Gaia, Edmiston capture BFLRayburn opener
By DONALD GERVAIS

MICHAEL EDMISTON, left, winner of the co-angler division and Andy Gaia, boater division winner, show part of their catch at the Walmart BFLopening 2007 tournament at lake Sam Rayburn. The paired anglers combined limits was more than 46 pounds. Outdoors photo/Donald Gervais

Andy Gaia and Michael Edmiston took home the top honors in the boater and co-angler divisions at the opening tournament of the 2007 Walmart Bass Fishing League's Cowboy division season on Lake Sam Rayburn on Jan. 29.

The live well of Gaia's bass boat was a bit crowded on the way to the Humphrey Family Pavilion for the weigh in with more than 46 pounds of bass. Gaia's 26-pound sevenounce five-fish limit led the boater division while Edmiston's 20-pound fiveounce limit was tops in the co-angler division.

The 163 angling teams in the tournament faced cold rain and temperatures in the 40's in the season opener. The difficult fishing conditions yielded anglers in the boater's division 44 five-fish limits.

Only 14 co-anglers managed a five-fish catch.

Gaia, a Tomball angler, has competed for 10 years for this, his first win. High finishes earned Gaia the honor of point leader in the 2005 season. Gaia took home the trophy and more than $5,200, including bonus money for fishing with a Ranger boat and Yamaha outboard motor.

"I think the two days of sunshine before the tournament moved the fish a bit shallow," Gaia told the crowd sheltered in the Humphrey Pavilion at the awards ceremony. "I found two spots in practice and the spots held today."

Gaia's bag included a seven-pound 11-ounce kicker fish that fell for imported bait from France, a Sebile Flat Shad, gold in color.

"I give credit to Steven Johnson for turning me on to the Flat Shad bait and Chris Wilkerson of Tiremax for making the win possible," said Gaia. "The bait is different than other lipless crankbaits. It has flat sides and it has buoyancy that allows you to move it slowly."

The champion slowly cranked in eight-10 foot depths of water, in the northern reaches of the lake, ticking the submerged hydrilla. He used Kisler fishing rods and Shimano reels, spooled with16- pound Sunline fluorocarbon.

It was the first tournament for Edmiston, from Katy who earned $2,600 for his $100 entrance fee for the tournament. Edmiston's limit was anchored by a sixpound eight-ounce fish that was caught using the French bait tied on to Falcon Rods and Shimano reels, spooled with 20- pound Stren line.

Second place in the boater's division went to Baytown angler Jerry Huntley with 20-pounds and nine-ounces.

It was the best ever finish for the four-year veteran of the Cowboy division who earned $2,600 for the day's catch. Huntley targeted fish in Veach Basin in depths of nine-10 feet, in front of bushes.

"I made, what I had told myself, the last cast with the Carolina rig," said the retired Dupont plant angler. "I caught the eight and a half pound fish and then a three and a half pound on consecutive casts. The fish were stacked in an area less than 100-feet."

Huntley had his limit by 9 a.m. and culled two fish the remainder of the day.

Glenn Freeman of Converse, La. brought in a 20-pound six-ounce limit to claim the third place in the boater division and $1,750. He caught his fish in foursix foot depths.

Jerrel Pringle of Hemphill earned fourth place with 19-pounds and six-ounces. Lorne McClard of Keithville brought in an 18-pound one-ounce limit to claim fifth while Orange angler Joel James took sixth place.

Big Bass winner in the boater's division, with a 10- pound nine-ounce lunker, was Larry J. Glenn of Winnfield, La., who also took eighth overall. The big fish bit a Senko, in watermelon red, rigged wackystyle, in four feet of water at 10 a.m.

Craig Strickland of Lumberton took the runnerup spot and $1,300 in the co-angler division with 16- pounds and six-ounces. He used gold Rat-L-Traps to entice his catch, which included a six-pound fourounce kicker fish, in midlake areas, before 9 a.m.

Jesse Fry of College Station earned the third spot of the co-anglers with 14-pounds and 14-ounces. Vidor angler John Grass, in his first tournament, fishing with Glenn-the big bass winner of the boater division, took big bass honors with a seven-pound 10- ounce bass and fourth place (12-pounds and 14-ounces).

Rounding out the top six of the co-anglers were Austin Klores of Franklin in fifth with 12-pounds and 14-ounces followed by Conroe angler Bobby Goforth with 11-pounds and 11-ounces for sixth place.

Lake Sam Rayburn is the first of five tournaments of the 2007 season of the Cowboy Division of the BFL. Other fishing destinations this season include: Lakes Livingston, Conroe, Toledo Bend and a return stop at Sam Rayburn.

The top 40 anglers from boaters and co-anglers divisions at season's end qualify for the regional competition and those anglers have priority for the 2008 Stren series.

The top 40 regional finishers qualify for the national All-American with the top winner moving on to the Forrest Wood Cup competition against the elite fishermen of the FLW professional anglers.