERALL-PRIZE” awards with first place winning a $102,000 Sportsman’s Package of a Hummer H-2 “hitched” to a Triton-TR21XPDC/Mercury-225 Optimax bass boat. Second overall will receive a Dodge Sport Truck “hooked-up” with a Triton-TR165/Mercury bass boat, and third will win a Cherokee Travel Trailer. Fourth and fifth place overall finishers will receive Honda ATV four wheelers.
FREE ADMISSION, Outdoor attractions & exhibits, Family fun & excitement, Family activities & games, “FREE” outdoor concerts, AND a “FREE” chance to win and take home a Cherokee Travel Trailer on the final day of the tournament. So what are you waiting for folks, plan to attend this three day long Big Bass Splash weekend by bringing your lawn chairs out to the Umphrey Family Pavilion on April 22, 23, and 24th!
(Note; No coolers or food containers are allowed)
Sealy Outdoors Big Bass Splash sponsors; Triton- Mercury- Lowrance- MinnKota- Cherokee- Academy- Lucky Craft- Shimano- Maui Jim- Rejuvinade- Spike-It- FS- Eagle Claw- Texas Fish & Game- Pro-Tec- Rayburn Country- Ron Carter- Stanley- Rat-L-Trap- And the McBass Anglers.
For more information on the Big Bass Splash, as well as lodging, tournament site directions, and shuttle service for spectators, contact Sealy Outdoors Inc, (888)-698-2551- Rayburn Country Resort – (800)-882-1442, or Jasper/ Sam Rayburn Chamber of Comm-(409)-384-2762, or listen to the official Big Bass Splash radio KICKS 105.1 FM.
This Ed Snyder/Outdoors Tournament report sponsored by , The Jasper Newsboy, The Stump Restaurant & Club, The Bass Buster Inn, Rayburn Country Resort, and the Lake Sam Rayburn Pavilion Association.By: Ed Snyder / Ed Snyder Outdoors
