Clark, Shaw win $25,200 on Toledo Bend at Bass Champs
By PATTY LENDERMAN Lakecaster Managing Editor

Outdoors photo/Patty Lenderman SHELBY SHAW and Rusty Clark win first place and over $25,000.

It was a rough, windy day on Toledo Bend May 5 for 237 teams trying to win some big money in the Bass Champs tournament. Toledo has been stingy with her bass for weeks, but the battle for bass was taken on with winds near 30 mph and very rough water.

Bass Champs paid out nearly $61,000 in cash and prizes and 32 teams received a check. Rusty Clark and Shelby Shaw won over $25,000 for first place.

As the teams began trickling to the scales at Cypress Bend, it was apparent that it was a tough day to find a bite. Chad Dyess and Michael Crawford established the initial lead with 14.16 lbs., which held as top weight for nearly an hour before heavier weights were brought in.

Jimmy Sorter weighed the first big bass over 9 pounds, then Ken Robinson weighed one in at 9.40. Jason Woods, fishing with Cory Rambo caught the biggest bass of the day weighing 10.02 lbs. winning a check for $1,000.

The weights were as spread out as the bass seemed to be. Rusty Clark & Shelby Shaw weighed in 19.26 lbs, ahead of second place by a pound and a half. Their targeted fishing holes were out on the main lake, exposed to the wind.

Outdoors photo/Patty Lenderman SEVERAL BIG BASS Were brought to the scales, but Jason Woods caught the biggest of the bunch weighing 10.02 lbs.

"We lost a four pounder first thing in the morning. The wind was tough, but we stayed there and caught a limit that probably weighed 13 pounds" Shelby explained.

They were throwing a Carolina rigged fluke in 17- 18' of water.

"The fish were there, but the waves were coming in about 4' high and ran us off. We hit about four or five spots, throwing the fluke most of the day, but also a Wave Worms Tiki Monkey. We caught our biggest one on that."

They were able to cull up several times, gaining the pounds needed to take the win. Shelby normally runs in an LMC Marine Triton Boat, but they fish Bass Champs in Rusty's qualified Skeeter boat, adding $5,000 to their first place winnings. They also won the Sure-Life products bonus of $200 bringing their grand total to $25,200!

Bert Thompson and his fiancé Jackie Downs won second place with 17.74 lbs.

Jackie said "It was windy!" Bert said they caught fish all day, from start to finish. "We fished main lake points with Carolina rigged lizards. We were sitting in about 15', catching them in 8'." They had picked out four spots to fish, and they all produced for them. "It was a steady bite all day!" They enjoyed a $5,000 payday.

Third place was won by Joe Joslin and George Jeane Sr with 17.58 lbs.

"We made one big circle on the southern end," Joe stated. "Mostly we were hitting drop offs and grass edges with a Carolina rig. Our biggest fish came off of a Texas rigged Stanley Reaction 6" red bug wedge worm in about 24'."

Their kicker weighed about seven pounds.

"We caught a few on crank baits, too. Our last fish was also our shallowest, weighing about five pounds coming out of six foot of water. It was a tough day fighting those waves, but we hung in there!"

Bass Champs presented them with a $3,000 check for third place.

Of all the big bass brought to the scales, Jason Woods, fishing with Cory Rambo, caught the biggest of them all at 10.02 lbs.

"We've been on fish for three weeks, and felt pretty good going in. Once we got to our first spot, I stuck her within three casts. I was flipping in about 18' right at a drop on a main lake point. She thumped it, I set the hook, and knew right away she was a big one. I told Cory to get the net! He asked if it was a good one, then looked back and saw my rod bowed. We got her in, but thirty minutes later the wind picked up pretty good and we had to leave that spot."

They won $1,000 for that one fish, but had a couple more to go with it to win 10th place for an additional $1,050.

Top 10:

First - $20,000 19.26 lbs. Rusty Clark and Shelby Shaw

Second - $5,000 17.74 lbs. Bert Thompson and Jackie Downs

Third - $3,000 17.58 lbs. Joe Joslin and George Jeane Sr.

Fourth - $2,000 16.82 lbs. Pete Shivers and Bill Duncan

Fifth - $1,200 14.52 lbs. Bill Domingue and Greg Pugh

Sixth - $1,090 14.20 lbs. Bill Smith and Kevin Baxter

Seventh - $1,080 14.16 lbs. Chad Dyess and Michael Crawford

Eighth - $1,070 13.96 lbs. Randy Hanna and Lonnie Stanley

Ninth - $1,060 13.84 lbs. Mike Murski and Phil Marks

Tenth - $1,050 13.54 lbs. Cory Rambo and Jason Woods

........and last in the money.....

32nd - $300 10.82 lbs. Eddy Gresham and Danny Cross

Big Bass - $1,000 10.02 lbs. Jason Woods and Cory Rambo

Bonus Money

Skeeter Bonus - $5,000 Rusty Clark and Shelby Shaw

Sure-Life Bonus - $200 Rusty Clark and Shelby Shaw

There is only one more tournament for the East region. On June 16 the final event will be held back on Sam Rayburn at the Umphrey Family Pavilion. One last push to close the gap in the points race for Angler of the Year.

Top Six Points Leaders:

1127 - Lance Hughes and Scooter Clark

1052 - John Olson and Trey Smith

1047 - Clint West and Clay West

1021 - Rusty Clark and Shelby Shaw

1008 - Douglas Posey and Lloyd Curtis

1005 - Martin Elshout and Mark Price

The Championship for the North and East regions will be a two-day event held Oct. 20-21. The location will be kept secret until just before the Championship. In the mean time, be sure to sign up for the Dodge Mega Bass tournament on Sam Rayburn July 29.