Cole wins big at Rayburn Big Bash Splash
By DONALD GERVAIS Lakecaster Correspondent

Outdoors photo/Donald Gervais CASSIDY COLE hoists his winner's trophy at the Lake Sam Rayburn 23rd Annual Big Bass Splash held April 20- 22 at Umphries Family Pavilion.

"I told them I would be returning with a Hummer," 24-year-old Kilgore angler Cassidy Cole said to his fellow workers at the Chili's restaurant. That he will be doing after weighing in the 11.08-pound Lake Sam Rayburn lunker bass that won the 23rd Annual MacDonald's Big Bass Splash, sponsored by Sealy Outdoors, held April 20-22. Besides the 2007 H2 Hummer Cole took home a fully loaded Triton X2 20SX bass boat powered by Mercury 225 Optimax motor and a Bass Buggy all-terrain vehicle, a total winnings of over $130,000.

Not too many people saw Cole weigh in his doubledigit fish in the first hour (7- 8 a.m.) of Day 2 but those who saw it let out a round of cheers. It was the first 10+ pound fish to cross the scales at a Rayburn Big Bass Splash. The 2006 winning weight of 9.51 pounds-the was only time in 22 years that a fish weighing less than 10 pounds won the tournament.

"It's a family thing," said the winner as he sat on the hot seat at the weigh-in tent. "My uncle Keith and I are fishing the tournament for the second year. It's my first double digit bass ever."

Cassidy credited his uncle Keith for netting the winning fish.

"I deserve some credit after all," said Uncle Keith Cole with a broad grin. "I've been coaching him since his first brim tournament at age 6, including today." The two had not decided what was to be done with the winnings. Cassidy has been fishing in Uncle Keith's 1992 bass boat and it was not clear if the new Triton would replace it.

"Nice," said Rebecca, Cassidy's wife of three years as she sat in the Hummer for the first time. "They won it and it's up to them what they will keep."

Anglers from 31 states, as well as from Canada and Mexico, made up the 4,246 competitors who fished one or more days of the event. For many, the Big Bass Splash has become an annual event.

"We've stopped here at the tournament the last 15 years," said Dick Donnie of Lakefield Ontario Canada. "We winter in south Texas and plan our return trip to Canada according to the Big Bass Splash." Donnie cashed two hourly checks in this year's tournament.

"We'd be back if we never weighed in a fish," said one hourly winner who cashed in for the first time since fishing the event for five years. It's a family tradition."

"I live for the time I can spend with my son at the tournament," said another angler as he too sat in a hot seat during one of the hourly weigh-ins.

"I wasn't going to fish the tournament at all," said one of the numerous women who cashed checks during the tournament, "But my husband and son talked me into it."

The reluctant angler was a bit more receptive to fishing the tournament after winning a sixth place finish on Saturday and then returning with another winning fish the next day.

Only anglers who have not competed in a bass fishing tournament with an entrance fee of $600 or less in the last 12 months are able to enter the Big Bass Splash events.

Anglers compete for hourly prizes, starting at $1,000 for the largest fish of the hour, followed by $900 for second largest, $800 for third down to 12 places, 14 on the odd hours which are bonus second chance hours. Each day from noon-1 p.m. was the bonus T-shirt hour. If the hourly winner had purchased a Big Splash Tshirt, a $1,000 bonus was awarded.

In addition to the hourly cash awards anglers were eligible to win a triton TXS17 bass boat/Mercury motor package, valued at $19,000 for the first fish of each day weighing exactly, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0-pounds. All three boats were claimed Friday and Sunday, with only one claimed on Saturday. The two unclaimed boats were given away in a luck-of- the-draw to the contestants at Sunday's finale. An additional boat was awarded in the elimination draw where five contestants were called to the stage in a draw and one by one eliminated until the winner was reached.

The Ronald McDonald's Homes were the recipient of a check for $20,460, continuing the annual contribution to help families who are staying with sick children while they are hospitalized away from home. $5 from each contestant's entrance fee is donated from each event.

Steven Lyons of Alto wasn't too disappointed with his second place finish with a 9.26-pound Rayburn lunker bass. He brought the big bass to the scales in the T-shirt bonus hour on Sunday. Besides the first place check, he earned the bonus T-shirt check and the second place finisher's package of a 2007 Dodge Ram pickup and a Triton T176 bass boat, powered by a Mercury outboard valued at over $50,000.

"I fish a little bit," said the owner of Alto Butane, fishing his fourth annual Big Splash tournament. "The thing (Big Bass Splash) hits every year on my wife's birthday and she let's me go to this." Lyons called his wife from the hot seat to wish her a happy birthday and tell her of his best-ever bass catch.

More than $560,000 was awarded in cash and prizes at this year's Splash, including the winnings of third place finisher, Mike Loggins of Conroe. Loggins' 9.11 pound bass was caught in the 10-11 hour on Saturday and earned him a Cherokee Travel trailer valued at over $13,000.

Robert VonHeeder of Cypress, who led the tournament after Day 1 with his 8.98-pound lunker bass, took fourth place overall. VonHeeder weighed his fish during the T-shirt bonus hours to take home $2,000 plus a Bass Buggy, valued at over $10,900.

Kelvin Russell of Quitman fishing in the past 20 Big Bass Splashes brought in an 8.82 pound bass during the 9-10 hour on Saturday to claim fifth place and take home a Bass Buggy valued at $9,000.

Vidor Texan Mark Fletcher cashed in on Saturday's bonus T-shirt hour with an 8.81-pound bass to claim sixth. The road construction supervisor, fishing in his fifth Splash, caught his fish on an explosive top water bite using a white buzzbait at 11:20.

"It took everything for me not to pull the bait away from it until I felt the fish," said Fletcher, "I had pulled it away from a couple of other fish earlier."

Cody Tatum of Kilgore, Tex. was one of the first anglers to weigh in on the first hour of the tournament. His 8.72 pound bass took the early lead but ended up as 6th best of the tournament, enough to take home a Bass Buggy valued at over $7,000.

Although largemouth bass are the target species for the anglers at the Big Bass Splash occasionally other species are caught but not brought to the scales. An exception was made Saturday for a 15-year old. Nacogdoches Texan Ariel Drewey had prayed the night before for a big fish and indeed had her prayers answered.

"Dad had hung a stripper in the front of the boat when I felt a hit," said the homeschooled teen. "I felt a tug and set the hook hard twice but it didn't move. At first Dad thought I was hung up and didn't want me to loose the Sebille crankbait ($20 bait made in France) I had tied on."

Little wonder the fish didn't move, she had hooked into an alligator gar weighing an estimated 200 pounds using a custom fishing rod, Quantum reel and 17-pound test line.

"After I fought it for about five minutes my brother Seth wanted to fight it, so he did for 15 minutes and then handed me back the pole," continued the teenager. "The fight took 1 hour and 45 minutes before Dad and my uncle got the fish into the boat. Was Dad mad when the fish tore his fishing seat."

The gar was brought to the weigh in site and placed into the big fish tank among the top bass caught until then. Unfortunately the gar did not survive but was taken to the Bass Pro Shop headquarters in Springfield, Mo. where it will be examined and replica mounts made, one going to the teen angler. Adriel is the daughter of Terry and Tammy Drewey.

"It's the biggest fish I've ever heard caught in a bass tournament," said Bob Sealy, tournament founder and owner of Sealy Outdoors, sponsors of the Big Bass Splashes. "As long as I am on this stage at Big Bass Splashes, you and your dad have free entrance fees to all that we hold. It's all about family, fun and fishing,"

Children are included in the Splash events with a junior anglers division. Anglers under 12 compete daily for the top three biggest fish in Bass, Crappie, Brim and Catfish categories. The winners received gift certificates from Academy Sports and Outdoors. They are given the same royal treatment by the Sealy Outdoors staff at the weigh-in scales as the older competitors, going on stage to weigh their fish.

For the first time ever, the tournament was covered by ESPN online at: http://sports.espn.go.com/o utdoors/fishing/news/story ?id=2845098

"I want to give thanks to the fishermen and the sponsors who make this possible," said Sealy, "A special thanks goes to the Lake Sam Rayburn and Jasper County Chamber of Commerce and the entire community for their help and support."

Sealy Outdoors has expanded the Big Bass Splash that began on the shores of Lake Sam Rayburn 23 years ago. Splashes are now held annually at Toledo Bend Lake, Lake Fork and at Lake Guntersville in Ala. This year for the first time the Big Bass Splash will be at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Fla.