21st Annual Sam Rayburn McDonalds Big Bass Splash,- Umphrey Family Pavilion, Lake Sam Rayburn, TX. With $560,000 up for grabs at Rayburn’s Big Bass Splash the competitive level was expected to be at extreme levels, but just the opposite seemed to be the reality as thousands of McBassers high-fived, howdied, hugged, and thumbs-upped other fellow anglers before dragging, flipping, cranking, and slow-rolling their chosen big bass baits. For these “Extreme” anglers were of the McBass family clan who were fishing their 21st Annual McUnion.
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! And with that still echoing across the 114,000 acres of Big Sam, an estimated 5,000 anglers, who had arrived from 38 states, began cranking, dragging, flipping, and slow-rolling their bass patterns within the nooks and crannies of Lake Sam Rayburn’s 650 miles of shore-lined bass-cover. You could call this “HAWG-DAY” as the top-5 bass, representing 48.40 lbs, were weighed-in to claim the top-5 overall slots. These first day bass would be the weights to beat for the tournament. PLUS all three exact weight bass were recorded and awarded for the first day of competition……….AWESOME!!
1-(10.53)- Jerry Propst of Jasper TX, managed to upset the apple cart with his last hour weigh-in of a 10.53 lb McLunker that nudged Hal Hawthorne’s 10.34 lb McLunker to the 2nd place leading position. Jerry ran 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 at 1:45pm. Jerry won $1,000 for the hour but could win the “overall” Sportsman’s Package valued at $102,000 if his bass held out until the final day.
2-(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! Now, that almost became an understatement if MR Hawthorne’s 7:15am catch held for the first day competition, but alas and doggone it, a final hour weigh-in by Jerry Propst nudged his 10.34 lber down to a 2nd place possibility for winning a Dodge truck hitched to a Triton bass boat. Hal caught his bass while fishing a bubble gum Senko around an 8′ grass-bed to win $1,000..
3-(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 for $1,000.
4-(9.12)-A Zoom centipede rigged Carolina style and worked along a Buck Bay ditch-flat put $900 in Michael Cooley’s pocket after he fished from his Cajun/Johnson bass-rig with a Shimano rod and reel spooled with 15 lb test Trilene. Michael caught his big bass on a 2:35 pm big bite to land his 4th place position.
5-(9.04)- A watermelon seed “Spermy Squirt” and an 8′ hydrilla clump proved to be the right combination for Jerry Williams of Longview TX, after he ran his Champion/Mercury bass-rig to Caney Creek. Jerry was working a Shimano rod and reel spooled with 20 lb test big game mono with a Zoom “Spermy Squirt” when the big bass hit on a 10:20am big bite for $1,000.
Exact Weight Bass-
(3.0)- Randy Flukinger of Pasadena TX, was fishing out of a Astro/Mercury bass-rig when he caught his 3.0 while fishing Farmers Flats. “I was working a chrome/black Super Spook over 3′ Johnson grass, Randy informed, when the bass hit at 6:30am, and not really thinking it would weigh 3.0 lbs I came on in before weighing it on a Berkley scale where it digitized 3.1 lbs. Randy was fishing with an American Rodsmith rod and Shimano reel spooled with 15 lb test P-line. Randy weighed-in his $16,760 Triton bass boat bass at 7:06am.
(4.0)- Randy Runnels of Nacogdoches TX, put his Skeeter/Yamaha bass-rig over Buck Bay grass to work an Allstar rod and Ambassadeur reel spooled with 15 lb test Berkley Big Game mono. The Nacogdoches angler was fishing an xmas tree Senko around an 8′ grass clump when the $16,760 -4.0 lb bass hit at 9am. “I weighed the bass on a borrowed Berkley scale, stated a very surprised angler who said that it weighed between 4.1 and 4.0 on the scale before he decided to bring it in.
(5.0)- Joe Smith of Woodville TX, put his trust in a Zoom watermelon/red/chartreuse fluke while dragging a 10′- to- 15′ brush point off the Twin Dikes boat ramp. His bass hit on a 6:40am bite while fishing out of his Ranger/Mercury bass-rig and working a Cheetah rod and Ambassaduer reel spooled with 15 lb test P-line. Joe Smith came in after weighing his bass on a Berkley scale that digitized a 4.15 to 5.01 weight to win the Triton bass boat valued at $16,760.
Top First Day Children Winners-
Bass-(3.50)-10 yr old Justin Lopez/Zavala TX-
Catfish-(2.03)- 9 yr old Tyler Gracedel/Lumberton, TX.-
Perch-(0.25)-5 yr old Garret Morris/Dibol, TX-
Crappie-(1.06)- 4 yr old Logan Morris/Dibol, TX-
All bass were recovered and live released by the Sealy Outdoors fish recovery team-
Day-1 tally- 323 bass weighing 1,552 lbs-
This years $560,000 being offered in cash & prizes was 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. After final weigh-in during the tournament 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. The “FREE” daily concerts will entertain everyone after the weigh-in lines close at 3pm each day with “Louisiana Express” leading off Friday, Tracy Lawrence headlining Saturday, and Zona Jones playing to 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 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-
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
