My, oh my it’s May and it’s hot! So was the fishing for Bass Champs Central Region anglers on Lake Belton May 10. Anglers were not only fishing for the $56,750 awarded in cash and prizes, but with the season winding down they were also fishing for precious points in the race for Angler of the Year. It was one of the tightest stacking of weights we’ve seen so far, with mere hundredths of ounces separating the top spots.
The winners were Kenneth Fuller Jr and his son Kenneth Fuller III with a total of 17.20 pounds. “We drew a late number” Kenneth explained. “We ran up river and got the spot we wanted to fish. Someone else pulled up near us about 10 minutes later, but we had our spot.” It was a point that dropped off to 8′-10′ on either side, with a tree at the tip of the point sitting in about 4′. The front of the point dropped to 16′ and was holding some good fish. “We caught several fish there, including our kicker (7.44 pounds) that we caught around 7:30. After a few hours (the spot) just died.” They motored up and started hitting points working their way back to weigh in. “I really enjoy fishing with my son. He did a real good job today. I’d also like to thank my wife, daughter and whole family for their support.” Bass Champs presented them with the $20,000 1st place check and $200 extra for having the “Please Release Me” formula from Sure Life Industries in their live wells.
That’s not all! They just purchased a new Skeeter Boat from Fun N Sun a week ago, so they also won the Skeeter Boat Bonus of $5,000. “Thank you to all the guys at Fun N Sun for helping us get our boat in time!”
Their new Skeeter also makes them eligible for the New $10,000 Bonus that Fun-n-Sun Boating center just announced for the Bass Champs Championship. This is an exciting Bonus that Fun-n-Sun Owner, Jeff Gilbert put together exclusively for Bass Champs Anglers.
Chet Sutton & Jimmy Hester weighed in 17.12, just 8/100 under the Fullers to win 2nd place. “It started out really slow for us. We didn’t catch too many at first, only had two in the livewell by noon.” They were throwing Carolina rigs, targeting points with drop-offs nearby. “After the cloud cover burned off and the sun came out, fishing got a lot better.” Around 1:30, Chet was throwing a Carolina rigged watermelon brush hog and he got the bite they were looking for. “I knew it was a big bass as soon as I set the hook!” It weighed 9.46 pounds and was the biggest bass of the tournament! They won $5,000 for 2nd place, plus an additional $1,000 for Big Bass.
Brothers, Ronny & Eddy Maynard brought in 16.64 pounds securing a 3rd place finish. “The fishing was really slow at first. We caught three between two and three pounds first thing in the morning. It finally started picking up a little and we got five or six in the boat by 10:00” Ronny explained. Targeting points, they fished Texas and Carolina rigs in 5-10′ in the morning, backing out to deeper water, around 15-20′ in the afternoon. “We fished every point we came across. Even the ones inside of cuts, and all the way around each of them. We tried other lures, but the rigs were producing best.” They had a small limit to start out with, and just culled by ounces all day. “Around 2:30 we caught one that weighed 4 ½ pounds that we were able to cull a two pounder with. That helped a lot. We fished hard until the last minute. We knew we had a good chance to get a check, but had no idea we’d finish 3rd!” Bass Champs awarded them $3,000 for their finish. “We really appreciate Bass Champs. It’s exciting, and we really enjoy fishing with you. Even when we don’t get a check we have fun!”
Rounding out the top 10:
4th $2,000 16.44 lbs Phil Marks & Tim Reneau
5th $1,145 15.98 lbs Ken McKee & Bruce Stokes
5th $1,145 15.98 lbs Phillip Massoletti & Jack Meredith
7th $1,075 15.70 lbs Larry Pederzani & Roy Logan
7th $1,075 15.70 lbs Norman Wilson Sr & Norman Wilson Jr
9th $1,060 15.66 lbs Terry Cobble & Jimmy Cobble
10th $1,050 15.62 lbs Paul Landreth & Kenneth Wilkins
There is only one event left in the 2008 season for the Central Region. June 7 we’re heading to Choke Canyon. Good luck to all the teams!
Points standings update:
840 pts Allen Shelton & Heath Moody
825 pts Ronny Maynard & Eddy Maynard
796 pts Dean Alexander & Eric Crumley
785 pts Gerald Goff & Ed Matthews
783 pts Russell White & Michael Harman
The next stop for Bass Champs tournament trail will be at Cedar Creek with the North Region on May 17. Also, don’t forget to sign up for the richest two-day big bass event in the country. The Dodge Mega Bass tournament will be held on Lake Sam Rayburn July 26 & 27.
For information on any Bass Champs event, call 817-439-3274.
By: Bass Champs Staff Writer Patty Lenderman
